Archive for September, 2007

cancun_hotel_packages

The Demand for Discounted Airfare and Airlines

11 09 2007

Discounted airfare and the fate of airlines all depends on the economy. If the Middle East and its oil are in jeopardy, then oil prices rise and discount airfare on airlines will dwindle. The airlines base all of their discounts on the economy. If it’s a good year, there will be mega discount airfares amongst airlines. There is always the usual two week advance purchase discount, but the discount gets deeper if gas prices are down. As it costs the population more money to fill their gas tanks, the same applies to airlines as well.

In a good year, monthly discounted fares to select cities can always be found. There will be many inclusive hotel packages with the discounted airfares. Many of these packages are the trips to the Hawaiian Islands, The Bahamas, Cancun or Cozumel. It is these packages which families snatch up quickly. It’s very expensive to fly a family of five; so, if you are offered a vacation package which includes hotel, food and airfare for a discounted family rate, than the offer is too hard to pass on.

The Competition

The competition in airlines and their discounted airfare is tremendous. Usually when one major carrier offers a large discounted airfare, then the next airlines offers discount airfare, as well. The airlines and discount airfare will usually expect travel on a certain day of the week, and the stay has to be for a certain period of time, sometimes over a Saturday timeframe. It’s very confusing to the passenger who is trying to choose the best fare.

However, with the airlines implementing all your travel needs on the internet, the headaches are much less. It’s so much easier to type in dates and times of travel and watch your options pop up on the computer screen. By using the computer you can compare pricing from the different airlines. Your best and cheapest airlines discount airfares will be from your smaller carriers. However, they are sometimes limited to the cities in which they fly into. The other limitation to their discounted travel is basically the same as the other carriers, length of stay and flying on specific days of the week.

But if you are flexible in your schedule, the option and advantage is on your side. The key to finding a good airline and discount airfare is starting your search way in advance of your trip. You will have many more options to choose from and your bank account will not suffer nearly as much.

cancun_hotel_packages

THINKING ABOUT MEXICO BASS FISHING?

11 09 2007

Are you an avid bass fishing lover? Have you been fishing for awhile? Or maybe you are just interested in bass fishing and have always wanted to try it. Do you love taking trips to Mexico? Why not make your next trip a Mexico bass fishing trip?

While there are many locations you can travel to, to enjoy a great bass fishing trip, a Mexico bass fishing trip can be a wonderful experience as well. Among many places, two locations you might want to visit on a Mexico bass fishing trip are Lake El Salto and Lake Huites. Cancun is also a very popular spot that you might like to venture to. And, for the evenings when you are not fishing you will be in a great location that offers a fun and lively night life to enjoy.

You can change the complexion of a Mexico bass fishing trip by taking a companion or two with you versus going alone. Going alone will give you the option to do whatever you want at a whim. Going with people will allow you the opportunity to share some great moments with loved ones.

If you place an internet search you can find travel service companies that offer affordable Mexico bass fishing trip packages. They can offer you great hotel locations and help planning your fishing trip ventures for a low, special trip fee. You can definitely end up experiencing an amazing Mexico bass fishing trip at a fraction of the cost of a typical fishing trip. Finding such deals only takes a little time and research on your part, but the effort will be worth it when you end up with an incredible Mexico bass fishing trip experience that you will be talking about for years to come. You might even love it so much that you decide to make it a yearly trip, one that becomes a tradition rather than just a one time venture.

Taking the time to research is important as well because you can find out things about a place before you go. Little things, for example, that will make a difference in your experience. Like finding a hotel that is near a lake where you want to go fishing or finding a hotel that is a bit farther away. This factor can make a huge difference in your overall enjoyment of the trip. Or how about a trip that involves a deep sea bass fishing excursion that is a bit more expensive than a package that does not include this extra feature. All these differences are important.

cancun_hotel_news

Chichen Itza Discoveries

11 09 2007

It was a ‘heady’ time in my life. I knew I had some insights that would be helpful from history and I knew something big had happened and was in process spiritually.

Here I was ‘head over heels’ with a young woman who was teaching me about empathy and demonstrating her willingness and ability to grow, as much as I could have hoped for. I was ‘in tune’ and waiting for the next ‘event’. Barbi and I headed for Cancun, where I could take a side trip and see my first Pyramid, at Chichen Itza. I expected something big to happen! And I could remember the re-incarnated Mayor of Old Sacramento who I had met some twenty years earlier. He said he had discovered many Mayan sites in his previous life.

