Booking and Expenses
In this section, I will discuss everywhere/ everything that I booked, how I found the deals, and some of the research that went into the choices
To see how all of the bookings turned out and reviews, check out the “Daily Vacation Journal” section and “What We Learned” sections
Our travel days are Sunday, July 9th- Sunday, July 16th
-Sunday, July 9th- Monday, July 10th : Las Vegas to Cancun
-Monday, July 10th- Friday, July 14th : Isla Mujeres
-Friday, July 14th- Sunday, July 16th : Cancun
-Sunday, July 16th : Cancun to Las Vegas
To start off, because this was a two person vacation, it was important to me to keep track of our spending. I used excel to document and help calculate up the costs. My travel buddy and I decided it would be easiest to for one person to pay for everything (YAY travel points through the Capital One Venture Card!) and square up as we went along.
In excel to help calculation, you will use the Column Letters and Cell Number.
For example, to find the Total Cost =SUM(C4:C24)
To find the Total Amount per person =SUM(C25/2)
AND NOW IT’S TIME FOR THE BREAKDOWN
FLIGHTS
I started researching flights in December of 2022. For this trip, I wanted to see whale sharks, so the dates would be sometime between June and August. The easiest way to get to Isla Mujeres is to fly into the Cancun. After that, it is a short drive and a ferry ride to the island.
So I hopped onto Kayak and started searching!
For tips on how to find cheap flights via Kayak and the techniques I use for searching, check out my tips and tricks section!
For my travel buddy and me, our weekends are Sunday & Monday. In this case, to optimize PTO, our trip started on Sunday, July 9th and ended Sunday, July 16th. This would give us the perfect amount of time at our destination as well as a day off when we returned home!
We ended up flying on AeroMexico. It had a stopover in Mexico City which was normal since there are no direct flights to Cancun from Las Vegas.
In total, we spent $497.97 USD per person, round trip from Las Vegas to Cancun. That is a screaming deal to me for an international flight! Ever since the pandemic, flying has become more and more unpredictable. So for the first time, I opted into travel insurance. Which was $46.31 USD per person.
I personally tend to splurge on purchasing a seat. I prefer an aisle seat. My travel buddy is a 6ft man so he prefers leg room. We decided to upgrade our seats. For each flight, we chose exit row seats for $28.50 USD a person. 4 flights/ 4 seats = $114 USD per person. (Worth every penny!)
Down below are our reservations
LODGING
When looking at where to stay, I always search on Kayak to see what hotel prices look like. I personally prefer to stay in an Airbnb most of the time because of the privacy you get as well as unique locations! Typically (though times are changing) Airbnbs cost less than hotels.
Cancun Airport
For this trip, we would be flying into Cancun at midnight. The ferry to Isla Mujeres doesn’t start running until 5:30am, and even then, we would be on the island by 6am, wandering around with our bags. Although it would add to the lodging cost, I figured it would be worth it to stay one night in a hotel near the airport.
There are a couple hotels near the Cancun airport averaging $100+. However, the reviews about getting a shuttle to those hotels, while it is free and an offered service, are TERRIBLE!
We decided to opt for the Hilton Garden Inn at the Cancun Airport. They had fantastic reviews and were walking distance from the terminal.
This was perfect because it has a 24 hour reception and is located at Terminal 2 and doesn’t require a shuttle or taxi to get to.
The total for this room was $166.57 USD. Although that is more than I would typically spend on a hotel room, especially one we would only be using to sleep in, the convenience seemed worth it. If we experienced any delays during our travel to Cancun, we would have an air conditioned room within walking distance from the plane.
Isla Mujeres
The next place we would be staying was on Isla Mujeres for 4 days. It is a very small island. There is one all-inclusive resort, though all-inclusives are not really my style. Other than that, the choices for lodging are mostly Airbnbs and Vrbos. Most of these locations are small condo complexes in which all the rooms are rented.
In the end, we landed on the Soggy Peso Airbnb! I was sold on the daily free bloody Mary’s and Margaritas! The reviews for this place were fantastic, the location worked for us since it was in the “middle” of the island, and it had a pool which was a nice bonus!
In total, for a room with a view, free drinks, and a King Sized bed, we paid $532.00 USD or $133.00 USD a night. Again, because of the uncertainties of travel, we opted for Airbnb insurance which ended up being $33.62 USD.
Cancun/ Hotel Zone
I decided it would be easiest to return to Cancun the night before for our flight on Sunday. I figured it would be best to go to Cancun on Friday evening, then we could have all Saturday to see the Mayan Ruins and Cenotes.
In Cancun, there is an area called the “Hotel Zone”. It seemed best for public transportation to the airport as well as pick ups for any excursions. Most of the hotels listed on Kayak are resorts which are PRICEY! So naturally, I went to Airbnb.
