Cancun, Mexico to Caye Caulker, Belize

Posted on February 3rd, 2012 webmaster No comments          Print

I originally wanted to start my trip in Guatemala.   But then I  noticed that airfare to Cancun is much cheaper than to Guatemala City.  Since I have a very flexible schedule, I decided to just start in Cancun and take buses/ferries to Guatemala, which I’m really glad I did.

This post is just a summary of my experiences from the start of my trip up to Caye Caulker, Belize.

Cancun airport to Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen 5th Ave

From Cancun airport I took the ADO bus to Playa del Carmen for $10.  It’s a big bus with air-con and TV and very comfortable.  It took about 1-1.5 hours to get to the bus station in Playa del Carmen (between 5th Ave and Juarez street).

I stayed in Hostel Vive La Vida for about $13 a night.  Pretty good hostel.

There are 2 ADO bus stations in Playa del Carmen, one near 5th Ave and I don’t remember the other one.  I believe the bus from Playa del Carmen to Chetumal departs from the other bus station.  Check out http://ado.com.mx to see all the places the ADO buses can take you.

You can also take the ‘colectivos,’ which are basically minivans, to get around.  They’re a little bit cheaper than taking the ADO buses but also less comfortable.  For long trips it’s probably worth paying a little bit more for the ADO buses.

I stayed in Playa del Carmen for 3 nights.

Playa del Carmen to Tulum

Tulum's beach

I was going to head straight to Chetumal from Playa del Carmen but I met a girl on the bus from Xel-Ha who just visited Tulum and she told me the beach there is beautiful and she recommended to visit it, so I did.  It actually worked out pretty well as you pass by Tulum on the way to Chetumal anyway.

I took the ADO bus again from the 5th Ave bus station for around $5 (about an hour ride) to Tulum (the bus will make 2 stops, Tulum is the last stop).  I didn’t book accommodation in advance so I just walked around and saw the Weary Traveler hostel two minutes later and just decided to check in there.  Stayed there for 2 nights for around $11 a night (you get 5% off if you stay 2 nights).  The price is pretty good for what you get as it includes breakfast and bus ride to the beach in Tulum.  They offer free salsa lessons at night as well.

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RTW Trip Day 1

Posted on January 15th, 2012 webmaster No comments          Print

I am now officially homeless!

Made it in one piece to Playa del Carmen, Mexico today.  I’m staying in a hostel near 5th Avenue.  Just finished taking a walk, nice breeze outside.  Can’t wait to just chill out on the beach tomorrow.

From here I’m planning on taking a bus to Belize, then to Guatemala.  Thinking of staying in Mexico and Belize only for a few days.

My current itinerary basically stops in Guatemala as I’m planning on staying there for a while and take some Spanish lessons.  Not sure yet exactly how long I’ll be staying there and which country to visit after that.  I’ll probably just keep going south and hopefully after Guatemala I’ll know enough Spanish so I can practice it as I visit other Latin American countries.

Just gonna take things slowly the next few days, looking to get a lot of reading done.