Riviera Maya Puts Tourist Promotion into Overdrive

Fancy new hotels, upgraded old towns, eco-experiences, new attractions and Tulum lure visitors

A few weeks ago, representatives of tourism industry came to Colorado with updates about the Riviera Maya, the Yucatan Peninsula's sun-kissed coastline Caribbean coastline. South of Cancun and all of its high-rise razzmatazz stretched along a 14-mile-long Tourist Zone, visitors to the Riviera Maya nevertheless benefit from the proximity (11 miles to the north end of the Riviera Maya) to a good-size international airport. It is anticipating building its own airport within a few years, but from my standpoint, why cut down ancient jungle and foul up the place with airplane noise, fumes and traffic when a perfectly good airport is not all that far -- except that Cancun and the Riviera Maya are in different states, and politics is doubtless involved.

The infrastructure of the 81-mile Riviera Maya has been greatly upgraded since I was last there nearly 20 years ago. My husband and I had been scuba diving on Cozumel, just offshore. Since we weren't able to dive within 24 hours before flying home, we boarded a hydrofoil to a dusty town called Playa del Carmen, wandered up the main street and hopped on the first Tulum-bound bus. A rattly old school bus drove the two-lane road with a lot of jungle views and dropped us off along the highway, perhaps a quarter of a mile from the entrance to these magnificent ocean-view ruins. The bus fare was about $1.35. We explored the ruins at our own pace, consulting our guidebook and occasionally eavesdropping on an English-speaking guide. Then, we wandered back to the main road, boarded the next Playa del Carmen-bound bus (another $1.35 fare), just missed one hydrofoil and had a couple of drinks and a some dockside nibbles before returnbing to Cozumel on the next one.

Tulum photo by Bruno Girin from Creative Commons

That was then and this is now: 362 hotels with a total of 37,300 hotel rooms available in different categories from small and charming hotels along the shore to modern "integrated tourism complexes made up of luxurious five star hotels, marinas and golf courses," in the tourist-speak now practiced in this enchanted, enchanting part of Mexico. I think there's even a four-lane highway. Now, luxury hotels, including all-inclusive properties, have sprung up on the Riviera Maya -- mercifully lower-rise and with less density than other coastal resorts. If you want swimming pools, palapas, fine dining and a family-friendly resort environment, the Riviera Maya has those in abundance.

There are also tourist developments that appear to be enlightened and enlightening. Xel-Ha is described as "open-sea aquarium offer[ing] a myriad of land and water activities, ecological attractions, world-class restaurants and countless more unimaginable experiences." I'm intrigued by the concept of a responsible attraction that protects wildlife, marinelife, birdlife and habitat while offering the kinds of safe experiences that many travelers, especially families, seek today. Another attraction that appears to combine gentle adventure, visitor education and resource protection is Xplor, which provides an opportunity to swim through a stalctatie river, hand-paddle an undrground raft and ride a zipline above the trees and water, all of which seem designed to protect the natural resources. The two-seat amphibious vehicles that "conquer all terrains between jungle, water, rocks and grottos" -- maybe not so much.

If you prefer a vibrant town with a lots of  amenities aimed at visitors, Plaza del Carmen is such a place. No longer a laid-back Mexican town, it has been developed a good culinary presence and an interesting art and music scene. It also has an abundance of tourist shops, tourist-trap bars, gringo-ized restaurants and even a WalMart. I wouldn't go back for those, but I would for the arts, the festivals and the chance for some of the nearby eco-opportunities, including cenote snorkeling or diving  -- and of course, to revisit the ruins at Tulum.

Clearly, presentations, like that given by the Riviera Maya representatives make everything look great, even facilities not normally of interest. What impressed me about this one was the range of accommodations now available, from backpacker-friendly to five-star luxury, presenting something for every type of Mexico-bound traveler. And from what I'm hearing, prices for the rest of 2010 (until Christmas) are rockbottom low, even at top properties. Summer is a season of high heat and low prices, but consider a deal at a complete resort with a great beach, a large pool and air conditioning, where the heat won't bother you.

Head to Playa del Carmen on Thursday evening, when it's cooler, for a weekly cultural and street festival starting at 8:00. 5ta. Avenida in Playa del Carmen, the main street, features painting , sculpture, dance, poetry, theatre, photography, performance art and video. Come fall, festival season kicks up again.

Dominica Bus Accident Injures Cruise Passengers

Celebrity Summit passengers on shore excursion injured when bus went off the road

I got an E-mail from friends who are on a short Caribbean cruise with the message, "Hi -- we are having a great time. One of the excursions in Dominica came to a bad end yesterday, but we were not involved. Just in case it made the news I want to reassure you that we are fine. Cruising is all that it is made out to be."

Of course, I immediately Googled the incident and found a USA Today report headlined, "Sixteen Cruise Ship Passengers Injured in Bus Accident on Dominica." According to the report, "The guests had signed up for the 'Caribbean Cooking Adventure' shore excursion, in which they joined local culinary experts to learn how to prepare and present traditional Caribbean dishes. The three-and-a-half hour tour concludes with a scenic drive through [the capital city of Roseau] before returning to the pier."