I ended up choosing this Airbnb because of that view! We decided ending our vacation with balcony views of the beach would be a pretty decent way to finish up. Despite the extra cost. Also, this condo is at the end of the Hotel Zone and only 15 minutes from the airport!
In total, we paid $304.26 USD or $152.13 USD a night. We opted again for Airbnb insurance for $25 USD.
TRANSPORTATION
To get to and from the airport in Las Vegas, we used Uber. In the past, I stuck with Lyft. But recently (politics aside) Lyft’s app hasn’t been working and they tend to cost more.
To get from Cancun to Isla Mujeres, you can take a quick 15-minute ferry ride on the Ultramar Ferry. It cost about $15 USD. There are a couple different ports you can chose from. We choose Puerto Juarez.
The ferries run about every 30 minutes.
The first ferry is at 5:30am. The last ferry is at 9pm
For the transportation from the airport/ hotel to the ferry, we could have taken a taxi; however, taxis are extremely expensive in Cancun. I am also in generally not a fan of taxies. When researching, I found a company called the Happy Shuttle.
Happy Shuttles operates as a private transportation service at a very very reasonable rate. We were able to book a private shuttle that would pick us up from the airport hotel and take us to the ferry for $86 USD. This also included the ferry tickets (which would have been about $30 USD).
We also used Happy Shuttle to take us from our final Airbnb to the airport. It was $47 USD. Overall, this is MUCH cheaper than taxis. You just have to book in advance. (Note: They will not take same day pick up requests since they have to plan all the schedules ahead of time).
The price of pickup isn’t per person, so the more people you have, the better of a deal it is.
ADVENTURES AND EXCURSIONS
SCUBA DIVING
For me, the whole purpose of this trip was SCUBA DIVING! My travel buddy and I are both PADI Rescue Diver Certified. He had never been diving in the ocean, so it was time to get him some experience!
Isla Mujeres is a beautiful dive spot with lots of reefs, good visibility, and warm waters. I had decided we would do 3 days of diving with one company. We were planning on bringing some of our own gear. So the benefit of sticking with one company is you can leave your gear behind (usually).
After reading reviews, we decided to go with Aqua Adventures.
They have a variety of choices on dives. Typically, it is up to captain which dive sites you go to each day (based on conditions, weather, and requests). So it was nice being able to somewhat choose.
In the end, we booked:
- 2 tank afternoon Musa and Machones Dive for $180 USD or $90 USD per person.
- 2 Tank morning wreck and reef dive for $220 USD or $110 USD per person
-2 Tank Night/ Twilight Dive for $250 USD or $125 USD per person
-2 Tank Afternoon Reef and Drift Dive for $220 USD or $110 USD per person
You could also do a full gear rental for $30 USD a day. Or a le carte for about $10 USD per item
WHALE SHARK SNORKEL
For the whale shark snorkel, I decided to go with a different company just to mix it up. Snorkeling with Whale Sharks is one of the biggest attractions you can do on Isla Mujeres so there are ALOT of companies.
In the end, I still wanted to stick with a dive shop, rather than a trip advisor excursion company. I ended up booking with Sea Hawk divers. Their reviews were incredible!
The all day Whale Shark snorkel trip was $294 USD or $147 USD per person. This included two jumps with the Whale Sharks (that is the standard), snorkel, mask, and fins. As well as snacks and sandwiches during the trip and beer and ceviche on the return ride! YUM!
MAYAN RUINS AND CENOTES
For our very short time in Cancun, I really wanted to see the famous Cenotes, and my travel buddy wanted to see the Mayan Ruins. It is very typical in Cancun to find an excursion company that will take you to both. After looking on trip advisor and other similar sites, I found Cancun Adventures.
Cancun Adventures offered a variety of different packages.
If you want to learn about the 4 major ruins and which ones you want to see, check out my “Researching Isla Mujeres” post
The excursion we landed on would take us to The Mayan city Tulum, an underground cenote, and an open-air cenote you can snorkel in. The day would end with lunch and drinks (for purchase) at the Cancun Adventures private beach club. The benefit of booking with an excursion is no rental car is needed.
The all day excursion ended up costing $294 USD or $147 USD per person. It included pickup and drop off from your hotel in an air conditioned van, a tour guide, water, and snacks, snorkeling gear, and all passes to enter the cenotes and archeological sites.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHY I CHOSE TO BOOK WITH THESE COMPANIES, CHECK OUT “RESEARCHING ISLA MUJERES”. TO READ MY REVIEWS OF OUR EXPERIENCES, CHECK OUT “WHAT WE LEARNED”
