Sian Ka'an Trip from Playa del Carmen & Tulum

Disappointed, tour guide didn't even try!

My wife and I did this same trip last year. It was so fun and informative that we decided to bring our son and his girlfriend this year. My son is a science major and was very interested in learning about the flora and fauna of the biospere. This trip was a huge disappointment! Last year, the tour guides were amazing. The trip was full of interesting information. This year the tour guide gave absolute minimal effort. We raced through the tour and rarely stopped. He was split between two boats and rarely interacted with the group members, especially my family which were the only non-french speaking guests. We were in Punta Allen for 1 hour and 45 minutes. The guide did not speak to us at all. He just sat in a corner by himself. The guide also made such little effort to find animals. The snorkeling portion was much shorter than last year and the guide never talked about what we saw or even what we could have seen. He didn't tell us anything about the reef. We fly to Riviera Maya from Seattle every year. We will never take this tour again and I simply can't recommend it to friends and family. They could end up with the same tour guide. It just seems like he has lost interest in leading these tours. We cherish our time in Mexico and we lost a day due to his lack of interest. We paid a lot to take this tour and we're left hugely disappointed.

via Viator

Waste of a very long day

This trip was a total waste of time, it was unsafe and we did not do what was advertised. Maybe in better weather it is good but if there is fain forecast definitely skip this tour. First off, viator says this is a 6 hours tour. What a joke. I was the first pick up which happened at 5:30am and I didn't get back to my hotel until 7:30pm. Even the last pickup was at 7am and then returned at almost 6. The tour company ahead of time told me I would be back at 5. I had a meeting to attend that I completely missed so do NOT trust the time. The bus to Tulum was nice, though it had no seatbelts. Then we switched to a truck. This truck was not completely waterproof and on the way there (where it was just raining a little) we were all being dropped on. On the way back when it was pouring rain we were all just continuing to get wet. The truck broke down two times and one persons seat broke. So very unsafe The actual tour when we arrived started good. We got into boats and went out to spot dolphins, we saw them and this was really good! Then we went to find turtles and did not find any. I think this was when we were supposed to snorkel? But that didn't happen which seemed like what was mainly advertised on the tour so didn't get that. Then we went swimming for a little then we had lunch. Then it started pouring and we had to take the boat back to the truck, we all go absolutely drenched and there was thunder and lightning so again very unsafe being on the water. I'm not sure given the forecast how the company decided to still run the tour Then to end the longest wasted day when I got dropped off they asked me to pay the park entrance fee (400 pesos as it says in the notes) which I had already paid. There were two English speakers on the tour, I paid and the other was supposed to be taken to an ATM, she never was and she was dropped off before me. So then by the time I got dropped off somewhere someone decided I was the one who had to pay. I refused as I had already paid. So what a terrible job the guide did saying who needed to pay as that was an unfair thing to ask of me and unfair of someone who did not pay. For a 14 hour day seeing dolphins for an hour? Absolutely a waste of time, maybe on a nice day its better but the tour company should be more responsible and not run this trip on a bad weather day.

Response from the operator: Dear Kelly! Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We sincerely apologize that your experience did not meet your expectations, and we appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. First and foremost, we apologize for the incorrect information regarding the tour duration. Unfortunately, there was an error on the Viator page, which listed the tour as 6 hours. The actual duration, including transportation, can indeed extend up to 14 hours, depending on the location of your hotel. We are actively working with Viator to correct this information to prevent any future misunderstandings. Regarding the weather, we regret that the conditions during your tour were unfavorable. While we strive to provide the best experience possible, the weather can be unpredictable, and we understand how this affected your day. Your safety is our top priority, and we apologize for any discomfort caused by the truck and boat ride under these conditions. As for the snorkeling portion of the tour, we apologize that it was not possible due to the weather. We understand this was a key part of the experience, and we regret that it could not be carried out as advertised. Lastly, we would like to clarify the issue regarding the 400 pesos park entrance fee. This fee is indeed mentioned in the notes as not included in the final price and is to be paid in cash on the day of the tour. We apologize for the confusion and any inconvenience this may have caused, especially with the misunderstanding about the payment. We appreciate your feedback, as it helps us to improve our services. We hope you might consider giving us another chance in the future under better weather conditions. Kind regards, Turismo Channel

via Viator

Sian Ka'an

Long day. Well organized but the reserve itself was not that impressive. Did not see any wildlife save a little island with frigate birds nesting...

Response from the operator: Sorry to hear your day was long and the reserve didn't live up to expectations for wildlife. Nature can surprise us in unexpected ways. We hope that you'll have the chance to explore other natural areas in the future and discover awe-inspiring experiences with us ! Hope to see you soon again ! :)

via Tripadvisor

Long day but informative.

Appreciate the diversity; rough ride in the vans; punctual; very knowledgable guide; decent lunch. Not too many people is good.

via Viator

Welcome to the jungle

Great trip. We had a fantastic guide. Extremely knowledgable about the ecosystem, area, animals and culture. We saw dolphins and turtles. Beautiful birds. Thank you.

via Viator