TRIP PLANNER Dea Guests, We want to give you a wam welcome to Akumal, Mexico, which is one of the most beautiful places on eath. Afte living in Mexico fo seveal yeas, we love the passion of the people and the natual beauty of this geat county. We also love Akumal and imagine you will come to love it as well. We have pepaed this tip planne to help you maximize you vacation time and educe unnecessay tavel stess. Please pint a copy now and put it with you tavel documents. Each popety is pivately owned and independently managed. As ownes, we kindly equest that you and you goup please: 1) Teat the villa as if it wee you own villa 2) Teat the staff with kindness...they e vey impotant 3) Help potect the beach and the bay...they e ieplaceable Welcome CONTENTS Planning & Packing Tips Maps & Diections to the Villas Suggested Shopping List At the Villa Fo moe infomation, please visit ou website at: www.iloveakumal.com Please enjoy the villa and the beauty of the Riviea Maya. We hope you have a geat tip and that you shae you expeiences with a eview when you get home. We also hope to hea you say I Love Akumal. Sunny and wam egads, Lunda Schwatz www.iloveakumal.com 1
PLANNING AND PACKING TIPS Passpots Make sue all passpots have at least 60 days emaining befoe expiation. You should put you passpot and a pen in a ziplock bag so you can also keep up with the Mexican Immigation fom equied fo you depatue. See tavel on ou site. Make an exta copy of you passpots and pack them sepaately. Health Be sue to bing any pesciption medication in you cay-on bag. Sunsceen, Off towelettes, hats & sunglasses (sunsceen is expensive in Mexico) Clothing Dessing up in Akumal is putting on a shit and weaing shoes :) Bathing suits, t-shits and shots ae all you eally need. You might want a long sleeve shit o light sweate fo the winte months. Wate shoes o Cocs fo walking in the bay aound the eefs. You have to coss a ocky point if you want to walk to the main pat of Akumal (30 min). Electonics Update you smatphone/tablet softwae. Camea, memoy cads, ipods, and eaphones. Don t foget you chages and batteies! Like the U.S., the villas opeate on 110 V. Laptop, ipad, Kindle, etc. Make sue you know how to set up a wieless connection. Check with you caie about the phone and data oaming chages in Mexico. $$$$ If you will be looking fo tutles, conside buying a small flashlight with a RED bulb. You should neve shine egula lights o use a flash on tutles! Snokeling and Scuba Mask, snokel and anti-fogging liquid. Cetification cad, if you plan to dive. You don t need to bing fins, unless you eally want you own. They take up a lot of packing space and can damage the coal when snokeling. We use Cocs when snokeling and kayaking because they potect you feet, povide buoyancy and they e easy-on, easy-off. You can also ent snokel / diving gea at the Akumal Dive Cente. Golf Eqpt. You can wea tennis shoes o bing you own golf shoes. Remembe you socks. Don t foget you gloves and golf balls as you will need them! Clubs can be ented so, unless you e a po, you don t need to bing you clubs. Tavel Insuance Conside puchasing tavel insuance to cove last minute tavel issues. We don t issue efunds fo lost/out of date passpots, weathe, flight delays o changes in tavel plans. Check www.globaltavelshield.com fom Ameican Expess. Finally Remembe, thee is a 3.3 oz liquid limit fo a cay-on bag and it must be in an oiginal containe. Visit http://www.tsa.gov/tavele-infomation fo the cuent policy. Many places take cedit cads but don t accept taveles checks. Don t bing high heels. Yes, some people wea them in the sand and climb pyamids. www.iloveakumal.com 2
MAPS - YUCATAN PENINSULA www.iloveakumal.com 3
Pemex Gas 7 - Eleven SOUTH to Xel-Ha & Tulum Bahia Pincipe Resot & Bahia Pincipe Residences Riviea Maya Golf Club Doña Isabel Shopping TAO South Akumal Akumal Bay Resot Secets Akumal Resot Ma Caibe Gocey Noth Akumal Half Moon Bay Akumal Main Entance Akumal Beach Aea Akumal Dive Cente Lol Ha Restauant, Tutle Bay Cafe & La Cueva del Pescado Supe Chomak Oxxo Convenience La Buena Vida Restauant & Ba La Lunita Restauant Akumal Pueblo DIRECTIONS to South Akumal Kilomete # 253, Hwy 307 fom Cancun Aipot (1 hou) Leave Cancun Aipot Tun Right (South) on 307 Dive though Playa del Camen Dive about 20 Min Pass Akumal main entance Pass Bahia Pincipe Golf Club Make U tun befoe bidge Dive 1.5 KM (about 1 mile) Tun ight into Akumal Su Pass Secuity Look fo you villa on the left Yalku Lagoon (must ente fom Akumal main entance) N FROM CANCUN NORTH to AIRPORT GOING Pueto Aventuas, SOUTH Xcaet, Xplo Playa del Camen & Cancun Aipot www.iloveakumal.com 4
