This was the first Bahia Principe resort me and my wife (then girlfriend) visited. We'd booked to go all inclusive to Malta (probably not the best way to do Malta with hindsight) and were all geared up for it until three days before we were due to fly. We got a letter from the travel agents saying there was a change in the circumstances and that our hotel was having building work done. We went into the travel agents and were offered an alternative. After several hours (or so it felt) of staring at a computer screen we found one! Mexico! WOW! Bit of a step up for us (our only other holiday together was to Spain) we had a bit extra to pay but we covered it and got ready for Mehico!
Long haul flights are long haul flights and we all get through them in our own ways (good book, crafty bottle of duty free Bacardi and a few cans of Coke usually does me!). Anyhow in no time we were stood on the tarmac at Cancun. An hours drive down the coast of the Yucatan peninsular and there we were! Just a little side note, how come all these so called lesser developed and developing countries have such good coaches! If you book a trip to Blackpool over here you're lucky if your coach has seats and the right number of wheels!
Anyway there we were, the coach turned off the road and drove down the drive past a gleaming white building. Down the driveway you pass the taxi rank, then the tennis courts, then the Hacienda (shops ladies, shops!!!) before pulling up in front of the magnificent reception! The Reception is a large circular building with open sides and a straw roof, the main feature being obvious as soon as you walk in, a 6ft thick 50ft tall totem holding the centre of the roof. As you pop off the coach and wait for your bags don’t get too frantic about the porters 'helping' you with your luggage, its all part of the service along with the ride to your room on the golf buggy type jobbies the porters drive about on. At check in we were offered a fresh towel and a cool drink, just the job! On goes your wrist band (much better than signing for everything!) and your holiday is yours to enjoy!
After your ride to the accommodation blocks which are scattered around the complex amongst the lush green lawns and palm trees, your porter will usually give you a hand with the luggage which is always worth a small tip (but only if you want to obviously) and if your owt like me you kick your shoes off and collapse on the bed for five mins! The rooms are immaculate, all set out in three storey blocks with 4-8 rooms per floor. The lay out of the room is pretty standard, wardrobes to the side as you walk in, bathroom door opposite wardrobes (toilet, sink, bath, shower, bidet, large mirror, large shelf round sink, hairdryer...). the rooms are open plan with a large double bed (obviously depending on what you've booked), dressing table, 'dining' table and chairs, bedside tables, TV, telephone, mini-bar, patio doors onto balcony and patio furniture on balcony.
Food and Drink wise the Bahia Principe is excellent, there is the main bar which is also used for afternoon tea, and offers plenty of seating room. There is a bar in the 'theatre' area and not forgetting the swim up bar and pool bar. Eating is mainly done in either the aptly named Main restaurant or the smaller 'Tortuga' restaurant and both are based on a buffet style. There are also two a la carte restaurants, one Mexican and one Italian, which depending on your package are available once each per week of your stay. There is also a snack bar serving burgers, chips chicken nuggets and the like which is obviously handy for families with children.
Speaking of which brings us onto the entertainment. I really cannot express how hard the entertainment staff (and I suppose to be fair all the other staff) work. Activities normally begin mid way through the morning and range from aqua-aerobics and beach football to Spanish and dancing lessons. The activities go on all day and into the night when in the 'theatre' the entertainment staff put on a nightly show (different every night don’t worry!) and usually get the audience to join in.
Of course if you want to take things at your own pace you can take part in any range of sports which are advertised in the brochures. Snorkelling is especially good towards the point to the south of the complex where the water is fairly shallow and the reef is further out (also the place we saw baby turtles hatching and heading off to sea). One word of warning here the sea is not always ideal for swimming especially as the reef is so close into the beach. But to be quite honest the pools around the complex are more than adequate for swimming! For the entirely relaxed amongst you bicycles are available to take a leisurely ride around the complex or you could of course indulge in a good old bit of sunbathing, sunbeds and hammocks are amply provided.
After All Inclusive finishes most people either head off to bed or head to the Hacienda. This is a collection of shops and bars around the entrance of the hotel which are owned and run by the hotel itself but aren’t included in your AI package. Drinks and snacks here are payable as are the shops obviously! But if your struggling to get to sleep after boozing it up from 10 AM then get some Dollars out and enjoy yourself eh!
Bahia Principe is a good base for many excursions. The reps will always try to sell you their package but we always try to go out on our own and the ruins at Tulum are only a short taxi ride away. Before you reach the ruins there is a small market area selling the usual tourist items you will see for sale. There is also a display of one of the local customs. Its a bit like maypole dancing meets bungee jumping. A 30-50ft pole, ropes attached to the top of the pole, a guy stood right on the very top of the pole playing his tom-toms and half a dozen other guys spinning round the pole from the ropes, attached only by one ankle! Quite a display! The ruins are quite good, although the climate is not kind to archaeology in this region and most of the detail has been long washed away. But having said that several of the stucco murals can still be seen along with the original colours used to paint them. the focal point is the temple on the cliff top which is quite a postcard picture, and the beach is also very nice if you're fed up with history and want to cool off.
Other attractions include Xel-Ha which is a natural inlet where you can swim with the tropical fish, see a dolphin show or take a rubber ring ride down the mangroves. This is a good day out and if your on a budget you can book at the market in Tulum I’ve already mentioned. most of the day is spent in the water so don’t forget your snorkels underwater cameras and plenty of sun cream!
Xcaret is a similar place (half hour drive from hotel), here you can swim through the caves which do have some fish in but not as many or as attractive as Xel-Ha. Xcaret also offers more out of the water with a small zoo, a demonstration of an ancient Mayan football (or rather 'hip'ball) game where the losers faced death! And also a marvellous show at night including the crazy guys spinning round the pole by their ankles and a stage show illustrating Mexico's varied culture. It's definitely worth doing both Xcaret and Xel-Ha.
Other excursions are offered which are based in Playacar or Cancun including a trip to the island of women, Isla Muheres (don’t get too over excited though lads its just a name!) and trips to the ruins at Chichen Itza. We opted out of Chichen Itza as the majority of your day is spent travelling there and back and also because of that the time you spend there tends to be the hottest time of the day and it is not the easiest place to walk around (at least that is what I’m told). Isla Muheres is a fun day out as long as you don’t get sea sick. you spend an hour or two sailing there and the same back. The island doesn’t offer too much that you wont see in Cancun or around the hotel but the booze up on the boat is good fun including drinking shots of tequila while doing handstands (optional of course!).
Please note that this holiday was take a few years back now so I my details are a bit out or if the area has developed a bit more please forgive me.
My final point is that not every one will like Bahia Principe, one couple on our holiday left because they'd booked to go to Cancun and felt trapped in the complex. This is totally understandable, on the road either side of Bahia Principe there’s nothing much else, no clubs, no bars, no vast shopping centres, that’s what Cancun is all about not Tulum. But if you want a relaxing beach holiday with plenty of activities in place of the all night partying then Bahia Principe is the place for you.
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