Topic Wiki

Trip Reports:
Mikeoracle, Dan, JayR, lunatic, mgoldhammer18, Markus, mtag17, sam28, stooges44 (mini), Mootkim, @Yehuda, @besttaylor, CGR


General information:
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To get a grasp of where you are, Cancun is located on the edge of Mexico that wraps around the Gulf of Mexico and separates it from the Caribbean Sea. As you can see here, Cancun is fairly close to Cuba and really not that far from Florida.


                    The greater Cancun area includes the Zona Hotelera (translation not needed) in the north, which is a strip of land separated from the mainland by a lagoon and packed with hotel after hotel in a similar fashion to Miami Beach. In this thread, when people refer to Cancun, they are usually referring to this area. A ferry ride away is the island of Isla Mujeres. Below Cancun on the map, you'll see the airport in red. The area south of Cancun is known as Riviera Maya which contains many resort areas including Playa del Carmen, and within Playa is Mayakoba. A ferry ride away is the island of Cozumel.


Cancun hotels and Kosher restaurants map.

Getting there:
From NYC, award tickets have about $30 in taxes/fees on the outbound and $50 on the return. You can fly nonstop with: (cheapest way to book)

AA - Book with BA
B6 - Book with B6
DL - Book with DL
F9
UA

Airport Lounges
Mera Lounge - Accessible with Priority Pass except between 12:30 and 16:30 (not nice lounge).
Aeromexico Lounge

Airport security / food restrictions covered in the Kosher Food section below. Wifi at Cancun Airport Business Center - Network: businesst3 Password: businesst3.


Getting around:
Some people rent cars, others seem strongly averse to car rental due to many reports of being pulled over for speeding. Those reports often conclude with being able to give the cop ~$20 to avoid the ticket.

If you plan on only staying in Zona Hotelera, you don't need to rent a car. You can stay at the top of the strip (Hyatt Ziva, IC, Aloft) and be within walking distance to Chabad and the restaurants, or you can stay further down the strip and take the convenient bus up and down for MEX12 (currently about $0.65USD); drivers happily make change, at least from small peso bills. Reports that they will also take a $1 bill but won't give change. Taxis outside the strip to Walmart or Costco shouldn't be too expensive either. To get to/from the airport, you can book a private shuttle (see below). If you plan on going outside the Zone to activities with a tour, you can usually pay extra for transportation, but if you plan on going out on your own schedule, you'll want to rent a car.

If you plan on staying in Playa del Carmen, you'll likely want to rent a car, although it's possible to avoid it by taking the express nonstop ADO Bus which runs every 30 minutes (216 Pesos) or an airport shuttle (see below) there and staying at the Grand Hyatt which is within walking distance of Chabad and the restaurants or at the Fairmont/Andaz and having Chabad deliver food to you. Same advice for activities above applies here - go with a tour and pay for transportation or go out on your own and just rent a car.

If you plan on staying in Mayakoba, you will likely need to drive back and forth to Playa del Carmen for food/davening and taxis can get pricey so you may want to consider renting a car for the 15 minute drive each way. Most restaurants deliver to the hotels in Mayakoba for a small fee if you are just interested in staying in.

There are several companies that offer private shuttles to/from the airport and your hotel that have positive DDF reviews. Best to book in advance so you can pay with a credit card. The airport arrivals area is known to be packed with pushy taxi drivers dressed very formally to trick you into using them, but stay strong and go past them to find your ride at the pickup spot. (Prices to Zona Hotelera):

Canada Transfers: $55 RT (if you choose to pay in CAD, currently you'll only pay about $50).
USA Transfers: $55 RT for 3 people; $65 RT for 7 people.
Happy Shuttle: $53 RT. No DDF reviews, but Google reviews are positive.

Car rentals can be relatively cheap, and many hotels have free parking, but liability insurance is mandatory (you should be able to use for CC for collision insurance), and they won't allow you to use your car insurance from back home, so that can jack up the price. Make sure to have your reservation quote with you as some reported that the rental agents tried raising the price in person. And remember, keep to the speed limit.


