Hi Everyone! We've been reading through the many great posts and especially enjoyed janie's wonderful trip reports! Only a few short weeks to go and then we are booked for 5 days at the Moon Palace. We are very interested in people's thoughts/suggestions regarding the restauants, activities, etc. at MP. A couple of other questions as well... Does anyone have any recomendations for a spa other than at MP (costs at MP Spa look very high) possibly in Puerto Morelos area? How about things to do/restaurants to check out in Puerto Morelos? Thanks and best of all to everyone in 2007!!! Rich
Hi Rich, Puerto Morelos has a great selection of restaurants. Bodo's - Great food at great prices - German, American, Mexican Baraka - Upscale food and prices John Gray's - Daily menu, upscale food and prices. Viajo Pescador - Best fish in town. Great view of pier and park. The hog fish is their speciality. Hola Asia - Great Thai, Chinese and Sushi Tuna Restaurant - great restaurant/Bar combination. Live bands on weekends. Bakabs - Argentine Steak pub For a complete listing with pictures and locations visit http://www.vivapuertomorelos.com/restaurants.html
gracias! I stayed at the Paradisus Riviera near Puerto Morelos one time, and we ate at Hola Asia (excellent!) and Pelicano's (very, very good!) HAVE A GREAT TRIP!!!
We stayed at the Moon Palace by default 4 days after Emily hit. (July 2005) We were scheduled for XpuHa...but it got wiped out basically from that one. I've got home daycare kids here, they are eating at the moment...but at nap time I will answer your questions as best I can about Moon Palace...with a few pictures to boot!
Read about a temazcal Mayan-styled sweat lodge at the Ceiba Del Mar in Puerto Morelos: http://www.discoverspas.com/Mexico/artmexceiba.shtml
Okay, sorry it took so long to report back....busy day! The toddlers slept when the baby was awake, and vice versa...no computer time then! Then of course we had church tonight. Anyway...Moon Palace. From your post, you are going to be there for 5 days. So basically you have an arrival and departure day in there...so you have 3 full days to do whatever it is that you want to do....depending on your flight times. When we were there, we were there for 9 days...so we got a lot more in, and got to sample just about every resturaunt (more than once)...and even went into town and ate at Outback Steakhouse. :lol: First off, there are two lobbys. Depending on which side you are booked to...is which resturaunts you will likely visit! In advance, you should ask for the Nizuc side (email)....that is what we were advised, and got....and loved it. Nizuc is the 'original' side. 'Sunrise' is the other lobby/section of the resort. I can't tell you anything about that side, except that its probably just as wonderful....visited the lobby there, and it was very very big...much bigger than Nizuc...but we liked Nizuc way better. Seemed less crazy there. (at least in the lobby area) Here is the Nizuc lobby bar area (part of it) Here is the hallway in front of the gift shop (on the left) and leading towards the lobby: The food will be the same on both sides...just different names of resturaunts...because they all prepare it in the same area basically and transport to the different resturaunts. (We learned this on the Kitchen Tour which is on Fridays, you must sign up for it in the lobby area...fun, but with your short time....you might skip it, unless you are a chef and would really like to see how they operate that huge resort) Here is the original balcony view of our first room (yes, we switched rooms the 2nd day, because they had assigned us to one of the few rooms that didn't have a jacuzzi in it...it was an adjoining room, and therefore lacked the jacuzzi...we had two young daughters that were used to baths, not showers, so they switched as soon as possible for us) In that picture, you can see that we are pretty far from the water...you can barely see it through the palms....but it wasn't far really. Here is just about half way closer on that same pathway: The water is not the crystal clear turquoise blue right at the beach....because there is basically a kelp forest under the water that is protected by a reef that is about 200 yards or so out. You will see very few people on the beach, mostly the bathers that want to go topless. Here is a view of the beach....yes, they do come by and pick up the seaweed/kelp daily with big tractor things....its just so thick that it piles up all the time. (now granted this was also right after Emily, so there was a little extra, but every Trip Report about Moon Palace I have ever read has basically the same picture as this another view.... You can however take the bus (free) to any of the other Palace Resorts and use their beach/water to play in if you must have salt water and the turquoise waters. Here is the Beach Palace beach (again, 4 days after Hurricane Emily) and another view of Beach Palace beach...showing how crowded the beach was....I know the beach has built back up since that hurricane....so don't worry! I would recommend XpuHa/Tulum tour if they still offer it....its basically visiting the ruins for half day...then staying at