Distance & Plug Converter Questions

[Isla Nut]

Hi, Can anyone tell me if Azulik is close enough to most of the restaurants, shops & stuff to walk or do you really need a car? I don't mind a nice leasurly walk, but I don't want blisters or to be exausted on vacation. Ya-no?
Also, other places I have stayed in MX you have to have an adaptor for anything you want to plug in b/ca of the difference in the prongs. I know there's no plugs in the rooms, but if we need to charge anything at the front desk should we have an adaptor?

Thanks! :D

[DougSR]

I've never needed an adapter in MX for anything. My camera plugged in fine at Suenos.

You might want to get a car if you are not into taxis. Azulik is a way from most restaurants. I choose taxis just because they are normally available and much cheaper. Once I get to the beach you have a hard time dragging me away. I don't need much transportation.

[minniemex]

Never needed an adapter either!! But Lee has a great suggestion that can come in handy!!

http://tulum.info/showthread.php?t=2300

I take on with and it has come in handy!!

[Isla Nut]

Thanks, Taxis are fine with me. I don't think I want to spend the $$$ on a rental car this time, or at least not for the entire trip. Maybe just for one day trip to the Biosphere.

(I'll never forget taking a taxi on our honeymoon 10 years ago from our hotel in Puerto Juarez to Cancun. We got in & immediatly noticed he had a huge, half empty bottle of tequila on his dash board. Talk about culture shock!! )

Quick question, do you know about how much a taxi ride from Azulik to town or to the majority of the beach resturants would be?

Thanks again :)

[beachreader]

How many nights are you talking about? I mean, Azulik is close enough to several good restaurants, you could fill your belly easily enough if you're not married to any specific place.

If you want to go into town, you'll need a taxi, but they're pretty plentiful in that little beachtown area. Within walking distance, you've got Luna Maya, Zamas, Garden Grill (if they're still going), Copal and a handful of other places. A bit more of a walk would get you to El Tabano and Hemingway. Any farther south than that and I think you'd want a lift. I also wouldn't want to walk to the north beach area, but it's do-able. About a mile would bring you to Mayan Grill (nee Nacho's) and Mezzanine, but it's a hot walk and I wouldn't want to walk back after dark.

You'll probably meet people you can hook up with for rides places, too.

If you're walking anywhere after dark, please wear light-colored clothing and bring a flashlight at the very least. Make sure everyone in your party has some sort of light on them, and move the lights around so drivers can see you from both directions. It scares the heck out of me when I'm driving to think I see one person only to find there are three others trailing behind. I'd ask all pedestrians to wear lights strung all over their bodies, but I can see how that might be a challenge. :)

[Isla Nut]

Not exactly sure on how long yet, but I'm thinking 3 to 4 nights. This is, hopefully, going to be a surprise trip for DH so it's going to depend on how much $$ I can scrounge up with out rising to much suspicion. LOL We'll see!

But about meals, I'm good with a beach & some Guac! I think I could eat it for days!! But to my hubby, having been a chef in his younger years, food is one of the most important parts of any vacation. I thought we might do one really nice expensive dinner (any suggestions? Some of the ones in Windy City's trip reports look great!) Probably a couple beach b-fasts & maybe a couple that are inland, but known for great local specialties. Definitely have to do the taco stand thing I saw in one of the trip reports I read (can't remember which one off the top of my head.) DH LOVED taco stands & extremely local places we went to in Baja. Still talks about it. Gonna have to keep the food cost down a little this time, but I figured we might do that by snacking & guacin it for lunches on our "porch" most days.

Oh, about the walking at night, I never thought about that. Guess I need to get some powerful pocket sized flashlights for night walks. (Or maybe I should go up to Dollar Tree & get some of those multi-colored glow in the dark necklaces & bracelets my kid loves so much. LOL, the trick would be getting my husband to wear them!) ;)

Thanks for the suggestions!

