We did the half day private tour to see monkeys near Tulum with Eli, and it was perfection! He's a…read moredelightful and fascinating person and made every minute enjoyable. We saw Mexican spider monkeys and black howlers, which was incredible, and also gorgeous butterflies and leaf cutter ants, and the forest walk was easy (even with terrible knees!). If you love nature and want to spend a delightful afternoon with an excellent guide, you will not be disappointed! Thank you, Eli!

My wife and I had a great time with Eli. He brought us to Punta Laguna Nature Reserve where we were…read moreable to observe spider and howler monkeys. Eli is knowledgeable, efficient, and fun! Recommended.

5/5 Highly Recommend…read more We booked two private tours with Absolute Adventures: first the Tulum Ruins, Swim with Turtles and Mexican Lunch on a Monday and then the Two Cenote and Mexican Lunch on Wednesday. For Tulum and Turtles our tour guide was Luis and our driver was Rodrigo. For the Cenotes, our tour guide was Arturo and our driver was Enrique. Both guides were exceptional and both drivers took good care of us. Booking online was simple and their communication about the tours, both confirming the tours before we left home and same day communication about pickup, was excellent. Our hotel turned out to be a headache about letting outside tour companies onto the property, and we ran into some real meet up issues because of it, but the team was super responsive and got it sorted quickly. It all worked out in the end, and honestly that kind of responsiveness under pressure told us a lot about how they run things. We started our Tulum tour early to beat the crowds and heat (highly recommend!). Luis guided us through Tulum and made sure we stayed hydrated the whole time, which matters more than people think when you're out in that heat. His knowledge of the area, the flora, the fauna, the history, was genuinely impressive, and he had this rare ability to be educational and entertaining at the same time without ever feeling like a lecture. At our turtle excursion he schlepped our gear and made sure we didn't forget anything, none of which was his job, he just did it because that's who he is. I was also practicing my broken Spanish throughout the trip, and Luis never once made me feel dumb or embarrassed when I got it wrong, which I really appreciated. For our next tour, Arturo took us to the cenotes. When he picked us up, he suggested we visit a different cenote than what we'd originally booked. I was a little skeptical, figured he just wanted a shorter drive. I was completely wrong. The cenote he picked instead allowed us to have two totally different types of experiences that we would have missed entirely otherwise, and I'm glad we trusted him. At Cenote Jaguar, Arturo gave our kids real time and space to jump and play, which ended up being a highlight of the whole trip for them. At Cenote Dos Ojos, claustrophobia was a real concern for us. But Arturo's tour through the caves was informative and calm enough that we felt genuinely safe the entire time. Between the logistics, the guides, and how they handled a hiccup that wasn't even their fault, these two tours were one of the best parts of our trip.

Arturo and Cristina were great tour guides! They tailored our cenote experience based on the fact…read morethat we had a group with mixed swimming abilities so we visited cenotes that had no moving currents. As one of our group who can't swim, I was very grateful for that! I was able to participate to my comfort level. Water was provided in the van and the lunch at Juanita restaurant was light, but satisfying and delicious after all the activity. Extra info: Life jackets are required and provided, but if you don't fit a standard size XL life jacket you may want to bring your own. There's not a ton of walking but you will be on a lot of uneven natural surfaces. I recommend swim shoes with grip as the bottom of the cenotes is very rocky, and flip flops are easy to lose balance on on the stairs.

