Cancun

Cancun in Mexico was always portrayed as the party place in paradise. Often glamorized as a crazy and wild from the American Spring break movies. Anyway that wild period is in March & April so I decided to visit Cancun in August. One of the main reasons I chose this month is because it is whale shark season from May till September. To swim with them was a special phenomenon that one must experience in their lifetime.

Knowing nothing much about Cancun, Chichen Itza, and the Maya Riviera (Playa del Carmen, Xcaret, Tulum), I just packed my bag and flew out there to see what the fuss is all about the Yucutan Peninsula.

ARRIVAL
The arrival options here are from Europe requires that stopover in USA/South America before catching the next flight to Aeropuerto Internacional de Cancun. Alternatively you can fly into Merida which is further west and then drive east to Cancun. My plan involved a trip to New York (JFK) and Cancun (CUN) from there. Aero Mexico was perfect with its modern Boeing fleet featuring the newer seat configurations and entertainment system including chargeable ports for all seats.

International Airport:
The arrival at the airport is smooth but once you clear customs, the hustlers pop up trying to sell you hotels and tours. At this point you don’t even know what you really want so ignore them and keep walking. The objective here is to exist the airport and get a taxi, shared shuttle or private pickup to get you to your hotel. (Pre arranging a private pickup is wise here)

The ride to the Cancun tourist zone is about 30-45 minutes depending on traffic and method of transportation as shared transport will have lots of stopovers.

While this option has not been officially done by me, I can tell you from the road experience from Cancun to Chichen Itza (Approximately 200km) the roads are in great condition so driving here is not an issue.

By Road:
While this option has not been officially done by me, I can tell you from the road experience from Cancun to Chichen Itza (Approximately 200km) the roads are in great condition so driving here is not an issue.

Tanning sessions in the beautiful settings at Sun Palace

The beautiful but milky ocean

ACCOMMODATION

Main tourist Strip:
Boulevard Kukulcan holds almost all of the main hotels in Cancun. Including the famous Cancun bar Coco Bongo. The area is always busy especially on the roads but once you settle into you hotel it is very relaxed and the beach is amazing. There are many all-inclusive hotels and this is the way to go. Also look into adult only hotels if you looking for that children free experience.

I selected Sun Palace and I would definitely recommend it. The beach, pools, and service was fantastic but what did it for me was the food. The seafood, meat and Mexican specialty food stations will guarantee a quick insertion into Mexican cuisine. For me this was 3 nights of Heaven and we could have called it a reality TV show called “The Biggest Gainer”.

Outside the Tourist zone:
There are several options outside the hotel zone heading north or south. If you want some more Island vibes then head to the Island Isla Muljeres. Thirty minutes by ferry from Puerto Juárez Federal Dock, it is the perfect getaway from the mainland. You can read more about Isla Muljeres here.

THINGS TO DO:
Daytime excursions are recommended if Cancun is your only stop for your holiday. Day trips to Tulum, Isla Muljeres, Conzumel, Coba, Chichen Itza, and Valladolid is an option but it is far wiser to actually go to these places and stay there to experience it better. There are many theme/adventure parks as well to get some thrill & entertainment during the day. However these parks are closer to Playa del Carmen.

Daytime:
I could go all touristy here and throw in a lot of activities that was recommended to be done here by the tourist brochure, but if you at an all-inclusive hotel for a couple of nights, just eat, drink and relax at the beach & pool. Get some exercise done with some swimming, Yoga, walking or running on the beach. Most of the hotels come with good gyms for some weight training as well.

For those who are considering snorkelling of the beach, this is not that kind of beach. The water is milky and beautiful but it is not clear with strong waves and currents that create a lot of sand in the water reducing visibility. The Ocean currents are strong so be careful and check with the lifeguards.

Nightime:
There are several bars around the place but Coco Bongo is the place to go at night to experience the Mexican style Vegas performance. The all you can drink and high on life performance is part of the trip. Cooking classes are a great option as well to fill in the evening.

