Cancun and the Yucatan for Dummies [Paperback]

Lynne Bairstow (Author), David Baird (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dummies Travel | Publication Date: April 2003

There is more than enough to keep you busy on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula — the resorts at Cancún and Cozumel, Mayan ruins, and a hopping nightlife. If you want a fun-filled vacation with endless entertainment, this friendly guide gives you all you need to plan the ultimate beach vacation to Cancún and the Yucatán:

• Water sports and other outdoor activities for the adventurous
• A listing of all the Yucatán’s beaches
• Tips for not looking (or acting) like a gringo
• Top myths and misconceptions about Mexico
• Side trips to Isla Mujeres and other great destinations

Like every For Dummies travel guide, Cancún and the Yucatán For Dummies includes:

• Down-to-earth trip-planning advice
• What you shouldn’t miss — and what you can skip
• The best restaurants and hotels for every budget
• Lots of detailed maps

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Your insider’s guide to the best places and prices

Plan the perfect Yucatán vacation

From Cancún and Cozumel to watersports, nightlife, and Maya ruins, Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula is packed with exciting things to see and do. Where do you start? Relax! With this easy guide, you’re on your way to planning a fun-filled trip.

Discover:

• Down-to-earth trip-planning advice
• What you shouldn’t miss – and what you can skip
• The best restaurants and hotels for every budget
• Lots of detailed maps

About the Author

For Lynne Bairstow (who wrote Chapters 1 through 12, 16 through 18, and Appendixes A and B), Mexico has become more home to her than her native United States. After exploring the country and living in Puerto Vallarta for most of the past 12 years, she’s developed a true love of Mexico and its complex, colorful culture. Her travel articles on Mexico have been published in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel, and Alaska Airlines Magazine. In 2000, Lynne was awarded the Pluma de Plata, an honor granted by the Mexican Government to foreign writers, for her work with the Frommer’s guide to Mexico.

David Baird (who wrote Chapters 13, 14, and 15) is a writer, editor, and translator who feels uncomfortable writing about himself in the third person (too much like writing his own obituary). Now based in Austin, Texas, he spent years living in various parts of Mexico, Brazil, Peru, and Puerto Rico. But, whenever possible, he manages to get back to the turquoise-blue waters of the Yucatán because he thinks he looks good in that color, and because he’s excessively fond of the local cooking.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764524372
• ISBN-13: 978-0764524370
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,241,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #91 in Books > Travel > Latin America > Mexico > Cancun & Cozumel
  • #97 in Books > Travel > Latin America > Mexico > Yucatan Peninsula

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real How-To Manual For Mexico, June 1, 2004

By 

Kimberly Martin (Kissimmee, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cancun and the Yucatan for Dummies (Paperback)

I hadn't been to Cancun in twenty years and my traveling companion had never been, so we were looking for more than a book that outlined the location and services of area hotels. We wanted tips, how-to's, cautions, insider secrets and local recommendations. This book had them all. While it's true that the book highlights only the authors' picks for restuarants and hotels and can't be called a comprehensive hotel guide, it was invaluable in the information it lent regarding phones, transportation, money, fees and schedules, customs, activities and more. And when we finally got to Cancun and Cozumel, my companion and I were not only informed and prepared but delighted to find that virtually all of the information (both subjective and objective) was correct. The local restuarant we'd highlighted in the book turned out to be a word-of-mouth tradition in Cozumel. We chose our hotel based on the book's description of offshore snorkeling and found out it was widely known on the island for unrivaled aquatic beauty. True, I could've found much of this information by combing the Internet, but I didn't have to thanks to this book, which also includes any contact info you could ever need. We referred to it constantly while in Mexico and can't reccommend what we came to call "The Book" highly enough.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This guide covered more than I expected., August 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Cancun and the Yucatan for Dummies (Paperback)

I've never been to Cancun before and had no idea where to start planning my trip. I bought this book because it promised to be an easy-to-use reference for the first time visitor. And that's exactly what I found. This guide covered more than I expected, with detailed information on Cozumel, Playa del Carman, and more. The authors obviously knew what they were talking about, as the savvy advice given in the book made my decisions easy to make!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars if your new to this part of the world you need this book, July 19, 2005

By 

G. karlson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cancun and the Yucatan for Dummies (Paperback)

Found it to be a little out of date i.e. the toll roads are almost over US$18 to get from Cancun to Valladolid and only take cash! But, this book offers so much local knowledge that it is a necessity to someone new to the area.
The book is also a little weak when it comes to the ruins - only list 4 of them. So if you go to see and want to know more on the Maya ruins get a good map of the Yucatan and a book specializing on the ruins themselves.
Despite these minor issues, if you want to manage yourself and not go on one of the bus tours you need this book!!!