The trip was prepaid, including hotel, but when we arrived at the Mayaland Hotel they had no record of our reservation. Barbi was upset which can easily happen if you expect efficiency in México. I on the other hand, began to feel my body hair ’stand and quiver’. Fate was smiling on me but Barbi wasn’t. My explanations about what was ‘intended’ just added to her frustration. She commanded that I should, “Get the owner! And straighten this out.”

It was no problem except that they had no rooms at The Mayaland that evening. The owner was quite pleasant and said she’d arrange a place for us at the ‘Club Med’ property up the road. Barbi wanted to be sure we could come back for the entertainment at the Mayaland and asked if I had ascertained how this had happened? I replied that it wasn’t anyone’s fault and that she would soon see we were the better off for it. I didn’t need any intuition to feel her mounting disgust with my arrogant certainty that it was about to happen. There had been other events of synchronicity and weirdness in our time together for the previous thirteen months and I had told her that her energy had been very important all of these things that had happened. I was ‘in the flow’ and she couldn’t relate to my elation. The ‘Villas Archaeologique’ was the place that the people who had excavated the site a hundred years or so ago, had stayed in.

Upon walking into the courtyard, I was even more certain something ’special’ was going on! The place was like a museum in a jungle gazebo and even smelled the way it should. I was looking at all the artifacts and carved rocks in their displays or among the plants. The earlier statues were much more refined and Greek looking. Why had no one mentioned this in any of the literature? I was absolutely ’stoked’! The more recent Mayan statues had this gargoylish long-tongued creature that Barbi had told me during the week in Cancun that reminded her of me. I was so sure anyone could easily see the degradation of a society over many millennia. Barbi said it could have been her Greek ancestors who had come to Central America. The dates on the statues would make that fit my ‘traveler’ theory as well.

I was certain that anyone could see the work of Churchward and MacDari might be vindicated by this art alone. Churchward claimed Mu had a higher culture and technology and Barbi had to agree the older artistry was in every way superior. “I wish MacDari and Churchward had met here to compare their notes.” I enthused. “Just as the Kelts (Toltecs) and Lemurians did.”

“Well if they met here they probably met in the Indus and became the Phoenicians as you say, too. But we need to get to the temple or pyramid, Bob!”

I was trying to ‘feel’ the presence of ‘The Red-Headed League’ (of Megalith Builders) that my early-life literary friend Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes had turned me on to. The scientific branch of their unified organization or original League of Nations called the Tuatha de Danaan seemed more likely the makers of these fine works of art. I forget how long it was before Barbi took me by the hand and brought me back to the reason we were there in the first place. She was into that almost as much as I was grooving on the Etruscan/Phoenician or Mu/Kelt connection to this part of the world. It had taken me by surprise but still I felt there was more, and off to the room we went. It was cooler in the small room, and as we freshened up I pestered Barbi for a celebration.

“Bob, we don’t have time for all of that.”

“Just a ‘quickie!” I pleaded.

“You don’t know the meaning of the word.” She joked as she ran away from me and out the door.

As we rounded the first corner of the courtyard I saw the manager in front of us, talking to a group of ‘turistas’. I waited anxiously as Barbi tried to push or pull me towards the exit. At what appeared to be an ‘opening’ in their conversation I brazenly asked, “Can you direct me to what is really important here? I’m not interested in the ‘official’ Mexican government position that the tour provides!?”

He responded in his best English combined with a calming French type accent. “I don’t know what you mean, Sir?!”

“I mean I know the Mexicans and their Franciscan forbears aren’t interested in having the Mayan people of Chiapas and elsewhere getting to know the degree of pride they should have in their heritage.”

He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Barbi tugging on my arm. I was sure he knew more than he was allowed or willing to tell me. I was convinced I wasn’t going to get any encouragement from him, so I followed Barbi who was into her ‘mall walk’ that I always joked about. Her small legs were quite powerful and when she wanted she sure knew how to use them, like when shopping.

“You know, I might learn more if we took the tour.” Barbi said in a half-hearted manner with full knowledge that I was not going to listen to their lies which included the Mayans not having existed before the time of Christ. Barbi remarked with conviction. “You know everyone isn’t into the same things you are.”

Many people would agree with her criticism of my often intense social behaviour. “I make no apologies for being willing to question authority and act in a right and growth oriented or ‘open’ manner. You are getting pretty good at it yourself lately, you know!” I said as I squeezed her hand.

At that time Barbi and I were living apart, but we had lived together for about six months during the time we had known each other. Her sexual abuse issues had been faced but the character and programming of behaviour that had been her life for so many years were still being evaluated. She had just turned twenty five and I was forty three years old.

