Magical Private Ek Balam Ruins & Cenote Tour: Trip Report!

July 18, 2024 by

We took the private tour to Ek Balam & Xcanche cenote and had an incredible day!

Since we were on Isla Mujeres, we took the first ferry of the day at 6:00 AM. Our CARM driver Martin was waiting for us at 6:20 AM at the Gran Puerto Juarez Ultramar Ferry Dock, ready for the 2.5 hour drive.

Martin!

NOTE: Since the ruins are in a different state (Yucatan) than Cancun (Quintana Roo), the time there was 1 hour behind us. We arrived exactly at 8:00 AM, just as the ruins opened.

PRO TIP: Arriving early to the ruins beats some of the heat of the day but, most importantly: allows you bypass the surge of people arriving on huge public tour buses that don’t start arriving until 10:00 AM. So, the sites are not so crowded. On this day, we literally had the entire site to ourselves-there was not one other person until 8:30 AM – incredible!

You can choose to add on a certified tour guide during booking, and that guide will be with you the whole day. We opted for no tour guide. But, if we had changed our minds, there are also tour guides available in all languages at the entrance of the ruins.

When we entered, a cute mama dog came right out and led us to through the winding site. She waited as we stopped to take photos and admire the structures. Amazingly, she led us the Acropolis (the main pyramid) and started climbing up with us, all the way to the top! The site was so peaceful and the view was incredible! We were able to take amazing photos. What a bucket list item, climbing to the top of a pyramid!

Why visit Ek Balam? Ek Balam is the ONLY Mayan ruins site in the Yucatan where you can still climb to the top of the ruins.

Sites such as Chichen Itza & Coba no longer allow you to climb the ruins. Also, Ek Balam is a small site, and less crowded and hectic. Chichen Itza can get crowded with tour groups at every turn.

We really wanted a more tranquil site, with all the same magic and history. The only sounds were the birds and nature. It truly felt magical. We were NOT disappointed! (TIP: Bring lots of sunscreen and/or an umbrella if you are sun sensitive. We brought bug spray as well but, did not need to use it).

We were ready to cool off in the cenote after our adventure and Martin was waiting for us!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: About Cancun Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Avoiding Scams at the Cancun Airport!

August 3, 2023 by
We want to help you be aware of SCAMS at the Cancun Airport!
We ALWAYS tell clients not speak to anyone at the Cancun Airport. Once you have left Customs and make your way outside, a barrage of people will approach you with offers and questions: A simple “No gracias” and continuing to walk away is sufficient to the many people who may approach you.

See below for popular scams, and valuable advice on how to avoid them:

Unauthorized taxi drivers & time shares sales people will say anything to get you to go with them. They are very organized teams and the scams are usually the same:

😠 They tell you that even if you have pre-booked transfers, you must go with them prior to exiting to a kiosk to do an additional required check in for “Corona virus/COVID-19”. This is FALSE. They will ask for personal info/tell you your transportation has left and that you should take their taxi/van and pay an exorbitant amount & and CARM will reimburse you later FOR BOTH YOUR MISSED VAN AND THE TAXI. This is untrue. You have been scammed.
😠 They ask if you need help FINDING your transportation company. Or they say that they ARE your transportation company. Or that your company LEFT you. They say: “I’ll call the office myself for you and have you talk to them.” They call on their own phone or your phone, actually dialing the number of a friend who is part of the scam. The person on the phone goes as far as to ask for your name, confirmation #, and tells you that your CARM driver left (or that you must wait 3 additional hours), so you should take this taxi at an outrageous price & CARM will reimburse you “later” FOR BOTH YOUR MISSED VAN AND THE TAXI. They will even write you a very official looking receipt. And you have been scammed.

✍️There are 4 separate terminals at the Cancun Airport. All of our CARM, employees are waiting outside the terminals at the designated reunion point in each terminal as noted on your detailed confirmation vouchers. They are wearing shirts with our CARM name/logo and holding a sign with YOUR RESERVATION NAME on it. It is important to follow these instructions. If you ever need assistance, feel free to call any of the contact numbers (never allow strangers to dial our numbers for you)!

