Xel HA? Any recent reviews??

[jacksmom09]

We would love to do this excursion, but are concerned that it will take so long to get there and back?? :eek:Would love some reviews from someone that has recently done it Re:travel time and whether or not it was worth it!:rolleyes: Thanks for any input!

[punkmuse]

hi, i realize you are looking for *recent reviews* but i figured at the very least my post would bump you up.

 

my husband and i went to Xel-Ha in 1999 :eek: as part of a landbased vacation and i believe it included a trip to Tulum.

 

even though it was almost 10 years ago i remember Xel-Ha. it is really nice there. a big man made lake is in the middle, there are hammocks if you feel like just lounging, places to eat food or get a drink. you can rent floaties to float around on the water with or go snorkeling. we snorkeled and it was a lot of fun.

 

now if you are like a pro-snorkeler you may be disappointed as its not like huge coral reefs and tons of colorful fish but for those of us who are just looking to see some fishies and swim around it was good.

 

there is a big suspension (?) bridge on top of the water across the lake and its fun and hard to walk across. be careful as its highly possible you may fall over! i did it a couple of times with my camera in hand and made it over! the first thing i thought of was "they would never have this in the US" becuase of all the potential lawsuits of people falling over or into the water (while it may be unpleasant i doubt it was truly dangerous)

 

there is also some woodsy areas to walk around and supposedly a cenote somewhere but i dont think we found it.

 

hoepfully some people who have been more recent can help you out!

[jacksmom09]

Thank you for your review! I guess I should have explained that my dh and I have done this on a trip we took to Cancun! But, my 11 year old ds was not with us!;) We loved it! But, we had all day and no worries about getting back on a ship in time!:rolleyes: I am just wondering really how long the travel time is and if it is worth it in regards to how much time you will actually have there??:eek: Would love more reviews!

[bumbles]

We would love to do this excursion, but are concerned that it will take so long to get there and back?? :eek:Would love some reviews from someone that has recently done it Re:travel time and whether or not it was worth it!:rolleyes: Thanks for any input!

 

If you're docking at Calica or Playa del Carmen, the travel time will be 30 minutes one-way depending on the mode of transportation you take. The collectivos or buses will make more stops making for a longer travel time.

 

I think it's worth it - especially with the all inclusive. It's a great way to spend the day outside soaking up the sun. Last time we went was 2004 so I don't have a recent review...but my kids were 10 and 11 then and loved it...especially the cliff of courage. My son must have climbed up and jumped off 10 times. It is a big place and we didn't see everything they had to offer, but we still had a great time! I thought there was a good balance of activities for the kids and relaxation for the adults.

 

Every once in a while they have specials on the internet...I think last time I looked (maybe last week) it was $69.95 pp for the all-inclusive.

[gumbolady]

My hubby & I went to Xel-Ha in 2006, but like you didn't have any kids or worries! We are planning to go back in Feb. & take the kids. As the other reply said, from Calica or Playa del Carmen, it is a short trip. If your closest stop is Cozumel, you might want to consider doing one of the all-inclusives on Coz. because you would have to take the ferry (45 minutes & it only leaves on the hour) then take a cab to Xel-Ha. While I do think Xel-ha is a fabulous place & I want my kiddos to go, I wouldn't want them to spend so much of their time in port traveling to the destination.