Dream Vacation in Cancun

We really enjoyed the beach, the snorkeling, and water activities. We visited the Mayan ruins of Tulum, Isla Mujeres (The Island of Women), Xpu-Ha Palace, Moon Palace, and Xcaret (a beautiful eco-park). We recommend taking the tours through the Sun Palace. This was our first trip to Cancun, and we wanted to see and do the most that we could. You cannot go all the way to Mexico and not see the sights! We really enjoyed the day trip tours, but we were really tired at night and did not get to enjoy the nightlife as much as we would have liked. If we get to return, we have seen the sights and will spend more time going out at night and just relaxing.

Quick Tips:

DO NOT GET SUCKERED INTO TAKING A TIMESHARE TOUR THROUGH THE PEOPLE AT THE AIRPORT! When we got off the plane, we were looking for our transportation, and a nice gentleman offered to help us, tell us about Mexico, give us recommendations about what to do, and showed us a map of the area and how to get around. He was very helpful, and then he hit us up to see his resort (Crystal) while we were there and said he would give us a valuable gift. We felt obligated because he had been so nice. The tour lasted 3 hours (not 90 minutes like we were told) and we were highly pressured. We finally walked out when they got rude and mad because we would not buy!

Best Way To Get Around:

Public transportation is readily available and very affordable. Taxis are cleaner, but more expensive. We took the bus downtown and took a taxi when we wanted to go to another resort for dinner.

Best Things Nearby:
Beach, shopping, downtown Cancun

Best Things About the Resort:
Beach, very friendly and helpful staff, good food, nice clean rooms--cleaned and stocked daily, affordable gift shops, nice pool

Resort Experience:
We were very impressed with The Sun Palace! The Sun Palace is just the right size, not too big and not too small, very comfortable. The location was great, far enough away from downtown to be quiet and peaceful, but just a short bus ride away when you wanted to shop or party.

We really enjoyed the beach. It was very clean. There were a few large rocks along the water’s edge, which were nice to sit upon and added beauty to the beach. There were no rocks in the water. The water at the Sun Palace was a beautiful blue and was crystal clear. The waves did get a little rough at times, so if you wanted to swim, it was best to use the pool, but if you just wanted to get wet, play a little, and sunbathe, the beach was the best. The bar staff even came down to the beach to get drink orders!

The staff was very helpful and friendly. They recommended things for us to do and made our stay so enjoyable. If we wanted anything, it was there. If we had a question, it was answered. Service was truly their main goal, and they achieved it! Our room was very nice and clean, with a beautiful view and large jacuzzi tub. There was a small fridge in the room for drinks and a liquor cabinet, well stocked. Our room was cleaned daily and restocked with plenty of towels and toiletries. The housekeeper made animal figures out of towels, turned down our bed at night, left chocolates on the pillows, and left nice notes. We felt like stars or royalty!

We were very pleased with the restaurants - there were three or four open each day, with additional bars and snack areas. The food was very good, and the menus changed slightly each day. Again, the waitstaff was excellent, especially the breakfast staff. The buffets were huge, with a good variety to please any taste. We ate almost every meal at the resort, with the exception of when we were on a day trip and could not. We ate once at the Moon Palace.

We visited the flea markets and shops, but ended up buying most of our gifts and souvenirs at the hotel gift shops! Their prices there were the best, as well as the quality, and they wrapped our items very securely in bubble wrap for the ride home.

We visited other resorts while in Cancun, some larger, some closer to downtown, and can honestly say that we like the Sun Palace the best and will stay there again if we return and have recommended it to our friends. We were very pleased with our stay, our tours, and the all-inclusive way to vacation. Although tips were said to be included in the all inclusive fee, we tipped because we felt that they went above and beyond in their service! We definitely recommend this resort!

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

We took a trip to Isla Mujeres through our resort. We were not really impressed with the beach or the city, but loved the snorkeling. The boat left from the beach and took you out into the clear area of the water, and you got off the boat in groups of about 10. The boat then left, which was a little scary, to get more people. Each group then swam and snorkeled, following their leader along the reef, rocks, and other formations.

We were out in the water for about an hour before our boat came back to get us. The swimming in choppy water was tiring, but we got the see more than other snorkeling trips that we have been on. I am not sure that I would recommend this trip for small children or older adults, just because of the fact that you did not have the option of getting back on a boat if tired. At one point, my husband got leg cramps, and our leader pulled him with the life ring until he could swim on his own.

While at Xpu-Ha Palace, you can swim and snorkel in their lagoon. I would recommend this for children and beginning snorkelers because it is on the beach in a lagoon and the water is calm. You can use their snorkel gear free of charge for one hour, or use your own as long as you would like. There were not a lot of fish to see, but it was an inexpensive way to have fun.