I had read about the buildings on the site more than once and I was most interested in seeing the ‘Pelota’ where they had played a game with a big ball. The winner of this game got to choose who would die! Thus I figured, it was likely that sometimes the winners chose death. You wouldn’t imagine that a team with ten players would make this kind of decision without some major motivation. I told Barbi that the Persian roots of the game Parcheesi were not necessarily the real origin, by saying. “The early MesoAmerican Indians played a game just like Parcheesi that some historian/anthropologists said was Persian.”

“Is that the game like hook and ladders?” She replied as she saw some Greek looking columns up ahead.

I had read Carlos Castaneda a lot and always had wondered about his teacher/brujho’s claim that he was the last Toltec. I presume he was claiming to be the last pure Toltec and since the time I was at Chichen Itza I have discovered more sources that indicate they were not indigenous people but most likely Ovates of the Keltic tradition. The teachings of Don Juan as reported by Carlos and then performed by him, include dimensional shifts and time or immortality issues, that I felt were connected with this game in the ‘Pelota’. Barbi had heard my theory a few times I guess and wanted to have ‘fun’ egging me on to explain why some teams of winners might choose death.

Carlos Castaneda had been a UCLA anthropology student when he began his association with the ‘cult hero’ Don Juan and his sorcerer friends like Don Gennaro. The rumor was that Carlos did no longer exist in this physical frame of reference and that the journalists who waited to interview him at his publisher’s offices had always been frustrated. He would deliver his books from time to time and the journalists or paparazzi would chase after him. When he would duck into a stairwell and they would converge on him from above and below he wouldn’t be there anymore. I didn’t think any journalist who really understood his work would be interested in being a journalist once he was an adept. The Castaneda debunkers have their position that they understand everything he writes but I am sure they don’t.

It requires a great deal of right thought and attunement to shift physical dimensions or dematerialize. Barbi and I had been watching a cable access show called Tootlevision after its host Harry Tootle. We had seen Al Bielek describing his work as a physicist dealing with the nature of Time and its seven levels of a helical nature. The universe seems to expand, with the logical progression from lesser to greater cardinalities playing the role of time. I knew that ‘viewing’ time through the Philosopher’s Stone had given many people like the priestly Michel Nostradamus the insight to his confusing quatrains. The work of David Ovason in Secrets of Nostradamus is the best I have found on that matter.

I had met some people who had more than just premonitions and I had had a couple of them myself. It seemed to me that parallel or alternate universes had a part to play in the confusion. I think deja vu is a very common time frame feeling that is at the earliest stage of the helical structure of time.

The pyramid that you always see pictures of, in reference to Chichen Itza, dominates a plaza or field of immense proportions with large spaces between each of the main buildings. The Observatory or Caracol was being worked on and was unavailable for entry at the time of our visit. I found the Parthenon like columns of interest after having seen the statues at the ‘Villas’, and we walked among them first. It was getting hotter by the minute and it was very humid.

“Bob, I’ll race you to the top of the Pyramid!” Barbi called to me as she came running up beside me. It wasn’t going to get any cooler and August in Mexico is always hot. I guess I would have asked her to do it herself and tell me what she was able to see from the small altar room at the top, if she hadn’t challenged me in this way.

“When have you ever beaten me at anything physical, Short Stuff?” It didn’t matter to me, whether this was the famous Kukulcan jaguar cults’ pride and joy or not, by the time I reached the top. It was my primary concern to not breathe too hard so that my younger lady wouldn’t think I was too old or something like that. She was excited and rushed to me with news that she had gone under the altar and had been able to see the original temple structure below.

The Popul Vuh is the Bible of the Mayan peoples, or I guess I should say what the Bible purports to be. The historical and legendary traditions and laws of their ancestors; had mentioned the current temple was built around an earlier one that the jaguar cult of Kukulcan had built. It says that three brothers from across the ocean to the west; designed and led their ancestors to build this structure.

I think the very existence of the Mayans had been presented as a no longer existing factor at some time in the twentieth century: it was because they intended to wipe them out. I know in Mexico that many in the government wishes that were the case, and I know the Mayans had successfully kept away from the Spanish for many centuries since the Franciscans came to rob and ridicule them. Their mercenary brethren like Cortez had tried their damndest to ‘make it so’. At this time I was not sure I had really met a Mayan except at Fritz’s once, a few months earlier. I found out more about these things later in an extended visit that included living in Belize for about five months. The Mayans had been much more than their primitive Aztec conquerors. In fact the Aztecs held the Mayans in very high esteem and basically plagiarized the Mayan calendar and anything else they could. The Mayan still have a racial purity that makes them look like their original ancestors from the Orient or Mu.