Where to stay:
Cancun
Westin Lagunamar - Cat. 6 Marriott. (low season/high season) for a studio room. Studios can be booked with points online but one-bedroom suites require PUTPAC. Seems you can get 1BR suite for 1.5K more SPG per night. Some have been able to get complimentary upgrade from studio to 1BR without difficulty, but YMMV. There is no recorded history of anyone getting upgrade from 1BR to 2BR villa, as a 2BR is really a 1BR connected to a studio (essentially 2 paying rooms, so hotel won't do that). The 1BR suite is ~1,000 SF, so almost twice the size of the studio, and has expanded kitchen, with  full-size fridge, full-size cook-top, microwave and dishwasher (but no oven). The 1BR suites have W/D (not sure about the studios). shiframeir - Best value, huge resort with lots of heated pools during winter and big slide, lots to do and good kids club.
Hyatt Zilara - 25K Hyatt (all inclusive, adults only). Lots of rave reviews in the thread.
Hyatt Ziva - 25K Hyatt (all inclusive, family friendly, 1 tower is adults only). Beautiful resort hotel+spa, excellent service, great for adults and kids, right next to Ember Grill and 5 minute walk to Chabad Vico’s Grill Kosher and Dag Dag restaurant, close to Kosher Italian Gourmet. separate water playground by kids club zone, next to ferry to Isla Mujeres, has water sports and dolphins on premises.
Very accommodating to Jews, all inclusive means it's all free: Coffee shop on premises with kosher milk delicious latte and more. Plates of cut up fresh fruit whenever you're in the mood. Fruit smoothies, and of course all kinds of alcoholic beverages. They'll bake you fresh salmon vegetables in silver foil in front of you.
Ritz Carlton - Cat. 6 Marriott.
JW Marriott - Cat. 6 Marriott. Great service, beautiful hotel, pool and beach.
Marriott - 30-40K Marriott (Cat 5).
Intercontinental Presidente - 25-30K IHG. Derived from shiframeir - Great location for Shabbos, close to Chabad, nice big lobby to chill in the afternoon, lots of first floor rooms (no steps needed), decent pools (one adults only, one family, felt a little cool might not be heated), really great service.
Aloft - Cat. 3 Marriott. shiframeir - pretty lousy though very cheap and close to Chabad and Dag Dag, pool on roof is small and not heated, rooms are interesting but a bit dingy, bathroom uses glass sliding door without much sound protection :) zow - I'm not as negative about it as shiframeir. It is very cheap, but a great location. Not a luxurious place to hangout, but if you're going to be out and about, it's good value.[/i] Cheapest option for 1 night.
Westin - 30-40K Marriott (Cat 5).. Mixed reviews, general opinion is not as nice as Lagunamar, but not a bad option. (Old will rumor to be torn down soon...)
Canopy by Hilton - 60-70K Hilton.

Playa del Carmen
Grand Hyatt - 25K Hyatt.
Hilton All Inclusive - 60-70K Hilton.
The Fives (Curio Collection) - 25-35K Hilton. Very nice rooftop pool with great views of the city and the ocean.
Hotel La Semilla - 30-40K Marriott (Cat 5).
Thompson Main House - 12K Hyatt. Right on the corner of 5th and easy walking distance to all Kosher restaurants and Chabad's. Full access to facilities at nearby Beach House too.
Thompson Beach House - 20K Hyatt. On the beach is the draw here. I would personally stay in Main house and just walk over here 5 minutes to use the beach.

Mayakoba
Fairmont - Covered in Dan's TR (top of wiki).
Andaz - 25K Hyatt.
Rosewood - Non-points hotel considered to be the most luxurious in the area.
Banyan Tree - Non-points hotel with all rooms being private villas with private pool. Many travel agents can get you an upgrade. "Chef Chaya" special hotel.

Cozumel
InterContinental Presidente - 40K IHG.
Westin - 30-40K Marriott (Cat 5).

Kosher Food/Restaurants:
WARNING: Lots of food gets confiscated at airport security. Meat, random cheeses (some make it through, some don't) and un-packaged foods are not allowed. Snacks are okay. You will be asked to push a button, if the light turns red, they will go through all your bags for food; if it turns green, you can officially go free, but there are enough reports of being pulled to the side anyway and searched for food - hypothesized due to "looking Jewish", but plenty who look Jewish have reported getting green and going free as well.

