Ancient Mayan Ruins - Tulum

The Ancient Mayan ruins at Tulum, are in my opinion, the most breathtaking ancient structures of the Yucatan Peninsula. Perched in the edge of the cliffs, overlooking the glistening turquoise and aqua ocean, the archeological zone is enclosed by an ancient wall.

Templo del Dios del Vientos in the background

Braino and I first visited these ruins on 2012 and we remember getting caught in a downpour of rain and sheltering in a tunnel within one of the ruins. Even though the weather wasn’t great on that visit, I’ve been captivated by Tulum ever since. Whenever I’ve created a vision board in the years since, I’ve always used a photos of the ruins at Tulum to represent my travel goals. It’s also been my laptops screensaver from time to time.

This time around, the day we visited was very hot and rather windy, but the views were even more spectacular than I remembered. The girls were more interested in the insane amount of iguanas that call the ruins their home.

El Castillo

The main temples, El Castillo and Templo del Dios del Viento are the two main ones you’ll see in photos, but the site contains many other structures set back a little way from the cliffs. The beach below the El Castillo is acesssable, however when we visited it was off limits due to excessive amounts of sargassum (seaweed).

El Castillo

El Castillo

The overall facilities have had a major update over the last decade too, it cater to Tulum’s increasing popularity. At the start of the archaeological zone, there is a sprawling market area filled with souvenir stalls, restaurants and even a Starbucks. You can even see a performance of Danza de los Voladores. There is even an electric shuttle bus that transports visitors from the main entrance to the ruins, saving about 20 minutes of walking.

El Castillo

The tickets to the Tulum Archaeological Zone were: $415 MXN pesos plus a seperate $100 MXN pesos for entry into the Jaguar National Park, I think I remember kids being either completely free or just requiring the $100 peso national park fee. Guides are an additional costs - we just choose to explore them on our own.

El Castillo in the background

Templo del Mar

Originally we planned to split our time in Mexico between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum as I had always envisioned staying in Tulum. However, once we got settled into our apartment in Playa Del Carmen, we decided to skip staying in Tulum together and extend our stay in Playa Del Carmen. The many reasons were:

• Our accommodation in Playa Del Carmen worked out to be cheaper per night.

• The apartment and the swimming pool were bigger in size. Apartments in Tulum only seemed to offer rooftop pools or small plunge pools.

• We met so many lovely people in our apartment complex, it was such a friendly welcoming environment.

• We could walk to the beach from our apartment in Playa Del Carmen. Tulum’s town centre and residential areas are a fair distance from the beach. Accessing the beachs of Tulum seems to be restricted to the expensive boutique hotels and beach clubs.

• Tulum is marketed as a very instagrammable, trendy location which has attracted a lot of digital nomads over the years. All the stunningly spectacular architecture is inside the exclusive, expensive boutique resorts, so unless you’re staying in one of them, the rest of Tulum isn’t that much different from Playa Del Carmen. That was just our feeling anyway. We visited a few times and felt a little underwhelmed in the main town.

Los Rapidos Bacalar - A Natural Lazy River

Los Rapidos Bacalar is actually about 20mins south of Bacalar’s main town. It’s naturally formed lazy river. The warm crystal clear waters flow through a canel of Stromtralites, which are the white coral like rocks you can see along the edges.

Stromalites are actually  formed by microscopic photosynthetic organisms, primarily cyanobacteria. They are essentially "living fossils" and represent one of the earliest forms of life on Earth! So it was very important not to touch them or walk on them.

We had so much fun here! We were only anticipating staying for an hour or two but we ended up staying all day, from around 10:30am to 4pm!

To access the lazy river, you have to enter via the Los Rapidos ‘Lake’ Club where they provide tables, chairs, lifejackets, lockers and toilet facilities for the admission price of $200 Mexican pesos for an adult / $150 pesos for per child.  You can buy food and drinks here too ( it’s prohibited to bring your own ). The facilities of the restaurant / lake club were what made it so confortable to stay there for a whole day. We are able to nab a shady table and chairs, where we relaxed between floating down the river.

The girls also loved swimming around, chasing the fish in the little lagoons that there were off to the side of the river area.

One thing to note: because of the stromatolites and the delicate ecosystem of Bacalar Lagoon it’s prohibited to wear sunscreen - same with cenotes. Our long sleeve swimwear was the main reason we could stay out so long. But we still got a little bit sunburnt on our faces.

Is it safe for kids? It’s mandatory to wear the lifejackets provided but you can bring your own for kids. Which would be our main tip as we found it was hard to find lifejackets small enough for our girls. Plus the lifejackets are a little mouldy. Initially we had to hunt around and wait for the XS sized ones. The current isn’t extremely fast, the girls were able to swim out of it at the end point but we were always there to help them.

Ancient Mayan Ruins - Chacchoben

The Ancient Mayan ruins of Chacchoben are about an hour north of Bacalar, a short distance from the highway. While they do see a lot of day trippers from the near by the Costa Maya cruise port at Mahahual, we had the ruins to ourselves with only a handful of other visitors.

Chacchoben, meaning ‘Place of the Red Corn’ contains multiple stepped temples surrounded by shady jungle paths. The two main temples, Temple 1 and Los Vasijas, are perched on a hill top, Gran Basamento, which you can reach by walking up the ancient step in front of the two small temples called Los Gemeelos. Temple 24 is located closer to the entrance and the site contains many structures that are still covered by the dense jungle. Climbing any of the actual pyramids is prohibited.

Los Vasijas

I can’t recall exactly how much it was to enter the site. It was definitely cheaper than Chichen Itza and Uxmal so maybe around $400 -$500 Mexican pesos per adult. Guides were available on site however we chose to explore at our own pace.

Los Vasijas

Plaza B

Temple 24

This was a great pit stop on the way back to Playa Del Carmen, we spent about an hour here and also stopped off in Tulum to get our favourite beef and pork tacos at a restaurant ironically named Good Burger, considering it was the tacos we kept coming a back for.

The drive from Tulum to Bacalar passes through many small Mayan villages, which are so fasinating to see Many of the houses still have the traditional thatched roofs and locals set up stalls along the highway selling fresh fruit- mainly pineapples. Keep an eye out when driving through the town of Limones and you see a small ancient Mayan pyramid sitting in the centre of town, right along the highway.

Temple 1

Other Archeological Zones that could be explored from Bacalar:

• Calakmul

• Dzibanche

• Ichkabal

• Oxtankah

• Becan

• Xpuhil

• Kohunlich

Bacalar - 2 Nights at the Lagoon of Seven Colours

We visited Bacalar Lagoon as a 2 night side trip from Playa Del Carmen - it’s about a 3.5hr drive south near the city of Chetumal and border of Belize.