DETAILED DIRECTIONS Please MAPS dive caefully & and pay DIRECTIONS close attention to the othe TO THE dives. Thee ae a lot of lost touists as well as many inexpeienced local dives. DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. The dive must always be looking ahead fo Speed Bumps called Topes. Yes, they ae on the main highway. Sometimes they ae maked with a sign and sometimes not! Often, you will need to pass though a Police checkpoint. They ae not looking fo you, just looking out fo you. Upon leaving the Cancun aipot, tun ight (south) on highway 307 headed towad Tulum. Akumal is located one hou south of Cancun (55 miles / 89 KM). You will pass Pueto Moelos and then come to Playa del Camen. As you ente Playa, stay on the new ovepass bidges that help you skip ove a lot of taffic. Akumal Beake If you want to shop at the Cento Maya / Soiana plaza, fom the ight lane on the bidge, caefully take the exit maked Playa del Camen Cento Av. BENITO JUAREZ. You will continue staight fo a few blocks (paallel with the main highway) and then appoach the lage Plaza on the ight side (west side) of the highway. Thee is a vey nice Soiana Supemaket that has just about eveything you could possibly need including an ATM at the entance. They also take cedit cads. You will also find a McDonalds, Subway, Mati Spots, Bowling alley, CineMex Cinemas and a Go-Kat tack. If you don t stop, you can always come back since it is only a 20 minute dive. Thee is a Sam s Club acoss the highway fom Soiana as well as a new hospital called Hospiten. Afte passing Playa Del Camen, you will pass though Pueto Aventuas and Xpu-Ha. Appoximately 5 minutes afte Xpu- Ha, you will see a lage sign labeled Bienvenidos a Akumal (Welcome to Akumal) and a lage pedestian bidge. If you want to stop close to the villa to buy ice, bee, dinks, chips, etc., tun ight at the main Akumal entance and visit Ma Caibe on the left side of the steet. They cate to the locals and geneally have bette pices than the beach side. If you don t stop, then continue staight and pass the main entance to Akumal. www.iloveakumal.com 5
DETAILED DIRECTIONS The entance to South Akumal (Akumal Su) is exactly 2.2 km (1.4 miles) past the main Akumal entance (just past KM Make 252) but fo safety puposes and a big median, you can t tun left hee. You must dive past Akumal Su fo appoximately 1.6 KM / 1 mile and caefully make a left U-Tun befoe the RETORNO sign and just befoe a bidge. Afte the U-Tun, you will see the Doña Isabel (Bahia Pincipe) on you ight. This is an excellent place fo souveni shopping plus they have a Docto and Phamacy thee as well. If you want to visit, just tell the guad Souvinees o Cajeo (KaHaiRow) meaning ATM. Continue noth fo 1.6 KM / 1 mile passing the entance fo Aventuas Akumal. Look fo a 100 KM sign and then the Akumal Su sign. Slow down, use you blinke and be caeful as you tun ight into South Akumal. Sometimes thee ae ATV tou goups using the dit oad that is paallel to the highway. Continue on until you each a small secuity gate. The guad will ask you whee you e going (a Donde va?) and you answe should be you villa s name (e.g. Akumal Beakes) and Muchas Gacias. Afte secuity, continue until you see you South Akumal villa. Ø Ah Villa is the fist villa past the lage ed tope. Ø Casa Texana is the fifth villa past the lage ed tope. Ø Akumal Beakes is the 7th villa past the lage ed tope. Ø Alma de Texoma is the 3d villa fom the south end of the steet. Congatulations, you made it! It s time to elax and enjoy Akumal! Taxi 984-871-2029 EMERGENCY 066 Roadside assistance 072 Police 984-871-2055 Civil Potection (Ambulance/Fie) 984-871-2688 Please check inside you villa fo the phone numbe and intenet passwod. You do not need to dial 984 if calling fom the local phone in the villa. www.iloveakumal.com 6
