Hey, Me and a couple friends are about to go to Cancun for our first time in August and we just had some questions. We originally planned to go on July 18 but we had to push it back to August 13...will that make a difference? Will the clubs and beaches still have a lot of people there or will it be a ghost town? Does the weather get much worse? Also how is the ambiance hotel? I know its right there on the beach but is it a 10-15 minute or less walk to the party zone and the clubs there? And on orbitz the hotel is really cheap right now for august 13-20 compared to the july rates..think that will stay for about 2 weeks since thats when we officially book (pay day!)? Oh and is it worth to get the club admission/kayak/surf packages on orbitz or better to get them in cancun? Thanks for the help
Cancun is only a ghost town during the slowest seasons such as just after spring break and the weeks leading up to US Thanksgiving, and even then it is far from empty. So to put it simply, no it won't be wall to wall jammed but there will certainly be plenty of tourists when you go and switching from July to August should not make a big difference. To answer your Ambiance Villas question, I took a tour of the resort when I was in Cancun last month. The rooms are clean, big and very basic, not a 4 or 5 star property. That being said I would not hesitate to book there, especially if you plan to go for such a long time and a good deal is available. I was staying at the Presidente Intercontinental next door and frequently walked to the Party Center, it is a great location. I also had the opportunity to eat fresh ceviche at the little restaurant at Ambiance Villas and really enjoyed it. For $10 US, it was more food for less money than what we spent for ceviche next door at the Presidente. However, there were several people from Ambiance Villas who were eating at the Presidente's best restaurant called Alfredo Di Roma, I highly recommend this place. As far as booking tours, I would use this website as a resource for getting familiar with what's available, as well as the CancunTop100: http://cancuntop100.com/cgi-bin/in.cgi?id=212eric More often than not you will find better prices for the same tours and with much more liberal cancelation policies and easy rescheduling. So I guess that just about sums it up. If you have more ?s then you've come to the right place. The people who post here are real Cancun experts and will point you in the right direction for sure. 212eric
Thanks for the comments! And usually is there a price change on hotel/flight from booking 10 weeks in advance to around 7-8 weeks?
Ok got everything booked for august 15-22nd and had a couple more questions. We were planning on going to some of the clubs down there and were wondering where would be the ideal places for us (18-21)? And how much should we except to pay to get in and for drinks? Also is the dress code strict as to where you have to wear dress shoes and all that or is it relaxed as to where you could wear shorts and sandals? And how long are the lines usually in august? We'll be there for seven nights so how much should we try to each save up if we plan on partying almost every night and aren't doing the all inclusive plan? Would about 400 a person be enough for food, clubbing, drinks, and everything else for 7 nights or do we need a lot more? Also I was told to get a citi bank account since they don't charge atm fees and supposedly have a bank located there. Is this the best way to go? And credit/usd are widely accepted right? And what are the best tours/cruises that would suit teenagers just looking to have a good time? And are they pricey? Thanks for all the help
First I would suggest that if you want to visit clubs each night and not go on an All inclusive meals plan, $400 USD per person will not be enough. When traveling to a destination that has as many great restaurants, clubs and tour excursions as Cancun has, you should figure a minimum of $100-$150 per person per day. This is especially true if you visit a club each night and purchase the all you can drink packages which run in the $40 range. If you want to save money on tours and get 2x1 dinners at great restaurants, I recommend you look into purchasing the Entertainment Plus Card (see it listed on the bottom of this page and on the CANCUN TOP 100). As far as Citibank ATM cards, I would ask them if there are any fees associated with the card because I have not heard that it is free. I used my Citibank card in Cancun last month and the ATMs always state their fees, so you may be charged if you use banks that are not part of their network. 212eric CANCUN TOP 100
Thanks for the reply 100-150 per night is a little more than we thought we'd spend when we booked this vacation. We do have a full kitchen and full size refrigerator so we plan on stocking up at a market near the ambiance (anyone know the cheapest around the 8-9 km range?). We'll probably eat at one good restaurant a day (rest will be cheap), take the bus not cabs, go out to maybe 3-4 clubs while there, probably not do a tour, and maybe rent some kayaks. I figure about 200 on clubs(4nights) than a decent restaurant is about 15-20 a person so about about 150(?). So 350 plus kayaks, market run, and the bus. How much is it usually to rent kayaks in cancun? If we stick to that plan should 400-500be enough? Thanks
I think your plan is a pretty good one, perhaps I misunderstood it at the outset. The closest market to the Salvia is located at a strip mall across Blvd. Kukulcan and just to the west. The place is now called Extra and they have a decent selection for the Hotel Zone. Your best option for supermarkets however is to take the bus to Centro (Downtown) to a store known as Wal-Mart. There you will find all sorts of items for preparing meals and you will also get better prices than at Extra. As far as restaurant costs, you can find a few high quality establishments at the prices you mention, but not many. One place that instantly comes to mind also happens to be the sponsor of this message board and is known as My Place. Have fun planning your trip, 212eric
Thanks for the reply and we'll definately check out My Place . Are Fridays and Hard Rock about the same prices in Cancun as the U.S.? Oh and is Salvia known as the strip around the 8-9km range? Thanks
We stayed at Ambiance (previously known as Kin Ha) in 2002 and loved it. Very close to many of the clubs, restaurants, shopping, etc. There is a little strip mall just across the street that has a small grocery store (great for picking up water, beer, snacks, etc). Also carries some meats, dairy products and produce. In same strip mall is laundramat. Great idea if going for two weeks to take only one week's worth of t-shirts, undies, etc. and have them washed after first week. Saves you room in suitcase! Check out the Seahorse Restaurant, about a five minute walk from Ambiance. Wonderful pizza and very, very cold 2x1 beer all day!