View from Sun Palace balcony

One of the many combinations for breakfast

WILDLIFE:
There is not much to worry about here. There are a whole lot of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and fishes in the Yucutan Peninsula but Cancun has the least. Maybe take the insect repellent.

COSTS:
Out of all the locations in the Yucutan Peninsula, Cancun would be the most expensive. This is the main Tourist hub and prices can be steeper than neighbouring towns. However it is not expensive at all if we comparing it to New York or London for hotel costs, dining out, groceries and shopping.

Always use the ATM inside the banks or hotels or malls. Also make sure they are not charging a stupid service fee. In one instance I saw $50 US dollars service fee for an ATM found in Playa del Carmen’s main tourist avenue. So the trick is to bring with you a $1000-2000 US dollars and keep that safe & secure. Try to deal in Peso’s where possible especially markets, taxis, and restaurants.

CONCLUSION:
Cancun is the tourist hub where you will start of your Yucutan peninsula or end up at some point in your journey. It is designed for tourists who want the Mexican experience without giving up the comforts of home. So there are a lot of international restaurant chains, and shopping malls. A vast contrast in appearance when compared to Valladolid or Tulum. So a lovely place to settle into your trip and enjoy 2-4 nights before moving on.

Ko Ngai

This was my favourite island on this trip. Pronounced as Ko Hai. You arrive at an Island with beautiful turquoise coloured water, dense tropical forest, rocky headlands, and a beautiful white sand beach. This Island has no roads and is approximately 4 km long and 2 km wide. It has approximately 10 resorts, with 9 of them lined up across the beach on the east side of the island. There is one exception with one resort located on the southern beach.

This is one of the more relaxed islands. It is not too large and therefore the crowds are minimum. There are no day trippers so it feels like an actual holiday without intrusion here. The hotels are cheap and the costs on the island for restaurants are cheap with the option to go even cheaper outside the hotel. There is no cash machine so bring about ฿300-900 for each day if you eating out. You will need money for the private non hotel excursions which costs ฿400-500. So bring cash, mosquito repellent, and snacks. Definitely a great stay that is better than some of the bigger Islands.

Here are my top 10 tips for Ko Ngai:

1. Use the Speedboat: The island is a 45 minute speedboat ride from Koh Lanta. It is the middle point for travellers going further towards Koh Lipe, Koh Muk, and Koh Kradan. The speedboat pulls up to the front of one of the resorts to let all the passengers and luggage off. A long tail boat then comes to pick up the luggage and passengers. Most of the visitors choose to walk to the resort since it is so close and the beach is awesome.

Arriving to the beach landing spot

Arrival to Ko Ngai island

2. Accommodation options: They have a range of accommodation from the Hill side Villas to the beach from villas. There is also couple of camping sites. I chose Koh Ngai fantasy resort for my 3 night stay. Try to get one of the beach front villas or a family villa which is just behind the beach front villas with partial views to the ocean and a quick 1 minute walk to the beach. Accommodation prices vary from backpackers to hotels. Hotels are roughly ฿5000per night with breakfast.

3. Be Prepared for the wildlife photography: The island has a dense tropical forest and there are all kinds of wild animals and insects present here. I saw some bugs that I have not seen on Discovery channel on hangover Sunday. The main fear is once again mosquitoes so use a lot of repellant. (Recommend citronella which is very effective) There are snakes, spiders and monkeys in the tropical forest here so any hikes would require proper shoes and not flip flops (jandals, thongs).

Bug John Doe

Dragon Fly

Horn Bill Birds

Bats

4. Things to do on the Island: The Island is small and day time activity would include tanning, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, PADI scuba courses, and just long walks on the beach. There are two hiking paths on the island, one goes to the south of the island to a sunset viewing point. The other goes west of the island to another view point from the west of the Island. I set out on the west end view point but took a wrong turn and ended at the southern point which was pretty good. Chilling on the beach at night time is fun and if you lucky you might see some shooting stars.