As I wrote recently, I felt as if I dodged the proverbial bullet in Cairo by crossing Hussein Square and visiting the Khan al-Khalili shortly before Sunday's explosion, and I "almost" dodged the bullet here too. If I had been on that ship, that's the shore excursion I would have selected.

US Airways Rescinds Beverage Charge

After the miraculous water landing of a US Airways Airbus in the frigid Hudson River on January 15 with no loss of life, people were feeling benign toward the carrier. Good feelings only go so far, however. The airline was the only major airline to charge coach passengers for non-alcoholic beverages ($1 for coffee or tea; $2 for bottled water or soft drinks). This annoyed passengers like me, who recently flew Denver-Charlotte and Charlotte-JFK.

As of March 1, these booze-free beverages will again be free. "The beverage program was distracting from the outstanding improvements in on-time performance and baggage handling U.S. Airways' 34,000 employees worked so hard to achieve last year," was the way a US Airways spokesman explained it, trying to put a good spin on a bad policy. The carrier will continue to charge for include checked baggage, certain desirable seats and the new "U.S. Airways Power-Nap Sack," which is their marketing term for a blanket and a pillow.

Colorado Streamflow Easing

Raft outfitter association sends out reassuring bulletin

Fast snowmelt resulted in some wild rides, several capsizings and a some loss of life on the rivers of Colorado, and probably other Western states too, this spring. Boulder Creek was closed to tubing but open to kaying; there is no commercial rafting on  the narrow stream. A bridge in Boulder Canyon washed out a couple of days ago, and the recreation path alongside the creek was closed for several hours for fear of surging water overlflowing the banks. But things appear to be easing to safer levels for recreational raft trips, not just for whitewater junkies.

The Colorado River Outfitters' Association just released the following, which I present without comment:

"The robust spring runoff that has garnered much media attention in recent days has begun to level off, signifying a transition from early season conditions to the heart of the annual operating period for Colorado’s rafting industry.


“'Water levels on rivers from Clear Creek to the Arkansas and the Colorado are down as much as 20% from yesterday,' noted Johnny Cantamesssa, president of Dillon-based Highside Adventure Tours and a member of the board of directors for the Colorado River Outfitters Association.

"As happens in most good water years, the early season runoff brought out the adrenaline junkies but also led to some hesitation among inexperienced rafters, those with children and those who simply like a mellower time on the water. Now, says Cantamessa, there’s no reason the entire spectrum of river enthusiasts shouldn’t be eager to sign up with one of Colorado’s many licensed commercial outfitters.

“'Conditions are great for rafting – there’s still exciting whitewater for those who enjoy the big rapids, but opportunities abound for those looking for a more gentle river experience as well,' said Cantamessa.

"In 2009, Colorado’s professional river outfitters hosted around a half million visitors and contributed more than $140 million in economic impact. A recovering economy, good water and a recognition of the significant recreation value represented by rafting – trips can range from $40-$50 per day to several hundred dollars for overnight, multi-day experiences – are expected to generate good business for CROA members and the state again this season."

A Blast in the Present

Cairo explosion was no blast from the past but a current menace that I recently avoided

Just three weeks ago, while visiting Egypt during a Society of American Travel Writers Freelance Council meeting, I along with other SATWers and tourists, plunged into the tiny "streets "of Cairo's Khan el-Khalili bazaar (below). Tourist-oriented as it has become, classic Middle Eastern market is endlessly fascinating. And endless streams of visitors flood into the labyrinth.

The narrow streets -- lanes, really -- provide abundant sights, sounds and energy, as merchants hustle to attract buyers (mainly tourists) to their tiny shops. "Hello!" "Where you from?" "Come visit my shop." "No hassle." "I make you a good price." My sense was of energy and enterprise, but not of any kind of threat.

My colleagues and I entered the bazaar from a narrow street that runs alongside the beautiful 12th-century Al Hussein Mosque (below). Like everyplace in Egypt that tourists are likely to visit or where expats live, security presence was obvious -- and there are, of course, plainclothes personnel all around too. A uniformed police officer stood at one street corner across from the mosque at one entrance into the labyrinthian market. (As you look at this photo, Khan el-Khalili is directly to the left of the mosque). I peered inside an open door to the mosque, brillitantly lit with fluorescent lights even during daylight. I would have liked to go in, but I didn't think that non-Moslems, especially a foreign woman, would be welcome there.

On another side of the mosque is the large open area with a rare square of actual green grass and towering palm trees that seem nearly as high as the imposing minarets. It is fenced off, so that no one actually walks on the grass. During the day, tour buses unload on an adjacent paved square (just behind where I stood to take this photo. In the evening, vehicles are not permitted there and traffic is kept at a distance, turning this greenspace and the blocked-off square into a kind of buffer for the mosque.

The mobility-challenged vendor below was selling some modest goods from a folding table alongside the mosque, just across from the entrance to the Khan el-Khalili market that I went into and out of.