Cancun
Chabad Kosher Cancun - fleishig takeout food with a very timely delivery option run by the Rabbi Mendel Druk and family. They also offer Shabbos meals on premises for $25 a meal ($15 kids) or delivered to your hotel. There is supposedly a sit-down restaurant coming soon. Reports are that the food is really good and restaurant quality and comes with very timely delivery. Detailed review here. There is an additional menu for Yeshiva week here.
Falafel stand - located right outside Chabad and under their supervision. 
Kosher Luxus/Red Heifer - fleishig, Israeli-style restaurant under the supervision of Rav Yosef Maleh and the only real eat-in restaurant with delivery also available and a nice outdoor eating area overlooking the lagoon. People seem to either love or hate this place, very mixed reviews. You can eat Shabbos meals here or get delivery to your hotel with a hot plate. Some reviews and pics on GKRF, suggest getting apps/drinks/desserts over steaks and to always call before going to see whats available/what they ran out of. Be sure to confirm that the meat is from Mexico City and not a local supplier. (Source that this is an issue?) As of Aug 2018 they don't take AMEX - Closed as of December 2020.
Garden Beach - milchig, breakfast section of Red Heifer open 8am-2pm. - Closed as of December 2020.
Dag Dag - homey, milchig and fish restaurant, covered in Dan's TR, zow - fish and chips were very good, as was the pizza, but also has mixed reviews in taste, long wait times and randomly being closed. The owner is a little eccentric, but nice, and if you order in advance, it's not too bad. Was/Is (?) under supervision of Rabbi Mendel Druk of Chabad of Cancun. Always call before arriving making sure they're open.
Ember Grill - Meat restaurant down the block from Hyatt Ziva and across from Red Heifer. Very quick service and pretty good food.
Vico’s Grill Kosher Cancún - Meat restaurant 8 minute walk from Chabad and Hyatt Ziva. Great service and amazing delicious food. Phone/WhatsApp +52 55 1566 4127
Kosher Italian Gourmet - Milchig takeout restaurant 12 minute walk from Chabad and Hyatt Ziva. Small area (4 tables) with Outdoor seating. Great service and amazing delicious food. Phone/WhatsApp +52 55 1566 4127. *Had a horrible experience with them over winter break. Was originally told an hour to an hour 30 min for delivery. Ordered lunch at 11:40am. I was told numerous times via whatsapp that the food was 2 min away. It wasn't. Was promised it's really coming this time. It wasn't. Waited almost 3 hours when the owner "delivered" the food at 2:30pm. He asked me how much they were supposed to charge. I said you tell me. He fiddled around for a few minutes to figure out the amount and I said let me just take the food to my family since they're starving while you figure out the amount and I'll call you with my CC number. He said no, then took the food out of my hands, threw it on the floor like a crazy animal, told me that he knows my name and room number and to remember that I'm in Mexico. I'm sure the pressure of all of the winter break orders got to him, but, behaving like a maniac by throwing food on the floor and threatening me isn't going to win anyone over. Beware.* ---Closed for renovation. No expected opening date available

There are several box stores / groceries with Kosher items:
Costco - cheese (large cream cheese box "Raskas Queso Crema" is Cholov Stam, Natural and Kosher is Cholov Yisroe), hummus, salmon spread, lox, PB and J, bread (Star K), milk (both shelf stable "La La" brand, as well as Kirkland brand - not sure which Hechscher) and mantequilla/butter (OU).
Sam's Club - breads ("New York Deli and Bagel") and other essentials.
Walmart - cereal, milk, eggs, avocados, drinks and many other things you need like pans and spatulas.
Chedraui Selecto - near Chabad, has frozen bagels, cereals, tuna, one Kosher meat product and many other products.
Minimart in Westin Lagunamar - bunch of imported Kosher items (La LA milk is under KA Kosher), but sometimes runs out. They have beer at about $1/bottle.
Erupea - has 1 or 2 Kosher wines.
Soriana - many Kosher items.
Random stores - many have OU snacks from America.

Playa
Chabad of Playa del Carmen - fleishig food delivery run by Rabbi Mendel Goldberg, a DDF member, that's really good, restaurant quality. Contact them for an updated menu with more choices than listed on website. They also host Shabbos meals for free, but ask for donations (they say it costs them $40/$20 adult/kid per meal).
Alternate Chabad of Playa - (AKA bootleg, yellow flag version...) is run by Rabbi Chaim Brod and has an in-house restaurant located at Avenida 20, entre Calle 6B y Calle 8. They have a Hebrew website.
Hotel 770 - fleishig restaurant, grocery and hotel under Rabbi Chaim Brod's supervision. Calle 10 Norte Bis. - Closed as of December 2020.
Menfis - Israeli restaurant, review, under Rabbi Chaim Brod's supervision. Calle 14 Norte, Entre 5a y 10. - Closed as of December 2020.
Mas Pan - dairy restaurant serving pizza, sandwiches and paninis, under ??? supervision.
Yummy Kosher - Calle 6 Norte S/N entre 5ta Avenida y calle 10, Centro, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico - Is this place closed?
Moshe Cube - Israeli/Sfardi food - highly recommend, accepted credit card which is very convenient. Avenida Constituyentes lote 01, mz 079
Platinum Grill - Israeli food - better than most Israeli places I've tried in NYC, "Mercado de la 10", calle 6 y Av 15, Centro 77710. It's located as part of a small strip mall/shopping center.
The Green Village Eco Boutique Hotel - Calle 20 #145, between Avenida 10 and Avenida 15, Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo, 77720, Mexico.
Yala - Calle 10 Nte Mz 30, Centro, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico. - Closed as of December 2020.

Cozumel
Jerusalem - Nice fleshig place with good food and quick service, under Chabad of Cozumel - R. David Caplin and R. Shalom Peleg (yellow flag). Calle 10 North and Av. and General Rafeal, second floor.
Cafe Rimon - milchig restaurant also under Chabad of Cozumel (yellow flag). Calle 4 North and Av. and General Rafeal.
Chocolatte - milchig cafe under ???.
Falafel Sombrero - falafel place under Chabad of Cozumel (yellow flag).