As I re-energized, Barbi and I hugged in the presence of a vista once shared by a priesthood of austere and unproven origin who I was sure we could learn a lot from. The Mayans have a saying that can be expressed in many different ways that goes like this: “Don’t put yourself in front of your Self!” The soul is our true nature for sure; I mused as I saw Barbi’s wide-eyed excitement and shared her awe of this beautiful view. I felt vindicated in my zeal or often apparently ludicrous pursuit of something others only gave a modicum of care about; but much more was ‘in store’ for us that wonderful and ‘freaky’ day.

“Bob, I actually feel that I am somewhat responsible for bringing some of these things into your life. The truth is you bring them or make them a reality for me, in ways that no one else could. I don’t tell you that I love you enough, do I?”

“Yes, Barbi, you do. But, I always love to hear it.” We kissed before beginning the more difficult journey down the side of the pyramid.

It was so steep going down that it was amazing to both of us that they allowed old and infirm tourists to do it alone. Barbi probably made some crack about me having to do it on hands and knees some time in the near future. There were some old people and even some who weren’t so young who did this at some tricky points on the descent to ‘terra firma’. I was still naive enough to think the Mexican government and its fifty extended Spanish families that owned everything, had some kind of ethic. This illusion was rudely and totally corrected in my next visit to this land where might is still right.

We headed directly for the ‘Pelota’ after reaching the ground. This building was ominous, and we saw the royal box looming high above the field where the ‘little people’ played out their life and death game or struggle.

cancun_hotel_news

Spring Break not Spring Broken

11 09 2007

Back in the days when I was in college, the destination for people over eighteen and in college was Florida. The sunny warm beaches and the promise of meeting thousands of other kids your age was quite the draw. It still is in many cases. Ft. Lauderdale, Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach and even Disney World brace themselves at this time of year for the onslaught of Bikini clad, barefoot young people. But increasingly more and more students are headed to destinations outside of the U.S.

Destinations like the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Aruba, Cozumel and Cancun seem to be the new hot spots. Great travel rates and spring package deals are drawing throngs of college kids to tropical paradises outside the U.S. borders.

If you are licking your chops for spring break to arrive then here are a few tips for you to make sure this spring break is a lovely memory and not a horrible nightmare.

1. Remember you are in another country. The rules, regulations and laws of a city or island outside the U.S. are different. Getting into trouble with the local authorities becomes a whole different ball game outside the United States

2. If you are traveling beyond the borders, remember to have up to date passports and identity papers (drivers license, birth certificate etc.)

3.Make copies of all of these documents and leave them with your parents, U.S. passports and identity papers are very highly sought after by thieves. If your papers are stolen, have your parents fax the copies to you. Getting them replaced in a foreign country is time consuming and almost impossible.

4.U.S. Immigration requires you to show documents both of U.S. Citizenship and identity before you reenter the U.S. Just saying you were born in the United States will not be enough. (some countries charge you a departure tax, it may cost between $25.00 and $50.00 so make financial arrangements that include that fee)

5. It is a good idea to check with your health care insurance company to make sure you are covered outside the country. Some do and some don’t.

6. Do not leave your luggage alone in airports or on docks and do not ever accept packages from strangers. They may tell you that their sweet old Uncle will meet you at the airport, but more than likely it will be the drug enforcement officers. Again, being jailed in another country is a long, long, scary process.

7. The drinking age in most of the vacation paradise locations is 18. Being drunk is being vulnerable. Remember you are not at home.

8. Never go anywhere alone, especially at night. Two girls alone can be just as bad. Always travel in groups. If one person in your group is out of control, make sure someone sober will watch over them.

9. It’s a good idea not to accept dates with the locals. Don’t go off alone with anyone you don’t know. Yes, there is human trafficking and a sex slave trade that is alive and healthy. Keep your wits about you.

10. Don’t carry huge amounts of cash, use a replaceable vacation money like travelers checks.

11. It’s a good idea to know where the American Consulate is located and the phone number. This will just take a minute and the information is usually available from the hotel’s concierge service.

12. If you are on a cruise, be prompt in returning from day trips. Remember the captain is not your mother. You’re on your own.

It will only take an hour or less to put these suggestions into action and may save you hours of worry or heartache. Most of the time spring breakers will go and return with lots of pictures, a ton of great memories and a great tan, but lately we have heard enough horror stories on the news to warrent a little before hand preparation.

