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OCTOBER 2016: Click here to read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Bacalar to Valladolid by public transport (ADO Bus). Bacalar was a quiet town on Mexico’s second biggest fresh water lake. In Bacalar I stayed to GRANDPAcking Standard in a hotel: the Pata De Perro. Bacalar accommodation is expensive; I couldn’t afford to stay anywhere on the lakefront. So, I chose the best place that I could find near to the Central Park. As is usual in such Mexican Tourist spots, almost all (if not all) ‘western quality’ accommodation is online. It was time to head for Valladolid. I planned to stay there […]

Valladolid – Mexico – Information

OCTOBER 2016: OVERVIEW: My costs start in Mahahual and include: Public transport from Mahahual to Bacalar 7 nights in a GRANDPAcking Standard Double Aircon Room in an Hotel Food & Drink Mobile Data / Communications CROSS REFERENCES: For more detail, read about Bacalar. Click here to read about Retirement Locations in this country. Click here for detailed Travel Information and more Travel Budgets in this country. Read About – GRANDPAcking Costs if you don’t know how to interpret my figures. SPREADSHEET SUMMARY: MY ACTUAL 1 PERSON GRANDPAcking COSTS: Cost Of Existence (COE): My costs are purely provided for information purposes. I do not always follow ‘GRANDPAcking Standards’. In fact, I […]

Bacalar – Mexico – GRANDPAcking Costs

OCTOBER 2016: Click here to read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Mahahual to Bacalar by public transport (Colectivo). Mahahual was a small, relaxed, tourist village with a nice Caribbean Beach setting. In Mahahual I stayed to GRANDPAcking Standard in a hostel: Hostel Jardin. Mahahual accommodation is expensive; the Hostal Jardin was the ONLY accommodation that I could find online that I could afford. As is usual in such Mexican Tourist spots, almost all (if not all) ‘western quality’ accommodation is online. The Jardin is borderline for GRANDPAckers. But the Double Rooms were perfectly adequate, it had a nice central garden, and a communal kitchen area. It was […]

Bacalar – Mexico – Information

OCTOBER 2016: OVERVIEW: My costs start in Tulum and include: Public transport from Tulum to Mahahual 7 nights in a GRANDPAcking Standard Double Fan Room in a Hostel Food & Drink Mobile Data / Communications CROSS REFERENCES: For more detail, read about Mahahual. Click here to read about Retirement Locations in this country. Click here for detailed Travel Information and more Travel Budgets in this country. Read About – GRANDPAcking Costs if you don’t know how to interpret my figures. SPREADSHEET SUMMARY: MY ACTUAL 1 PERSON GRANDPAcking COSTS: Cost Of Existence (COE): My costs are purely provided for information purposes. I do not always follow ‘GRANDPAcking Standards’. In fact, I […]

Mahahual – Mexico – GRANDPAcking Costs

OCTOBER 2016: Click here to read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Tulum to Mahahual by public transport. Tulum was a pleasant surprise. It is not a ‘picturesque’ town but it has a good ‘vibe’. In Tulum I stayed below GRANDPAcking Standard in a cheap hostel: The Weary Traveller. The Weary Traveller is a Backpacker Hostel. But a reasonably clean and pleasant one. I couldn’t afford a hotel in Tulum and I wanted spare cash to visit some ruins and to dive some cenotes. It was time to move south to Mahahual. So far, in Mexico, I have stayed on the ‘well […]

Mahahual – Mexico – Information

SEPTEMBER 2016: OVERVIEW: My costs start in Playa del Carmen and include: Transport from Playa Del Carmen to Tulum 7 nights in a BELOW GRANDPAcking Standard Double Fan Room in a Hostel Food & Drink Mobile Data / Communications 3 Day Trips CROSS REFERENCES: For more detail, read about Tulum. Click here to read about Retirement Locations in this country. Click here for detailed Travel Information and more Travel Budgets in this country. Read About – GRANDPAcking Costs if you don’t know how to interpret my figures. SPREADSHEET SUMMARY: MY ACTUAL 1 PERSON BACKPACKING COSTS: Cost Of Existence (COE): My costs are purely provided for information purposes. I do […]