Isla Mujeres
Cafe Maya - [Currently closed for renovations] milchig restaurant, under some Chabad (R Druk of Cancun vouches apparently), cash only, but bring pesos as it's much cheaper here than USD. Food is excellent and prices here are very reasonable, so long as you pay in pesos. Family of 5 can feast on paninis, pasta and pizza, with soft drinks/coffees, easily under $50USD. Pictures of store and food (scroll down). Directions: two blocks straight ahead (5 min walk) when you exit the ferry terminal (Calle Bravo?), then make a left when you hit the end (on Av Guerrero) go another block, and it's a few stores down the next block on the left side. Reviews on yelp, TripAdvisor.
Chabad downstairs - falafel and pizza
Chabad upstairs - meat restaurant

Hechsherim: (Beneath each logo is the site that recommends them.)
   
CRC                    CRC & KosherQuest
   
KosherQuest & Chabad of Cancun          KosherQuest

Chabad of Cancun             

KosherQuest & Chabad of Cancun

Via email to @Yehuda, Rabbi Eidlitz from KosherQuest recommended Rabbi Mendel Druk of Chabad of Cancun.

Shabbos and Minyanim:
Chabad - has Minyanim during busy seasons, but check with them to confirm (they are really great, give a nice donation!). They also offer meals, see Kosher section.
Kosher Luxus / Red Heifer - offers meals, see Kosher section, and may have Minyanim, check with them.
Westin Lagunamar - check with the Chabad Rabbi whether there has been a Minyan recently, but enough Jews have timeshares at Lagunamar and come for winter break that they seem to have a Minyan during winter break outside by the BBQs (Fuego) all the way on the south of the hotel (by the last pool to the right coming out of lobby towards fountains).


Activities:
Ferry to Isla Mujeres - small island off the coast near Cancun, rent a golf cart to go around the island - can get carts by walking left or right for a few minutes after you exit the port and get a decent rate; shiframeir got 2 fast carts for afternoon for $70 total (1 for $35) going left (right has mixed reviews on speed), get some Kosher food, visit Garaffon Reef Park, Turtle Farm, Playa Norte, Dolphin Discovery, Shark Beach.
Xplor - 5 activity course / theme park of swimming and kayaking in a cave, jeeping in the jungle, ziplining high in the air over trees, and ziplining on a hammock into water; highly recommend, night version is cheaper and offers ziplining through ring of fire. Can save money by booking online a couple of weeks in advance.
Xel Ha - theme park (for older kids and adults)
Xcaret - theme park, one reviewer spoke to people that went who said it was waste of time & very costly.
Boka del Puma - theme park, cheaper option to Xplor.
Selvatica - ziplining and biking, Alma's LDS tour includes this and Mayan ruins.
Emotions Jungle Night - another theme park.
Jungle Tour - motor boat tour through lagoon to an area where you snorkel, recommended.
Mayan Ruins - Chichen Itza - most famous, Tulum, Coba - only one you can still climb.
Cenotes - natural pools/caves to go swimming in; Ik Kil - near Chichen Itza, Sistema dos Ojos.
BOB - Breathing Observation Bubble, underwater scuba-like contraption, highly recommended.
Ferry to Cozumel - larger island off the coast of Playa del Carmen, with an Intercontinental and Kosher food.
La Isla Mall - has an aquarium, dolphin show and Haagen Dazs.
Mayakoba Lagoon - boat tour and biking, hotels in Mayakoba provide this.
Swim with Whale Sharks - June, July and August, one company with high review is Whale Shark Daddy.
Cancun Underwater Museum
Zoo Crococun
5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen - shopping street.
Wet and Wild
Scuba Diving - one company with a high review is Squalodivers.
Hummer Tours - fun way to see more of Mexico.
Isla Contoy - small island north of Isla Mujeres.
Secret Beach/Pool - found by Suave, location here.


Random:
Electricity - US plugs and voltage
« Last edited by cgr on January 29, 2024, 09:19:49 PM »

Author Topic: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread  (Read 1262479 times)

Offline puddles

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #260 on: November 12, 2014, 03:50:35 PM »
Was just at the restaurant last night and on the way back from Cancun now. Will make an attempt to do a trip report with some pictures.

The Mashgiach was there when we were but only spoke a broke English at best.

I'll try and post some stuff tomorrow. Tried to take pictures like Dan but it was a pathetic attempt.


Offline puddles

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #261 on: November 12, 2014, 04:14:52 PM »
Also, if anyone is at the airport and doesn't want to pay $40 for a joke of a business center the wifi password for the center is AAA111BB22

Offline robbie

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #262 on: November 12, 2014, 05:02:31 PM »
anyone that was there recently that can advise regarding security? is it currently safe to go?
yes

Offline Mordyk

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #263 on: November 12, 2014, 05:06:31 PM »
#TYH

Offline wonderlust

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #264 on: November 15, 2014, 10:03:33 PM »
Was just at the restaurant last night and on the way back from Cancun now. Will make an attempt to do a trip report with some pictures.

