Oh wow now where on earth do I start with this place?? Our first visit was back in 2006 and I honestly think this is THE best club in the world and I do believe it is on some lists saying so.

BACKGROUND

Back in 2006 it was the one place I HAD to go whilst on holiday. We were actually staying in Playa Del Carmen, not Cancun but it's near enough to go for a night out. First we booked on a bar hopping tour for my 21st birthday - the final place of the night being Coco Bongos. However, too much sun and not enough water had left me pretty ill that night and we had to go home before we got to go to Coco Bongos.

We then booked to go to Coco Bongos through a place in Playa Del Carmen, we paid an £8 deposit, got all dressed up and waited patiently in the hotel lobby to be picked up but the tour never came. We went into Playa Del Carmen and the place we had purchased the tour from had shut down.

A few days later we tried again this time through the hotel but around 5pm we were told the trip was cancelled due to not enough people wanting to go on it. So...it was the last few days of our holiday now and we were starting to panic!!

We visited Grey Line tours in Playacar and asked about a trip to there. The organized tours (ie the party hoppers) were on days that we now could not do as we only had a few days left. We explained the situation to them and they were great.

They organised for a taxi to pick up just me and my boyfriend (no other pick ups), take us to Coco Bongos, get us in priority entrance (no queuing), all inclusive drinks all night, and the taxi to pick us up again at whatever time we asked him. All this for £30 each!! And bear in mind that its an hour each way taxi ride and ALL your drinks in with that! Excellent value and the taxi driver turned up bang on time.

After going in 2006 it was without a doubt the one place we wanted to revisit in Cancun in 2007. This time we were meeting friends (who were staying in Cancun) so we could not book on a trip there as we would never have found them inside Coco Bongos so we took the bus to Cancun, then a taxi from the bus station to near Coco Bongos, paid to get in all inclusive and then got a taxi home. This worked out a lot more expensive and not as easy but was still a great night.

ENTERING THE CLUB

So upon being ushered in the first time you go up a few escalators and emerge into a tiny bar area. After pushing your way through this bit you enter the main club. What struck me is how small it was. I was expecting it to be huge but it is not even any bigger than some clubs in Manchester.

It is sort of an arena shape, with a bar at one end (imagine the stage end in an arena), stepped seating area around the sides, and a large dancefloor making up the central floor area.

We were ushered along right to the end where we would not have had any view of the stage. Some lairy blokes above us knocked a beer down onto me. The place was crammed to the maximum and I wasn't sure I was going to like it at all. My boyfriend went to get us some drinks while I saved our 'seat' (step) but they wouldn't give him two drinks at once despite him pointing out me and me waving. This seems a silly rule really considering its AI.

Anyway, we moved from where we were and battled our way to the top of a stair case. From here we had a good view of the show and somehow each time we went to the bar we managed to get our spot back.

The second year we went we did not have priority entrance. We were offered on the street to pay £5 extra per person to not queue, at first we decided to just queue but when the queue seemed to be moving nowhere we paid the £5 each and went to the other entrance. Inside this entrance was another queue (just hidden from the public eye!).
However this queue moved a bit quicker and we were soon in the club.

This year I had wanted to pay to get a table to sit at but I saw no option of this anywhere. There was a table with no one on it but a 'reserved' sign on it. We went to sit there thinking we would move when the people came to claim it. A security guard told us to move within about 30 seconds of us being there but he just walked on and never came back. No one ever came to claim the table and we ended up sat there, with probably the best view in the whole place all night!

THE SHOWS

The thing that sets this club apart from the rest has got to be the shows. Above you there are trapeze acts flying about. On the stage there are lookalike singers and dancers. All are of such an amazing quality it makes the whole experience amazing.

First off is an act above your head doing the most amazing tricks high up holding onto nothing but white sheets. They are not held on by wires and some of the stunts they do really make you hold your breath. The amount of talent required is unbelievable.

