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…]

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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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Terminal 4 at Cancun Airport – BEWARE OF TRANSPORTATION SCAMS!

January 13, 2018 by

Transportation SCAMS at Terminal 4 Cancun Airport

The new terminal 4 at Cancun Airport is having a HUGE problem with the unauthorized taxi drivers scamming people as they arrive. This is the problem:

The design of the building leads people to think they should exit at “Friends & Family” exit (this goes into the DEPARTURES AREA ) instead of the correct exit at “Ground Transportation” (ARRIVALS AREA).

Antonio, your friendly CARM representative. Always look for the CARM logo when you exit!

The unauthorized taxi drivers (called ‘pirate taxis’) cannot enter the Ground Transportation where all of the authorized transportation companies are waiting for their pre-booked arrivals. They must wait for people to take the WRONG exit and then try to get you to go with them. Their spiel is usually the same. They ask if you need help finding your transportation company. Or they say they ARE your transportation company or even say,“I’ll call the office for you and have you talk to them. (they make a call on their own 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 confirmation number, and tells you that your CARM driver left, and it will be 2 hours before they can come back for you. But, you should take this taxi and CARM will reimburse you later FOR BOTH YOUR MISSED VAN AND THE TAXI”. They then charge you an exorbitant rate.  And you have been scammed.

It is important for you to know:

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

Everything you need to know about the ferry to Isla Mujeres 2024

November 9, 2016 by

ultramar-ferry

We were the first transportation company in the area to offer the pre-purchase of round trip Ultramar ferry tickets. Everyone thought we were crazy, but, it has become our most popular Add-On!

Having your tickets waiting is one less thing to worry about. We have seen that the lines to buy tickets are often longer than the line to board the ferry! And it can be incredibly frustrating to arrive at the ferry loaded down with luggage after a long travel day and then watch the boat leave without you because you had to wait in the ticket line for ten minutes. And now you have another 30 minutes to an hour to wait for the next boat. After all, you’re on vacation, who wants to waste any precious time standing in line?

The Ultramar ferry leaves from Gran Puerto Juarez Ultramar ferry dock in Cancun. Also referred to as simply “Gran Puerto”, “Ultramar”, or “Puerto Juarez”. In fact we have two ways to book this on our site under “Isla Mujeres” or “Puerto Juarez”-They are the same exact route.

Ultramar website/routes: https://www.ultramarferry.com/en/routes-and-departures

It’s important to note that the ferry does NOT operate 24 hours a day.  We do not reccommend [Read more…]

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

Tips for First-timers from Seasoned Cancun Travelers

June 11, 2013 by

Travel TipsAfter my mom’s first trip to Cancun to visit me here in Cancun, she told me there were many things that she would do differently on her next trip. I thought, WOW, I should really have these things on my website as tips for first-time travelers!

So what are the things everyone should remember when packing, planning and traveling to Cancun or the Riviera Maya? Well, I’ve lived here too long and I am not really “on vacation” here, so I wondered who would know best about these things? Former vacationers to Cancun of course! So to my customers that have been to Cancun AND bought the t-shirt, I asked for their advice on these topics and any other things they thought first-timers might find helpful:
• Things to bring on the plane with you
• What to pack
• Do I need pesos?
• Getting around Cancun and the Riviera Maya
• Whether to go All Inclusive or not
• Is Cancun safe?
• Can you drink the water?

These are some of the responses I received.

  • Plan at least one day-trip out of the hotel to see a historical site.
  • Try one of the downtown Cancun restaurants one evening.
  • Try scuba diving or snorkeling. The underwater world is amazing.
  • Bring less than you think as far as clothing.
  • The public buses are safe and an affordable mode of transportation.
  • If you are drinking, take a taxi (barter taxi price before you get in).
  • Don’t buy souvenirs at the airport (they are over-priced).
  • It’s always good to have some pesos just in case, but make sure you spend them before you leave. You can use pesos for tips.
  • Use sunscreen even if you think you don’t need any.
  • If you buy liquor at the duty free shop at the airport be prepared to transfer it into your luggage if you do not have a direct flight.
  • Be patient at the customs area..don’t get overwhelmed.
  • Pack cotton clothing, its cooler.
  • Sunglasses are a must. If you forget yours there are lots of people selling them cheap.
  • If traveling with kids, bring them something to snack on and toys to play with on the plane.
  • Bring a book, cross-word puzzle or ear buds to plug into the planes TV system.
  • Bring chewing gum to help with ear pressure during take-off & landing.
  • USD are fine to spend in Cancun, you don’t need a lot of pesos.
  • Don’t bring anything larger than $50 dollar bills as they are harder to spend / break.
  • Pack one nice outfit because some restaurants have a dress code.
  • Ride the bus anywhere in the Hotel Zone for less than $1 USD.
  • Cancun is safer than most cities in the United States.
  • Drink bottled water, it is available everywhere. Almost all restaurants serve bottle water.
  • Turn off your data roaming! If you forget the charges you incur will be astronomical. Even if you don’t use it, your phone will still retrieve data and charge you for it.

Also, check out my Packing Checklist for more info.

Do you have a travel tip to add to our list? Email me!

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