This Mexican Government and Tourism boards have created an initiative recognising certain towns across Mexico as Pueblos Magicos for their “magical” qualities, whether that be their astonishing beauty, rich history, or extraordinary legends. Bacalar, along with Valladolid, Tulum, Isla Mujueres and Izamal, which we also visited, have made the list. And I can see why. I loved Bacalar! It has as very ‘off the beaten path ‘ sort of vibe!

The town of Bacalar sits on the west side of Bacalar Lagoon, known as the Lagoon of Seven Colour, due it to spectacular array of clear, calm blue hues. The town itself is very authentic and not overly touristy, a total different vibe from Playa Del Carmen or Tulum.

The colour Bacalar sign next to the Fort on San Felipe in the central plaza area.

What We Did in Bacalar

The first afternoon, we wandered around town, had lunch at the main plaza where the old Fort of San Felipe is, before getting lost looking for a cenote that we discovered was only accessible via boat from the lagoon. 🤦‍♀️ But we stumbled into one of the many lake clubs that line the lagoon’s edge for a quick refreshment before heading back to our very cheap but also very cheerful accommodation.

Getting lost and finding our way to one of the many lake clubs

Our full day was spent at Los Rapidos, which was so much better than we expected. We stayed all day! The girls loved floating down the natural lazy river. I’ve made a seperate blog post for Los Rapidos because it was honestly one of the highlights of our time in Mexico.

That evening we ate dinner at Mr Taco and wandered down to the main square again where they had local markets set up. We also saw another Danza de los Voladores ( Dance of the Flyers ) which is an ancient Mesoamerican ceremony/ritual. The ritual consists of dance and the climbing of a 30-meter (98 ft 5 in) pole from which four of the five participants then launch themselves tied with ropes to descend to the ground. The fifth remains on top of the pole, dancing and playing a flute and drum. According to one myth, the ritual was created to ask the gods to end a severe drought.

The next morning, thanks to the recommendation of our accommodation owner, we went to the eco park area located at the northern end of Avenue 1 . The boardwalk wraps around the mangroves and provides an entry point to swim in the beautiful lagoon waters. It’s 20 pesos to enter the boardwalk but it’s worth it for the views alone. We didn’t stay too long because our whole family is prone to sizzling with direct sun exposure 😂 but the water was incredibly refreshing! I would suggesting bringing your own lifejackets for small kids as the water can get deep in parts.

Eco Park Boardwalk area

Boardwalks and Palapas on the lagoon

Braino at the Lake Cub

Eco Park Boardwalk Area

If we had one more day in Bacalar, I would have done a boat tour around the lagoon. There are many cenotes around the edge, plenty of places to stop and have a swim and the Pirates Canal with the shipwrecks sounded very intriguing.

On our way back to Playa Del Carmen we stopped off at the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins which were so impressive and pretty much deserted. The perfect way to explore such a mystical location.

Chacchoben Mayan Ruins

The colourful street art of Bacalar

The colourful street art of Bacalar

Colourful Streets of Bacalar

Two Nights in Vibrant Valladolid

Valladolid is a vibrant colonial town, approximately 2.5 hours drive from Playa Del Carmen. We stayed there for two nights and used it as a based to explore the following archeological sites and cenotes: 

• Chichen Itza Archeological Zone

• Ek Balam Archeological Zone 

• Cenote Xcanche 

• Cenote Suytun 

I absolutely loved Valladolid and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who wants to explore some of the more off the beaten path areas of the Yucatan Peninsula. It’s walkable, colourful and friendly, it caters to tourists without feeling at all like it’s overrun.  In the afternoons, the coaches that transport the tourists from Cancun and Playa Del Carmen for their day trips to Chichen Itza make a stop in the main plaza of Valladolid but beyond the daily surge of day tripers, the town feels so authentic and unique. 

Iglesia de la Candelaria

Iglesia de la Candelaria

Next to Iglesia de la Candelaria

Where we stayed: 

We stayed a very budget friendly boutique hotel called Casa Valladolid Hotel Boutique. We had one room that fit all of us in it. It was basic but fine for two nights. We enjoyed the little breakfast restaurant that was on site and it had a small too. It was in a great location, only a few blocks back from the main plaza. 

Our accommodation - Case Valladolid Hotel Boutique.

Traditional Mayan House on Calle de Los Frailes

Where we ate:

Las Campanas is right on the corner of the plaza, near the big church Iglesia de San Servacio. This was a nice little traditional restaurant. 

Mercado 41 (Gastro market): on Calle 41 between Calle 52 and Calle 51. This was a relaxed outdoor restaurant that had a lot of options like pizza too 

We loved the food in both restaurants. The prices were great and the food was amazing. 

Eating Churos in the plaza

Calle de Los Frailes

The iconic white seats

Calle de Los Frailes

Iglesia de la Candelaria

Other things to do in Valladolid

Cenote Zaci îs an extraordinary sink hole style cenote right in the centre of town, only four blocks west of the main plaza. (We unfortunately didn’t swim here. We were planning to but we came back from Chichen Itza too late in the afternoon. It looked amazing though.) 

Wander down Calle de Los Frailes, a low traffic street with lots of cafes, restaurants clothing boutiques and handicraft shops. It leads to Parque Sisal where you’ll find the Convento de San Bernardino de Siena, the colour Valladolid Letters and playground for kids. 

Hang out in the central plaza,  visit the Iglesia de San Servacio and sit in the white double seats that are iconic to the colonial towns of the Yucatan Peninsula. 

Our accommodation was close to the Iglesia de la Candelaria which is a colourful church that overlooks a smaller, vibrant plaza with a playground. 

Iglesia de San Servacio on the main plaza.

Valladolid is so vibrant and walkable and photogenic! I loved wandering around, observing all the locals and capturing photos of the vibrant colonial architecture. It’s also a very convenient base for explore the endless options of cenotes in the area.

Calle de Los Frailes

Calle de Los Frailes

Our Guide to the Ancient Mayan Ruins of the Yucatan Peninsula.

During our three months in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico we visited a number of the magnificent ancient Mayan Ruins that cover the Yucatan Peninsula. Hre;s quick guide to which onces we visited as a family with three kids.

Who are the Mayans?

The ancient Mayans, a sophisticated Mesoamerican civilization, flourished in regions that are now part of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador. 

Known for their remarkable achievements in architecture, mathematics, astronomy, and hieroglyphic writing, the Mayans developed a highly advanced society. Their cities showcase impressive pyramids and temples that stand as a testament to their architectural ingenuity. 

Many of the residents of the Yucatan Peninsula are the descendants of the Mayans actively preserving their language, culture, and traditions

Why visit the archeological ruins?