XpuHa the other half of the day. Unless, XpuHa's beach isn't up to par, dont' know....have to read some trip reports on Trip Advisor Xpuha forum to find out the latest on that recommendation. (Steve, is that okay to post...because there aren't any TR's of XpuHa in this board, take it out if you wish...) But...if pools are your thing....you will be in Heaven at the Moon Palace...here are a few pics of our favorite spot on the Nizuc side of the resort....far South end of the pool. (its very long and kinda curvy) and the poolside bar....the girls thought it was too cool to swim up and order cokes! Restaurants on resort property. We ate breakfast at El Manglar almost everyday. Did eat at Arrecifes too...same food, different ambiance. El Manglar is basically open air....its open on one half, and has a pool in the center....and Arrecifes is completely indoors, big windows looking out. ( I might have the two names switched, but they are basically next to each other, I will continue calling them this, and if I'm wrong, a Moon Expert will likely correct me!) Here is a bad picture of El Manglar and my daughter with her eyes closed. You can see the pool and the buffet in the distance: another view We ate dinner in here twice...it is Brazilian style at night...the side dishes are on the buffet...and they come around with different kinds of meat on swords and serve you as little or as much meat as you wish. Very neat. Arreceifes basically is Italian at night. It is very good. The girls loved this place best...they love pasta. The buffet always had a different main course layout each night...pasta was served every night...but some nights it was seafood (lobster, the works), some nights it was mexican themed....etc etc. There was always something to find to eat. Plus they had the 'to go' styrofoam containers if you ask the hostess ladies....you can go around, fill it up with food/desserts and take it back to your room. We did this one night when the girls were very tired. Here is a picture of that resturaunt inside: the dress is casual...and as long as your suits aren't wet, you can wear them to breakfast and lunch in here: We did eat at Los Caporales one night. We never had a problem reserving at this resturaunt or the Brazilian the day of us eating. I ordered 'Beef Tips' and rice....and got this: Those are fajitas where I come from...lol. Here is a view from our 2nd room....it was on the 2nd floor, same building: Oh, our building name was Guacamaya. Here is a picture to show... As you can see from the pictures....the grounds are immaculately kept. I have a ton more pictures....over 600....some of the miniture golf (which sits between Sunrise and Nizuc sides)....lots of Chichen Itza and other places we visited....and the rooms...I guess I could throw a couple room pics in here..... our messy room: And here we are waiting for our CancunValet transfer in the lobby: Hope this helps and you aren't asleep by now!!!!
awwww Gracias Steve!!!! I'm gonna miss not going to Mexico next year....its like our home away from home now....we've been 4 times in the past 3 years! :evil: darn new jobs and 1 year probations for vacations! :evil:
I also wanted to add a couple more answers to your questions. Did we use the spa services...no....but I have heard good things about them from there.... What to do/visit? Well, we are scuba divers....so we always dive when we go. As you know, they offer free excursions to Chichen Itza, Chichen Itza (Light & Sound), Tulum/Xpu-Ha, Coba, Ek-Balam/Valladolid, Isla Mujeres, Wet'n Wild, Tulum Paradise and Paradise Snorkeling. Chichen Itza is wondeful...but 7am-dark. Because its a 3 hour drive one way...and they stop both ways to eat, and a little market to shop at as well. If you like history....its a must see. Take LOTS of water (free bottles in your room, pack em in your backpack! In fact, pack it everytime you leave the resort!) However, if you don't want to use your entire day...do the Tulum tour...any of them....some are half day, some are all day, you will have to talk to the rep in the lobby area that books those tours for you to see which one best suits ya'll. BE SURE AND BOOK YOUR TOURS FIRST THING....some fill up on the days you want....make sure you have it reserved! I wouldn't do Wet N Wild (just a waterpark) I wouldn't do Isla Mujeres (we did, and it was a crowded nightmare) We wanted to do Coba this last trip, but didn't get to, the youngest got an ear infection and didn't feel all that well, so we didn't leave the resort except to go to XelHa. If you do go to XelHa, go on Sunday if possible...its a lot cheaper on Sundays....it is not included on your Palace Tours. If you want to value every moment of your trip....don't take the timeshare talk...it might take up too much precious vacation time....but if you are truly interested, and have the money to buy in....by all means, take the time....we never have, because we are always too busy enjoying our vacation to hear a sales pitch! They always try to get you by saying 'hey, if you want to swim with the dolphins for free, etc...' anything to lure you into their thing. Once you say no, they always took our first answer. They didn't badger us at all.
