PhillyBen
10th July 2009, 01:42 PM
Hi all.... This is my first post!
My fiance and I are going to Xamach (Treetop Cabana) for our honeymoon in a few weeks. I wanted to run our plans by you and see if anyone had any suggestions. I also had a few questions I was hoping I could get answered.
Here is our general itinerary:
Fly into Cancun on Monday (land at 10:30 AM!), pick up our mystery "SUV" and drive down to Xamach. On the way, we will likely stop to pick up some rum/tequila and for photo ops at the Sian Kian Gate, Boca Paila bridge, etc....
Plan to spend Monday afternoon and all day Tuesday just relaxing... We love swimming, snorkeling and reading.
On Wednesday, the plan is to do a half day excursion to see the biosphere, after we get back from that, more relaxing.
Thursday is the big day. We will hit the road early and try to get to Coba just when it opens, then we will stop at Grand Cenote on the way back from Coba, and then do the Tulum ruins afterthat. Ideally, that evening back at XD, we would have Carribean lobster for dinner.
Friday (sadly our last day) the plan is to just relax again and enjoy the beach.
Wake up early on Saturday, watch the sunrise, get one last snorkel in, grab a bite to eat, and then hit the road for our flight home.
So, first, I would just like to know if anyone has any comments on the itenerary. Sound good? Is there anything we are missing that we should definitely see/do while there? Any advice on how to maximize the enjoyment out of the activities I do have planned? As you can probably tell, we want a lot of relaxing time
I also have a few questions, mostly about XD...
What is the best way to voyage out into the biosphere? I have seen the Friends of Sian Kian and Cesiak websites, but there also seems to be some allusions to XD just being able to find you a local guide. It would obviously be cooler to have a private tour than be with a bunch of tourists bussed down from Cancun and Playa. I think we just want to see what it's like, see some exotic birds, and maybe a crocodile or manatee.
We aren't exactly serious anglers. I think going fishing sounds cool, but we won't be bringing any tackle, so while I think it would be fun to go fishing while there, we would need both equpment and assistance. Given our lack of skill, it is my understanding that if we do go fishing at all, we're probably better off in the ocean than in the lagoon. It's not a priority though, esp. if it will cost an arm and a leg.
We are both strong swimmers. I imagine it won't be a problem just to flipper out to the reef when we want to snorkel and then flipper back? Also, I stayed in South Akumal once and I recall the snorkeling in the bay being essentially as good as it was out by the reef. Is the case similar at XD?
What is the sea floor like at XD? Sandy? Rocky? Covered in Sea Grass? Sandy with big islands of coral scattered around?
Will there be an outlet I can use to charge my camera battery?
What condition is the road in these days?
Did the XD Guitar leave with Margo or is there still one there I could play?
What is the drinking water situation for us weak-stomached gringos? We try to be environmentally sensitive (i.e. avoid plastic bottles), but we also want to avoid montezuma's revenge during our honeymoon... Obviously, the ideal for us would be large containers of purified water from which we could refill something reusable...
Thanks in advance for your advice....
My fiance and I are going to Xamach (Treetop Cabana) for our honeymoon in a few weeks. I wanted to run our plans by you and see if anyone had any suggestions. I also had a few questions I was hoping I could get answered.
Here is our general itinerary:
Fly into Cancun on Monday (land at 10:30 AM!), pick up our mystery "SUV" and drive down to Xamach. On the way, we will likely stop to pick up some rum/tequila and for photo ops at the Sian Kian Gate, Boca Paila bridge, etc....
Plan to spend Monday afternoon and all day Tuesday just relaxing... We love swimming, snorkeling and reading.
On Wednesday, the plan is to do a half day excursion to see the biosphere, after we get back from that, more relaxing.
Thursday is the big day. We will hit the road early and try to get to Coba just when it opens, then we will stop at Grand Cenote on the way back from Coba, and then do the Tulum ruins afterthat. Ideally, that evening back at XD, we would have Carribean lobster for dinner.
Friday (sadly our last day) the plan is to just relax again and enjoy the beach.
Wake up early on Saturday, watch the sunrise, get one last snorkel in, grab a bite to eat, and then hit the road for our flight home.
So, first, I would just like to know if anyone has any comments on the itenerary. Sound good? Is there anything we are missing that we should definitely see/do while there? Any advice on how to maximize the enjoyment out of the activities I do have planned? As you can probably tell, we want a lot of relaxing time
I also have a few questions, mostly about XD...
What is the best way to voyage out into the biosphere? I have seen the Friends of Sian Kian and Cesiak websites, but there also seems to be some allusions to XD just being able to find you a local guide. It would obviously be cooler to have a private tour than be with a bunch of tourists bussed down from Cancun and Playa. I think we just want to see what it's like, see some exotic birds, and maybe a crocodile or manatee.
We aren't exactly serious anglers. I think going fishing sounds cool, but we won't be bringing any tackle, so while I think it would be fun to go fishing while there, we would need both equpment and assistance. Given our lack of skill, it is my understanding that if we do go fishing at all, we're probably better off in the ocean than in the lagoon. It's not a priority though, esp. if it will cost an arm and a leg.
We are both strong swimmers. I imagine it won't be a problem just to flipper out to the reef when we want to snorkel and then flipper back? Also, I stayed in South Akumal once and I recall the snorkeling in the bay being essentially as good as it was out by the reef. Is the case similar at XD?
What is the sea floor like at XD? Sandy? Rocky? Covered in Sea Grass? Sandy with big islands of coral scattered around?
Will there be an outlet I can use to charge my camera battery?
What condition is the road in these days?
Did the XD Guitar leave with Margo or is there still one there I could play?
What is the drinking water situation for us weak-stomached gringos? We try to be environmentally sensitive (i.e. avoid plastic bottles), but we also want to avoid montezuma's revenge during our honeymoon... Obviously, the ideal for us would be large containers of purified water from which we could refill something reusable...
Thanks in advance for your advice....