Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico

There is virtually nothing too serious or real about Cancun. Shamelessly geared towards mass tourism, this paradise tropical resort town is in a way the Las Vegas of the south (albeit more pleasant than Vegas). Supposedly, the area has one of the most stable weather patterns in the Northern Hemisphere, with year-round sunshine and a brief rainy season extending from mid-July to November.

Peak seasons in Cancun may be a bit much: low prices and drinking age of 18 (virtually unenforced ) attract scores of college students. Outside of the regular season, however, Cancun proved to me a very pleasurable experience. The hotel we stayed in was the Le Meridien, one of the two five-star establishments on the Zona Hotelera (Hotel Area).

Cancun is divided roughly into two areas: downtown Cancun, which represents more authentic mexican experience and Zona Hotelera, which resembles Las Vegas strip planted in a tropical paradise. Zona Hotelera is in essence a reef, with a 25-kilometer road running through it and each attraction located either on the Atlantic Ocean side or the Lagoon side. Majority of the hotels are on the Ocean side, as the real attraction of Cancun is the beach. Lagoon actually has live crocodiles, so swimming there may not be advisable.

Le Meridien was a great experience. Service was impeccable, the three pools filled with pleasantly warm water and the beach could have as well extended all the way to the resort. Location-wise, the hotel was near all the necessary attractions (read: night clubs). It was easy to get a waverunner rental right off the beach, and for sports fanatics, the gym was more than adequate. Resort also came with a spa, but I didn't have a chance to check out their offering.

Nightlife is what Cancun is known for. Dady-O's, The City, Glazz, Coco Bongo and Senor Frogs are popular night spots just to name a few. Most bars have two-tiered admission, one for unlimited drinks (open bar) and one for just admission. I would recommend going to Coco Bongo (more a show than a disco), Dady-O's (more disco, less show) and Glazz (lounge & disco) as those seemed to attract a good crowd. Senor Frogs was a bit crazy for my taste, and I certainly detested the aggressive sales techniques of the waitresses with the whistle (they bring tequila).

Cancun could as well be annexed to United States, as far as food is concerned. Mexican food was available, but most of the offerings were not that different from whats available in Manhattan. Sadly, there was also a number of restaurant chains (Tony Romas, Papa Johns, TGIF) littering the landscape. For authenticity, downtown Cancun offers probably the best bite: Perico's and La Parilla are famous, touristy but fun. Perico's boasts a "Zapatista"-theme, with fake rifles, ponchos and sombreros. Another delicious spot was La Luna Latina, located very near Le Meridien.

For more mobile tourists, there are great short trips available. Isla Mujeres is accessible by boat (US$ 15) and while on this quaint island, one can travel either by scooters or golf carts. There isn't a whole lot to see there, but as a half-day experience its quite nice. There is also a very luxurious hotel, Villa Rolanda, on the island, but we didn't have a chance to visit there.

Another quick trip is to rent a car (roads are in great condition) and drive to Tulum. Tulum has ruins of Mayan temples (Zona Arqueologica) and is well worth the visit. We also stopped by in Playa Del Carmen, which is a much more authentic mexican town, grabbed some lunch and drove back to Cancun.

I would say, that a trip to Cancun can be anywhere from 3 to 6 days. Flight from New York takes about 4 hours direct and 6 hours via Miami. There isn't THAT much to do in Cancun, so after the fourth day any tourism activities should cease and one should retreat to the pool for the remainder of the trip.