The Mashgiach was there when we were but only spoke a broke English at best.

I'll try and post some stuff tomorrow. Tried to take pictures like Dan but it was a pathetic attempt.
Going next week- eagerly waiting your trip report

Offline Dan

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #265 on: November 15, 2014, 11:04:00 PM »
Does anybody know of a reputable kashrus agency in America that recommends this place?
Bump
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #266 on: November 15, 2014, 11:13:46 PM »

Offline shiframeir

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #267 on: November 16, 2014, 12:29:27 AM »
Kinda hard for a Kashrus agency to ever recommend another agency unless they really inspect Etc. I can tell u when I was there, the Chabad rabbi wasn't so hot about the place (it was just opening and they advertised everywhere but hadn't opened yet) and the rabbi said then they hadn't contacted him he didn't really know anything about the place, they were banking on his hechsher but hadn't actually contacted him a couple weeks before opening.  This is 2nd hand hearsay and should not be relied on generally, and could have been a misunderstanding and or a bit of kina, but it is what I got by email.
Note for example I don't think ou does a Pesach program at all, and if u ask they won't opine as to which programs they would recommend

Offline Dan

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #268 on: November 16, 2014, 12:33:26 AM »
Kinda hard for a Kashrus agency to ever recommend another agency unless they really inspect Etc.
News to me:
http://www.crcweb.org/agency_list.php
http://www.kosherquest.org/symbols.php
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline shiframeir

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #269 on: November 16, 2014, 12:02:23 PM »
As noted there: As a public service, the Chicago Rabbinical Council is presenting a list of common acceptable kosher symbols and their agencies' contact information. The fact that a particular agency does not appear on this list does not imply that the cRc has determined it to be substandard.
I can tell u that i know peeps who begged ou to either certify or at least recommend/say that their Pesach hotel hechsher is reliable and they refused. And kosher quest is not a certifying agency.

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #270 on: November 16, 2014, 12:04:12 PM »
As noted there: As a public service, the Chicago Rabbinical Council is presenting a list of common acceptable kosher symbols and their agencies' contact information. The fact that a particular agency does not appear on this list does not imply that the cRc has determined it to be substandard.
I can tell u that i know peeps who begged ou to either certify or at least recommend/say that their Pesach hotel hechsher is reliable and they refused. And kosher quest is not a certifying agency.
If you ask them, they will answer yes or no. Try and report back

Offline shiframeir

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #271 on: November 16, 2014, 01:13:40 PM »
Probably best thing would be for someone to get R nigri's contact info from the restaurant and give him a call. I believe he is a reliable Jew, though I don't know his standards.

Lunatic

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #272 on: November 16, 2014, 01:59:59 PM »
Probably best thing would be for someone to get R nigri's contact info from the restaurant and give him a call. I believe he is a reliable Jew, though I don't know his standards.
What will that help? Which mashgiach will admit to being unreliable

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #273 on: November 16, 2014, 02:05:55 PM »
What will that help? Which mashgiach will admit to being unreliable
dude is the rav of the cancun city frum community, and the chabad rabbi seems to vouch for him as a reliable person. the point is u ask what his standards are (which hechsherim for meat etc. he relies on), and then u rely on what he says. how do you ever rely on a hechsher?

Lunatic

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #274 on: November 16, 2014, 02:19:22 PM »
dude is the rav of the cancun city frum community, and the chabad rabbi seems to vouch for him as a reliable person. the point is u ask what his standards are (which hechsherim for meat etc. he relies on), and then u rely on what he says. how do you ever rely on a hechsher?
You said that the chabad rabbi was not so hot about it

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #275 on: November 16, 2014, 02:23:39 PM »
Spoke to the shliach in CUN.

Basically:
There have been several restaurants that have come and gone and he has recommended that people can eat at all but one of them.
The current restaurant is kosher, but not quite at the standards of American hashgocha, so personally he doesn't eat there. But he's personally very strict and isn't saying there's anything wrong with the place.

One of the main issues is that the ashkenazic meat they get is done by a local butcher without a mashgiach tmidi.  If you do eat at the restaurant he would recommend ordering the sephardic meat as that comes sealed from MEX and is done under a mashgiach tmidi.

The restaurant in Playa de la carmen only uses the sephardic meat from MEX, so the situation there is better.

Bringing in POM meals, even chicken ones, is very risky.  Better off buying meat in CUN and cooking it yourself.
« Last Edit: November 16, 2014, 02:26:51 PM by Dan »
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Offline puddles

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #276 on: November 16, 2014, 03:17:31 PM »
Trip Report from November 2014:
I got to Cancun late on a Sunday Afternoon after flying American with my Avios Points. I am sure there was a better way to do it but I am not a maven by any stretch and all I paid was the $150 for my wife and myself in taxes and fees. Flight was okay although American doesn't have personal TV's which is kind of annoying. Flight was short though so I didn't mind

I went back on forth on this forum about hiring the hotel to pick me up Vs. a taxi at the airport. The hotel (Hyatt Zilara Cancun) charged $110 round trip and I honestly felt it was money well spent. Taxis at the airport were quoting me (since I was curious) about $40-$60 to the hotel and when we arrived it was pouring. My hotel driver was waiting for us right in front with a sign and umbrella so we didn't have to wait or get wet. The car was a new Lincoln Navigator, the driver spoke fluent Engligsh and there was cold water and nice iced towels waiting for us. The drive from the airport to the Hyatt was about 25 minutes.

