Chaccohoben on the cheap?

[excursion99]

We're cruising on Norwegian next week and will be in Costa Maya on April 12 and want to do Chaccohoben. I've priced out the NSL excursion and native choice but they are both too expensive. We have 4 kids and 2 adults and the half day tour is $280. I speak spanish and have been to mexico many times and for $280 you oughta be able to buy a whole car.

 

Any other ideas for me? I would like something preplanned as opposed to just trusting a cab at the dock. We have young children and my husband wouldn't be comfortable driving far away with someone we just met.

 

Thanks!

 

We could also use some trusty but cheap tour operator recommendations for Belize, Roatan, and Cozumel.

[crewsweeper]

We're cruising on Norwegian next week and will be in Costa Maya on April 12 and want to do Chaccohoben. I've priced out the NSL excursion and native choice but they are both too expensive. We have 4 kids and 2 adults and the half day tour is $280. I speak spanish and have been to mexico many times and for $280 you oughta be able to buy a whole car.

 

Any other ideas for me? I would like something preplanned as opposed to just trusting a cab at the dock. We have young children and my husband wouldn't be comfortable driving far away with someone we just met.

 

Thanks!

 

We could also use some trusty but cheap tour operator recommendations for Belize, Roatan, and Cozumel.

 

You might try a search for a rental car, but I don't think there are any US type rentals. Toucan tours might have vans available for discounted prices, but I think they charge $50/pp so it's no savings on a guided tours, and I hear their car rentals are high. I saw a list of taxi fares linked on this board somewhere, but can't find it at the moment. Don't think you'll necessarily save anything that way though.

 

As far as other ports, on the Coz board look for th ethread hiring a driver for the day and info on how to contact Educardo to arrange for Gerry or Lazaro as a driver. Rates used to be $95 for 3 hours and $25/ hour after. But that's for the whole vehicle and both are reliable and informative on the island.

 

Belize your best bet for a relatively inexpensive day is take a water taxi to Caye Cualker and walk around on your own. Just be aware of the times and the time difference from the ship and the last tender. Plenty of info on the Belize board. Roatan, Victor or Rony tours will most likely cost you similar to CM. There used to be a company called Roatan Cab Tours. They had a website, but I don't have any information on them or if they are still in business. From Coxen Hole RT cab fare through them to West Bay beaches was $15/pp. You might be able to catch a local collectivo/bus to West Bay Bus is around US$2/pp and stop around 5PM.

 

Face the music, unless you're doing close by activities, all excursions in any port are going to cost a group your size a few pennies.

[cce33e]

You can rent a car and hire a guide at the entrance of the Ruins...don't be too cheap and do the tour by yourself, guides have a lot to add to a ruins tour...

[caribdreamin]

It looks like Toucan Tours would charge you $260; everyone uses newer vans with a/c, not old VW's. I don't know how much their van rentals are, but there are also other expenses.

The ruins are a 50 mile drive one way.

The gas at $2.85 per gallon must be replaced, there is a $5pp entrance fee into the ruins,

and guides usually charge $7pp, but maybe you could get a better deal once there.

 

Since this is a several hour trip overall, the tour operators usually provide you with drinks, if not lunch and snacks as well. If it's warm and humid outside, I will usually drink one beverage per 1-2 hours. My little Igloo cooler I take on cruises can only hold a few drinks. However, there are usually some vendors on the side of the 307 Hwy selling fruit juices, fruits, nuts, etc. I've never had any problems eating these things, and the local plantains and fresh coconut milk are quite good. I would avoid empanadas and other prepared or vegetable items, just to be on the safe side, (most of the people lack refrigerators).

 

For 6 people, it looks like your overall expenses without the van rental or drinks/food approaches about $95.

 

The operator's also carry insurance to cover anything that may happen. Trip insurance is always a good idea.

[NJoyCruise]

Did this tour on our own, with my hubby and 13 year old DD in 2009. Looking back, I guess it was a pretty gutsy move on my part. We hired a taxi and paid around 80 bucks and tipped him another 20. It was indeed a looooong ride, on a deserted highway. I can only imagine what we would have done had we broke down on the road, and no way to get back to the ship on time....But it all went well...we paid 5 bucks for the entrance to the ruins, they offered tour guides at the gate for an additional fee.

 

We had a great time exploring, shopped a little and had fresh coconut juice right outside the ruins! Loved it! Best thing is that we got back to the beach and had a side by side massage before walking back to the ship! It was a lovely day...

[timothy998]

We visited Chacchoben last week and used Native Choice. I think it cost $45/adult and $35/kid. They used minivans with AC and gave us bottled water at the beginning and in the middle of the tour. There were only 11 in our tour group, as opposed to the 300 that showed up from our ship as we were leaving the ruins. They also let us stop to buy fresh pineapple along the roadside, then took us into the port town for a quick tour. The town has what looks like an awesome beach.