There is something about ancient ruins that I find so mysterious and captivating. It’s mesmerising to see buildings that have withstood the tests of time for centuries and marvel at engineering techniques of the past. The rest of the family doesn’t mind visiting them either, I guess. Haha. It’s an imersive way to learn about history first hand and at the very least, it’s a good excuse to go for a walk in nature.

Here’s a quick overview of all the ancient ruins we visited:

El Castillo / Temple of Kukulcan at Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

The largest, most visited and best restored ancient Mayan, home of El Castillo or The Temple of Kukulcan as it’s also known, the iconic new wonder of the world.

Located between Merida and Valladolid

Tulum El Castillo

Tulum

These smaller but popular ancient ruins are perched high on the cliffs overlooking the ocean.

Located a short distance from Tulum’s town centre

One of the smaller Pyramids at Coba

Coba

The acheological zone of Coba is the most jungly and vast, with the option of hiring bikes or peddle cabs with drivers to tour the main pyramids

Located around 45 mins west of Tulum’s town centre

Ek Balam

Ek Balam

As of May 2025 these were the only ruins that you could still climb to the top of. It a very extensive site but not that well known or visited.

Located around 30 minutes north of Valladolid

The Pyramid of the Magician at Uxmal

Uxmal

A sprawling site with the impressive Pryamid of the Magician rising above the tree line. Lots of intricate cravings and details.

Located around an hour south west of Merida

Chacchoben

Chacchoben

A smaller, nearly deserted site near the town of Bacalar in the southern part of the pensinsula. Very jungly with an amazing variety of smaller pyramids.

Located around an hour north of Bacalar

How we visited all the archeological sites.

We hired a car for the majority of the time during our stay so we drove to all the archeological ours. It was easy to do with the help of google maps but we had to allow for parking fees at all the sites. We decided not to hire any guides, although you can easily hire guides at the entrance and I imagine that would be very informative and interesting. We just find that with the girls, it’s a lot to expect them to stand still, listen and focus on what the guide is saying. ( We learned this from all the guided tours we did in Egypt ) For us, it’s a much more enjoyable experience to just wander around together, reading the signage and discussing what we see.

If you were staying at one of the many all inclusive resorts in the Mayan Riveria, you can organise day trips tours in to the major sights like Chichen Itza, Tulum and Coba through the resort. Otherwise there is alway websites like Get Your Guide where your can arrange a guide and a transfer to the from the archeological zones.

Overall we found visiting the ruins on our own with out a guide an easy and cost effective way to explore.

What to Bring

• Cash - from memory Chichen Itza had EFTPOS facilities for the admission tickets but generally, cash is used a lot in Mexico. A lot of markets, smaller shops and less touristy sights are equipped only for cash.

• Sun protection - It’s hot and humid! We did lots of walking in the heat so sunprotetcion like hats, sunglasses, suncream is essenetial.

• Hydration - bring water too! You can buy refreshments at the entrances to the archeological zones.

• Comfortable Shoes - due to the heat, we were many wearing crocs or birkenstock sandals but expect to do a lot of walking so wear whatever is comfortable for your feet.

• We were able to buy tickets on the day at all the sites (we didn’t book online in advance, it didn’t seem necessary ) and we didn’t have to show any ID.

Admission Prices

The prices vary for each of the archeological zones and, to be honest, it seems like the prices increase quite regularly, so trying to find out online in advance was a little difficult. When we visited in March & April 2025 the prices were:

Chichen Itza: Adults $671.00 MXN pesos / Children were only $100 MXN pesos

Ek Balam: Adults $581.00 MXN pesos / Children were only $100 MXN pesos

Tulum: Adults $415 MXN pesos / plus $100 MXN pesos for the Jaguar National Park Children were free, I think…

Uxmal: Adults $581 MXN pesos / Children were only $100 MXN pesos

I don’t recall the prices of Coba or Chacchoben, I took a photo of the signage with pricing at all the other ruins, but they would have been around the same cost as Tulum and Ek Balam.

The prices listed above are what we paid as tourists. Mexican citizens and Mexican residents (with a valid ID) do get a considerably discounted admission price.

Children classified as 3 years olds to 12 years old (it may be advisable to bring ID for kids who are younger 10, 11 and 12 years old)

Don’t forget to budget for parking at each site - around 50 -100 pesos.

Beach clubs and Beaches around Playa Del Carmen

Playa del Carmen has some truly stunning beaches.  The water is so clear, warm and calm and ideal for kids . All beaches are free to everyone, but getting onto the beaches can be a challenge as many of the huge resorts dominate the beach frontage. If you can find a public access point, it’s free to go onto the beach, sit on the sand with an umbrella and swim in the water.  However if you want to settle in on a beach lounge and possibly get some food and drinks, you’re better off looking into a beach club where you’ll have waitstaff bring you drinks and food with a minimal spend required. 

Here is our run down on the beaches and beach clubs that we visited during our time in Playa Del Carmen from  January 2025 - May 2025. 

This is by no means a definitely list. We barely scratched the surface when it comes to amount of beaches and beach clubs on offer. In the downtown area there are many beach access points and areas along the beachfront to swim - Playa 88 and Playa 72  off Avenue 88 and 72 respectively -  were two areas we were planning to swimming at but in an effort to save money on getting to and from the beaches, we stuck to the nearby beach which was Xcalacoco. 

Playa Xcalacoco and Punta Xcalacoo Beach Club

Xcalacoco was within a 2km walk from our apartment in El Cielo residential area and is located about 15 minutes north of the downtown area by car. 

The walk involved winding our way around the Ocean Riviera Paradise Resort, The Fives Resort and the Viceroy Resort but the beach access pathway led to a calm, dedicated swimming area with huge sandbags blocking a lot of the waves. It was easy enough to sit on the sand and have a swim, and we’d often walk 500m south down the beach to the Punta Xcalacoco Beach Club for lunch and a drink. 

This beach club is a stand a lone club, it’s not attached to any hotel or resort. It has a deciduous menus and dinning areas under the huge palapa and beach lounges you can lay on with a minimum spend of 1200 pesos. The staff were super friendly and the food was delicious, we loved walking down to the beach to have lunch here. 

The only downside is that the beach right out the front is a very rocky, the rock pools are fun to explore but you’d want to wear reef shoes. 

I’d do a 7km beach walk most days, either in the morning or in the afternoon, sometimes I’d convince one of the girls to join me. I’ll truely miss walking along this beautiful stretch of beach, people-watching all the report goers and all the local families one the weekends.

Punta Esmerelda

Punta Esmerald was a short drive from our apartment in the El Cielo Residential, heading towards downtown. It’s a totally public beach with no resorts or beach clubs nearby. The main thing we loved and what makes it so great for families is the cenote that connects to the beach, creating a kind of tidal lagoon. It’s shallow and calm which is prefect for kids to splash around in.