We got to the hotel late afternoon and checkin was quick and easy. I am a Hyatt Diamond member so we were upgraded to a higher room (top floor, the 8th). We were set up with a concierge who helped us with our room, schedule a massage and gave me a nice non kosher bottle of wine :) We tried explaining our kosher restrictions to him since it is an all inclusive hotel and he made sure that we were set up with whatever kosher food they had available.

Since we got there so late the first day and had ordered Chabad food for later that evening we decided to walk on the beach and than go to a local mall. There is a bus that runs up and down the street of the hotel zone and charges 10 pesos per person. This is roughly $1 and you are able to give american dollars or pesos. We took the bus about 3 minutes down the road to the La Isla mall which was really quite nice. It is an outdoor mall that is mostly covered by canopies. There are a bunch of high end stores (Gucci, Ferregamo, Zenga etc), middle tier like Zara and even some others like Tommy Hilfiger, Nike etc. It was a nice place to walk around and they have a Starbucks, Tevana and even Haggen Dazs if you would eat that. All of the kiosks will bother you to do something like the fish eating pedicures or buy a tshirt. Its fun in the beginning but does get annoying at a point They also have an aquarium which we didn't do but looked nice. My wife and I did a trampoline bungee jump type of thing inside the mall which was fun. it was $20 per person and is similar (but much smaller) than what they have on the West Side Highway in NY. We continued to walk around the mall, do some window shopping and headed back to the hotel for Supper.

The food arrived for us warm so we didn't have to ask the hotel to warm it up. Our room had a nice sized table to eat on and some chairs on the porch so we ate outside. I got the spaghetti and meatballs and my wife got Schnitzel with a side of vegetables and potatoes. Food was quite good and the woman from the Chabad was an absolutely pleassure to deal with. She was extremely ressponsive to all the emails and flexible with our schedule. They charged delivery to the hotel zone of $10 per delivery .

The next morning we did massages which (in case anyone cares) were $160 for the two of us at 50 minutes. I ended up using the jacuzzi in the mens locker room (they had separate jacuzzis, steam and saunas for the men and women). If the steam room is you thing you have to ask them to put the methol in the steam which really helps clear up your breathing if you have a cold. Massages were quite nice and relaxing. We spent the majority of the day walking around the hotel, drinking all the free drinks (al inclusive :) ) and sitting  at the pool and beach. I had read online that the cabanas were full and hard to get but I had no issue at all getting good seats. You can't go five minutes with them asking you if you need another drink, towel, cold towels, suntan lotion or even to clean you sunglasses! The cabanas have curtains if you want to block the sun or have some privacy. There are also chairs that went in the pool and the same for the beach. We also scheduled a horseback riding tour for the next day with the service that was at the hotel. Best day is the name of the agency and they arranged the travel, food (which we couldn't eat) and return travel.
Instead of going out at night we enjoyed the programs the hotel had to offer which included at various time of the day and night; turtle release (letting hundreds of baby turtles into the ocean, quite cool!), bike riding around the resort, salsa dance training, live bands, pottery painting, water aerobics, volleyball, tennis and other nightly entertainment.

We did the best day horseback ridging since it was quite to the hotel (about 45 minutes driving) and only took 2 hours. It was really a lot of fun and you got through a forest to the beach which was truly amazing. The beach was empty and ridiculously nice. I believe it is ranked as one of the nicest once in the world. We passed by some other tours they do there including, ATV, snorkeling, Jet skis, dolphins and wind sailing. All this can be arranged via the hotel or about a million other people that will harass you everywhere.

We got back to the hotel in the afternoon and did some more pool/beach. My room also had a porch with a hammock and I spent some time out there. The hotel has free wifi which was surpirsly pretty good. It reached most of the pool and even some of the beach. I was able to use Netflix on my iPad and computer to watch a movie and relax. Also, if thats something you like to do I would recommend brining a HDMI cable to connect to the tv so you could watch on the TV in the room.

We went to the resturatant in Cancun. I understand there is some discussion as to its Hechsher. I was comfortable with the Mashgiach there and you can decided for yourself whether or not it is good enough for you. We sat outside in the restaurant over the water which had a tremendous view and was so peaceful and quiet. A true change from Brooklyn. We sampled three of the appetizers whose names I can't remember but were all delicious. They were all meat related. They also gave us some free margaritas since we told them it was our first time there. The place is huge, could probably seat over 100 people but was almost empty. There was another elderly couple there who I tried speaking with but didn't speak much engligh. For the main we split the Heifer Duo and the Brochete Heifer which were both pretty good. The meat was okay, I would say comparable to an Israeli steak but still good. It was also nice to have some fresh food. We didn't have dessert since we were full but all in all solid place and a spectacular view. I would be happy recommending it. My whole bill was around $100 dollars including tip.