Facing the grassy square, and therefore just steps from the mosque, a row of busy cafes (below) attracts many visitors and also Egyptians as well. On the evening of February 4 at around 7:00 p.m. (after dark), another woman and I left the bazaar, passed the mosque and the greenspace, and crossed the area where vehicles are prohibited to grab a taxi that would take us back to our hotel.

After I returned, friends who asked me about my trip and my impressions as often as not also asked whether I was nervous or afraid, and I always replied that I wasn't. I reminded them that people who go about their business at home or abroad without incident do not make headlines.

Given my recent visit, today's CNN headline, "Tourist killed, 23 others wounded in Egypt blast," and msnbc's "Explosion in Cairo Bazaar Kills 1 Injures 21," were not abstract to me, even if the news services weren't in agreement over how many people were injured. According to the report, "The explosion occurred during the height of the evening rush at 6:30 p.m. in an area of coffee shops located near the Al Hussein Mosque, one of Cairo's largest, Interior Ministry press officer Hany Abdelatif said. The bomb was left under a stone chair, a ministry statement said. An undetonated bomb was found near the mosque, which sits close to an entrance of the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, a huge market and a tourist attraction, Abdelatif said."

I am not sure exactly where the bomb went off, but I certainly had a powerful picture of the lay of the land. When I heard the news, I was sad about the tourists and locals who were victims of the blast, relieved I wasn't there to witness it and sorry that this incident might negatively impact visitation to the country that has so much worth seeing. I also immediately remembered the vendor, heavily seated next to her wheelchair, and hoped that she was unhurt.

P.S. Please see this story from the New York Times.

Get Connected at Puerto Vallarta Resort

Luxury boutique hotel helps guests connect the 21st-century way

A lot of people are intending to get savvy or savvier about social media -- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. -- but never get around to it. Casa Velas near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico now helps guests get a handle on 21st-century communications at with three free social media workshops a week. It's the newest inclusion at this all-inclusive, adults-only, AAA Four Diamond Casa Velas Hotel Boutique (not Boutique Hotel, but Hotel Boutique). The Monday, Wednesday and Friday workshops take only an hour, enough for such basics as creating a Facebook profile, adding friends, uploading photos and utilizing “Like” pages; getting on Twitter, following and Tweeting; and also creating videos and uploading them to YouTube.

Pierre Bonin, Casa Velas managing director believes his property to be Mexico's first to offer social media workshops, free at that. Of course, the property benefits when has introduced guests share their vacation experiences, photos and videos with family and friends, but Casa Velas’ social media program was also requested. Velas Resorts surveyed 300 guests in Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit and the Rivera Maya. Seventy percent of respondents, aged 18 to 64, expressed serious interest in social media. The majority wanted to share vacation photos, videos and trip experiences with friends and family on Facebook. The plan is to add such workshops to other Velas Resorts.

I've never been to Puerto Vallarta in general let alone to the Casa Velas in particular, but the resort looks appealing. It is a member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World and appears to be a hideaway rather than a high-action place. It is closer to Puerto Vallarta Airport (five minutes) than to P.V's popular downtown area (15 minutes), filled with, art galleries, shops, restaurants, nightspots and seaside malecon. The hotel has 80 suites (some with private pools and Jacuzzis), large pool, richly landscaped grounds, golf privileges at a couple of nearby courses, a small spa and Emiliano, an a la carte fine-dining restaurant serving Mexican and international cuisine.

From now through December 23, rates start at $240 per person per night, based on double occupancy, including dining at Emiliano, private beach club, premium international liquor brands, 24-hour in-suite service, in-suite minibar, private roundtrip airport transportation and all taxes and gratuities. I don't know where rates that "start at" $240 PP/DO might end. I'm not pretending that $480 per day for a couple is a cheap vacation, but it certainly seems to present a good value for those who want a luxury getaway. And have you priced the hourly rate of an Internet tutor? Reservations, 866-529-8813. RCI members, RCI Members, 800-835-2778.

An Oscar Connection with Texas

James Dean and Giant memorialized in historic hotel in West Texas

OK, friends, this post might seem like a bit of a stretch, but stay with me. On the morning of the Academy Awards, as I read today's USA Weekend, my recent visit to Marfa, Texas, came to mind. And here's the reason. Columnist Lorrie Lynch who does the "Who's News" page wrote, "Like James Dean, who died in a 1955 car crash at the age of 24 after completing his work on Giant, Heath Ledger, who died at 28 after finishing The Dark Knight, will be remembered as a talented actor lost too young."

Last fall, I was briefly in Marfa, where Giant (starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and, of course, James Dean) was filmed more than half a century ago. I went into the gorgeously restored Spanish-style Paisano Hotel to take peak, and just off the lobby (below) a small room was dedicated to the film that brought so much star power to this small town in West Texas. I didn't take a photo of that display of movie memorabilia, but if I had thought I might ever write a blog post about it, I would have. In any case, if you find yourself in West Texas, Marfa, which has become a notable modern art center, is worth a visit, and when you are in town, be sure to stay at, eat at or at least look into the Paisano and, if you are an old-movie fan, pay hommage to Giant and its stars.