Things to Know BEFORE going to Cancun
Cancun is a beautiful travel destination where you’re almost guaranteed to see blue skies and turquoise water. Without a doubt my husband and I can say that Mexico was our favorite trip. In a previous post I shared 10 Travel Tips for Cancun, Mexico but here are a few more things you should know before going to Cancun.
Here’s how we got there
We traveled by air with American Airlines. You will need a passport and your state ID or driver’s license.
Our flights were about $180 each round trip. After applying a flight credit from a trip we cancelled due to COVID 19 we only paid about $66.
On our flight to Cancun we boarded in the last group. Normally I wouldn’t mind but the flight was so full that my carry on luggage had to be checked. Refer to my previous post to learn why I am not a fan of checking luggage. I was a little worried the entire time but all went well but on our return flight we paid the extra $40 for priority boarding.
From the airport we rode to the hotel with USA Transfers. We scheduled with them before we left for our trip. Their service was so amazing that we have already booked with them for our next trip to Cancun in May. They were waiting for us when we exited CUN airport. Our return flight was scheduled for 7:30am and USA Transfers was at our hotel at 4am without us having to make a single phone call.
Cancun Hotel
We chose to stay at Hyatt Ziva Cancun. I’m not exaggerating when I say that it was an amazing experience! The staff was kind and friendly. The view from our room was breathtaking! We booked the Club Ocean Front Suite with the King bed and sofa on the 9th floor. Room 901 to be exact. This was a corner room so not only did we get a beautiful view from the balcony, we also received a window above the sofa with a full view of the ocean.
How we spent our time
Hyatt Ziva Cancun is an all inclusive resort with a variety of restaurants, beautiful pools that look out onto the ocean, a water park for kids, dolphin view rooms and so much more.
On one of our 3 days we rented a cabana and spent hours swimming and laying out by the pool. Cabana rentals offered three different options.
Cabana Rental Options
– $89 for just the cabana
– $124 includes house champagne
– $224 includes house champagne and 2 large lobsters
The resort is all inclusive so even with the cabana rental we received drinks and food poolside at no additional charge. We even hand someone make us drinks in a coconut!
We also caught glimpses of the nightly shows. Our dinner reservations were always scheduled during the shows so we only caught quick peeks while walking to dinner. I recommend scheduling dinner before or after the shows. From what we saw, they looked very entertaining.
At night, the resort lights several fire pits right off the beach for you to enjoy once the pool has closed.
Outside the resort we took a day trip to Xplor Park. Xplor park is a large theme park that offers underwater cave swimming, zip lining, river rafts, cave expeditions and more!
Booking with Xplor includes transportation from your hotel to the park. Our pick up was scheduled for 7:10 am but we opted to miss the ride in order to take our COVID-19 tests.
We paid for a private ride to the park but rode back with Xplor park transportation as previously scheduled.
What we ate
As vegetarians we were surprised by the number of options that were available for us at the resort. My absolute favorite restaurant was Lorenzo’s. Their risotto and ravioli meals were delicious and even better after we added Tabasco sauce. We also had quesadillas with rice and fresh guacamole.
Another thing you should know before going to Cancun is what the resort restaurants offer. I took a look at all of the restaurants lunch and dinner menus to get an idea of what was available as well as what we would need to pack to comply with dress code. This was very helpful in the end and I think it’s important to do if you have food preferences or restrictions.
I encourage you to try new foods especially if you’re leaving the resort. I’m a huge fan of eating what the locals love but COVID has made that a bit difficult. Be sure not to drink the tap water.
It was a great experience that we can’t wait to share with our kids on the upcoming trip. If you have any questions I’m more than happy to answer them in the comments below. For tips and ideas on what to pack click here.