[PhyllisB]

Food is much cheaper in town than on the beach. We saved money by having lunches there frequently. We've also gone to the San Francisco grocery store and gotten a bagful of muffins & other snacks & kept them in a little cooler (to avoid critters) -- instead of paying big bucks for breakfast. Seems like even breakfast is expensive on the beach these days unless you're staying somewhere where it is included.

The two restaurants Windy mentioned in his TR - Cetli and Hechizo - are the two fancy places to go. Fran (beachreader) also had a great meal at Om, I think (I always confuse Om and Ocho but I think it was Om).

Check out the restaurants thread in the FAQ forum if you haven't already -- lots of good info there! We're going to have to start adding to that thread now that a few folks have discovered new places!

I don't remember the taxi costs -- I think I read somewhere that it's about $8 for a trip into town??? Something like that. Just up and down the beach road would probably be a little less.

I'll second BR's suggestion to wear light colored clothes & carry a flashlight if you're out on the road after dark. It is DARK and hard to see pedestrians. As someone who was walking on the road after dark once too, I can attest to it being a bit of a nerve-racking experience!

[beachreader]

Yep, it's nerve-wracking for both drivers and sensible pedestrians, so anything you can do to facilitate safety is good. Like walking on the correct side of the street, though that's sometimes tough on the beach road, where the jungle pops out at inconvenient moments.

Anyway, I'm a big foodie myself, and I would really be the type to be snobby against 4-5-star cuisine in a rustic place like Tulum, but Hechizo is really special. It's not Mexican, it's two great international chefs using local ingredients in a way that would be 4-5 star anywhere in the world (I live very close to NYC, if that matters). I figured I'd pay twice what I paid at Hechizo for the same meal in NYC, but I'd never get that service or location anywhere else.

Cetli is the place I'm dying to try after Maya and Windy's reports. It sounds to me like it's truly Mexican haute cuisine, something I've been searching for for the past 5 years or so. I love home-style Mexican, and I can chow on street tacos, no problem, but I've always wondered where the exciting new chefs were cooking outside of Mex City. Sounds like Claudia has something special going there.

Mayan Grill (nee Nachos) is where I'd pick for a great lunch, amazing views, great food, big margaritas and decent prices (not real cheap, but for waterfront, better than most places). I also had a great lunch at Mezzanine, but it's Thai-Mexican fusion. Really good margaritas, at 2-1 from 1-4 p.m. Small, but very well executed in my book. I've also had great lunches at La Zebra (a bit slow, but very good) and a great ceviche at the new Puerta del Cielo, though there was no "action" or interest there at the time. Just a nice place with nothing going on but us and a great view out to the beach.

And I have to give a shout out to Chef Freddy at Om. I have had several amazing meals from him. If they're not busy, and you get a chance to talk to him before you order (he's the gentle giant behind the swinging doors, but he loves to come out and talk to people if he gets the chance), maybe ask if he has something he'd like to cook for you off the menu. If he has time, he'll make something really special for you. You may have to make the judgement call as to whether he'll have the time or not, but give it a shot.

I really enjoyed Ocho as well, right next door, but I didn't feel that personal chef's touch I had at Om.

[Solbound]

:wave:We were close to Azulik at Cabanas La Conchita and the taxi was only 40 pesos into town!

Kevin

[PhyllisB]

WOW, that is great! I guess I am WAYYYYY off there on my estimate!

I guess I'm just used to being at the far southern end of the road. And I've heard that if you call a cab, and it comes from the pueblo to get you, they charge you for that as well. But 40 pesos! that's fantastico!

[AdGuy]

WOW, that is great! I guess I am WAYYYYY off there on my estimate!

I guess I'm just used to being at the far southern end of the road. And I've heard that if you call a cab, and it comes from the pueblo to get you, they charge you for that as well. But 40 pesos! that's fantastico!


Only 40 pesos from even the "T" into town is a very good deal. I've never heard of a fare under 50 pesos for anywhere on the beach to the pubelo. I'm hiring Kevin to negotiate retainer fees with my clients! :)