Dzibanche vs. Tulum

[elou]

I know that Tulum is in Cozumel. Also, I've been there. My friends never have seen Mayan Ruins. Which ruin would you take. I've seen Kohulnik (just not impressed to me). Thanks again.

[VidaNaPraia]

Tulum is not "in Cozumel". It is on the mainland, almost an hour south of Playa del Carmen, which is accessed from Cozumel by ferry. Dzibanche is at least another hour or so south of Tulum.

IMO the beach within the ruin site at Tulum is as nice as, or nicer than, the (not-so-impressive-in-comparison-to-some) ruins themselves, so your friends could combine the two experiences.

In the region, there are also Coba, Ek Balam, Chichen Itza and many more. ( See map at: http://www.mayanbeachgarden.com/Images/yucatanmap.gif) There are plenty of photos online to help your friends decide which would be most interesting and worth the drive.

[elou]

Thanks for your reply. I know ruins near Costa Maya are not too impressive, but have you been to Dzibanche?

[SpinnerCOyyy]

Just got back from cruise with tour to Dzibanche ruins. For a hands on experience, go to Dzibanche. Here is my full review.

 

Our group of 14 signed up for the Dzibanche Ruins excursion offered by Native Choice. All our excursions for the cruise were booked independent of the offerings from the cruise line. We choose Dzibanche specifically because it offered a more hands on experience, and less crowds than closer ruins. This is a long tour 6 hour tour. Many people suggested against booking such a long tour independently. There is always a chance the cruise ship will leave without you, should something go wrong and you are late back to the ship. We decided to take the chance.

 

The dock in Costa Maya is at least 130 yards long. Additionally, it is another 150 yards to the Native Choice check in. The check in area is past the cruise terminal, out the terminal gates. We found the check in desk where there were many cruisers waiting. A Native Choice Representative was passing out cold bottles of water to everyone standing in the lines, regardless of which tour they were going on. We received our bracelets and were assigned a van, and within 10 minutes we were on our way.

 

Frine was our guide for the day, Eric was our driver. There was another guide in the second van for the other two of our family members on this trip. Our van was clean, comfortable and air conditioned.

 

I can not even come close to reciting everything our group learned on the ride to the ruins. Frines' stories were interesting and jam packed with history. We learned about gum imports, mahogany, Brits, Dutch, Africans and Mennonites. Cylindrical calendars, 12 layers of heaven and hell, everything in groups of 20. New ruins location, farmers vs royalty, and a very large lagoon. The terrain changed, going from swamp to savanna to forest to jungle. After an hour, we stopped in Bacalar for bathroom break and to purchase snacks if we wanted. We learned that the Dzibanche ruins location was lost for 75 years. Dzibanche means “writing on wood”, and was a great city in 200 AD. We were offered a final restroom break before our arrival at the Dzibanche ruins location.

 

Exiting the van you begin your walk to the ruins structures. The first 100 yards is uphill on a dirt, rutty road. It is quite a task if your preference is flat and unobstructed. We approached the first set of structures as Frine explained what each structure represented. Frine discussed construction techniques on a wall which appeared like a cutaway. We were able to see a wall which still had red coloring, and glyphs. Ceiba trees, which the Mayans believe hold up the sky, and are the tree of life, are everywhere. We saw a small group of Howler monkeys in the tree tops.

 

We walked up the stairs at Temple 2. A 73 year old member of our group began to struggle with climbing the steep steps. Two attendants working at the ruins park literally sprinted up the steps, rushing to help her. A little bit of bravado, with a genuine desire to enhance her experience was impressive.

 

We were in the large open area, approaching Temple 6. Although we could climb all of the structures, our group choose this structure to climb first. And I do mean climb. The vertical steep steps are certainly a blood pumping experience. The view from the top was astounding. It was here, that you could really see how large a site (15 square miles) Dzibanche is.

 

Frine asked my 6'4” son to grab some leaves from a branch above us. She took the leaf, and tore it apart, giving each of us a piece. Frine encouraged us to put it in our mouth and chew it. Those of us who did, tasted the familiar tang of Novocaine. Chewing on the leaf for a bit quickly numbed our gums and made our lips tingle. We had been offered a taste of the allspice tree. Used in the production of Novocaine, but as an added spice to cooking or baking. After approximately 90 minutes of exploring, we all walked back to the van. We were provided with a sack lunch of a sandwich, granola bar, orange, and bottle of orange juice. This had been included in our tour price.

 

We all piled back into the van, and began the two hour ride back to the cruise terminal. We stopped at a roadside vendor and Frine purchased bags of fresh pineapple for everyone to share. A tiny bag of cayenne pepper is included to sprinkle on your pineapple.

 

We arrived back to the cruise terminal where we had about an hour to shop. Native Choice provided a professional, exciting and friendly excursion. Their driver Eric, was helpful and a safe van operator. Frine, our tour guide is a true gem. She was informative without boring, creative in her stories and a pleasure to listen to. It's obvious her knowledge on Costa Maya is vast, and she loves her job. We heartily recommend using Native Choice on a visit to Costa Maya. Forgo the crowds and visit Dzibanche. Insist on Frine as your guide, and you won't be disappointed!

[elou]

Great review. RCCL is in port only 7-3. If I book Native Choice (6 hours), is that cutting it too close. Figure, with luck, getting off ship by 8 am (luckier if earlier). Thanks again.

[milkcoffeecruiser]

We found both ruins great, very impressive. Tulum is on the waterfront, which gives it an extra plus for the feel and photo ups. Dzibanche is in the lush jungle, which is also very very nice...nothing but green trees, palm trees, sounds of birds....we loved both!

[crewsweeper]

Great review. RCCL is in port only 7-3. If I book Native Choice (6 hours), is that cutting it too close. Figure, with luck, getting off ship by 8 am (luckier if earlier). Thanks again.

 

If the ship sched says docking 7-3, you'll most likely be tied off before or right around 7 AM. Unless there's a customs clearnce issue, you'll be able to get off the ship before 7:30A. I'd check with NC to see when they think they will depart CM. Say around 8AM/8:30 if need to wait on others. You'll need to be back on board by 2:30PM (all this is ship time, clarify if your ship changes to local time or stays on embarcation port's time, varies by cruise line). That's cutting it close, but doable if there are no delays enroute or return and depending on how long you stay at the ruins.