Tanning and Enjoying the view

Ocean Time

5. Excursion to Ko Maa & Ko Chuaek :There are two islands in front of the beach. They are Koh Ma and Koh Cheuk. Most of the excursions have a snorkeling trip which visits these two islands with 2 additional spots. The 3rd spot on the excursions is the Emerald cave (Morakot cave) located on Koh Muk. The final spot is usually the beach on Koh Muk where you can visit one of the resort restaurants for lunch. Koh Ma and Koh Cheuk offers nice snorkeling spots where there is a lot of fish and they are not shy swimming all around you. The reef is quite colorful and alive. On the rocky cliffs you can see hundreds of bats chilling in the sun (not by choice).

6. Excursion to Emerald Cave: This was quite an experience. The boat operator anchored the boat a good 30 meters away from the cave. He did not speak good English and gave our group of 6 a touch and pointed to a hole in the rock. We assumed this was the cave and just jumped in. Once we got to the entrance of the cave it was a 70 meter swim to the beach on the other side. Approximately 30 meters of this swim is through the caves is in pitch black hence the touch. Our touch worked for 30 seconds and then we followed the sounds of people on the other side. At this point I was thinking of all my equipment back at the hotel like my touch and the Rambo glow sticks. There is the occasional chain gang tourists in life jackets in groups of 10-20 swimming through in a line formation through the caves. The beach on the other side is amazing and worth the effort in the darkness.

Inside the cave where there is still some sunlight

Exiting the cave after some Pitch black action

Enjoying the moment after exiting the cave

At the Hidden Beach

Cave Exit to the Beach

The Chain Gangs of Tourists

7. Where to Eat: Food is relatively cheap outside the hotel and will cost ฿200-400 a day. At the hotels you can double this cost. Water is expensive with big bottles 1.5 litres trading at ฿60. Beer is about ฿80 and cocktails can range from ฿180 to ฿400.So head next door to the Thai restaurants on the beach for some fresh seafood at really cheap prices. The service is fantastic and the food is representative of the island.

8. Hotel Services: Some of the resorts on the island are under foreign ownership and this kills the vibe for the resorts. Fantasy resort for example is under Chinese ownership and the services are focused on making money from tourists without much concern of the staff. This removes some of the traditional Thai friendly hospitality. A lot of the staff were from Burma and Philippines here. All hotel bills have a 10% service charge (tips) but some investigation led to the discovery that this money goes to the owners and not to the staff who deserve the tips. So get to know the staff and tip them privately with the secret handshake. The resort food is okay but too international with burgers, pasta etc.

9. Medical Emergencies: : There is no medical center on the island so emergencies will require a boat visit to the east towards the Trang district on mainland. Our group had one case of dental emergency and had to take a 2 hour boat ride to Trang and a private taxi to the hospital dentist. The quotation from the Chinese owner for this trip was ฿5000 for the trip including the taxi. Speaking to locals the same trip was done for ฿1600.

10. Watch out for Hidden costs: As mentioned the hotels have lots of mark up on all products and services for normal Thailand prices. Excursions can be purchased for 50% less from the local tour operator at the beach. Same with restaurants outside the hotels which are 50% cheaper and quality of food is better.

Similar Thailand articles of Interest:

THAILAND USEFUL TIPS
13 useful tips that will help you understand the Thai culture and the way things are done there. Best advice one can get to save time, money, and ones sanity.

PHUKET
Considered as the HUB of South Island, this is an overview of Phuket Island. The places to stay, things to do, and things to avoid.

RAILAY BAY
The hidden treasure of this Region.An overview of Railay Bay. The places to stay, things to do, and things to avoid.

KO PHI PHI
The most visited spot in South Thailand due to the Movie "The Beach". An overview Ko Phi PhIsland. The places to stay, things to do, and things to avoid.

Ko Phi Phi Don Island Travel tips

The most popular island on the Southern Thailand tourist radar. Situated in the middle of all the locations, east of Phuket, south of Krabi, and west of Lanta, this island welcomes a lot of traffic. I chose this as my last location to visit on the Island hopping tour as research indicated this place will be noisy. However my 2 nights here were fantastic but perhaps that is because I stayed away from the chaos that makes up Tonsai Bay and Loh Dalum Bay.

