Detailed review by greengrowerbud
Monday, September 01, 2008
HOLA!!!
We have just returned from the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya and found it a wonderful experience for my wife, four children (three girls, 17 to 22 and one boy, 24 years of age) and me.
It was the trip of a lifetime for us as we were extremely impressed by the high quality and magnificent standards engendered by the staff and management of the resort. The food, its preparation, presentation and sumptuous variety was of the highest quality and it was changed up daily. All manner of sea-food, beef, chicken, pork, eggs, vegetables, salads, breads, cheeses, fruits, wines, coffees, sauces, soups, marinades and desserts were presented elegantly buffet style or formally at the 7 a la carte restaurants.
The coastline consisted of natural inlets forged into the coral shoreline, interspersed with beaches. Just yards off the shore were magnificent views of fan, brain and stag horn coral; multitudinous fish and in nearby Akumal, the opportunity to swim with giant sea turtles and sting rays. At a secluded area, just south of the main resort, alongside a rugged shoreline of bleached coral, beside a jungle of wild coconut and palm trees, amidst chameleon-like lizards could be found the tracks of giant sea turtles and their enormous nesting excavations. Apparently, late at night, these great reptiles can be heard and seen (flashlight required) performing their primordial, nesting instincts.
A trip to Coba, under the noon-day sun provided an opportunity to explore the ruins and pyramids of an ancient Mayan civilization. Nohoch Mul, a 138 tall, steep, pyramidal structure loomed pale through the forest as we approached and beckoned to climb its step-like slope. It was challenging and exhausting to scale in the heat of the days 100º + temperature; a misstep or loss of balance would send a climber tumbling down the jagged slope. It was a long walk, perhaps a mile, from the parking lot to Nohoch Mul; guides, bicycles and rickshaws were available to the less robust tourist at minimal cost. By the time we returned to the rented, air-conditioned Voyageur, we were bathed in sweat and craving litres of water to staunch the threat of dehydration and loss of electrolytes. Apparently, the symptoms of dehydration somewhat mimic the onset of food and water-borne pathogenic diseases. All four of our kids suffered the consequences of dehydration during our vacation, aided and abetted by their propensity to over-indulge in the fancy, fruity, minty and readily available libations for which all-inclusive resorts are most famous.
Hot, hungry and exhausted, we headed back to the resort for our evening meal (the Grand Sirenis was on the way to Playa Del Carmen). Twenty-five minutes from Coba, ten minutes from Akumal was the Grand Cenote consisting of caverns with deep, cool, clear, fresh water in which you could SCUBA, snorkel or swim. What a respite from the scorching, relentless sun it was to dive into the clean, crisp water! What a treat! What a magnificent way to restore a hot, exhausted body. The caverns were beauty as well.
The cost of renting a van, buying fuel and paying the admission to various sites was about USD 300; thats about USD 50 per each of us. The excursion, starting at about 0900 HR - swimming with the turtles at Akumal, visiting the archeological sites at Coba, swimming at the Grand Cenote and visiting Walmart in Playa Del Carmen for cheap booze (about the same price as duty-free) - ended at about 2200 HR, when we retired to our suites and ordered room service (a complementary perk) for a snack.
The Staff at the Grand Sirenis were extraordinarily attentive, professional and polite. At the main buffet dining hall (when we were not eating a la carte) it became our routine to dine on the terrace, with a view of the Caribbean and a rooftop display of eerily sculpted orange cubes and spheres. The six of us were served by at least three waiters attending to all manner of want. As we approached the terrace carrying laden plates of the finest delicacies, sumptuous salads, delightful casseroles or local favourites, an attendant would open the door, carry our plates to the table, pull out our chairs and spread our napkins on our laps. Offering red or white wine, glasses of lime-garnished Corona, cocktails or cappuccino, our dear, friendly waiters stood at our elbows replenishing every quaff drunk.
Two hundred USD one-dollar-bills were dispersed discreetly throughout the resort to all the staff who served us, including chamber-maids, waiters, chefs, hostesses, busboys, bartenders, cart and bus drivers, car rental attendants and on-site concierges. It was a pittance compared to the costs of services of a similar nature encountered in Toronto. Consider that the minimum wage in Mexico is 45 pesos (USD 4.50) per day. A guest in any nation with an economy dependant on tourism should be as generous as financially feasible with regard to the sprawling underclass.
Recommendations:
1.Bring lots of USD small bills; including plenty of ones, fives and tens. Any USD spent returns change in Pesos. The ‘Shopping Mall at the Grand Sirenis is half the price of the Cancun airport when buying trinkets and gifts for home (except for duty free).
2.If renting a vehicle, be careful when filling up at a gas station. Attendants will direct you to ‘their pump and open your filler cap to start pumping fuel without resetting the display to zero. Its easy to end up paying double or triple the actual cost for fuel. BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS WHEN NAVIGATING HIGHWAY 307. SPEED BUMPS CROP UP VERY UNEXPECTEDLY!
3.Bring water shoes!!! There are navigable beaches but its really comfortable to wander the coast unencumbered by sharp coral, spine-clad sea urchins and blazing hot sand and pathways. Wear an old shirt (and head covering if possible) when snorkeling, the sun is relentless. Protecting the backs of legs from ultraviolet rays is very difficult.
4.Bring personal snorkeling gear (including flippers). An underwater, airtight case may be purchased at home for some digital cameras; otherwise, bring disposable underwater equipment.
5.Electrolytes (Gatorade) can be purchased at the resort. Drinking 3 or 4 litres of bottled water a day will prevent the inevitable dehydration caused by over-indulgence.
6.Try not to eat or drink off the resort. At least one guest enjoyed an ‘all-you-can-eat at Xel-ha, an off-site attraction, resulting in pain and diarrhea for the remainder of his vacation including the flight home.
7.Bring a flashlight. As mentioned above, sea turtles burying their eggs late at night may be seen at a desolate beach on the south end of the resort. Also, hermit crabs scurry about the surf and coral all night.
8.Bring a Spanish / English / French / Japanese phrase book. Knowing a little Spanish helps in forging friendly, personal and egalitarian bonds with the Mexicans
9.For USD 2 (each way), a ‘collectivo may be hailed on the main highway from Playa Del Carmen to Tulum. These local transports are the means by which the off-site resort staff travels to and from work.
10.Share your (relative) wealth with those on whom we depend to provide us with a remarkable, comfortable, friendly, unforgettable and sumptuous experience. Remember, the circumstances of our measly existences have more to do with luck (or lack thereof) than of merit (or lack thereof). We are, all of us, born randomly to our own time and space.
HASTA LA VISTA, BEBE !!!!
Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya10
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