If you are planning on Florida consider this, it may be a long walk to the beach from some U.S. cites. You may not be familiar with the ocean. Here are a couple of quick suggestions you may want to keep in mind.

1. Consider tanning on the sand and swimming in your hotel’s pool. Rip tides occur all the time and can drag an unsuspecting swimmer out to sea. The trick here is not to fight it by trying to swim back to shore. Don’t try it, it will exhaust you and you won’t make any headway. Swim across the rip until it “lets you go”. By then the lifeguard will have seen you are in trouble and be on his way to aid you.

2. I almost hate to say this, but while we are stressing safety, its bears repeating. Shark attacks on the coasts have increased. The warmer water allows them to swim closer to shore. Life guards monitor the surface for signs of sharks, but even they get caught offguard. Swim where you can see whats swimming beneath you.

Spring break may be the first time you have traveled on your own. It won’t be the last time if you use your good judgment and keep your head. Remember this is spring break, not spring broken. Have fun and remember to pack your sun screen!

cancun_hotel_news

This Week in Riviera Maya Real Estate News from Playa del Carmen Mexico

11 09 2007

A Weekly Update on What’s Happening in our Riviera Maya Real Estate Community and Playa del Carmen Market Area

- TM Real Estate Group is inviting all brokers and agents to the launch of one of the most important real estate new projects on the Riviera Maya, the XCALACOCO BEACH RESORT just north of Playa del Carmen. The resort is offering a unique Private Residence Club plan for buyers. There are 265 new residences starting for sale next week. The event takes place on Thursday November 16th at 6pm at the Porto Real Hotel on Avenida Contituyentes in Playa del Carmen. All brokers and agents are invited. MLS 4 Riviera Maya will be there. For more information, contact Director of Sales Miguel Angel Rico at marico@tmrealestate.comThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

- Judi Shaw of Remax Playa is off to New Orleans to attend the National Association of Realtors conference for 3 days. There will be 65,000 attendees and 10,000 exhibitors on the expo floor demonstrating the latest in technology for our industry, new projects world wide developers and presentations for different countries. “Its a great place to network” says Judi. The conference is packed with educational classes such as marketing resort and luxury real estate world wide, training on ethics, business building techniques and much more than we can describe here. It is a great chance to improve, grow, and learn what buyers and sellers want in a realtor ….

- Shawn Bandick at One Stop Real Estate reports that his office is cramming to close and finish paperwork for all deals before Dec. 12th. “The City Offices will be closing for the holidays and we must get stuff in before they shut down for the holidays. Its crazy busy here” reports Shawn.

- One Stop Real Estate has sponsored the local Youth American Football League in Playa del Carmen. The Playa del Carmen Caballeros play teams from Cancun and Merida. With over 10 club teams in the leauge in several divisions, American Football is growing and with community support from our Real Estate Community, the sport keeps growing. The Midget team is undefeated in league play this year and has taken the more established teams by surprise. Ricardo Penkoff (14), son of Jorge Penkoff’s, partner at One Stop Real Estate is the Quarterback for the team and Riley Bandick (13), plays fullback and defensive lineman as part of the # 1 rated defense in the league. Jorge Penkoff says “The kids learn how to play within a team working for a goal while they have fun. It’s great fun and we can instill values of cooperation, teamwork, and hard work by supporting youth sports”

- Bill Morales at Cozumel Living reports “I can’t believe we’re at a tourist resort. Its so peaceful!” said Charles and Kate Green as we toured an oceanview lot, with a two floor, one bedroom studio, on a 650 sq meter land, with lush vegetation surrounding the perfectly trimmed lawn, located in downtown Cozumel just a block from the main avenue and the turqoise blue sea. They finally found what they had always wished. Home away from home. Only $ 190,000 usd! The Hartzog family are already packing and getting ready to come next summer when they will receive their brand new oceanfront, two bedroom condo just sold for $ 300,000. The day after we were told by the constructor prices had increased 15%. The Hartzogs realized they had not only bought a wonderful vacation home but also made the best investment ever. We are having busy and exiting days” says Bill Morales - Sales Agent and MLS 4 Riviera Maya Member.