Now I can't remember the order really of the show but I will mention some of the bits that have stuck out in my mind.

There are the trapeze artists swinging high up and doing synchronized jumps and spins etc. These are held on by wires and put on a spectacular show.

I think probably the favourite act of most people who go to the club is Spiderman. On his act there are no wires, his safety really all depends on him not losing grip of the piece of red cloth that he is spinning round the room and doing the most incredible tricks on. It is so hard to explain, there are many videos on the net of this, I really suggest watching them they are amazing. On our second visit as we had such a good view when Spiderman was spinning round the room he almost kicked us in the head! Spiderman 'fights' with the green goblin in this show and it really is so much fun to watch.

Other shows up above you are Beetlejuice and the Matrix.

There are also many lookalike dancers performing to songs on the stage. There is Michael Jackson, Queen, Beyonce, Moulin Rouge, Madonna

etc. They are all really good. The Michael Jackson is really good at dancing.

The whole show is just an amazing experience. It also gives you something to do whilst having a drink.

AFTER SHOW PARTY

When the shows end, a lot of the disco hopping tours leave and although the place is still busy it is not too crowded to dance. Streamers, smoke, bubbles, huge balloons are all released and the party begins.

Now they have an MTV top ten DJ on playing such a wide variety of tunes, everything from Bryan Adams and Bon Jovi, through all the party classics, through to modern day chart stuff. There really is music for everyone which is great. If you don't like one tune, you're pretty much guaranteed to like the next. Think of it like a huge family party - great fun party tunes!

From this point on the focus is on dancing anywhere you want - on the tables, on the bar - you choose! Beware though, on a certain spot on the bar there is a built in 'fan' stand above it and they will blast a shot of air and project your bum on the big screen. I wore shorts my second time round visiting this club lol.

THE DRINKS

The fact that they won't serve you multiple drinks at the bar at once is a bit of a pain. If you've found a seat you sure as hell don't want to lose it and it's easier to go to the bar and get a round which obviously you can't do.

Also it's hard to get served sometimes, the staff aren't the friendliest. That said, you will always get served you just need to make sure you get noticed. Once you get a drink they are great. I stuck to Malibu and lemonade mainly, it wasn't real Malibu but whatever it was was actually nicer and I swear the drinks are like 70% alcohol 30% mixer - they are SO strong! No watering down for the AI here! The beer, I can't remember the brand but my boyfriend was happy with it and he is a fussy drinker!

Oh but also, be prepared to get many a drink spilled on you during your night - don't wear something you are worried about getting ruined!

PRICE

On an organised trip you can get transport, entry and drinks all night for around £30. This price is similar for a bar hopping tour that visits Coco Bongos but obviously you don't get as long there if you do it this way.

Entry AI to the club is £20 or £25 if you want priority entrance. This isn't much considering your whole nights drinks are in with that.

If you are staying in Playa Del Carmen a taxi home will cost you £25. DO NOT PAY MORE THAN THIS. We have been quoted £50 and had them being really rude telling us "good luck finding a taxi for £25" when we said we know how much they cost, they soon change their tune as you walk away. If they don't move along to the next taxi, never pay more than £25.

The bus to Playa Del Carmen is £7 but I'm not sure what time it stops running. The club is open till about 4am I think.

OVERALL

Whatever your age, no matter whether you are not the 'Cancun' type of person (we personally only really love this one place in Cancun and much prefer Playa Del Carmen on the whole) you really can not afford to miss going to this club. It honestly must be one of the best in the world, and is definitely the best I've ever been to.

Sit down, have a drink, enjoy the show, then when you're drunk you have the best tunes to dance the night away to.

Where else in the world can you watch Michael Jackson dancing, have Spiderman fly inches past your face whist there's smoke, streamers, balloons bigger than adult humans and bubbles cascading around you. It's a completely unique experience and one that I highly recommend.

We will definitely be returning next year!