It’s possible to also swim out in the ocean which is very calm too, but can be prone to the seaweed building up in the cove area in front of the lagoon. There are free palapas (wooden umbrellas made from palm fronds), toilets and change rooms too but it’s recommended to  bring your own food  as there was only a few people wondering around with icecreams and snacks. Although once we did make the trek along the beach to Playa 72 and then walked all the way down to Ave 46 to find a restaurant.  

This spot is very popular with locals as well as tourists and it was so lovely watching all the families hanging out and enjoying the lagoon. 

Punta Esmerelda

Punta Esmerelda

Punta Esmerelda

Punta Esmerelda

Punta. Esmerelda

Xpu-Ha Beach

We spent the day at Xpu -Ha beach with our neighbours Kelly, Ron and Linda. It was one of Kelly and Ron’s recommended beaches and we went as a bit of a send off as they were heading back to Canada and to say thanks for all their help around the apartment complex. 

We took our own chairs and shade tarp and sat in the free public section. The ocean water was amazingly warm and even with a little bit of the seaweed, it was still so nice to chat and swim. We sat on the beach together for most of the morning before heading to the La Playa Xpu-Ha Beach Club for lunch. The food was great and this beach club offer beach lounges too, in fact there was a number of beach clubs to choose from but setting up ourselves in the beach was perfect. 

Xpu-Ha beach is located near Cenote Azul, just south of Puerto Adventuras, between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum. 

Xpu-Ha Beach

Xpu Ha Beach

Xpu Ha Beach

Xpu Ha

Xpu Ha Beach

Xpu Ha Beach

La Buena Vida Restaurant, Akumal 

La Buena Vida was recommended to us by our other lovely neighbours Janie and Dan, who happened across it on one of their days out at the nearby Golf Club. It’s more of a restaurant and the in front was rather rocky. We all came back, Janie, Dan, Linda and our family, in the week before Janie and Dan headed back to their home in Colorado. 

Akumal is a small little town between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum that is known for its sea turtle population. But the beach club we visited is a little further up from the bay where the sea turtles can be found. 

La Beuna Vida had such cool vibe with the tree houses, it was very relaxing and the kids loved swimming in the pool. Janie brought her snorkel and I had a lot of fun snorkelling out in the ocean, even though the seaweed was particularly bad at this time. You can see all the orange brown seaweed along the shore in the photo below. 

You could spend so much time trying all the cool beach clubs along the Mayan Riviera! I’m glad we’re able to hang out with friends at some unique ones. 

La Buena Vida Restaurant, Akumal

La Buena Vida Restaurant, Akumal

La Buena Vida Restaurant, Akumal

La Buena Vida Restaurant, Akumal

Petite Lafitte Beach Club 

Petite Lafitte is a small, boutique beachfront resort that was only a short walk from our accommodation. It’s nestled between some of the larger resorts and offers beach club passes for visitors to use the pool, beach lounges and restaurant. It was around 650 Mexican pesos per adults and 250 pesos per child, but that cover charge gives you the equivalent credit in food and drinks. We spent all day there swimming and relaxing so it was worth the money. The girls will always remember this beach club because of the coconut that fell out of the tree right next to us. Rooney worked hard making a hole in it and Braino cracked it open and the girls ate fresh coconut directly from the nut. 

I really loved the vibe of Petite Lafitte, wth the bungalows right on the beach. It’s one place I’d recommended to people wanting to stay on a quieter beach in Playa Del Carmen. I saw a lot of weddings there, during my walks along the beach. 

Petite Lafitte Beach Club

Petite Lafitte Beach Club

Petite Lafitte Beach Club

Petite Lafitte Beach Club

4 Family Friendly Cenotes We Visited Around The Yucatan Peninsula

Over the last three months, we’ve visited a number of incredible cenotes around the Yucatan Peninsula. Our girls have loved swimming and snorkelling in them and exploring the beautiful surrounding natural environment. It’s been such a memorable experience during our time in Playa Del Carmen.

So here is a run down on the cenotes we loved as a family with three kids aged 5, 7 and 9. But first, what exactly is a cenote?

Cenotes are a naturally formed sources of fresh groundwater that are unique to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. For the ancient Mayan people, cenotes were the only source of freshwater and were considered sacred spiritual places, often being viewed as an entrance to the underground. 

The Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico is made of limestone, which contains underground rivers of freshw ater. Overtime, the limestone erodes a collapses, forming the deep sinkhole types of cenotes with vertical sides. There are a number of other types of cenotes; large open ones that resemble more of lagoon or lake, fully enclosed caves that can only be accessed by a hole in the ground and semi open ones that have an elements of caves and coverage.

We typically paired a visit to a cenote with our trips to explore the ancient Mayan ruin of the Yucatan Peninsula. There is usually a cenote close to an ancient Mayan site and it’s a great way to cool down after walking around in the  heat. 

Here’s the list of cenotes we visited: 

Cenote Xcanche 

This cenote is a large, open sinkhole style cenote, located very close to Ek Balam ruins which are approximately 45 mins north of Valladolid. This was actually the first one we visited and still has the title of being our favourite cenote experiences.

There are platforms to jump off and a rope swing to swing off. Life Jackets were including in the admission fee and are highly recommended because the cenote is very deep with very minimal shallows parts. The water so fresh and clear and it was a really pleasant temperature.

Cenote Xcanche had an incredible atmospheric vibe, with the tall vertical sides, wooden ladders , bridges and walkways. There are onsite toilets, showers and change facilities, along with a small restaurant and hammocks.

We’d definitely recommend visiting Cenote Xcanche along with the Mayan ruins of Ek Balam. 

180 Mexican pesos per person (lifejackets included)

Cenote Xcanche

Cenote Suytun

Suytun is located approximately 25 minutes west of Valladolid and would have to be one of the most instagramable cenotes. It’s stunning! It’s a fully enclosed cave cenote except for a small hole in the top where a beam of sunlight shines through. At certain times of the day, the beam of light hits the stone podium that reached out into the centre of the cenote. The photos are incredible and it has even been used as a unique wedding destination.

The water was a little cooler, seeing as it doesn’t get much direct sunshine but it still felt so relaxing and tranquil. Such a unique experience. There was also another cenote in the same grounds but it’s water was a lot more murky and silty.

The whole grounds of Suytun are well established with great toilets, showers and change rooms. There is even a gift shop, a restaurant, a swimming pool and multiple small bungalows onsite for overnight accommodation. Lifejackets were included in the admission price. 

280 Mexican pesos per person (life jackets included)

Cenote Xcanche

Cenote Suytun

Cenote Suytun

Other Cenotes around Valladolid and Chichen Itza

Cenote Zaci - located in the centre of Valladolid - http://cenotezaci.com/

Cenote Ik kil - near Chichén Itzá - https://cenoteikkil.com/

Cenote Azul

Cenote Azul is located right along the main highway, between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum, close to Xpu Ha Beach and Puerto Aventuras. This cenote is a sprawling lagoon type cenote It’s shallow in many areas, with clear warm water and lots of opportunities to snorkel.