Fuits / Futas Oanges / Naanjas (we have a juice) Pineapples / Piña Limes / Limones Bananas / Plátanos Vegetables / Veduas Lettuce / Lechuga Onion / Cebolla Caots / Zanahoias Celey / Apio Tomato / Jitomate Cilanto / Cilanto Avocado / Aguacate Meats / Cane Ham / Jamon Tukey / Pechuga de Pavo Chicken / Pollo Hambuges / Res Molida o Hambugesas Hot Dogs / Hot Dogs Steaks / Res Ribeye (Soiana and Sam s usually have good Rib Eyes o Agentine Cuts) Flank Steak / Aachea (local speciality) Pok Loin / Loin de cedo Geneal Goceies SUGGESTED SHOPPING LIST MAPS & DIRECTIONS Daiy / Lecheía TO THE Salad dessing / Adezos Ceeal / Ceeal Bead / Pan Ketchup / Catsup Mustad / Mostaza Mayo / Mayonesa Peanut Butte / Cema de cacahuate Jelly / Jalea Ceam Cheese / Queso Philadelphia Popcon / Palomitas Milk / Leche usually comes in a box Cheese / Queso Butte / Mantequilla Yogut / Yogut Beveages / Bebidas: Coffee / Café Soft Dinks (avoid sugay dinks fo you health and to avoid ants) Bottled wate / Agua en botellas Bee / Ceveza o If you buy glass, please take exta cae aound the pools and with sun sceen lotion on you hands. Glass deposits ae often equied and Sunday sales ae sometimes esticted. Liquo, wine and mixes (most eveything can be found at Soiana o Chedaui) Miscellaneous Chacoal / Cabón Lighte Fluid / Líquido paa cabón Sunsceen / Potecto sola Insect epellent / Repelente de insectos Ice / Hielo www.iloveakumal.com 7
AT YOUR VILLA MAPS & DIRECTIONS TO THE VILLA STAFF: Each villa has a staff that woks fo the ownes. The staff is usually off on Sundays and holidays. They should be thee to geet you so please knock on the doo of the casita (small house) as they will be waiting on you. They speak vey little English, so be patient and emembe that the local language is Spanish. A nice Buenos Días, Buenas Tades o Buenas Noches will bighten thei day. You can also use www.tanslate.google.com o www.feetanslation.com fo basic phases. We encouage you to have a envionmentally conscious visit to Akumal with espect to educing electicity, gas and wate usage. Utility costs in Mexico ae extemely expensive so please take this into consideation when using the AC, showes and towels. Remembe, you ae staying at a pivate villa and not a hotel so teat it like you own. AIR CONDITIONING - VERY IMPORTANT: Ø The fastest way to get sick in Mexico is to ente a cold oom fom the wam exteio. Ø The AC units ae not designed fo constant use like cental ai conditioning so only use them at night when the windows and doos ae closed. Constant use will feeze up the units and possibly make them unavailable fo the emainde of you stay. Ø NEVER un the AC units with the doos and windows open as this will destoy the AC and cause you to lose you damage deposit. Ø You taveled all the way to Mexico to enjoy the wam Caibbean beezes so open up the doos and windows and get outside and enjoy the fesh ai. You email and Facebook messages can wait! IF SOMETHING DOESN T WORK: Please advise the villa staff as soon as possible should something in the house need to be epaied. They will make evey effot to get it coected as quickly as possible. SECURITY: Thee is a safe in each villa. We ecommend that you bing few valuables, small amounts of cash and use the local ATMs in Bahia Pincipe Resot (Doña Isabel) o Soiana to obtain Pesos. As you would while taveling anywhee in the wold, please lock the doos and windows when you ae away fom the villa and duing the night. Also, don t leave valuables in you ental ca. INTERNET: Akumal is a geat place to have a TECHNOLOGY DETOX! If you must stay connected, each villa has wieless Intenet. Please equest the passwods fom the staff o look in the villa s guest guide. Please do not give the passwod out to adjoining villas o you will educe you speed. The wieless usually woks fine but we can not guaantee the sevice of TelMex (Mexican phone company). In a wost case scenaio, thee is intenet in vaious estauants in Akumal and at the Bahia Pincipe Clubhouse ba. DINING PLAN: The staff at each villa is available to cook meals so please efe to the villa s dining plan. The cost vaies fo each villa and includes pepaation of dinne fo all egisteed guests as well as clean-up. The cost does not include the food, which you will need to puchase. Please pay the staff at the time you ask them to cook. Please ty to povide at least 24 hous notice in case the staff needs to aange childcae in the evening. BEACH TOWELS/LINENS: All linens, bath and beach towels ae funished. Please help us conseve wate and euse you towels, especially the lage beach towels. LAUNDRY SERVICE: Thee is a laundy sevice in Akumal that is easonably piced. TIPS: Tips fo the staff ae vey much appeciated and ae at you discetion. We suggest aound $5 pe peson pe day including childen. Meal pepaation fees ae sepaate. OWNER CONTACT: Should a situation aise that you need to speak to the ownes, please advise the villa staff. If thee is an emegency, you can email us at iloveakumal@me.com o call us in the US at 410-777-5160. Enjoy you tip and we tust that you will love Akumal! www.iloveakumal.com 8