Well we%26#39;ve been to Maui two years in a row.Both times in August and stayed at the Hyatt! Loved it but everyone says we should change places so we dont get bored. We%26#39;ve been told try Cancun, so what s your opinions. Those of you that have been to both!Im ready to start planning our next vacation!
Maui versus Cancun
Well, we%26#39;ve been to a fair number or Mexican destinations: Cancun, Cozumel, Mazatlan, Acupulco, San Felipe, Guaymas and Cabo San Lucas a couple of times. We%26#39;ve done these locations in most imaginable ways, camping, all-inclusive (Club Med %26amp; Jack Tar), 4-star hotels, etc. and I believe this ... Mexico has nothing on Hawaii other than lower prices and better diving.
My .02
Maui versus Cancun
I always think it%26#39;s a good idea to try something new and mix things up a little. Cancun is quite a departure from Maui, I%26#39;d say especially in the fact that it is a lot more wild. The main demographic are college spring-breakers, which makes it a prime destination for boozing and clubbing, and culturally speaking there is nothing traditionally ';mexican'; in the entire strip to speak of. But the beach is fanstastic, and there are some great excursions to take down there as well like seeing the Mayans ruins, Xel Ha eco park, and some of the other many tours that you can%26#39;t find on Maui. I have a feeling if you love Maui then you might be disappointed with Cancun, but don%26#39;t take my word on that.
Also if you%26#39;ve been to Maui twice already, maybe it%26#39;s time to consider another Hawaiian island if Cancun doesn%26#39;t sound like your cup of tea.
I absolutely LOVE Maui, its a little expensive but it is awesome. Maybe a change of Hotels is what we need. I would hate to work all year long and save to go on our vacation and regret that we didnt go back to Maui!
I%26#39;d like to hear from more posters on this if they%26#39;ve been to both. I was thinking about the Mayan Riveria for my next vacation too.
How is the snorkeling down there compared to Maui?
IMHO, you can%26#39;t really compare Mexico to Hawaii. It%26#39;s totally different. The water is warmer and better visibility than Hawaii for snorkeling and diving but the whole party atmosphere and being in another country that has different currency and language is not my idea of a relaxing, beach vacation.
I live in Maryland and have visited the Mexican Riviera several times, Akumal and Playa Del Carmen, about an hour south of Cancun. This past May we went to Maui for our first time. The white beaches and water are much prettier in Mexico and you can definately experience the local culture, people and wonderful food. Prices are cheaper in Mexico also, and coming from the east coast, a much shorter trip. I would avoid Cancun all together- other than having to fly in. Cancun is way too Americanized and commercial for my tastes. It depends what you are looking for in a vacation - I found Maui a little too busy, too much traffic and too expensive. But I tend to like out of the way type places, and less touristy. Check out Akumal and the Tulum area.
You could try a different Island..Each is unique and offers something the others don%26#39;t. My vote would be the Big Island.
As others have said, you can%26#39;t compare Hawaii to anything. Be like comparing Los Angles to San Francisco yeah they are both in California but they are totally different.
This year will be our 1st trip to Hawaii and we are real excited but we did Ambergris Caye in Belize last year for 12 nights - it was a blast. Unbelievable snorkle/scuba along the Coral reef, side trip to Caulker Key, day trip to Maya Ruins, Zip Line, the Zoo ( don%26#39;t miss the zoo !! ). Great Restaurants !! Instead of car rentals u can rent golf carts or bikes. Great party town. There are no ';chain'; hotels or restaurants ( and hopefully never will be...). We stayed at a hotel called Mata Rocks.. great beach front and pool plus free Continental breakfast. The only thing I missed was the waves... because of the coral reef they break about a half mile out but otherwise it was really a great place.
We have been to both locations in March. We were in Maui this year and in Cancun the year before.
In Cancun we stayed at the southern end of the hotel strip and managed to avoid the spring breakers. The major partying seemed to go on at the top of the strip, starting later in the evening. We didn%26#39;t rent a car since buses went everywhere in Cancun, but we did have to allow for more travel time. The white sand beaches were beautiful, the water an incredible blue. But the waves were large in front of our complex when we were there, making it impossible to swim or snorkel. Most of the snorkel trips were cancelled due to rough surf that week. Our favorite activity was a jeep tour that took us to a cenote to swim and a small zoo. What I like best about Mexico...it takes less time to get there.
Our Maui trip was more relaxing. I loved the variety of landscape in Maui and how everything was so close. We experienced some surf problems there as well...must be the time of the year we travel.
Our Pacific Whale Foundation trip had to cancel going to Lanai because the water was too rough. But we were able to snorkel from the beach. Just wish that the flight getting there wasn%26#39;t so long.
My experience is with FS Maui and with Paraiso de la Bonita in the Riveria Maya.
A few notes:
Paraisio%26#39;s rooms are far nicer. This is not even close. The rooms are amazing. The pool is also much nicer. The food is very good. It is very quiet at night. The service generally and the spa in particular are outstanding.
The down side: At the resort, there was almost nothing to do other than sit on the beach or by the pool. That was great for a four day stay, but it would be difficult for a longer stay. There are things to do in the area, but to get there you had to drive.
FS%26#39;s rooms are not as nice, but the area is nicer, safer, there is more to do in the immediate area, and you can drink the water without question.
For a short relaxing romantic stay with my wife? Paraiso. For a longer or more active trip I would take Maui.
For Paraisio, see
http://www.paraisodelabonita.com/
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