There is a 30 ft cliff that Hallie jumped off with Braino by her side and Farley loved exploring the small caves that were under the overhang of the rocks around the edge. We enjoyed watching other people take the leap from the cliff, it had a great atmosphere but didn’t feel too crowded. 

There are toilets and change rooms onsite and a small snack bar. Lifejackets were an extra cost. 

120 Mexican pesos per adult / 80 Mexican peso per child  - Lifejackets are an additional cost 

Cenote Azul

Cenote Azul

Other cenotes along the highway between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum

Cenote Cristalino and Cenote Jarin Del Eden are right next to Cenote Azul along the highway. 

Cenote Dos Ojos and Casa Tortuga Tulum are two more popular, established cenotes along the highway but there are many many more! 

Cenote Zacil - Ha

We stopped in at this small sinkhole style cenote after we visited the Mayan ruin in Tulum. It’s about 15mins out of Tulum along Ave Coba. Initially we were a little taken back by the price per person of 300 mxn (even for the kids - some of the other cenotes have discounted rates for kids) But we still had an amazing time here.

The cenote is small and deep but it’s still very family friendly. Our girls enjoyed jumping off the two different jumping platforms, Braino went across and dropped from the the zip line that goes across the cenote and Farley loved exploring the little caves of the sides of the cenotes. For one of the little caves, we had to swim under a low rock to enter the small air pocket which is Farley’s idea of thrill seeking, rather than jumping off a ledge. 

The grounds of Zacil -Ha also has a number of swimming pools, a water slide and a cafe with plenty of tables and chairs. It felt like somewhere you could spend a whole day with a group of friends, socialising and swimming. There was a great mix of tourists and locals enjoying the cenote.

300 Mexican pesos per person

Cenote Zacil - Ha

Tips for visiting Cenotes 

•  Don’t wear suncream or other lotions while swimming in cenotes due to the delicate eco-systems. It’s manatory to shower and rinse off before entering the cenote and I’d suggest long sleeve swimwear and hats at open cenotes like Cenote Azul. 

• Bring lots of cash. Many, if not all the cenotes are cash only and you’ll need money for admission, possibly lifejackets and snacks and maybe parking. EFTPOS facilities are not available. 

• Allow extra for changes in the admission prices. It’s hard to get concrete admission prices for each of the cenotes from blogs, websites and social media. I expect prices increase regularly, so do be surprised if you see one price online and then discover it’s more once you arrive. (I’ve tried to provide accurate prices for when we visisted in March / April 2025 but I suspect they will change.

• If you have kids, I’d always recommend getting lifejackets, even if they are an extra cost. Cenotes are very deep in parts and the lifejackets are essential, even for adults. You don’t want to be treading water the whole time. We saw atleast one life guard on duty at each of the cenotes but get a life jacket regardless so you’re not treading water the whole time.

• You can bring your own lifejackets, towels and snorkelling gear but double check if the cenotes allows you to bring our own food. (I remember Cenote Zacil - Ha didn’t) Many have snack bars or full on restaurants onsite. 

• We visited all the cenotes independently with a car hire and found them easy enough to find with the maps app on our phones however there are tours available that will take you to a number of cenotes or tours that combine cenotes with an ancient ruin. 

Xcaret — Xenotes Tour

Tours By Locals - Private Cenote Tour

Get Your Guide - Tulum Mexico: Cenote Triple Adventure Tour

Get Your Guide - From Riviera Maya: 3 Cenotes Adventure Tour with Lunch

Cenote Zaci - in the centre of Valladolid (we didn’t swim here but we did walk past it for a look.

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New York City - Day 5 - Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration

Our last day in New York was gorgeous sunny day with clear blue skies but it was the coldest! Minus 7 degrees all day. The girls were very exited to visit the Statue of Liberty; there’s something about iconic buildings and landmarks that resonate with kids. They loved the Leaning Tower of Pisa, in Italy and Big Ben in London. On our previous trip in 2014, Braino and I had opted for the budget friendly way of seeing the Statue of Liberty; taking the public ferry across to Staten Island and back. But this time around, we decided it was worth the money to take the official ferry to Liberty Island and see the Statue up close. This trip also includes a stop at the Ellis Island National Musuem of Immigration, which I was really looking forward to. 

We booked our Statue of Liberty experience tickets on the Headout App and caught the subway down to Battery Park in the Financial District where the ferries depart from. It was $125 USD for all of us. 

The view looking back on the Manhattan skyline was amazing! And seeing the Statue of Liberty close up was a very cool experience too. Our ticket didn’t include climbing up inside the statue but we could walk around the base. The best part was the very informative museum that details the origin, construction and significance of the Statue. Absolutely the best way for the girls to learn about the history of it. 

We ate lunch at the cafe on Liberty Island (the girls will remember the pigeons flying around inside) before catching the ferry to the next destination, the National Museum of Immigration on Ellis Island. 

This was honestly my favourite thing we did in New York. Braino loved it too. It was so fascinating to realise that everyone who came to America from 1892 to 1954 - which was over 12 million immigrants - had to pass through Ellis Island. The main immigration hall has been preserved and now holds detailed exhibitions of the accounts of immigrations, the process they went through once they arrived at Ellis Island and what their life was like once they settled in America. It really gives you a perspective of what life was like only a few generations ago, before airplane travel has allowed us to see so much of the world. And after spending so much time exploring Europe and Great Britain, it puts into perspective how recent the modern histories of the United States and Australia for that matter, really are. There is no better way to learn about history than through travel. 

I wished we could have explored the other spooky old buildings that make up the rest of the Immigration Center - the hospital quaters, the quarantine quarters and builidngs were people had to live for extended periods of time if their immigration requests were taken long to process.

Once we got back to Manhattan, we caught the subway across to Brooklyn, mainly to see the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge and visit Williamsburg, where we had stay for half our two weeks in NYC back in 2014.

Navigating the subway and wandering the streets is, in our opinion, one of the best ways to see the sights and get a feel for New York. The girls had been absolute little champions with all the walking were had been going. And we found the subways to be pretty safe, if a litte old and grimey.

But once we arrived in Brooklyn, in the early afternoon, we just couldn’t deny how cold it was, even with all the layers we were wearing. Our hands were starting the freeze and we hadn’t packed any gloves. The blue sky and the sunshine were very deceptive. After capturing the classic photos of the bridges, we retreated back to the subways and headed for the accomodation. 