Other random notes: our whole stay was about 2 full days so we tried to get in a lot of relaxing. We brought bread, cheese, a grill cheese maker, kind bars and some other snacks and candy for lunch. Tuna packers made it through with no issue. We didn't bothe with meat. Other Chabad foods we ate included a burger (great), chicken salad (great and nice size) and the other type of chicken they offered.
The hotel brought me the following every morning which was really nice: Kosher cereal boxes which were fruit loops and chocolate krispies. They had a bunch more but I didnt see a Hechsher on the box. Milk sealed in a box with a hechsher, plastic cups (they didn't have plastic bowls) plastic spoons, bananas, apples and peaches. They also gave us ketchup packets.

The room was really nice and included a jacuzzi and a hammock on the porch. The view was amazing and couldn't be beat. Staff at the Hyatt was wonderful and really went out of their way to try and help you with anything you might need. When my wife was offered a second massage at s steep discount and wasn't happy with the way it went they made sure she got another one completely free without a seconds thought. They did ask for good trip advisor reviews a lot which was funny.

Drinks were good and of course free if thats something you like. Other people at the hotel said the food was good but of course we didn't have anything. There is a coffee shop that is open all day that had some assorted coffees and drinks. There was also a game room with TV playing football on Sunday and Monday night, pool tables and a ping pong table.

I hope this helps anyone thats reading. I did the best I could. If I can, I will try and post some pictures later. Please don't hesitate to write or PM with any questions. I read through the whole thread before going and really appreciate anyone that wrote in. All advice and thoughts were taken into consideration before taking our nice quick vacation.

Offline Tzfas

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #277 on: November 16, 2014, 03:31:19 PM »
Thanks so much for the TR we were just looking into going to CUN and it came in at a perfect time.

Offline puddles

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #278 on: November 16, 2014, 03:33:20 PM »
Thanks so much for the TR we were just looking into going to CUN and it came in at a perfect time.
quite welcome, hope it helped.

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Re: Cancun, Mexico Master Thread
« Reply #279 on: November 16, 2014, 04:20:51 PM »
Trip Report from November 2014:
I got to Cancun late on a Sunday Afternoon after flying American with my Avios Points. I am sure there was a better way to do it but I am not a maven by any stretch and all I paid was the $150 for my wife and myself in taxes and fees. Flight was okay although American doesn't have personal TV's which is kind of annoying. Flight was short though so I didn't mind

I went back on forth on this forum about hiring the hotel to pick me up Vs. a taxi at the airport. The hotel (Hyatt Zilara Cancun) charged $110 round trip and I honestly felt it was money well spent. Taxis at the airport were quoting me (since I was curious) about $40-$60 to the hotel and when we arrived it was pouring. My hotel driver was waiting for us right in front with a sign and umbrella so we didn't have to wait or get wet. The car was a new Lincoln Navigator, the driver spoke fluent Engligsh and there was cold water and nice iced towels waiting for us. The drive from the airport to the Hyatt was about 25 minutes.

We got to the hotel late afternoon and checkin was quick and easy. I am a Hyatt Diamond member so we were upgraded to a higher room (top floor, the 8th). We were set up with a concierge who helped us with our room, schedule a massage and gave me a nice non kosher bottle of wine :) We tried explaining our kosher restrictions to him since it is an all inclusive hotel and he made sure that we were set up with whatever kosher food they had available.

Since we got there so late the first day and had ordered Chabad food for later that evening we decided to walk on the beach and than go to a local mall. There is a bus that runs up and down the street of the hotel zone and charges 10 pesos per person. This is roughly $1 and you are able to give american dollars or pesos. We took the bus about 3 minutes down the road to the La Isla mall which was really quite nice. It is an outdoor mall that is mostly covered by canopies. There are a bunch of high end stores (Gucci, Ferregamo, Zenga etc), middle tier like Zara and even some others like Tommy Hilfiger, Nike etc. It was a nice place to walk around and they have a Starbucks, Tevana and even Haggen Dazs if you would eat that. All of the kiosks will bother you to do something like the fish eating pedicures or buy a tshirt. Its fun in the beginning but does get annoying at a point They also have an aquarium which we didn't do but looked nice. My wife and I did a trampoline bungee jump type of thing inside the mall which was fun. it was $20 per person and is similar (but much smaller) than what they have on the West Side Highway in NY. We continued to walk around the mall, do some window shopping and headed back to the hotel for Supper.