Beautiful Property, But Room for Improvement…read more My family and I stayed at Occidental at Xcaret Destination for seven days in Building 12, Room 12123. Overall, this resort has a beautiful natural setting and plenty to offer, but several issues kept it from being a 4- or 5-star experience for us. Arrival & Room: The bell staff greeted us and took our luggage right away, which was appreciated. Check-in, however, was confusing because there was little signage directing guests to the appropriate lines. The lobby had flavored water and champagne, although we were told we had to ask the front desk to open the champagne. Since we arrived before the 3 PM check-in time, Guest Services directed us to an area where we could change into swimwear and enjoy the resort while waiting. Our room was clean and spacious, but the beds were advertised as queen-size and were actually full-size, which was uncomfortable for two adults. The room also had a moldy/musty smell. Building 12 is conveniently located near the lobby, making it easy to access many amenities. Food & Restaurants: As a foodie, this was probably my biggest disappointment. The specialty restaurants require reservations through Guest Services, and we could only book one day at a time. We tried the Hacienda, taco, and Italian restaurants, but the food was average at best and not significantly better than the buffet. I would not consider these fine dining experiences. We were so underwhelmed that we skipped the Asian restaurant. The main buffet had a good variety for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but I was disappointed by the limited selection of authentic Mexican cuisine. When visiting Mexico, experiencing the local food is a major part of the trip, so I expected more. The dining staff, however, were consistently friendly and accommodating. The beverage selection was also disappointing. Many of the juices tasted artificial and left an unpleasant aftertaste. I mostly stuck with Pepsi, pineapple juice, and water. Wildlife & Cleanliness: I loved how the resort is built into its natural surroundings. We saw coatis, monkeys, iguanas, and other wildlife throughout the property. However, this also created some cleanliness issues. There was a noticeable smell of animal feces around one pool near the snack bar. A large iguana even defecated in the pool while we were swimming, and we didn't return to that pool afterward. At another pool, iguanas left feces on the deck, and during an entire day there, I didn't see it being cleaned up. I understand wildlife is part of the resort's charm, but management needs to do a better job cleaning up animal waste, especially around pools and food areas. The beach area was beautiful and had a buffet/bar overlooking the water. Don't leave your food unattended, though, the wild birds will quickly help themselves! Property & Entertainment: The property itself is beautiful, with Mayan ruins, great photo opportunities, and wonderful sunrise and sunset views. The beach was another highlight. The evening entertainment was one of my favorite parts. The theater had a different themed show each night. A special shout-out to Marlo, the lobby musician, who made the evenings fun with live singing, song requests, and karaoke. The adults-only nightclub/discotheque, open from approximately 10:30 PM into the early morning, was also a great feature. It was nice being able to enjoy nightlife without leaving the resort. Overall: I give Occidental at Xcaret Destination 3 out of 5 stars. The beautiful natural surroundings, wildlife, Mayan ruins, beach, entertainment, nightlife, friendly staff, and buffet variety were all positives. However, the resort lost points for the incorrect bed-size advertising, moldy/musty room smell, lack of cleanup after wildlife, disappointing food quality and authenticity, inconvenient restaurant reservations, and underwhelming beverages. Beautiful property with a lot of potential, but there are definitely areas where management could improve the overall guest experience.

3.5 Stars Occidental…read moreat Xcaret: Honest Review The Good The setting is what sets this resort apart. It's beautifully maintained and full of wildlife. We regularly spotted monkeys and coatis, and the walking trails even wind past Mayan ruins. It gave the whole trip a unique, immersive feel you don't get at a typical beach resort. The pools were clean, warm, and never crowded, and we had no trouble finding chairs. The beach and lagoon area was equally enjoyable, with calm water and plenty of fish to see. Breakfast at the beach buffet was a standout, especially the omelet station, along with fresh coffee, juice, fruit, and yogurt. We were also pleasantly surprised by Paco's Tacos and La Piazza, both sit down spots that exceeded expectations. D'Oriental and La Hacienda were solid as well, with good service and enjoyable meals. Staff were friendly and attentive across the resort. Roman at the pool snack bar deserves a special shoutout for how engaging and attentive he was with our family. The Barcelo airport transportation was also excellent both ways: punctual, clean, and professionally handled. Room for Improvement Concierge Level upgrades weren't quite worth the added cost for us. The perks were modest, and our specific room request wasn't fulfilled, so it didn't feel like a meaningful step up. The Turnaround By day two, things clicked. Once we settled into the rhythm of the resort, the grounds, the pools, better meals, the beach, we started to really appreciate what makes this place special. Bottom Line This is a resort that rewards a little patience. The setting, wildlife, pools, and overall atmosphere are genuinely excellent, and the food, while inconsistent, has some real highlights once you find them. We'd recommend it to families who value nature and space over gourmet dining, and we'd happily return, likely opting for Royal Level next time, and skipping Concierge Level.