We stopped in at the apartment for a restful afternoon before heading back out to Time Square, where we celebrated our last night in New York with a family dinner at Applebees! Very classy! Haha. To stretch the budget out we had generally been cooking basic dinners at the apartment and eating breakfast in too. Lunch was really the only meal we ate out most days.

This trip to New York as cemented Braino’s love for the city, Hallie loved it too, it’s now one of her favourite places.  We now have goals to spend a month here later in life, once we’re retired (once the girls are grown up but maybe they can come too) - exploring all the restaurants, museums, galleries, theatre shows, music, sports and iconic architecture. Visiting with the girls has been amazing, but it’s been a very budget friendly, kid orientated trip. We managed surprisingly well considering the freezing winter temperatures but I wouldn’t recommend visiting in January. Even March / April back in 2014 was chilly. A summer in New York is still on the bucket list. 

New York City - Day 4 - Rockefeller, Grand Central Station & Basketball in Brooklyn

On our fourth day in NYC, we caught the subway to The Rockefeller Center and saw the iconic  ice skating rink - although the famous Christmas tree had already been taken down. We had decided to not go up to the ’Top of the Rock’, the viewing platform at the top of the Rockefeller Center. Braino and I had visited this popular tourist attraction last time we were here and while the views across Manhattan are spectacular, we couldn’t justify the cost for a family of five. 

The child friendly alternative was a visit to FAO Schwarz, the famous toy store at the bottom of the Rockefeller Center next to the Ice Skating Rink. It’s home to the floor piano that can be seen in the movie ‘Big’ and was likely the inspiration for Duncan’s Toy Chest in Home Alone 2. The girls had bit of Christmas money from their grandparents to spend so Hallie got her new toy Scarlet Macaw and Farley purchased some magic felt pens that change colour. (Rooney was saving hers for a skateboard)

On the next street over -  48th Street, we found an amazing book shop; McNally Jackson Bookshop. It had a great kids section but I loved the variety of non-fiction books on the upper level. I could have spent hours browsing. 

Afterwards, we walked down to the New York Public Library and then Grand Central Station for the touristy photo op.  We stopped at a Chic-Fil-a for lunch (a simple but tasty chicken takeaway menu ) and we also caught a glimpse of the Chrysler Building. 

A note for parents;  while the New York Public Library is an incredibly beautiful building and absolutely worth a visit for the architecture and the gift shop alone, the children’s library portion of it is is actually across the road at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation on 455 Fifth Avenue. There was an exhibit inside the New York Public Library that had the original toys of Winnie the Pooh that were owned by the real life Christopher Robin, son of the author A A Milne. 

From there we walked back to our apartment and had a rest that afternoon. We wanted to kids to be well rested for our night at the basketball. 

Ideally, Braino’s would have loved to have watched a game at Madison Square Garden but tickets for games there were incredibly expensive. The Barclay Centre in Brooklyn was a cheaper alternative, we were absolutely in the cheap seats, high up in the back of the stadium.

The game was Brooklyn Nets vs the New York Knicks, which was actually the very same game we saw at the Barclay Center in 2014 when we visited on our honeymoon. 

 Farley read a book for most of the game and by the second half I let Rooney play a game on my phone to keep her occupied but it was still quiet surreal to relive the experience with our girls, almost 11 years later. 

We also saw Sydney Sweeney sitting court side. Last time, it was Phil Colins who was the celebrity sitting court side, they always show celebrities on the big screen. 

New York City - Day 3 - Central Park & The Metropolitan Museum of Art

On our third day, a visit to The Metropolitian Museum of Art was on the itineary so we caught the train to the edge of Central Park and walked through the park again. We ventured into Central Park on our first day but it was all grey skies and drizzling rain but this time we were blessed with a stunning blue sky and a thick layer of snow across the whole park. It was magical!

The highlight was watching local families ride toboggans down a hill in a particular section of Central Park. Kids and parents were zooming everywhere, even across the footpath and down the slope on the other side. It was chaos but very entertaining. 

The Met is now my favourite art musuem. It’s incredible with so many anicent and modern art pieces. I really loved the building itself and the easy to nagivate layout. And it’s location on the edge of Central Park on the Upper East Side is perfect! (The Natural History Museum is on the opposite side of Central Park)

We spent a bit of time wandering around the anicent Egyptyian wing of the museum, comparing the artefacts to what we saw in Egypt, both at the ancient sites and in the museums in Cairo. I was excited to see another false door. There is even a whole Egyptian temple inside The Met! It was relocated from the banks of Lake Nasser in Aswan when the dam was being contructed.

We also enjoyed the Japanese Art section, but were a little disappointed to discover that The Great Wave of Kanagawa by Hoskusai even though it was in the brouchures. The girls were able to do a free kids art workshop where they created portraits, adding gold leaf for look inspired by works of art at The Met. I stayed on a little longer at The Met while Braino headed back to the apartment with the girls to appreciated some of my favourite impressionist artists like Monet, Cezanne, Renior and Manet.

That night I went to the movies by myself to see Nosferatu. Last time we were in NYC it coincided with the Tribeca Film Festival where Braino and I saw three different films. While this wasn’t quite the same, Nosterfatu brought back memories of studying German Expresionist cinema in high school and university. And it was a good follow up to reading Dracula’s while we visited Whitby in England (which I haven’t actually shared on the blog yet)

New York City - Day 2 - American Museum of Natural History

Our second day in New York City was dedicated to visiting the Amercian Museum of Natural History, where the extensive collections easily filled out the majority of our day. The AMNH houses an enormous collection including specimens of plants, animals, fungi, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts.

Some of our highlights were:

• Wandering the halls containing the realistic dioramas of widlflife, habitats and cultural artefacts from around the world.

• Watching the Worlds Beyond Earth film in the amazingly preserved classic theatre.

• Exploring the all the dinosaur fossils on the Fourth Floor

• Marvelling at the gems and minerals in the Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals

There were also so many other additional exhibitions, some at an additional cost, so we could have stayed longer but we covered a fair bit in our visit, enough information for the girls to absorb in one visit.

Tickets

I purchase tickets in advance the night before via the Headout App. There are no timed entries with the tickets but we did arrive just on opening time as I had read the museum can get very crowded and the line to get in can be quite long. When we arrived there was a line of people waiting but the line moved quickly once the doors opened.

Adults tickets are $30 USD while kids were $18 USD

Afterwards caught the subway back to the Flatiron District and stopped in at a bookshop called Books of Wonder on 42 West 17th St which is dedicated to new and second hand children’s books. We can’t go past a good book shop and this one had a wonderful vibe with an incredible variety of childrens classic and modern favourites.

That evening, Braino went out to watch a NFL playoff at a pub near Madison Square Gardens and it actually started snowing overnight, we woke up to see a light dusting of snow in the surrounding city streets.

