Ralf, from Lawsons Original Yucatan Excursions, and I have been emailing each other on and off for…read morea couple of years, looking for the right adventure and the right timing. We finally found it. We started off our day at the Punta Laguna Monkey Reserve where we wandered along numerous jungle trails trying to locate some of the elusive spider monkeys after participating in a traditional Mayan ceremony, asking for permission and protection to enter the jungle. Our guide, Julio, finally managed to locate a few mammas and babies high in the trees having a morning siesta. Even if we hadn't seen any the hike thru the jungle was lovely. We didn't rappel into the cenote - access in and out was via a rope ladder and neither of us have that kind of upper body strength! Next up, we headed to the lagoon and a lovely cooling breeze. The plan was to canoe - we ARE Canadian after all - but both my mother and I were exhausted. However, someone was looking out for us - when we arrived, a local Mayan family were at the docs and a couple were getting baptized. It was beautiful to witness their faith and be allowed to share in their experience. A huge orange butterfly also flew around the gentleman as he was baptized. After a rest and a Coke to bump up our sugar, we headed even deeper into the jungle for an afternoon visit and lunch with a different local family. This experience... it didn't hit me until after we left and I was back at our resort alone in my room but I came very close to crying. Not with sadness but with joy. Located beside a lagoon with no electricity, no plumbing, they seemed so perfectly happy. They were genuinely pleased to share their way of life, their history, their home and their food with these random strangers. We chatted about the family (immediate and extended), day to day life, shared laughs about our differences and I think, bonded over similarities regardless of culture. Then it was lunch time! We were invited to try making our own tortillas before sitting down to probably the most enjoyable meal I can remember (pollo pabil). Kept company by their beautiful children and their adorable dog, Tobacco, this family made us feel incredibly welcome and it was our honour to meet them. As a sweet treat to end our visit, we got to see their beehives where they harvest their own honey made by the local, stinger-less (and oh so tiny) Mayan bees. FYI, its delicious. A HUGE thank you to Ralf for putting together this incredible, life changing day for us. Finally getting to meet you was like getting together with an old friend.

Our family enjoyed a tour with Lawson's Original Yucatan Excursions on May 22…read more We were picked up at our Airbnb in Chuburna by Ralf and our driver, Jose. By the end of the day, they both felt like old friends! Early in the day, we went to a market to shop for food with Inez. She then instructed us on what to do to prepare an authentic Mexican lunch, giving each of us jobs. Once the prep was done, the chicken needed to cook (underground!), so we headed to our next stop - Uxmal. We had a very knowledgeable guide at Uxmal, and we enjoyed it very much. Next, we stopped at Choco-Story, where we fed monkeys, watched a Mayan cacao ceremony, and sampled drinking chocolate. After Choco-Story, we traveled back to our foodie experience with Inez. The food was delicious, and we were ready for our next adventure - a cenote. It was a beautiful day for the cool water and the perfect way to end the day. Ralf was the ideal guide. He made stops along the way, was engaging, and full of fun stories/information. If we wanted to talk, he did if we wanted quiet, he sensed that as well. There were little touches throughout, like providing cold drinks in the cooler and making sure we tried ice cream and smoothies after the heat at Uxmal. Ralf heard us talking about the birthday of our son-in-law on the ride to meet up with Inez. She and her helpers provided a cake complete with a candle and sang 'Happy Birthday' at our beautifully set lunch table. It was a magical, memorable day, and one our family will always treasure. Thank you, Ralf! 5 stars only because there isn't an option for more

If you can understand basic Spanish, then this tour might be for you…read more Needless to say, it wasn't great for me who can only understand very minimal Spanish. Hubbers and I deliberately made time to experience this tour just so I can learn more about his family's hometown. And because I couldn't understand most of what was being said, didn't really learn much. Party of three, we met up with the host and was told the next bus run wasn't going to be for another half hour, so the three of us killed time by cooling off with sorbets at the dulceria nearby. We came back and we ended up waiting another 20 minutes. I'm guessing they were hoping for more passengers. Hubbers and his cousin decided to take the tour upstairs - under the sun. That was a no-no for me since it was way too hot for me to hangout there for an hour, so I stayed put downstairs. I searched for headphones to plug in their translation outlets: nothing. Them outlets didn't even look like they were working. But just for curiosity, I asked the driver if there were headphones. He told me, "NO." So, I had to put a quick thought in this: should I join Hubbers and cuzzo upstairs and maybe he can translate for me but suffer the blistering sun, or just stay downstairs and be more comfy? I went for the latter. So, yes, disappointing. I also need to mention the windows were open, so this is not an AC'd one-and-a-half-hour ride. I did enjoy seeing some structures, I understood a bit of description of some of them (but not enough to learn about them). We made one stop - just to pick up more passengers, and we were back in front of the cathedral in no time. Not recommending for non-Spanish speakers. I can't remember how much it was but wasn't worth it for me. One-and-done.