Book your private transfers today!:

Contact us!:

US Phone (rings to Cancun, calls only): 407-284-1673
Cancun Phone (calls only): +52 998-273-2970
Cancun Cell (calls, texts, WhatsApps): +52 998 235 7135
Email: office@cancunandrivieramaya.com
Filed Under: About Cancun, Cancun Airport, Isla Mujeres, Stuff for Locals, Things to do in Cancun, Travel Info, Trip Reports Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

CARM Tours & Transfers COVID-19 Update

June 9, 2020 by

Hello, everyone! As a small, local, family business, we can’t express how much we appreciate your support during this difficult time. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, your safety and the safety of our staff has always been and will continue to be our #1 priority. We have used this time to learn, prepare, teach & train for the new travel regulations. Below you can find our new health & sanitary protocols for our private transfers & tours:

  • All of our vehicles will be thoroughly cleaned & sanitized between each service with hospital grade cleaning products. (We have only ever offered private transfers and will continue to do so)
  • All of our employees have taken courses in the prevention of Covid-19, and received official certification from the Mexican government to operate safely.
  • We have received the stamp of approval of the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) for operating safely and following all of the protocol and sanitary guidelines for prevention of Covid-19
  • We will have daily employee health screenings with temperature checks
  • Carbon air filters for AC’s that kill all viruses have been installed in all of our vans
  • Our airport greeters and drivers will be wearing face masks
  • You will be provided with hand sanitizer before entering the vehicle & all vehicles will have on board
  • We have an alcohol based spray for the bottom of your shoes before entering the van
  • Our drivers will spay and air sanitizer in the van before you enter
  • We will ask if you would like us to spray your luggage with an alcohol solution
  • We kindly ask that our clients wear masks when in the vehicle. If you do not wish to wear a mask, we will ask you to please abide by social distancing regulations and ride in the middle or passenger side seats so you are not directly behind the driver
  • You have the option to use AC, windows, or a combination of both

The above steps have been thoughtfully prepared with your safety & comfort in mind. They are subject to modifications as we navigate through the changing regulations of state & national government. More below!…

On another note, what has our CARM family been up to?….

Unlike other transportation & tour companies in our area, we are very proud to be able to say that during this difficult time: We kept our ENTIRE staff employed & taken care of, and did not lay anyone off. Our employees are like our family (and in some cases they are family-we have fathers, daughters and brothers working side by side). 

Our ENTIRE customer service staff also dedicated their full time work hours during this crisis to giving back to our community on Isla Mujeres. CARM supported various families privately with food donations, and headed up Isla Animal’s Pet Food Project. This project was created to provide free pet food & flea/tick medicine delivery to residents so people can use their money for food/bills for their family and avoid abandoning pets on the street (This also included a 2 day free spay/neuter clinic). We also worked with groups delivering food for residents, offered future services as prizes for raffles/auctions to raise funds for unemployed residents and for a local child in need of a kidney transplant. Giving back to our home community is very important to us!

We look forward to seeing you again soon in paradise. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us!

Book your private airport transfers here: https://www.cancunandrivieramaya.com/transfers/

Email: office@cancunandrivieramaya.com

US Phone: 407-284-1673

Cancun Phone: 998-273-2970

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CARMToursTransfers/

Instagram: @carmtransfers

Filed Under: About Cancun, Cancun Airport, Isla Mujeres, Travel Info Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

CARM Job Opening

February 6, 2020 by

Here at CARM, we are experiencing growth! We are looking to hire a full time customer service person for our Isla Mujeres office.

Hours: 12 PM – 6 PM, 6 days per week (morning shifts during training period)

Requirements: Advanced general computer knowledge, Advanced level in Excel and Google Sheets, proper written and spoken English, moderate Spanish required. Friendly attitude is a must! Our customers are our #1 priority.

If you are interested in joining the CARM Team, please email us your resume to: trina@cancunandrivieramaya.com.

Filed Under: Isla Mujeres

Whale Shark Snorkel Tour on Isla Mujeres

May 31, 2018 by

(UPDATED 2022)

Did you know that Whale Sharks are technically not a whale and not a shark? They are the ocean’s largest FISH. The area around Isla Mujeres, in the Mexican Caribbean, is blessed to be a migration stop for these beautiful, gentle giants for a few months every year. People travel from all over the world for the opportunity to see these magnificent creatures up close. Are you ready to check this off of your bucket list? Or are you looking for more information about what to expect? If you will be in the area from Mid-May  to Mid-September, you do NOT want to miss this opportunity. Bonus: we have seen so many whale sharks, manta rays, sea turtles and even the occasional dolphin on this tour also! Here is our guide for everything you need to know about [Read more…]

Filed Under: About Cancun
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