New York City - Day 1 - Times Square and Central Park

We arrived late at night into JFK Airport having flown from London Heathrow Airport. We actually flew from Hurgharda to London Heathrow and spent a night there at the Sofitel Hotel at the airport. It was a wise decision to break up the long flight across two day, especially because I suffered a short but intense bout of gastro - not fun- but after a good night sleep at the Heathrow Sofitel, I was fine for the flight across the Atlantic.

The next day was our offical first day in New York City and we had a bit of a late start where we did some much needed washing at the laundry facilities in the accommodation. I took the girls out to Macy’s which was only a few blocks up from where we were staying in Midtown, while Braino tackled washing just about everything in our luggage. (We didn’t have access to any free laundry facilities while in Egypt)

The afternoon brought a light drizzle with it but still we ventured off to the iconic Times Square where we had a look in some of the surrounding shops like the Disney Store and the M&M store. The girls loved choosing from the huge variety of colours of M&Ms.

From there we caught the subway up to the edge of Central Park (5th Ave &59th St ) but the rain had set in by this stage and we didn’t get far into the park before heading back in search of a diner or cafe but we came across a subeay station first and decieded to called it a day.

Times Square

Times Square

Radio City

Ice Skating in Central Park

New York City - Budget Friendly, Five Day Family Itinerary

We had always intended to end our trip by spending a number of months in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico but in order to get there we would be transiting through the United States of America. Braino’s choice was to stay in New York City - in the heart of Manhattan to be specific. We had travelled to NYC in 2014 on our honeymoon and Braino has loved New York ever since. 

We were there in mid January, so it would the middle of winter and we got the coldest temperatures we’ve ever experienced. Some days were as low as minus 7 degrees celsius! Technically colder than what we experienced in Tromso during the day. But we still had a really amazing time, New York is now one of Hallie’s favourite destinations too. 

Times Square

Rockerfeller Center

Our AirBnB

Riding the Subway

State of Liberty

Manhattan Skyline from the ferry to the Statue of Liberty

INTINERARY

Here’s our itinerary for the five full days we spent in New York City.

DAY 1.

• Times Square

• Central Park

DAY 2.

• American Museum of Natural History

• Book of Wonders

DAY 3.

• The Metropolitian Museum of Art

• Central Park

DAY 4.

• Rockefeller Center

• New York Public Library

• Grand Central Station

• The Barclay Centre to watch Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks in the NBA. (Basketball)

DAY 5.

• The Statue of Liberty

• Ellis Island Immigration Museum

• Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed in a suprisingly cheap but well located apartment building in Midtown, a few blocks over from the Empire State Building. We found it on airbnb but the building itself seemed to be a very popular acommodation for groups, as we saw so many other groups coming and going during our stay. We had an extremely basic room, with two queen beds and a set of doube bunks. There was a tiny bathroom and a kitchenette and small table. 5 nights in such a small space was a bit of a challenge but we spent most of our days out and about so it was fine. The kids love it when we are all in the one hotel room, which we’ve done a few time when we’ve only stay in a place for a night or two. New York was the longest day we had in a room like this, but it kept things very budget friendly.

The location was the amazing part, right in the centre of Midtown - with views of the Empire State Building (if you pressed your face against the window and looked up, hahah)

GETTING AROUND

We flew in and out of JFK International Airport and had arranged an airport transfer via Booking.com to transport us from the airport into Manhattan and then back again on the day we departed. Airport transfers are something we’ve priortised throughout most of the trip as it takes away a lot of stress when we’ve arrived in a new location - definitely worth the extra money.

During our stay we caught the subway or just walked and felt generally really safe. We were suprised to find that we could literally just tap our phones onto the subway ticket gates and pay for subway tickets using the creidt cards in our phones wallets - no need to buy a pass or physical ticket.

The kids were free on the subways, or more specificlly, we had no problems with them walking through thr turnstiles with us. Maybe Farley should have had a ticket but no-one seemed to be checking.

We did a lot of walking! Over 20k steps some days and considering temperatures were below zero degrees celcius every day, thats a solid effort from the girls!

SIGHTSEEING AND BUYING TICKETS

We generally purchased tickets in advance using the HEADOUT app, which I had used in Paris and Rome as well. It seems to be the perfferred app for addmission tickets, as you get a QR code to scan on arrival at most places. If you want to a tour or have a guide, I’d recommend apps like Get Your Guide or Viator, but we’ve had no problems with HEADOUT.

Museums of Cairo

After our full day of pyramids, our second day in Cairo was all about museums, filled with visits to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum. 

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo

THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM IN CAIRO

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo (EMC) was first constructed in 1902 and houses over 150,000 artefacts inside the beautiful historic building. The museum sits in the downtown area of Cairo, right on Tahrir Square, the site of the major protests of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. 

We did a bit of a whirlwind tour through the museum, but we still saw some of the most impressive pieces like the treasures of Tutankhamun’s tomb, including the golden death mask (it’s prohibited to take photos of it) 

Statue of Amenhotep III and Tiye

Sphinx in the entrance hall

The colossal statue of Amenhotep III and Tiye in the entrance hall of the museum are absolutely awe inspiring. Including their daughter Princess Henuttaneb, the monolith statue is the largest known dyad ever caved and originally stood in Mediate Habu in western Thebes (modern day Luxor). 

I was really interested to see more false doors (you can read more about my new found fascination with false doors in my previous post from our visit to Saqqara) and I loved seeing the statues of Pharaoh Akhenaten, who, in my opinion, is the most fascinating and mysterious Pharaoh. He introduced his own short lived monotheistic religion and was possibly the father of Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun’s Golden Throne

False Door

Statue of Pharaoh Akhenaten

We were surprised at how crowded this museum was, even though we arrived at opening time. Luckily Tarek suggested we head to the Tutankhamum section on the upper levels before the rest of the tour groups defended upon this area. Due to it’s age and magnitude of the huge collection, the Egyptian Museum had more of the feel of an old warehouse rather than a world class museum. Which is why I was so impressed to visit the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum afterwards. 

Front exterior of the GEM

THE GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM

The Grand Egyptian Museum is simply incredible;  absolutely state-of-the-art. It’s situated right next to the Giza Plateau (and actually across the road from the Steigenberger Pyramid Cairo Hotel where we stayed) and it’s not even officially opened yet. The GEM complex is offering limited access to selected areas to test the readiness of the site ahead of the offical opening. 

Statue of Ramses III

Inside the GEM

The construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum has been in the works since 2002 and the main contract for the design of the museum was awarded to an Irish firm after an extensive international competition. 

The enormous 3200 year old statue of Ramses II that stands in the front hall once stood in a traffic circle known as Ramses Square in Cairo, but has been relocated to the musuem to preserve it against it from traffic polution.