- Conficasa Playa reports that commercial loan activity has really increased over the last month. They have formed an alliance with several banks and private investors in the US and their clients are happy with the results. “We now have outlets for Hotel Loans and Commercial Development Loans as well as short term Bridge Loans. We received term sheets for two clients this week and expect more in the near future. Our lenders will consider Commercial Loan requests as low as $1,000,000″ says ManagerTom Martin

- This week, MLS 4 Riviera Maya welcomed new members Sally Wood Evans of Coldwell Banker, Pamela DiOrio of Luna Maya Real Estate in Akumal, Clark Kent Race of Remax Playa, and Ricardo Barton of Riviera Realtors to it’s growing list of brokers and agents who post their listings on the web site engine. With over 300 listings already posted within the last 45 days and over 4000 links with over 4000 pages indexed (www.widexl.com), MLS 4 Riviera Maya and Riviera Maya Real Estate News are the fastest growing sites in the Riviera Maya.

cancun_hotel_news

Finding the Best Family Vacation

11 09 2007

Family

Doesn’t a family as great as your own deserve an equally great vacation. So let’s get started planning your family’s best vacation.

Beach

Does everybody want to relax on a beach, hike a mountain, visit a national park, play at a waterpark, go shopping or visit museums and cultural sites. From the vantage point of the beach, families delight in prime views of the expanse of clear, turquoise waters stretching out and deepening to an azure blue at the horizon. Think about getting away to the beach and enjoying sun, sand, waves. For sure a terrific family beach vacation includes sand, sun, sea plus an occasional surf board, a little beach music, crab cakes and hand packed ice cream. Imagine a beach with soft clean sand, sunshine filtered by puffy clouds, pleasant music caressing the sea breezes.

Adventure

The good news is that there are millions of exciting adventures in this world for you to choose from. There’s a long list of wilderness adventures available in every degree of comfort, adventure and budget. And now kids can share their vacation with Elmo and friends with Beaches’ exclusive Caribbean Adventures with Sesame Street.

Packages

Use the Web to find the best bargains in air travel and the cheapest rates for car rentals, hotel rooms and vacation packages, whether you travel in the U. Sometimes hotels have family-oriented or weekend packages that will provide a better deal. For example, we recently found packages with a weeklong lodging at an all-inclusive Cancun resort and airfare from Washington, D.

mexico hotel news

When Beaches get Boring - Visiting Cancun Mexico

11 09 2007

When in Cancun, there are a number of fun activities you can pursue. Beaches and other water activities can get boring, so instead of banking on spending your entire vacation by the ocean, plan a few interesting day trips as well. This can include shopping, tours, and even classes. By planning a few daytime activities, you can keep your Cancun adventure fun and exciting for you and the group with which you are traveling, whether it is friends or family. All age groups can get involved with Cancun activities.

Some of the most breathtaking sites in the Cancun area are the ancient Mayan ruins. Hundreds of sites in and around Cancun are preserved, and visitors are attracted to them due to their unique history. You can plan a guided tour to one of these sites, but often times the visitor’s information booth can provide you with enough information to tour the ruins on your own. It is usually free or very inexpensive to see these old ruins, and some of them, such as El Rey, are very close to the hotel zone or downtown Cancun. You can take a bus to the larger and farther away sites. Check with your hotel-many offer discounted tickets to tour for these special locations. You literally have countless choices if you are a history buff and want to see some ancient Mayan ruins.

If history is not your favorite topic, try delving into nature instead. The Interactive Aquarium in Cancun offers fun activities such as swimming with the dolphins and feeding the sharks. You could also visit one of Mexico’s reserves, which are like national parks. Here you can see animals in their natural habitats.

For those who would rather have a shopping experience, there are many places in Cancun and the surrounding areas to enjoy this activity. Instead of heading for a shopping mall (of which there are many), try instead a market. Haggling with vendors over hand-made items can be fun and entertaining, even if you do not purchase anything.

You can also check with your hotel about activities planned for day trips. Some offer buses that take you to Mexico’s best spas. Others host classes like landscape painting and traditional Mexican dancing. Most have activities for kids that go beyond watching them run around the beach all day. Be sure to plan ample time for beach and water fun, but also consider other activities as well. Cancun is a place where you can explore ancient civilizations, learn new things, and do many other interesting activities.

cancun_hotel_packages

Swinging The Clubs In Cancun

11 09 2007

As the number of championship caliber courses in the Cancun area continues to grow, golf will undoubtedly become one of Cancun’s most popular activities. With a number of courses already conveniently located in The Hotel Zone - adjacent to all of Cancun’s other activities - a great round of golf is easy to add to your Cancun itinerary. Most of the courses you will encounter were designed with the environment and natural landscape in mind by some of the world’s finest golf course architects. For the more committed golfing traveler, several excellent courses are located throughout the Riviera Maya, just south of Cancun. Regardless of where you decide to play, you will be treated to some excellent scenery and an unforgettable round of golf.

