Cancun – Why on Earth did we go there?
We said we wouldn’t go there…
But we did…So why did we spend 3 weeks there?
Our own private beach at our Timeshare Resort – was pretty nice and I love weather watching too!
Why did we go to Cancun?
Firstly we wanted to go to a TBEX Travel Bloggers Conference being held there. We were and still are learning this blogging thing. We had a great learning experience and connected with loads of wonderful bloggers.
We did do one party in Cancun – TBEX party night by the beach at Moon Palace – a very nice place.
Typical local scene in Havana… love you Cuba
Thirdly we have the misfortune of owning timeshare and Cancun was a good place to use up some accumulating points.
She gave us every last tip and instruction on how to ‘work Cuba’
Yes, you actually need to know how to work Cuba if you are going independently. Things like the money for tourists is different to the money for locals. You also need to take all the cash you require for your trip. It is nigh near impossible to get cash in a cash machine in Cuba. We felt very lucky to have met Gill in Cancun – another thank you Cancun and more on Cuba later.
Then we met some wonderful lifelong and inspirational friends at TBEX.
Just to name a few – the gorgeous Carmen and Dave from Double Barrelled Travel, the very hip young travel journalists who just become three with little Ruby and now starting Family Travel, the super inspirational and one and only Indi Tansey… that’s her in the middle!
Getting some dance moves going at TBEX Cancun
And not to forget the super adventurous family Aimee, Jason and their girls from Everyday Journey who just uprooted and moved their life from the US to Mexico permanently! Just like that.
Aimee, Des and Indi at TBEX Mexico… I think they are trying to dance maybe?
Getting to Cancun From Belize
We had been staying on Caye Caulker in Belize. Not wanting to ferry back to Belize City and go to that dreaded Belize bus station that everyone says such bad things about, we headed off on an International Jetboat directly from Caye Caulker to Chetumal – which we booked online. It was very comfortable and plenty of room for luggage.
The Fast Boat across the border from Caye Caulker, Belize to Chetumal, Mexico – Way to go!
This wasn’t the cheapest combination but it was a comfortable way for us to do it.
The Mexican ADO buses are so comfortable and usually cheap.
This is a loud, gross place called ‘Coco Bongo’ – the name says it all.
A typical scene in front of the large hotels in the Hotel Zone.
What we Liked About Cancun
We liked the relaxed public beaches…
You can’t get enough beaches – right… there’s dozens in and around Cancun.
The Beaches – The water is the most stunning shade of blue I think I’ve seen of the ocean! And the sand – soft and white. To finish it off, palm trees are scattered throughout giving you some well needed shade after a couple of hours in the warm of the sun.
Loving every sunset there is to be had!
The Weather and the Sunsets – perfectly warm and balmy everyday – yes everyday is fine and warm.
Restaurants – Every kind of restaurant (from sushi to steakhouse) is easily accessible plus you can run across the street to 7-Eleven and buy cheap water and snacks.
The Buses – $1 takes you anywhere in Cancun
Isla Mujeres – you could jump on a ferry and in 30 minutes be on a beautiful island and totally different world which you can do for a day trip.
Beautiful Isla Mujeres… can you feel how warm that water is… I swear at least 35C
Swimming with Whale Sharks – a wonderfully daring and fun experience.
Rio Secreto – the best kept secret on the Yucatan. Don’t hesitate – just go there. 
The Cenotes – how can you not like them?
Our Timeshare – we’d been on the road for 6 months and the timeshares (although a big thorn in our side) proved to be a luxurious change for us – with little things like carpet, a comfy couch, fresh towels and soaps daily, a washing machine – you get the picture.
Day Trips – There’s also a plethora of day trips that you can take from Cancun to just about anywhere on the peninsula – for example if you want to go to Chichen Itza, Tulum, Akumal or any of the Eco Parks.
Chichen Itza – only a couple of hours bus ride away from Cancun
International Airport – you can fly almost anywhere including Paris or London from here – plus they have amazing Pork Ribs at TGI Fridays at the airport – just saying!
FREE WIFI – The internet in most places is free.
What we Didn’t Like About Cancun
- Cheesy, over commercialized, and packaged.
- Expensive compared with the rest of Mexico.
- Crowded with tourists.
- Shopping is the pits – we bought a GoPro here but could not buy a suitable memory card.
- Loud Music and obnoxious drunks
And after we used up all our timeshare points we headed out of Cancun to explore Isla Mujeres, Tulum, Merida, Valladolid and the rest of the beautiful Yucatan.
Not far down the road south this is ‘Tulum’ a super quaint little town on the coast not far from Cancun.
So when I reflect on all the wonderful experiences we had either in or just out of Cancun; I’m pleased we used it as our base for a while.
There’s something about white crunchy sand between your toes…
Ok well just have to go there then!
That’s fantastic Di, sometimes we just need some inside information from like minded travellers.