Tulum – Mexico – GRANDPAcking Costs

SEPTEMBER 2016: Click here to read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Playa Del Carmen (PDC) to Tulum by public transport. PDC was nice albeit touristic. In PDC I stayed in a nice, 1 bedroom apartment and paid a 50% discounted rate of MXP328 / night including taxes. This was one of the best value for money places that I have stayed in so far in Mexico. It was time to move south to Tulum. I knew that I wasn’t going to be so lucky with my accommodation in Tulum … but, I was going there mainly for an Adventure Trip […]

Tulum – Mexico – Information

SEPTEMBER 2016: Click here to read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way south from Isla Mujeres down the Mexican Caribbean Coast via Playa Del Carmen to Tulum. The Yucatan Peninsula is famous for it Cenotes: a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. You can snorkel the cenotes or SCUBA dive them. Some can be snorkelled or SCUBA dived. Some can only best be SCUBA dived. Some of the best cenotes are in and around Tulum … so, I decided to SCUBA dive 3 in one day. THE OPTIONS: There are several dive shops in […]

Tulum – Mexico – SCUBA Dive Cenotes

SEPTEMBER 2016: Click here to read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way south from Isla Mujeres down the Mexican Caribbean Coast via Playa Del Carmen to Tulum. In Tulum, there are 2 famous local sites: Tulum (itself) and Coba. TULUM RUINS: I was staying in a hostel in Tulum so I went to the Tulum Ruins first. My hostel rented out bicycles for MXP80 / day … which is a reasonable price in Mexican tourist areas.The Tulum Ruins are an easy 3km cycle from the centre of Tulum. You cycle about 2kms north on the main road and, then, cut down a […]

Tulum – Mexico – Mayan Ruins

SEPTEMBER 2016: OVERVIEW: My costs start in Isla Mujeres and include: Transport from Isla Mujeres to Playa Del Carmen 14 nights in an ABOVE GRANDPAcking Standard Aircon Vacation Rental Bicycle Rental for 12 days Food & Drink Mobile Data / Communications CROSS REFERENCES: For more detail, read about Playa Del Carmen Information. Click here to read about Retirement Locations in this country. Click here for detailed Travel Information and more Travel Budgets in this country. Read About – GRANDPAcking Costs if you don’t know how to interpret my figures. SPREADSHEET SUMMARY: MY ACTUAL 1 PERSON GRANDPAcking COSTS: Cost Of Existence (COE): My costs are purely provided for information purposes. I […]

Playa Del Carmen – Mexico – GRANDPAcking ...

SEPTEMBER 2016: Why not read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I will not try and re-invent the plethora of information that is already on the internet. Playa Del Carmen (PDC) is well documented. I will try and focus on information that you might find useful in your decision-making process. PDC is located along the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is a very popular tourist area in eastern Mexico. For GRANDPAckers, PDC is affordable … Read on … A BIT ABOUT PDC: In stark contrast to Isla Mujeres (Island of Women), PDC is more like Cancun: a touristic party town. PDC has recently undergone […]

Playa Del Carmen – Mexico – Information

SEPTEMBER 2016: Why not read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: Isla Mujeres is an island just off the ‘tip’ of the Yucatan Peninsula near (the infamous) party town of Cancun. The island was a Mayan sanctuary to goddess Ixchel for about one thousand years. Modern inhabitants arrived about 1850. The island is about 7km in length. The north end sees the most tourist action with the main town area (and the ferry port) whilst the south end of the island is host to mostly private homes and guest houses. Many locals live in the central part of the island. For GRANDPAckers, Isla Mujeres is too expensive. Read […]

Isla Mujeres – Mexico – Information