Located in the heart of the Hotel Zone, the Cancun Golf Club at Pok ta Pok is one of the oldest and most renowned courses in the area. Constructed in 1976 by Robert Trent Jones Jr., this Cancun golf treasure makes excellent use of the picturesque shoreline and scattered Mayan ruins. Though the course has hosted numerous prestigious tournaments, this par 72 offers an enjoyable experience to golfers of all skill levels. The site also features top-notch practice facilities and a restaurant with panoramic views of Cancun and the Caribbean Sea. Also in the Hotel Zone, the Hilton Cancun Beach and Golf Resort, an 18-hole championship course amongst abundant wildlife and Mayan ruins, is highlighted by the “island tee” on the majestic 7th hole.

Jack Nicklaus’ signature Cancun golf course is located at The Moon Spa and Golf Club. Composed of three distinct 9-hole courses - Jungle, Lakes and Dunes - The Moon Spa and Golf Club is a shining example of the ecological conservation employed in Cancun golf course construction. In addition to the exotic vegetation and animal life surrounding the course, players will be treated to incredible views of the Riviera Maya. Like a few other courses in the area, The Moon Spa and Golf Club features all-inclusive service with complimentary food and drinks, as well as transportation from your Cancun resort.

Located 45 minutes south of Cancun is Greg Norman’s excellent contribution to Cancun golf, El Camaleon Mayakoba. True to its name, the course features an incredibly distinctive layout amongst a fluctuating landscape of jungles, mangrove, subterranean caves, pristine lagoons and stretches of Caribbean sand. Many players have also been impressed by El Camaleon’s GPS-equipped golf carts that not only measure your shots, but also allow you to record your scores electronically and order refreshments.

Also south of Cancun is a pair of courses perfect for adventurous golfers, Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club and Playacar Golf Club. Designed by P.B. Dye, Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club features narrow fairways and deep sand traps cut from the vibrant Mayan jungle. The Playacar Golf Club, designed by Robert von Hagge, is surrounded by a number of lakes, while several holes hug the Caribbean shoreline.

The first golf course on the island of Cozumel, just southeast of Cancun - the Cozumel Country Club - is also one of the most challenging courses ever designed by Jack Nicklaus. Carved from the Mayan jungles and limestone bluffs at the northwestern tip of the island, the course took five years to be constructed. However, the course was designed with the environment in mind, receiving a certification in Environmental Planning from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System.

Given this growing popularity of golf in Cancun, it is no surprise that several more tournament quality courses are scheduled to open in the near future. The Puerto Cancun Golf Course, designed by Tom Weiskopf, is currently being constructed between The Hotel Zone and downtown Cancun. Though Puerto Cancun won’t be completed until late 2008, the course will add another championship caliber challenge within close reach of Cancun’s premier resorts. Scheduled to open in late 2007, The Tournament Players Course (TPC) of Cancun has potential to be one of the finest courses in all of Mexico. Designed by Tom Fazio, one of today’s most celebrated golf course architects, The TPC of Cancun will feature 36 sprawling holes and plenty of unique challenges. Also under construction is much anticipated La Roca Country Club, designed by PGA Tour legend Nick Price.

cancun_hotel_packages

Exploring Cancun - Use a Mexico Realtor to Get Local Deals

11 09 2007

Vacation havens abound in Mexico and Cancun ranks top among preferred destinations - not only for vacations, but for semi-permanent living. When you determine how long your exploration of Cancun will take use a Mexico Realtor to ensure you get the best deal for anything from a long weekend to a lifetime.

The beaches are a gorgeous white and the water a striking blue. Topless bathing is quite popular and silently accepted in Cancun and in many areas surrounding the Mayan Rivera. Total nudity is illegal however. Discuss local laws and customs you should be aware of with your Cancun, Mexico Realtor.

Cancun is a young city that sprang up from a small sand barrier. The city is actually a long island connected to the mainland by two bridges. The Hotel Zone is where most of the resorts, hotels, and condominiums are located on the island. A huge lagoon on the west side of the island is home to hundreds of marinas, waterfront restaurants, shopping malls, bars, and nightclubs offer something for everyone.

Downtown Cancun is an alternative to the hype and expense of the Hotel Zone. The Latin culture is strong and the prices are reasonable. Find homes for sale in Cancun by using a professional Mexico realtor.