Here are some useful tips when staying on this beautiful island:

**Arrival to Tonsai bay

This is the main port on the island and the ferry pier is busy. We have your large ferries on the west of the pier and a small drop zone for private speedboats or long tail transfer boats on the east of the pier. This place is very crowded with travelers trying to exit and enter via one main pier.

Large Ferries: You can arrive via the large ferries from the neighboring islands but expect large crowds on the boats. A lot of day trippers use these to arrive early in the morning and then catch another ride to Ko Phi Phi Le Island to visit Maya bay where the movie “The beach” was filmed.

Private Speedboats: The recommended way to travel in all of South Thailand. Smaller crowds and faster journey time.

If you are staying at hotels on the other end, staff from the hotel greet you at the pier and place you in a long tail boat to transfer to your selected resort.

Comparison of both the options

Transfer via Long tail Boat

**Locations for Accommodation

There are many options around Tonsai Bay and Loh Dalum Bay. It is looking great and getting away from the European winter I would be happy to settle there and just use some good ear plugs when it comes to sleeping.

Ao Ling: Northwest of Loh Dalam bay is the hidden cove of Ao Ling (Moneky Bay). Home to a colony of not so shy monkeys. Popular spot for tourists who come for picnic and photo shoots with the monkeys.

Long Beach: At the Southern point of the island had a beautiful beach and some nice hotels. We went past this area by long tail boat and it was very nice so next time I might try this location.

Rantee Bay and Pak Nam: We also traveled past these two bays and they were okay. Pak Nam stood out the prettier bay if compared.

Loh Bagao Bay: When we were travelling past this bay, the jaw dropped and we all went wow. The magnificent sight of a white sand beach with lovely turquoise water filling the bay was breath taking. Secretly hoping that this is where our hotel is because we have seen some good beaches on the way here but this was the spot.

Then slowly the boat started heading into the bay and that smile on the face was locked in. We stayed here at Outrigger Phi Phi Island . There is another hotel next to this place called Villa 360 which looks great but does not have the beach front. The beach front belongs to Outrigger. Once we checked in here it was hard to leave.

Laem Tong Beach and Hin Poo bay: Due to the Outrigger hotel being so good I did not leave to explore any further so this means another trip to this island. They do have the Twin Palms and Holiday Inn at Laem Tong beach with good reviews so worth exploring.  

**Things to do on the Island

The best choice is chilling in the pools and on the beach or take a long swimming/snorkeling sessions in the beautiful waters of the bay. Alternatively PADI courses and scuba diving is very popular here.

There is also some hiking options to a view point near Loh Bagao in the north or Tonsai Bay view point to the west. Further to the west is the Wang Long Cave. Kayaking to the caves or around the bay is an ideal option.

Daily view that is hard to escape

** Excursions from the Island

The main excursion from the Island here is to Phi Phi le. There are hundreds of boats lined up to go to Ao Maya (Maya bay) every day. Each resort has its own speedboat to take you at a fixed time. At Tonsai bay there are many operators who offer the same trip for a fraction of the price. However the main objective here is to get to the island as early as possible and pay the extra bhats to persuade the driver to depart at 7am or earlier. After 9am Maya bay fills up with tourists and remains that way till sunset.

There is also the option of Bamboo Island heading north. Thirty minutes by long tail boat to this white sand island with lovely turquoise water.

Another island up north next to Bamboo Island is Koh Yung (Mosquito Island) which has good colorful coral reefs.

There is a diving/snoreklling site called Koh Hin Klang which is 2km in front of Laem Tong Beach. It is 90 meters long and 60 meters wide and one of the best places to dive and snorkel.

**Wildlife
Mainly mosquitoes but there was the odd harmless cockroach flying in the air. Relatively calm at the resorts with bugs since they have pest control but expect to see some wilder creatures on hikes. 

**Costs on the Island

Compared to the other islands this is the most expensive island. Due to the large amounts of tourists and demand for products, a greedy markup is placed on everything. Outrigger hotel is expensive but worth it. The best breakfast we have had on all the Islands. The seafood buffet dinner at this hotel was fantastic.

