Native Choice Mayan Experience Tour-Anyone done this recently?

[lauriedun]

I was reading some older posts about this tour and they were very positive. I was wondering if anyone who has done it recently could share their experience? We are booked on it for March. Thanks!

[Mistizoom]

I am interestd in the answer to this as well. Will probably do either the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins tour or the Mayan Experience tour, which sounds like it adds on a stop for lunch at Chacchoben Village. Is the lunch/experience worth the extra cost?

 

ETA: Is the lunch suitable for a 10 year old who is not a particularly adventurous eater?

[casahari]

yes, it is absolutely worth the extra cost. my 14 year old & i took this tour in december and it was one of the highlights of our trip. the food was excellent. we will go back again.

[elou]

yes, it is absolutely worth the extra cost. my 14 year old & i took this tour in december and it was one of the highlights of our trip. the food was excellent. we will go back again.

 

Just wondering, since I can't eat salty or spicy food (high blood pressure), is the food highly seasoned?

[casahari]

no, the seasonings/spices are on the side. everything is very gringo friendly. if you look on the mayan experience board there is an excellent write up on this tour. ivan, who started the business, is conscientous of pleasing his clients & has devised a menu that will exceed even the most finicky of palates. :)

[TheBigFig]

Yes it is worth it. The lunch was pretty tasty (they will tell you what is spicy and what isn't) plus you really get a nice feel for traditional mayan style plus they did a nice little dance and were so friendly answering any questions you have (they do mainly speak Spanish, but the tour guide is more than willing to translate anything you want to ask). I would do it again if I go back to Costa Maya.

[Lady arch]

We were there in November. I can not say enough wonderful things about David and his staff. We went to Bacalar lagoon after our trip to Chacchoben, and the meal was fabulous, and the margaritas too!

 

 

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[edmusic]

We went in March of 2011 (seems like yesterday). I'd highly recommend the excursion with lunch. We even got to make tortillas. Attached are a few photos of the patio the lunch was prepared at and we enjoyed.

[south-carolinagirl]

Our time in Costa Maya is listed from 7am - 2pm, I am worried about missing ship, any reassurances??

[Ourfirstfamilycruise]

We are on the Dream on 3/16/13 and are also only there from 7-2 pm. I am not booking the whole experience because I am worried we will not arrive back in time. We are just going to the ruins. I am very disappointed but don't want to miss the ship.

[south-carolinagirl]

Please report back when you get home. I did go ahead and book the ruins tour only. Happy cruising!

[show_me_girl]

We took the “Mayan Experience Tour” with Native Choice in January 2013 on our port day in Costa Maya. We arrived in port at 10:00am. Our tour was scheduled for 11:00. We walked about 5-10 minutes outside the port gate to meet the tour. We left promptly at 11:00. Our ship sailed at 6:00 and we were dropped of at the port right around 4:30. Native Choice is a top notch tour group. They are very attentive to ship schedules and time frames. My review of the tour follows. Enjoy your trip.

 

This was an incredible experience. As instructed, we met our guide a short distance outside the port of Costa Maya. Joel was our guide for the day and our van driver was Raul. There were 10 of us in an air conditioned van. We left on time and headed to the Chacchoben ruins. The drive was about 1 hour to get to the ruins. Joel, a licensed tour guide, gave us an introduction on the way. At the ruins he did a good job of explaining the ruins and what we were seeing. Raul had water for everyone, everywhere we went.

 

Following the tour of the ruins we went by van about 20 minutes to the home/ranch of a native Mayan family. We were greeted warmly. In their open air kitchen, one of the ladies demonstrated how to make and cook tortillas. We each got to make and cook one on our own. We were served a home cooked lunch buffet which included chicken tamales, stewed chicken, vegetables, rice, black beans, hibiscus punch, and a vanilla pudding like dessert. Everything was delicious. We were shown their open air home and got a better understanding of how they live.

 

This tour was excellent. It seems like one can probably get a good tour of the ruins by several tour organizations. The “Mayan Experience” of having lunch with a native Mayan family, was a once in a lifetime experience for us and Native Choice did an excellent job of making this a memorable day.

 

After lunch, we were driven back to the port of Costa Maya, with plenty of time to spare. Native Choice is top notch. If you can include the “Mayan Experience” while in Costa Maya it is well worth it and you won’t be disappointed.

[nikiann5]

We are on the Dream on 3/16/13 and are also only there from 7-2 pm. I am not booking the whole experience because I am worried we will not arrive back in time. We are just going to the ruins. I am very disappointed but don't want to miss the ship.

 

Hello! I (and 2 others) will be on the same cruise. We were also worried about time so we booked to see just the ruins. I imagine it will be a great time! Maybe if things run smoothly, we will have time for some authentic lunch before we have to reboard. :)