Cancun - Party City With World-Class Beaches

Best things to do here are: parasailing, strolling along one of the most gorgeous, blindingly white, baby power consistency beaches in the world, swimming or snorkeling in some of the most beautiful, high visibility oceans you will ever encounter, a day trip to Cozumel, Playa Del Carmen, ruins at Tulum, shopping downtown, experiencing one of the many enticing restaurants and bars, wet biking, banana-boat riding, beach volleyball, water volleyball, and more.

One of the most memorable moments I had here was when I parasailed off the beach behind the Oasis Cancun hotel (not off the rear of a boat). It requires a bit of skill and agility; it was my first time. My run off the beach with the parasail opening went without incident and the ride/view from above was incredible. The only sound I could hear when up in the skies was the sound of strong winds whistling past my ears. I was so high up in the air that the hotels appeared to be ant-sized. However, it's a very peaceful, yet an overall exhilarating experience.

The most difficult part of off-the-beach parasailing is that you must use the ropes connected to the parasail (just above your head) to position yourself for landing. At the sound of a parasail employee blowing a whistle, you must pull down hard on one of the ropes (marked by a black piece of tape) to position properly for landing on the beach. The whistle is blown again to indicate that you are correctly positioned for landing and should release the rope. If the timing is wrong, or you hold the rope down too long, you might find yourself slamming into the side of one of the hotels or into a volleyball net on the beach.

The winds were high that day and I didn't hear the second whistle blow. Finally, I hear a group of parasail employees and my husband yelling something; realizing that it was time to stop pulling on the positioning rope. I ended up making a perfect landing (by accident I'm sure) and had three of the Mexican employees standing on the beach to catch me (see pic below).

Quick Tips:

Best place to rent a parasail is on the beach, directly behind the Oasis Cancun.

If you choose to take a cab, negotiate the price of the fare before entering the cab. Otherwise, cab drivers WILL take advantage of you.

Brush up on conversational Spanish; it will pay off.

Check exchange rates; dont exchange money at your hotel as you will get more for your money elsewhere (downtown banks often have higher exchange rate).

Cancun is crawling with timeshare sharks. Say no and keep walking.

Best Way To Get Around:

You will probably be staying in one of the hotels in the hotel zone, so I recommend hopping in a public bus for about .60. Buses run constantly throughout the day and you will never have to wait too long for one. They stop just outside all the hotels in the hotel zone. Renting a car here is not recommended because the numerous taxi cab drivers drive wildly and speed limits are not enforced.

Ten miles from the Cancun International Airport, you'll find this exceptional four-star, three-diamond rated resort. In my honest opinion, this is a five-star resort. You might be astounded when you walk through the elegant, roman column entry (hinges on being opulent). Expect to see lots of marble tile, huge sprays of fresh flowers, high celings, and beautiful archways often seen in Spanish architecture. We have stayed in several Cancun hotels and this one beats them all by a longshot! We booked this hotel/air package through Funjet (remarkably they offered these high-quality accomodations in one of their package deals).

Rooms are nicely furnished with modern Mexican decor. Our room had one of the most beautiful Gone with the Wind-looking balconies overlooking the stunning powder white sand on the beach. We had two double beds in the room; comforters were neutral sand tones and there were lovely marble tiles throughout. The bathroom is fairly spacious and has a lovely marble vanity with a matching flowing, Gone with the Wind-esque shower curtain. This resort has purified water throughout-a definite plus if you're worried about getting Montezuma's revenge. There is a lovely beachside pool with a swim-up bar; many pool activities; a hot tub/Jacuzzi; an accomodating staff (hard to find in Cancun); a hotel spa for facials, massages, and more; a quaint jewelry shop full of interesting Mexican sterling silver; currency exchange at the front desk area; upscale comfortable lounge areas on the lobby level; five restaurants within the hotel; a cold air conditioning; bathrobes; an in-room safe; a hairdryer; a mini-bar; cable TV; voicemail; a dataport; an iron and ironing board; room service (with an incredible tropical-special cheesecake); and all the amenities you'd expect within a five-star resort.

The two closest restaurants with the highest quality food were La Capilla (a somewhat pricey Mexican restaurant inside the resort) and La Dolce Vita (across the street).

While this resort has a water purification system throughout, I recommend making a jaunt via the public bus (which stops every 15 minutes outside this resort) to buy bottled water, sodas, and alcohol at the Wal-Mart in downtown Cancun. Bus fare is a mere $0.60. The bottled water, sodas, and alcoholic beverages at this resort are pricey.

Just after sinking your toes into the talcum-powder-soft, white beach at this resort, you'll find palapas for shade along with comfortable, sturdy lounge chairs. The pool overlooks the beach, which is always a huge plus, especially considering that this is one of the most gorgeous beaches in the world.

What sets this hotel apart from other five-star Cancun hotels is the amiable professionalism of the staff and non-existant timeshare sales personnel within the hotel. This is a guaranteed relaxing stay in a truly five-star resort.

As you approach this resort, you might wonder if you're in Las Vegas. The Melia resort is a group of towering, shiny, mirrored-glass, pyramid-shaped structures.

The lobby is grandiose and includes an atrium, large, and a comfortable lounge area (lobby floor), which overlooks an eyebrow-raising, breathtaking beach and clear turquoise ocean waters. The beach-side pool is more than adequate in size and includes a swim-up bar and daily pool activities. The guests here seemed to be mostly adults. Unfortunately, much of the beach behind this upscale resort has eroded (perhaps 60%) over the past 10 years. The red flag at the hotel beach was posted the whole week, indicating that swimming was too dangerous.