Food at the hotel will cost ฿400-1000 a day. Water is quite cheap with big bottles 1.5 litres trading at ฿50. Beer is about ฿80 and cocktails can range from ฿150 to ฿400.

Accommodation prices vary from backpackers to hotels. Hotels are roughly ฿7000per night with breakfast.

**Conclusion

This is a beautiful island and a good place to chill for several days. A popular option is to stay here while visiting Phi Phi Le. There are large crowds so expectation of being alone on the beach is not possible. 

However the east side of the island is more relaxed and quiet. Take the speedboat in and out of the Island. Travel to Maya bay super early. Bring your snack supplies as shops are limited and over priced.

Try the Outrigger hotel as the service and hotel is amazing. 

Outrigger Phi Phi Hotel: Only place I arrived with dry feet thanks to the small pier

South Thailand Island Guide
Boat options for Island Transfers

Phuket Tips
Phuket Map
South Thailand 13 Useful tips
Railay Beach 
Krabi 
Ko Lanta

Comparison of the two ocean transportation options in South Thailand:

SPEEDBOAT

Expect some drama but nothing crazy on the speedboats in comparison to the large ferries. Our speedboat ride "Bundhaya Speedboats" from Ko Ngai was delayed by an hour, it was supposed to travel to Koh Lanta to drop the passengers who were headed further to Phi Phi or Phuket on another speedboat.

Due to the delay of an hour some people waiting at Lanta went bananas and forced the driver to take the boat out to the ocean. So instead of waiting at the port now they waited on the water for a good 20 minutes.

The Thai staff bowing down to the clients’ pressure meant now when our boat met them mid ocean, it will become the new passenger transfer point.

Not the ideal place to do a transfer but this is how things are done in the Islands.

FERRY

I only took 2 large ferries and I can tell you that the ride from Phi Phi to Phuket was the most horrific messed up boat trip I have done to date. Due to timing issues I had to take a ferry instead of the speedboat. Expectations for the ferry environment are:

1. The first time travelers who have no knowledge of what sea sickness is.

2. Groups of day trippers who may die of loneliness if they get separated from their groups for more than 5 minutes

3. Overcrowded ferry travelling slowly.

To avoid the chaos inside the ferry I went to sit outside at the back of the boat. It was a great seat with fresh air, great views of the Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le islands behind me.

The first hour was fantastic but after that the worse thing imaginable happened. Someone from the top deck puked and some of that shit landed on my shorts with a few spots on the singlet. (Could have been worse and all over the head and face) Anyway I had to strip down and use a tea towel as a wrap around on the waist to cover the family jewels while washing the clothes in the bathroom. The bathroom is large and clean with a powerful hose pipe, so ideal setup for cleaning.

However I did get some raised eyebrows from passengers who saw my sexy tea towel wrap around. Luckily the damage was limited and washed off with ease. That was the last time I will ever take a large ferry.

Conclusion: Take the speedboat! :) Bundhaya Speedboats

South Thailand Island Guide

Phuket Tips
Phuket Map
South Thailand 13 Useful tips
Ko Phi Phi Don
Railay Beach
Krabi

Phuket 10 Useful tips

Phuket is a large island situated off the west coast in the Andaman Sea with a bridge connecting it to mainland Thailand. It acts as the focal point for tourists who use this island as the main stay holiday or the base camp. Here are some quick tips about Phuket to help construct your plan when you visit this Island.

Here are my top 11 recommendations for Phuket :

1. Select wisely your entry points into the Island:
Phuket International Airport:
The second largest airport in Thailand after Bangkok. Nothing special about the airport but it is effective and efficient in operations with the high number of tourists passing through. Good to book your flight direct here instead of going through Bangkok if you have the chance. Once you are outside the arrivals area, you can get a taxi to your location. Remember the same same but different rule and therefore bargain for a taxi. Airport is located north of the Island.