Their website is full of lies! This tour is only available in Spanish, unlike it says on the…read morewebsite. Even on the registration, it asks for English or Spanish, but it did not matter. Unless you speak Spanish, do not take this tour unless you just want to drive around the city for an hour and a quarter (which was also shorter than the website claimed). Also, it is not a hop on and hop off ride like it says on the bus and on the website. The bus never stopped. I am giving it to stars because it was nice to see the city and one of us spoke Spanish and they understood the history. We took the barrios tour.

So freaking easy. They just have one route so its hard to mess up (to Progreso). Costs I think 24…read morepesos each way which is crazy cheap. Buses leave every 15 minutes and you can just get on any one you want - you don't pay for a specific time. So, you can enjoy your day at the beach and head back to Merida whenevs. I believe they take cash only and all riders pay.

Party of 11 to Progreso, there was NO way we were all going to fit in a medium sized SUV. Uber…read moremight also be too expensive so our next option was to take a bus. Party of 5 (including 2 kids) didn't mind. I made it a part of the Merida experience. SUV peeps took our bags, so we didn't have anything to carry with us other than our personal belongings. It made the trip even easier. I have to mention the fare was incredibly affordable! So we bought our tix and waited patiently for the ride. We sat all the way at the back. The bus we got was old and really dated. There were rips on the chairs, the AC vents were missing - they're just holes blowing out air in one place - there was a teenee moldy smell... but at least there was AC. The trip was about an hour, give or take a few minutes. There was only a few minutes of traffic trying to get out of Merida, but once we were on the outskirts, it was a nice and smooth ride. As mentioned earlier, the bus was dated, so the seats were not exactly comfortable. Good thing the trip wasn't too long. It wasn't long before we got to Progreso and their location is really convenient. It's literally a couple of blocks away from the Malecon which is our destination for a couple of days. TIP: There is a bus that leaves to and from Progreso every 15 minutes, sometimes earlier, depending on how soon a bus gets filled up. I believe there are no other to-and-from destinations. Not the best bus ride, but glad to have had the experience.

Lots of charm in this historic hotel. The location makes it easy to enjoy Merida's Centro…read more The rooms are comfortable. Air-conditioning works well. Staff is friendly and helpful. On-site restaurant is convenient with good food providing options for vegetarians. Overall, a good value.

Gosh, I wish I would like this place better, but it was kind of painful staying here if you're…read moretechnically inclined like us. Parking? They do have parking which is good, but hope they have spaces. It's on the same block about 100 or so ft from the Casa del Balam Entrance on the right. Merida is a city so no street parking and all paid parking areas. If you get an actual space, you don't have to hand your keys over, otherwise, good luck and don't leave anything inside. Make sure you grab a ticket and have the front desk stamp it so that you don't get charged for parking. Wifi? Oh my goodness...it was god awful. We had to be on one side of the room in a specific area and cross your fingers and toes and hope that you can get something. It was probably the room we were staying in 306 or something like that which was all the way on the 3rd floor all the way in the back corner. The Wifi in the main lobby area is quite strong, so if you want to stay down there for wifi great. Otherwise hope you get a room that gets a strong signal. Room? Gosh, we didn't have any towels, but the toiletries were ok. The only thing that was disturbing were these tiny little bugs that would come out of no where crawling over all our stuff. Don't leave sweet things out or at least make sure they're sealed. Actually make sure everything you have is sealed and above the ground...though these little suckers climb the furniture to get to everything. Very gross. We had to keep our socks on the whole time cause I don't think they clean the floor very well either. We had two beds. They were ok. Oh gosh, the room also was next door to the theater which had a lot of noise at night and the curtains don't really shield the lights from it. Overall? I don't know if you'll be able to find a better place that's situated in the heart of Merida. Just expect the noises, buggies, and well come on Sunday cause the city seems to have a bicycle day which means no pollution!

My husband and I had an amazing time in Villa Merida. The place is beautiful, clean and very…read morespecial Airbnb. I took videos and photos to share with family and friends of how beautiful it was. The owners are very nice and welcoming. Also, I wanted to share that after 3 days of leaving this place I noticed that a pair of gold earrings where missing. We contacted the Villa Merida, since that was the last place I remember I had them. The owner responded quickly to let us know that he will be asking the staff. After few days and we were already back home (LA), the owner contacted us to let us know that the earrings were found and that he would help us to have them back. Most shipping companies don't allow you to send gold, we also, don't know or have friends in that city so to get them back was complicated. Finally, the owner found out that one woman that was staying at the Villa, was a flight attendant living in LA. He contacted us immediately to see if we were OK, to have them returned with her. I can't thank enough the owners of the Villa Merida for everything. We will definitely return and recommend this place.