The food arrived for us warm so we didn't have to ask the hotel to warm it up. Our room had a nice sized table to eat on and some chairs on the porch so we ate outside. I got the spaghetti and meatballs and my wife got Schnitzel with a side of vegetables and potatoes. Food was quite good and the woman from the Chabad was an absolutely pleassure to deal with. She was extremely ressponsive to all the emails and flexible with our schedule. They charged delivery to the hotel zone of $10 per delivery .

The next morning we did massages which (in case anyone cares) were $160 for the two of us at 50 minutes. I ended up using the jacuzzi in the mens locker room (they had separate jacuzzis, steam and saunas for the men and women). If the steam room is you thing you have to ask them to put the methol in the steam which really helps clear up your breathing if you have a cold. Massages were quite nice and relaxing. We spent the majority of the day walking around the hotel, drinking all the free drinks (al inclusive :) ) and sitting  at the pool and beach. I had read online that the cabanas were full and hard to get but I had no issue at all getting good seats. You can't go five minutes with them asking you if you need another drink, towel, cold towels, suntan lotion or even to clean you sunglasses! The cabanas have curtains if you want to block the sun or have some privacy. There are also chairs that went in the pool and the same for the beach. We also scheduled a horseback riding tour for the next day with the service that was at the hotel. Best day is the name of the agency and they arranged the travel, food (which we couldn't eat) and return travel.
Instead of going out at night we enjoyed the programs the hotel had to offer which included at various time of the day and night; turtle release (letting hundreds of baby turtles into the ocean, quite cool!), bike riding around the resort, salsa dance training, live bands, pottery painting, water aerobics, volleyball, tennis and other nightly entertainment.

We did the best day horseback ridging since it was quite to the hotel (about 45 minutes driving) and only took 2 hours. It was really a lot of fun and you got through a forest to the beach which was truly amazing. The beach was empty and ridiculously nice. I believe it is ranked as one of the nicest once in the world. We passed by some other tours they do there including, ATV, snorkeling, Jet skis, dolphins and wind sailing. All this can be arranged via the hotel or about a million other people that will harass you everywhere.

We got back to the hotel in the afternoon and did some more pool/beach. My room also had a porch with a hammock and I spent some time out there. The hotel has free wifi which was surpirsly pretty good. It reached most of the pool and even some of the beach. I was able to use Netflix on my iPad and computer to watch a movie and relax. Also, if thats something you like to do I would recommend brining a HDMI cable to connect to the tv so you could watch on the TV in the room.

We went to the resturatant in Cancun. I understand there is some discussion as to its Hechsher. I was comfortable with the Mashgiach there and you can decided for yourself whether or not it is good enough for you. We sat outside in the restaurant over the water which had a tremendous view and was so peaceful and quiet. A true change from Brooklyn. We sampled three of the appetizers whose names I can't remember but were all delicious. They were all meat related. They also gave us some free margaritas since we told them it was our first time there. The place is huge, could probably seat over 100 people but was almost empty. There was another elderly couple there who I tried speaking with but didn't speak much engligh. For the main we split the Heifer Duo and the Brochete Heifer which were both pretty good. The meat was okay, I would say comparable to an Israeli steak but still good. It was also nice to have some fresh food. We didn't have dessert since we were full but all in all solid place and a spectacular view. I would be happy recommending it. My whole bill was around $100 dollars including tip.

Other random notes: our whole stay was about 2 full days so we tried to get in a lot of relaxing. We brought bread, cheese, a grill cheese maker, kind bars and some other snacks and candy for lunch. Tuna packers made it through with no issue. We didn't bothe with meat. Other Chabad foods we ate included a burger (great), chicken salad (great and nice size) and the other type of chicken they offered.
The hotel brought me the following every morning which was really nice: Kosher cereal boxes which were fruit loops and chocolate krispies. They had a bunch more but I didnt see a Hechsher on the box. Milk sealed in a box with a hechsher, plastic cups (they didn't have plastic bowls) plastic spoons, bananas, apples and peaches. They also gave us ketchup packets.

The room was really nice and included a jacuzzi and a hammock on the porch. The view was amazing and couldn't be beat. Staff at the Hyatt was wonderful and really went out of their way to try and help you with anything you might need. When my wife was offered a second massage at s steep discount and wasn't happy with the way it went they made sure she got another one completely free without a seconds thought. They did ask for good trip advisor reviews a lot which was funny.

Drinks were good and of course free if thats something you like. Other people at the hotel said the food was good but of course we didn't have anything. There is a coffee shop that is open all day that had some assorted coffees and drinks. There was also a game room with TV playing football on Sunday and Monday night, pool tables and a ping pong table.

I hope this helps anyone thats reading. I did the best I could. If I can, I will try and post some pictures later. Please don't hesitate to write or PM with any questions. I read through the whole thread before going and really appreciate anyone that wrote in. All advice and thoughts were taken into consideration before taking our nice quick vacation.
Thabks a lot- sounds like you guys had a great time. Good for you