Phuket harbour:
Rassada Pier is the main port here for moving tourists to the Islands around Phuket or across to Krabi. This port is on the east side of the island and it is a mess with herds of day trippers walking around without purpose, simply following a guide when they are not lost. There are all kinds of good, bad and nasty smells here so the less time spent here the better. There is a drop of point outside the ferry terminal and then it is a mission of getting your suitcases and yourself through the crowds to the right ferry or the ticket office. Avoid using the port if you can.

Thao Thepkasattri Bridge:
The driving option is one of the better options to avoid the crowds. Krabi is a 90 minute drive and the roads are very good, so it makes for a comfortable ride. So if you are flying into Krabi this is a good option as can skip the above two busy areas. I drove from Phuket to Krabi on New Year’s Day and it was a great scenic trip with lots of amazing temples and landscape along the way. Bangkok is a 9 hour drive so best to have a pit stop along the way for that road trip.

2. Get a driver if you are not renting a car:
Once you use a few private taxis, use one of the drivers as your local guy. You can pay them 1000-3000 bhats for 4-5 hours. They will take you around and take you to good lunch places, some sightseeing and pretty much save you time and money. Our driver below had this van they carried the team to all locations while keeping us entertained with the fancy lighting and sound systems.

Try the following drivers that I used while in Phuket, remember to call at least 1 day in advance.
West Side:
Mr. Mee (Buntang area) +66-83-105-3441 or +66-85-884-2859
Mr. Nop (Surin Beach) +66-92-073-6436
East Side:
Mr. Hab (Panwa Beach) +66-86-952-1667

3. Avoid living in the west side:
Okay for a night or two but not longer. It is noisy and chaotic especially Patong, you never know when a ping pong ball will fly at you. So stay in the East if you want to avoid the day trippers and big crowds.

4. Avoid the malls:
Unless you looking for something specific and need an international brand. Prices in the mall are not necessarily cheaper and it is very crowded. Try the night markets instead or wait till you get to a different city.

5. Avoid the spas near the malls or in the malls:
Forgot about privacy and expect something from the matrix. This photo was taken from outside the spa where at least 50 people were squeezed next to each other like a manufacturing factory.

Our Ride for Phuket by or driver Mr Hab

Spa at the Mall

6. Pick up some goodies from the Pharmacy:
Here you can get all the goodies you need to survive the trip. Citronella organic insect repellent is great along with lemongrass palm if the damage is already done.

7. Try the Chalong bay beach restaurants for good fish dishes and views:
These restaurants are mostly occupied by locals, tourists anchored in the bay and the guests living around the area. The price is approximately 1/4 of what you pay on the west side.

8. Try this restaurant for seafood Phong Phang in Chalong:
There is a tourist trap buffet restaurant in the front but take the back entrance to find a big seafood restaurant that served some of the best seafood during my time in Thailand. It is filled with locals and its a local hidden gem. Here is the Facebook page for this place.

Chalong Bay Dinner at the beach

Seafood galore at Phong Phang

9. Familiarize yourself with the Island setup:
Here is a Map with some descriptions of the areas. This is a big island with a lot of activity in comparison to others in this area.

10.Wildlife:
Expect a lot of mosquitoes all over the place. They have a lot of monkeys running around at the temples and other spots close to the forest. They will usually grab any food item that is on you or in close proximity so be careful.

Monkey at the Big Buddha park

The Big Buddha

11. Three days is too long in Phuket so get out to the other Islands:
The best beaches, the good spots, the reefs, and all the stuff that makes a holiday more relaxing is outside of Phuket or big cities. Go to the smaller Islands.

Similar Thailand articles of Interest:

KO NGAI
The island of Relaxation. An overview of Ko Ngai Island. The places to stay, things to do, and things to avoid.

KRABI
An overview of Krabi region and Klang island. The places to stay, things to do, and things to avoid.

RAILAY BAY
The hidden treasure of this Region.An overview of Railay Bay. The places to stay, things to do, and things to avoid.

KO PHI PHI
The most visited spot in South Thailand due to the Movie "The Beach". An overview Ko Phi PhIsland. The places to stay, things to do, and things to avoid.