You won’t be bored in Cancun, unless you want to be. There are Mayan ruins to investigate, shopping malls to visit, bike paths to explore and even bull fights to watch. Exploring the jungle is also exciting and you can rent a motorcycle or buggy. You can even visit the alligator farm and botany park.

Cancun is a natural haven for water sports of all kinds. Parasailing, banana rides, jet skis and other varieties of small watercraft are available from almost any beach vendor. A modern water park complete with a wave making machine, rivers, slides, and a free fall thrill ride located near Punta Nizúc.

Diving and snorkeling are very popular with some of the world’s most famous reefs and underwater national parks easily accessible to divers. The waters of the Caribbean are known for their clarity. Equipment is available for rent and many diving companies will offer to take you on the dive of your life. Utilize your Mexico realtor to help you find the best places to look for real estate in the Cancun area - near the things you love to do.

Excellent sport fishing opportunities abound in Cancun and the surrounding area. Sailfish, marlin, dorado, wahoo, grouper and blue fin tuna are highly sought after. Visiting anglers can also fish for tarpon, snook and bonefish in the many inlets, flats and lagoons.

Many different properties are for sale: from hotels, villas, beach front lots to townhouses and luxury properties all over Cancun and down the Mayan Riviera. Investment in interval ownership, residential or commercial properties is possible via a “trust”. Many opportunities exist for foreigners and locals to own real estate property in Mexico, including oceanfront real estate. All you need is a little planning and help from a professional Mexico real estate agent.

Cancun Hotel Resorts

Possible Locations for All-Inclusive Spa Vacations

11 09 2007

A Resort Spa is a spa owned by and located within a resort or hotel providing professionally administered spa services, fitness and wellness components and spa cuisine menu choices. The Report Spa’s mentioned below are devoted to enhancing your overall well-being through a variety of professional services that encourage the renewal of mind, body and spirit. If your primary purpose is relaxation, fine dining, and thrilling entertainment, then an all-inclusive spa vacation is for you.

Dreams Cancun Resort & Spa

Located in the stunningly beautiful Punta Cancun, the Dreams Resort & Spa is only steps away from fabulous restaurants, first-rate shopping and thrilling nighttime activities. This all-inclusive spa vacation resort has a variety of room and suite size’s to meet the needs of singles, couples and even full family, and all rooms offer private views of the ocean, lagoon or beaches. Several of the suites are provided with private whirlpools, marble floors, a mini-bar, as well as satellite TV and 24-hour room service.

Dreams Cancun Resort & Spa is a spectacular place to book an all-inclusive spa vacation that offers sparkling pools, exceptional gourmet restaurants and friendly lounges, all as part of that all-inclusive deal. Expect to be pampered with full spa treatments, massages and even special couples packages that can be enjoyed within private rooms or out in the warm and relaxing sun. The price you pay for this all-inclusive spa vacation even covers gratuities, so you needn’t worry at all; you’ve already tipped your waiter.

Miraval

This all-inclusive spa vacation resort is located in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Arizona and has nightly rates. Miraval’s energizing spa treatments, renowned meal plans and exigent activities provide guests with a spa experience they won’t soon forget.

The all-inclusive spa vacation package at this resort covers the standard room and board as well as giving the guest access to all lectures, classes and activities along with one free personal service, such as a therapeutic body wrap, per night. Hotel amenities include high-speed and wireless internet access, airport shuttle, free parking, and a safe deposit box among many other standard resort niceties.

Rancho La Puerta

This all-inclusive spa vacation destination hails itself as the original destination fitness resort and spa and is family founded, owned and operated with today’s guests being able to enjoy the very best in resort spa experiences. Located about an hour away from San Diego, just across the border in Tecate, Baja California, this private lot of 3,000 acres is said to give people the space they need to relax, breathe freely, and redirect one’s life.

While daily rates are available, the standard stay is for one full week, beginning and ending on a Saturday. No vehicles are allowed in the ranch and all food is prepared with local, organically grown produce. Even the private cottages are all unique, hand decorated with an abundant collection of museum-quality handcrafted items.

Personal services offered on this all-inclusive spa vacation include a wide variety of massages, hydrotherapy, various body treatments, special treatments focusing on the head, hands or feet, various facial treatments, as well as a variety of salon services. Specialty weeks are an added bonus to the regular week-long health and fitness plans with visiting instructors that are devoted to enriching your mind, body and spirit experience. Special presentations by these visiting instructors can often include lectures, arts and crafts classes, concerts, and evening events, and unless noted in the description as needing something like a materials fee for a class, all the special added programs are already covered in the price you paid for your all-inclusive spa vacation.

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