an le

Hello friends, its been a while.

I visited Tulum recently to celebrate my friend Danielle’s birthday. We stayed for about four days. We over-shopped, over-ate and were swindled for our tourist money lmfaooooo. We didn’t get to visit too many places and there were a lot of street vendors so it’s harder to make a places to visit/eat but I do have a few tips.

The toilets can’t flush toilet paper – you have to throw it in the trash can and don’t drink the sink water. The ATMs are almost always out of cash so bring enough cash with you! I brought a card and looked like a clown trying to use it there. Not a lot of people take card and there will be an extra card service fee if they do.

Make sure your hotel/Airbnb is in town or near the beach. Ours was outside, near La Veleta, which is about 15-20 minute drive to the beach. That doesn’t sound terrible until you’re in the middle of the jungle with no paved roads and most your taxi drivers get lost at night trying to find the place. Places on the central beach strip looks nice from the outside so it’s hard to judge which place is good versus over-hyped so read the reviews first. The clothing stores in the beach strip are expensive but ohhhh my goooood is it amazing. The style is very bohemian – lots of linen, crystals, crochet/macrame, kimonos, leather goods, kaftans and wide brim hats.

Downtown Tulum has more tourist shops that are less expensive. You can haggle there but just be respectful about it. This is how these people make their living so don’t take advantage of them. We went to Paradise Beach north of the beach strip to avoid paying a beach club fee to go to the beach. There were boats that offered to take us on a water tour on the Mayan Ruins and scuba dive – kiiIInD of sketchy since we paid ~$20 for an impromptu tour and scuba dive lmaooo. I’d say do your research before just taking an offer at the beach but I had a good time and we got back safely.

A local recommended us to eat at Arca but we didn’t have time to. I would definitely eat at Hartwood and Suikuk again. (If you go to Suikuk, don’t get the shisha.) It’s $75 and not worth it.