Tour Reviews

Jolene
Pennsylvania
Chacchoben Ruins
Disney Fantasy

Great Tour!

This was our first trip to Costa Maya and our guide Joel was very kind and knowledgeable!

The ruins were amazing! We arrived before the large buses and got to enjoy the ruins before they became crowded. We also enjoyed the fresh pineapple that we bought from a local stand on our way back to the port!

Radhika Samant
New Jersey
Mayan Experience
Norwegian Dawn

Wonderful Experience with Frine and Miguel

Recently my boyfriend, his family and I took a 7 day cruise that stopped at Costa Maya. Before the cruise, we did some research on excursions and came across the Native Choice group. After reading the great reviews, we decided to go on the Mayan Experience tour, which gave us time to see the temples of the ancient Mayans at Chachoben and life in a modern day Mayan village.

We started our excursion by walking a few blocks outside of the port to the Native choice office. We were then placed in a comfortable van with Miguel as our driver. The car was comfortable and Miguel was prepared with multiple bottles of water and lots of umbrellas in case of rain.

Our tour guide Frine was great. Her knowledge of the Yucatan peninsula, the food, culture, and history was immense and she shared this information with us in an interesting and personable manner.

From the Native choice office we drove about 40 minutes to the ruins. On the way we passed a small town known for growing pineapple. I highly recommend stopping and buying some pineapple coated with chili powder off the side of the road. That was the sweetest pineapple I have ever tasted.
Our time at the ruins was great. Frine gave us enough time to explore the temples and take pictures. She was able to explain the layout of the Mayan temple plaza and also point out the plants that were actually used in Mayan times. After some time at the ruins we made our way to a modern Mayan town. We got to see how modern Mayans lived in the modern world. We were also able to learn how to make tortillas by hand and partook in an amazing feast which consisted of chicken tamales. braised Chicken, harbanero and onion salsa, fresh tortillas, sweetened hibiscus tea, and an amazing flan. We then headed back to port.

I highly recommend this excursion.

Georgeann
Lapeer
Chacchoben Ruins
Courser

A great adventure for anyone interested in an educational tour by experts with a genuine love for the history and culture of the ruins.

We were amazed, spellbound, even transported through time as the past was revealed in story and stone. David, Ivan & Pedro, thanks for such an entertaining and special day!

Pineapple will never taste so sweet as the day we shared it with you!

Dan & Georgeann

Lauren Burch
Birmingham, Alabama
Chacchoben Ruins
Norwegian Jewel

Would highly recommend!

This was my husband and I's first time in Costa Maya and our honeymoon. After searching and looking into multiple tours I found The Native Choice. I emailed the company and they recommended the Chacchoben Maya Ruins as it is their most popular tour.

We were not disappointed! Very easy walk from the the cruise ship and everyone is super friendly. Spoke great English and were very attentive.

Our tour guide was Enrique and he was fabulous! Not once did he stop talking from the building to the Maya Ruins and continued to talk and describe the heritage and history of Mexico. It was very interesting.

I can't wait to visit Costa Maya again and bring my parents. I've already recommended The Native Choice to my parents for their cruise and would definitely go again!

Thanks Enrique!!

Craig Fox
Indiana
Chacchoben Ruins
NCL Jewel

Fantastic

This was a wonderful experience. The company accommodated our constantly growing group, from 2 to eventually 8 people, literally picked up our wheelchair bound person and put him in the van in his wheelchair, the driver took over and pushed him all over the grounds of the ruins, the guides were excellent, knowledgeable, and friendly.

We highly recommend this to everyone.

Charlotte Travieso
New Orleans, LA, USA
Chacchoben Ruins
Norwegian Dawn

Best Part of the Trip

It's rare that a person gets to visit a place in the company of someone who grew up there. Ivan, one of the founders of Native Choice, told us on the way back to the ship about his life experiences. What an inspiration it was to be with someone who has returned to his roots after traveling the corporate world. He knows, feels and is part of the Maya culture and conveys great respect for it.

This was the best day of the cruise for me. Thank you.

Mike
South Carolina
Mayan Experience
HAL Zuiderdam

A Wonderful Experience

This tour proved to be a very special day for me, my wife and three daughters. Our guides Ivan and Joel have a thorough knowledge of the Mayan history and first hand understanding of their culture. After a very interesting tour of the ruins we shared a wonderful meal prepared by three charming Mayan ladies. They even taught us how to make tortillas. The meal was great but my family and I will always remember the warm hospitality of these ladies as we shared time in their home.

A very special experience that I would highly recommend for those visiting Costa Maya.

Denise
Huntsville, AL
Chacchoben Ruins
Norwegian Dawm

Chacchoben Maya Ruins

We had a private tour with Erick and it was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable.

It was the best tour on our trip!