The accomodations were close to what you'd expect for an upscale resort. The rooms were on the small side, but included a coffee maker and mini-fridge stocked with pricey goods. You should be aware that if you use the coffee, they provide in room, you'll have to pay extra for it ($3 a day for make-it-yourself coffee); expect the same if you consume the bottled water offered in your room. Free coffee is offered in the lobby for one hour in the morning, but who wants to hawk their way down first thing in the morning for coffee when, really, it should be included with the pricey room you paid for? Our ocean-view room was nice, as was the marble bathroom complete with a shower, soaking tub and bidet.

You can catch the bus here (at the sidewalk at the end of the driveway leading to the hotel) for a mere $0.60. It's somewhat of a long walk to the bus stop, but you'll get plenty of exercise and save quite a bit by not having to hire a taxi. The bus will take you through the hotel zone, with stops throughout the hotel zone and into downtown. We took the bus downtown on many occasions and saved a bundle on lunches and dinners there.

We tried one of the restaurants here, but it was overpriced and mediocre (Mexican food I think). The drinks poolside are sky high. The room was standard; two double/queen-size beds, but nothing overtly spectacular. In fact, I would have expected a bit more for the $250 a night we paid.

The front desk staff was flat out rude. The primary reason why we won't come back to this hotel are the timeshare sharks HIRED BY MELIA. These sales people are posted at every elevator, on every floor, and at every entrance and exit (including the door leading out to the pool). Overall, if you want to pay top dollar for a nice resort and don't mind putting up with relentless time share salespeople who approach you at every turn and call your hotel room incessantly, this is the place to stay.

The first time I stayed at The Oasis was in its heyday (1989). I thought I had died and gone to heaven here. The second stay was (more recently) was a disappointment; what a difference a decade makes! You should expect budget to moderate accomodations.

This resort has now become infamous for the hoards of 18- to 25-year-olds flocking here for all-inclusive drinking and wild partying. If you're 18 to 25 and looking for a lower cost place to party and hook up, this is the place.

The pool here is the largest I have ever seen anywhere. It's four football fields long with bridges and fountains within. Unless you get all inclusive, drinks are at a premium poolside.

The rooms have all marble flooring and dated furnishings; most have double bedding. Plumbing and air conditioning is hit or miss. If you get a room with good plumbing and air conditioning, you lucked out. If you want a better chance at a king-size bed, a quieter pool, or better food and service, I strongly recommend you book the newer addition to this resort, The Grand Oasis.

The breakfast buffet at Ibiza is good, but not fabulous. There are lots of selections, so you won't go hungry. The pool offers a swim-up bar, plenty of lounge chairs, fuzzy bump-and-grind music booming out of old speakers, water volleyball, and a Jacuzzi adjacent to the pool. The gorgeous beach here offers up beach volleyball and parasailing. The beach is truly picturesque, one of the top three I have ever set foot on, and it is great for a romantic stroll.

The one thing that hasn't changed about this resort is the baby-powder soft, blinding white beach and crystal clear, turquoise ocean waters. The stretch of beach behind the Oasis is still one of the loveliest in all of Cancun. There are a variety of activities available here, including parasailing, watervolleyball, beach volleyball, and the foam party at the Up and Down Disco inside the hotel.

There are a few restaurants within this resort. The best they have to offer is the breakfast buffet at Ibiza. Expect the service to be extremely slow in resort restaurants and the front desk staff to be less than accomodating. The exception to this is if you book a stay in the Grand Oasis, which is on the same property, but in a different building. The Grand Oasis rooms are newer, but the per night rates are higher; the service will reflect that.

This resort was fabulous before it went all inclusive. Even the taxi drivers complain of having to pick up or drop off wild spring breakers from this hotel. In short, I don't recommend staying in the old and somewhat dilapidated Oasis Cancun. However, I would recommend a short stay in The Grand Oasis because the facilities are newer and service is noticably better.

If you're under the age of 25, like to get drunk, wild, party, dance, and hook up, this is the place for you! This is spring break central.

My thirty-something-year-old husband and I went to Sr. Frogs and felt very out of place. At 35, I felt like the church elder in this place.

The waiters do their best to make it fun however-our heads were adorned with brightly colored crepe paper by the waiters.

The tables here are wooden while matching chairs are painted a light pastel green. Much of the square footage here is utilized for a dance floor. Expect to see a local DJ here spinning out very loud bump-and-grind tunes. The drinks are expensive and free-flowing. It is very loud in here and WILD. Visualize a bar scene clip from Girls Gone Wild and that would be an accurate depiction of this establishment. By about 10pm, the waiters will start wandering around with a large bottle of straight alcohol (usually tequila) and start pouring it directly into the waiting mouths of youngsters. They make no secret that this is the place to get drunk and wild.

There is a see-through waterslide built into the roof of this property that can be seen by all patrons. The waiters slide down this slide all throughout the night. The slide drops the waiters into the crocodile-filled lagoon adjacent to the property (yes, real crocodiles).

Most of the kids that come here drink quite a lot, even before they arrive. The food was very poor. The kids come here to drink, not to eat, so I guess the food quality isn't the owners first priority at Sr. Frogs.

Get the usual TGI Fridays fare here, with a Mexican flair. The menus are pretty much the same here as they are worldwide. We enjoyed consistently quality meals here, so we ate here time and again during several of our stays in Cancun. To get here, hop on one of the buses that stops in front of most hotels in the hotel zone and take it toward the downtown area. TGI Fridays is at the first stop, just before you get into downtown, and is located in the "El Zocalo" shopping center. Walk a few blocks, and there it is! The prices are much more reasonable here than any restaurant you will find in the hotel zone area. My husband almost always had buffalo wings and Coronas, while I often enjoyed nachos or quesadillas. We opted for a salad on a few occasions for lunch here--fresh vegetables and delicious. It's worth the 10 to 15 minute bus ride. The staff is very fun and friendly. Great buffalo wings and beer here!