During our vacation in Playa Del Carmen we booked a private tour with Living Dreams for a morning…read moreexcursion to Telum. Daniel Alvarez was our tour guide. We were picked up on time in a nice big clean car. Daniel was very friendly and was giving us history and information about the area during our ride. We parked and got on a tram to the main entrance. We entered the ruins with no issues as Daniel had all our tickets already. We were able to walk all the grounds and Daniel gave us all the amazing history and was able to answer all our questions- even the ones about the wildlife. When we retuned to the car he had a cooler with cold towels and a big variety of cold drinks for us. The excursion included lunch at a place of our choice and we asked for Daniel's suggestion as we wanted something local and not a tourist spot. He took us for some street tacos that were amazing! He was also kind enough to stop at a store so we could grab a few souvenirs and a mango stand for some fresh mango. Daniel was amazing and we will definitely use Living Dreams again and will be asking for Daniel!

Such a great experience. Claudia was so knowledgeable as a guide and Charlie was a great driver. We…read moretoured the Mayan ruins, swam with turtles and explored a private Cenote. Claudia took care of everything so we didn't have to get our own tickets or wait in lines. If looking for a tour Living Dreams Mexico is an amazing option.

My husband and I went on two MexiGo tours, and I would highly recommend these tours for anyone who…read morewants to get to know the history, archeology, culture and natural environment of Yucatan. Short version: these tours are very much worth joining, with superior guides Jose and Gilberto, and fascinating destinations, and I recommend them enthusiastically. Both tours were easy to arrange, and Javier at MexiGo communicated with us regularly to let us know what to bring and when we would be dropped off and picked up. All of that went smoothly. A huge relief for me, travelling in Mexico for the first time! Our first tour, Go Flamingos, was an adventure, a photo-safari-like experience spotting birds, crocodiles and other wildlife at the coastal nature reserve of Los Lagartos, followed by a tour of the archeological site of Ek Balam. Both experiences were fascinating, and the unspoiled site of Ek Balam, right in the jungle, felt like being in an Indiana Jones movie. Jose, our guide, was so friendly, with an impressive command of languages that made all of us on the tour feel like a team! His understanding and appreciation for nature enhanced our experience at Los Lagartos, and at Ek Balam, his knowledge of and passion for Mayan culture and tradition really shone! Our second tour was the Go Wonders tour, which featured the monumental and breathtakingly restored site of ChichenItza. It's impressive restoration and popularity was a contrast to the unspoiled beauty of Ek Balam. There is even a Starbucks at ChichenItza! It's grandeur is absolutely breathtaking, particularly the large pyramid/temple, and our guide Gilberto's knowledge of the features of the temple provided valuable archeological information and interpretation. His passion for sports really shone in his discussion of the historical, athletic practices on the well-restored and stadium-like ball court. Afterward, we went for a swim in the Yolkdzonot Cenote, which also felt like an adventure, amid stalactites, vines and fish. Finally, at the Yellow Town of Izamael (yes, it really is very yellow!), Gilberto took our group to a local ice cream shop for a very welcomed, cool refreshing treat! Then we climbed an unrestored pyramid/temple! Both tours were terrific, MexiGo was easy to deal with and communicated with us very well, and Jose and Gilberto are the best guides ever! These experiences really brought Mayan history to life for us, as well as an appreciation of the natural environment and architectural beauty of Yucatan.

Wonderful tour to Chichen Itza from Valladolid. We left early and arrived in slightly cooler…read moreweather before the crowds. Our guide Jose explained the Mayan culture in depth as we walked around the various monuments. He took care to make sure my travel companion and I, both older women, were comfortable and keeping up. There were only four in our group, so we heard everything. There was time after the official tour to wander about and visit the hundreds of vendors who'd entered the site. Then it was off to the cenote and lunch, a relaxed time for both swimmers and non. Lunch was delicious! Our final stop was in Izamal, the yellow city. Most climbed a crumbling monument for a view. A walk took us to an ice cream vendor where we tasted corn ice cream and were given scoops of whatever flavors we wanted. A short visit to an air conditioned museum/workshop and a "nunnery" capped off the tour. we were back in Valladolid in time for dinner!