Yucatan - Chad. Date of travel: Oct 2008
The Yucatan. A flat land made on limestone. No rivers, instead the water collects in cenotes (sinkholes). Some are very dramatic and commercialized, others are just in the jungles where the locals go the swim. Some people get into scuba diving in these. Especially the ones that go deep into underwater caves. Mayan ruins are another huge draw the the Yucatan. The Mayan hammocks are world reknown and were my big draw. No more sleeping with the jungle bugs for me. The Mayan culture is also fun to engage with. Merida is the capital with a thiving culture. All crafts can be purchased here. Tiskokob is a small town a half hour away. This is where most of the crafts are made and can be bought for much cheaper.

The very best of Yucatan - Silvia. Date of travel: May 2008
Have they told you in school that the Mayan have all been terminated by the Spanish conquistadores? Well, this is not completely true. Mayan descendants are still in Yucatan, and you can very much recognize them by the brown skin, dark hair at any age (it never gets white!), the lack of hair on legs or arms and the the typical almond shaped eyes. The kids in the pictures are Mayan! If you are visiting Yucatan do not miss the chance to see them! Travel with a daily tour to Tolum to see Mayan ruins and amazing snorkelling, to Isla Mujeres (the women island) for beautiful beaches and folkloristic village and most of all Chitchen Itza, where the magical Mayan pyramids are located. Just a couple of hours away from Cancun it offers the best of the colture, it will feel like step back in the mysterious Mayan past!

Rod Keller. Date of travel: Jul 2003
Done right this is the vacation of a lifetime. The Yucatan is an undiscovored and fascinating place. From the known ruins like Chichen Itza and Uxmal to the hard-to-find tumbles of stone and silence that lie in obscurity surrounded by dense tropical jungle, it is all there waiting for those with the inclination to find it. It is my favorite place, and this hidden site is my way to share some of it with others. Part of my fascination with this corner of the world is the Yucatan's dual personality. On the one hand light, sunny and full of vibrant colors -- yellow, aqua, turquoise and copper. On the other hand, deep, silent, shadowed and mysterious, green, and black and wet. After a hard week or two whacking through the jungle and sweating it out in the heat and humidity, there's nothing quite like a few quiet days on a beach to restore your sense of equilibrium. The Carribean coast of the Yucatan is a long stetch of white sandly beaches and turqoise waters, mostly protected from the pounding waves by the second largest barrier reef in the world. At its Southern end sits the stunningly overt melange of high-end glitz of Cancun. The intense tourism development gradually subsides the further south you go along the coast. South of the ancient ruin of Tulum, the coast becomes extremely primitive. The Sian Kaan World Heritage Site protects most of the extreme southern end of the Yucatan from develoment. Much of the beach is home to both Green and Loggerhead sea turtles. Sea turtle nesting season starts in May, and peaks in late July and August. Females lay clutches of up to 120 eggs at a time, at night. In many communities, volunteers monitor activities to make sure that the turtles are nesting in appropriate areas, and labor to protect the nests from poachers. Going out on at midnight to play midwife to a coffee-table-sized turtle is a transcendant experience. The most famous sites are Chichen Itza, Uxmal and more recently, Tulum (on the Coast), Each has its own draws, and the architecture of both Chichen Itza and Uxmal are certainly worth their reputations. Pictured here are a few of my favorite shots from each of those ruins. The Quetzacoatl shot is from the ballcourt at Chichen, the best restored ballcourt that I have seen. See my site at www.rodkeller.com/yucatan for photos, and a personal account of what it feels like to circumnavigate the Yucatan, hardly see another English-speking tourist in three weeks, and visit remote archeological ruins and natural areas.

Tulum, Yucatan - Chad. Date of travel: Apr 2003
A month in Tulum, Yucatán. A small town along the Routa de Maya. Caribbean Sea and Mayan ruins. A nice hostel in town. The beach is 3km away, with cheap camping and more expensive resorts. The second largest reef in the world passes by and is great for snorkelling and scuba. Cenotes (sinkholes) are hidden around. Some are commercialized others you have to ask around about. Many ex-patriates and gypsy travelers. Interesting scene. Cool vibe but contains travelers making their living off of left as well. The ruins are the main attraction. One of the latest examples of Mayan empire.