Imperial Fiesta Club at Casa Maya in Cancun Mexico

By David Hong, Holiday Group Web Developer

This quiet resort is near the end of the Hotel Zone, but close to downtown Cancun. If you are looking for a place to get away from your busy life and want some peace and quiet, this is the place. Casa Maya is one of the older resorts in Cancun at the Hotel Zone but it still offers a lot. It has two restaurants, one located at the lobby of the resort, which opens only for breakfast only. The other restaurant is located near the beach and offers a beautiful view of the lagoon. The resort also has two bars, one in the lobby and another one on the beach.

If you have children or just want to relax in the pool, you are in luck. The resort offers three pools, with one dedicated to children. Other facilities include a small children’s play area, with swings, a very small exercise room, convenient store in the lobby of the resort, free wireless Internet, but you’ll have to bring your own laptop. Also for a fee, they have a room with computers to access the Internet and check your email. There’s also a tennis court but you’ll have to pay a fee to use it.

The beach is very beautiful with lawn chairs and many huts to help block the sun. But, you’ll have to arrive early to get a spot in one of the huts. Remember to bring plenty of sunscreen/sun block, hat and sunglasses, as the beach’s sand is so white, it reflects the sunlight directly into your eyes.

If you don’t want to stay within the resort area for your whole stay in Cancun, you can join tours which you can book at the lobby of the resort. If you only have time for 2 tours in Cancun, the Isla Mujeres and Chichen Itza tours are your best bet.

The Isla Mujeres tour came in two varieties, one with a lunch buffet and open bar on the ferry ride to and from the island (all-inclusive), and one without. Both include a lunch buffet and the breakfast buffet had a lot  of fruits. The tour included snorkeling (all equipment included), zip line, kayaking, 2 hours at Isla Mujeres’ downtown, and boat ride to and from mainland Cancun to the island. Tip: spend a few more dollars and go for the all-inclusive tour.

The Chichen Itza tour consists of viewing Mayan buildings, a “sink hole” to a underground river which you can swim in and buffet lunch. The “sink hole” was the first stop after a 3 hours bus ride from the Hotel Zone. The hole was as big as a small house and as deep as a 6 story building. The underground river was about 100ft deep, according to the tour guide. The second stop on the tour was the buffet lunch which consists of many fruits. And the final stop was Chichen Itza itself.

These were amazing buildings with an incredible purpose. By placing buildings in a certain location, the Maya were able to amplify the voice of the speaker standing on top of the center building. They also achieved what the Egyptian achieved, but on a smaller scale: pyramid shape buildings and other large structures.

Exchange Rate

The exchange rate at the airport is worse than the one in the city or even at the resort itself. You really don’t need to exchange a lot of money because many places accept US currency or major credit cards.

Food and Drinks

Water and soda cost more in Cancun. A small bottle of water, about 300ml, a little bit smaller than a can of soda, costs $3US at a restaurant and a can of soda is about the same price. Most restaurants, within resorts, near and around the resorts and within tourist area, are quite pricey. Prices per dish start from $15US and there aren’t many choices for under $20US.

If you like to buy your own groceries and cook, don’t buy it at convenient store within the resort. Their prices are 2 to 4 times higher than Wal-Mart’s. Yes, there are American retail stores within Cancun. Just take the bus to downtown Cancun for $0.75US one-way and you have Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Office Depot and Home Depot, just to name a few. At Wal-Mart, you can get fresh fruits, fresh meat and other Wal-Mart stuff. The prices are either cheaper or the same as the Wal-Mart in the States. Also, you can pickup your souvenirs for your family or friends at Wal-Mart and save a bundle.

Local Tours

Take the local bus for $0.75 per person, per ride and do some exploring yourself. This is the easiest way to explore other part of Cancun as driving in Cancun isn’t safe. Get out there and move away from the tourist area to explore another side of Cancun. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find: fresh coconut juice, directly from a fresh coconut for $1.50US and real Mexican food starting at $1.00US. Also, take a walk through a Mexican street market and you’ll see how spoiled we are with our air conditioned and nicely stocked supermarkets. Also, this is where your Mexican Peso will come in handy.

Airport to/from Resort

Book your ride to and from the airport and resort ahead of time. I was able to find rides, ahead of time for $7US per person, one-way. If not, you’ll be paying about $21US per person, one-way at the airport. Plus, the closest resort within the Hotel Zone is about a 20 minutes ride from the airport, at 45mph.

Other Tips

-Bring a waterproof camera; you’ll be around plenty of water.
-Bring plenty of sun block/sun screen.
-Bring plenty of US cash if you don’t want to pay for the exchange rate twice.
-North American electronic devices works fine in Cancun without any adapters, but beware, as some places do not have the third grounding prong.

Link: Imperial Fiesta Club at Hotel Casa Maya Resale Timeshares

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