Tour Reviews

Jonathan
Idaho Falls, ID, US
Mayan Experience
Oasis

Great location and food, poor guide.

Our Mayan Experience tour took us to the CHACCHOBEN Ruins. The people meeting us there were great and we got an early start. Our guide, Joel, seemed to be good at the start, but it soon became apparent that this tour was about him being Mayan. He repeated "He was Mayan" over 50 times. It became very old very fast. He repeated himself so many times on so many things it was like hearing a broken record. I finally started listening to other tour groups that were there to get some real information. David from Native Choice gave me more information in 10 minutes with his group than Joel did the entire tour. Joel kept asking us did we understand that he was Mayan or did we understand what he just told us 3 times. None of us were over 50 and were very capable of understanding him the first time, much less by the third time. He might be great for a group of seniors but for our younger group with kids he was very boring.

As for the ruins, they were great. 4 major areas. Our group didnt even cover part of them because Joel didnt take us there. I learned from the other tours about the excavation, the families and cooking. I would like to go back with a competent tour guide.

The food that was prepared was very authentic and good. The women making it were nice and friendly. I wish we could have seen more of the preparation.

Overall, great location and food, poor guide.

Jorge Cabrera
Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico
Chacchoben Ruins
Oasis of the Seas

Excellent & courteous service, Knowledge!

The personnel treated us always kindly and respectfully. They focus on a pleasant knowledgeable experience of the Maya culture through the sharing of the magnificent ruins. We were hosted by David, who escorted us to the excursion site and then Ivan, who hosted the tour and brought us back to the pier pretty on time. Thanks to you all for making it a great experience! Our daughter attended it almost 2-3 years ago and recommended it to us. We did the same to our other daughter, who should be there soon. So, in summary Native has become our excursion spot of Choice in Costa Maya! Much success and blessings!

Kay Arnold
Austin, TX
Private Chacchoben + Mayan Family
Royal Caribbean

Culturally Stimulating

Jose, and all the other tour reps, were so kind and more importantly, so knowledgable about the ruins of Chacchoben and Maya culture. The meal and interaction with residents of a Maya home could not be learned from a book, only through personal interaction. Jose was so eager to share his culture and very open to all inquiries. Don’t miss this tour if you are in Costa Maya.

Andrea Vargas
West Plains, Missouri
Chacchoben Ruins
Carnival Valor

The Great Ruins Adventure

What an awesome excursion to see the Chacchoben Ruins. The meeting point was an easy walk from the cruise port. The drive to the ruins was very comfortable. We were given plenty of cold water and the a/c worked well in the van. Only an hour from the cruise ship so we had plenty of time to observe the ruins and were even able to do a little shopping.
We would highly recommend this tour, Erick was extremely knowledgeable about the Mayan culture and history. His diagrams were very unique and helped us understand more of the history of the ruins. We were able to see a monkey climbing in the trees. We would do this excursion again in the future.

Dustin Mata
San Antonio, Texas
Chacchoben Ruins
Carnival Breeze

What a Tour! 13/10 Would Do Again

To start, this tour/excursion/day was phenomenal. I was part of the Chacchoben Ruins (Archaeological Deposit) tour with David and 2 other members of the company (I’m sorry I forgot your names). They warmly greeted myself and my group with smiling faces (and a much needed bottled water) at check in, then showed us to the van. I highly recommend getting there a little earlier because if you have to sit in the back of the van, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

During the first half of the trip to Chacchoben, David provided us with some facts about the area, the culture, and about Mayan history. He was very knowledgeable and answered any and all questions we had.

When we arrived at Chacchoben, we walked around the area where you can use the restroom or buy some snacks before we walked through to the first site. During our walk, we came across some interesting plants/fungi which David pointed out to us and explained how they were incorporated in Mayan life and how they’re still important today. We also got a chance to see a monkey swinging from tree to tree and had sufficient time to take pictures/ask questions.

After the tour, we came back to the area mentioned before where you can buy souvenirs/snacks. David then provided some more information and answered any other questions we had while on the van back to the port.

Also, this is probably common sense but, it was a bit humid and we walked a good amount so wearing comfortable clothes is a must. There were times when we walked through slippery trails (mud) and some stairs covered a bit with algae/moss so wearing some good closed-toe shoes with grip is *HIGHLY* recommended.

We got back to port with PLENTY of time (like an hour and 45 minutes) before our ship took off so verify what time Ships Time is so you get to shop around as well. If you’re on the fence about getting this tour, or the one provided by a cruise line, pick this one. You get a better experience with people who live in the area and know what they’re doing.

Roberta Hand
New Bern, NC
Chacchoben Ruins
Carnival Valor

Wonderful tour

We took the Chacchoben Ruins tour with Joel as our Guide. He had so much knowledge and experience, being a native in the area. He was very enjoyable and friendly. I learned so much from him and would definitely do again if in that area again.

Kenneth Blair
Florida
Chacchoben Ruins
MSC

Superb Tour

Abel, Salina, Elliot and Yoshi not only went above and beyond to make everyone's experience memorable, they educated us on plant life, tequila and many other things unique to that area of Mexico.

Geoff Beckstrom
Houston, TX
Mayan Experience
Granduer of the Seas

Fantastic

Our tour guide Yoshi was fantastic. Our archeology guide Diego was fantastic. The food with the Mayan family was fantastic. Everything was safe and we were back to the port in plenty of time. Highly recommend them and will use them again when we come back to Costa Maya.