Beautiful grounds and old home. Boorish onsite host. He was an absolute prick on our departure day…read more We had an unfortunate early flight and due to the nature of his accommodations and the coffee pot I woke him up. The early morning confrontation sans coffee really dampened my stay.

We were in Merida for a week and the best two days of our trip were the two we spent with Polo. He…read moreis from Merida and knows everyone and everywhere. He took us to Cenotes which were not super touristy but also very safe. He knows the history and geography very well and can explain so much about how things are. He speaks both English and Spanish very well. He can design your day and take you to spots you would never discover otherwise.

I have used Yucatan Excursions for private tours throughout the Yucatan peninsula. Although the…read morecompany does transport people between hotels and Airports or other transportation centers, I think the company excels in custom tours. I have used Yucatan Excursions several times in the past three years. The day trips I have taken are a great value. Not only did we visit the locations on my "to do" list, but Polo had excellent suggestions on places to visit that are off the beaten path. I saw Mayan ruins that are not publicized but are way better than Those swamped with tourists. My suggestion is for you to have an idea of what you want to see, and ask Polo for suggestions. You won't be disappointed. Polo speaks fluent English, and his a wealth of historical and cultural information. You may have heard of Rick Steve's Europe Through the Back Door. I see Polo as being Yucatan Off the beaten path. One thing I didn't mention in my initial review is that Yucatan Excursions is a locally owned small business. It is not part of an international hotel chain or travel company. When you use this business you are supporting a local business and the local economy. In the days of multi-national corporations I think it is very important for travelers to support the communities they are visiting. You are also getting personalized service that is tailored to your specific wants and interests, and not to a pre-determined set of criteria intended to cater to the overall assumed desires of all tourists.

Another gorgeous boutique hotel in Merida!! I was there a few weeks ago and since they were…read moreremodeling their "normal" hotel, I got upgraded to their "VIP" hotel which is right next door. The moment you walk in, there is so much peace and tranquility even though on the main road (calle 62) there is a lot of noise with just the cars driving by. The VIP hotel only has 6 suites however we still had an outdoor swimming pool with lounge chairs. The rooms are quite spacious, clean, and comfortable. The super tall ceilings and decor of the hotel truly transport you back to the hacienda days in Mexico. I did partake on ordering drinks poolside since its so hot/humid out there so thats also an option. I didn't see many other guests there since people are usually out on their tours or walking around getting familiar with the city. The concierge are super helpful providing ideas/suggestions on things to do or would recommend places if you ask. One day it was raining and they brought me an umbrella to me right before I walked out for a tour. I would recommend adding a small fridge to the room just so guests can store water. This is a boutique hotel you definitely want to enjoy their well maintained facilities and take advantage of everything offered.

Beautiful boutique hotel with an amazing staff! The accommodations are clean, comfortable and…read moreaesthetically pleasing. The staff goes above and beyond to ensure their guests are well fed, happy and taken care of. The property is absolutely gorgeous and the pool rocks! Absolutely coming back!

We have now stayed at Mansión Mérida twice, and it has become one of those rare hotels that feels…read moreless like a place to stay and more like being welcomed into a piece of living history. The mansion dates back centuries and was transformed into the grand family home you see today during Mérida's golden era. What makes staying here especially wonderful is that the family connection continues. The great-grandson of the original owner personally greets guests as they check in, and in the morning he is often there in the beautiful open-air rotunda, graciously making his way from table to table to see how everyone is enjoying their stay. That kind of hospitality simply cannot be manufactured. And the mansion itself is glorious. The rooms are extraordinarily elegant, with exaggeratedly high ceilings, beautiful architectural details and the wonderful sense of scale that only a true historic mansion can provide. And, on a very practical note: GREAT water pressure! Anyone who travels frequently in Mexico will appreciate just how noteworthy that can be. The location may be equally perfect. Mansión Mérida sits beside Parque Hidalgo, one of the cultural gathering places in the historic center, surrounded by magnificent architecture and just steps from the cathedral, shops, galleries and some of the best restaurants in Mérida. You can walk almost everywhere you want to go. There are many beautiful hotels in Mexico. Mansión Mérida is something more--a magnificent old family home whose history, elegance and gracious hospitality are still very much alive. We loved it the first time, came back a second, and will most certainly return.

Amazing mansion Im the middle of the town. Each room Is…read moredecorated like royalty. Service is top notch. Small private pool, garden restaurant and bar.