Eventually, a large portion of the Egyptian Museum of Cairo will be transferred to the Grand Egyptian Museum, including close to 5000 treasures from Tutankhamun’s tomb.  It’s location, in close proximity to the Pyramids of Giza, will make sightseeing in Cairo so much more efficient. The view from the museum out towards the pyramids is amazing! So beautifully framed by the architecture of the museum. 

And not only that, there is a new international airport under construction, located in Giza - The Sphinx International Airport. And there is a new monorail in development that will link Cairo Airport to the Pyramids of Giza. Visiting Cairo will be so streamlined in years to come! 

Inside the Grand Egyptian Museum

The view out to the Pyramids

We felt so privileged to be able to visit the Grand Egyptian Museum before it was officially opened and we were so impressed by the sheer scale of it. It feels so vast and spacious - a very welcome upgrade from the Egyptian Museum of Cairo, which has stood the test of time but felt like it was buckling under the sheer volume of artecfcts and daily visitors. 

And extra note: both museums do have areas designed for children. The Childrens Museum at the GEM wasn’t opened yet and we didn’t get a chance to see the childrens area in the basement of the Egyptian Museum. But I’d recommend looking into it of you’re traveling with kids.

The Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara

After our visit to the Giza Plateau, we travelled south in our mini van with our guide Tarek to Saqqara which was the necropolis of the ancient capital city of Memphis. The main site is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, which is an early example of pyramid building . It was constructed around 2660BC and predates the pyramids of Giza by several centuries. 

The Step Pyramid of Djoser

My favourite part about Saqqara was the Mortuary Temple that we first entered through to get to the Step Pyramid. The monolithic looking stone facade almost seems out of place, its architectural design almost looks modern, or sci fi even, something you might see in the movie like Dune. Inside are rows of huge columns, lining the way through to the vast archeological complex beyond. 

The Mortuary Temple of Djoser

We took the opportunity to go inside the Step Pyramid of Djoser and Tarek led us down the surprisingly spacious corridor deep into the centre of the Pyramid where we came to a vertical shaft that extends deep down into the ground and also rise up towards to the peak. We could also see another passage that extends off into the other side of the pyramid about half way down the shaft and at the very bottom we could see the impressive granite burial vault. 

Internal Shaft of The Step Pyramid of Djoser

Beyond the Step Pyramid there are many more temples, tombs, pyramids, albeit in more crumbled states, as well as mastabas, a flat style tomb that predates the Step Pyramid. Tarek took us into the Tomb of Idut, a princess who is believed to be the daughter of Pharaoh Umas. I was absolutely captivated by the false door that was still standing intact within the tomb. Ancient Egyptians believed that the soul of the deceased could freely enter and exit the tomb through a "false door," which are characterised by a recessed surface with a symbolic entrance in the centre. I find this whole concept so fascinating and not to mention how beautiful these carved stone ‘doors’ are. (We later saw more in the Egyptian Museum and the The Met in New York City.

The False Door inside the Tomb of Idut

I hadn’t been to Saqqara on my original trip to Egypt in 2007 and I was so happy we had the opportunity to to visit it on this trip. It was such an unexpected highlight, especially because our guide Tarek has so much knowledge from his recent archeological work at Saqqara. 

Even though we managed to avoid the crowds at Giza with our early start, Saqqara felt a lot less touristy than the Giza Plateau. Wandering around Saqqara felt like we were visiting an active archeological dig rather than a tourist attraction. The Step Pyramid of Djoser itself is an early prototype of pyramid building, one that bridges the gap between the very early Mastaba Tombs and the phenomenal pyramids that famously sit on the Giza Plateau so it’s well worth the trip for anyone who is interested in ancient Egyptian history. 

Lunch with an incredible view.

Inside the Mortuary Temple of Djoser

Inside the Tomb of Idut

Afterwards we headed back to the Giza Plateau where we had a delicious lunch at a restaurant that overlook the Pyramids. Dining at places like this is one of the benefits of arranging a tour with company like Memphis Tours. The restaurant was geared towards tourists and was included in our overall tour prices. We would have never been able to find a place with a view like this by ourselves and it’s so incredible convient to outsoruse alot of the daily sightseeing logistic to someone who was way more knowledgable.

Everywhere else in the world we’ve been, we have done all the researching, planning and logistical details and it’s been such a rewarding experience. But I’m so gald we splurged a bit (ok maybe a lot, hahah!) and saw Egypt with a tour company.

The Pyramids of Giza & The Great Sphinx

After Luxor, we flew to Cairo where we had two full days to explore the Prymaids and Museums. Unfortunately we did experience a bit of bad luck in the form of a cancelled flights, which saw us arriving at the Luxor airport at 6am only to discover we had been rescheduled onto a flight at 12pm. Sitting in the airport for 6 hours was less than ideal but in hindsight it was only a minor inconvienence. We all handled it well, a bit of ipad time for the kids and a few card games and quizzes saw the hours creep by without much discomfort. And thankfully we had nothing else planned for that day. We later found out that the flight was probably cancelled because of the thick fog that Cairo experiences in the winter months.

All transport to and from the airport and to the sights was arranged by Memphis Tours, which was so incredibly convenient. Driving through the streets and freeways of Cairo is unlike anything else in the world… except for, I assume maybe, in India. To the uninitated, the traffic of Cairo looks like pure chaos, but it seems to work for the Egyptians. Braino, who has been an absolute pro when it comes to driving all our hire cars, was glad to be a passenger for this leg of the journey.

We stayed at the Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo Hotel which is located in Giza, right near the Pyramids and the new Grand Egyptian Museum. We had a fantastic view of the Pyramids of Giza from our two ajoining rooms, which was a total bucket list thing for me - a room with a view of the Pryamids. Overall, we loved the hotel; the breakfast buffet was great and the pools were lovely too. The location was well and truly worth it.

The view from our room at the Steigenberger Pyramid Cairo Hotel

Our guide in Cairo was Tarek, who was also an Archeologist and Egyptologist, he had worked on an excavation in Saqqara were they unearthed numerous mumified cats. Fasinating stuff, I loved hearing about it. While the Step Pyramid of Saqqara was on our itinerary for later in the day, our first stop was an early visit to the mighty Pyramids of Giza, only a short drive from our hotel.

Our guide, Tarek, Archeologist, Egyptologist and enthusiastic photographer.

We entered the Giza Plateau at the northern end, at the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza, tomb of the Pharaoh Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Built c. 2600 BC, over a period of about 26 years, the pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only wonder that has remained largely intact.

Visitors are a allowed to climb up the lower blocks of this pyramid and are able to venture inside, down into the burial chambers. On my first visit to Egypt in 2007, I went inside the Great Pyramid. I remember it being a little claustrophic walking down and back up the narrow shaft with a very low ceiling. It’s an additional cost so we opted not to do it with the kids but I kind of regret not doing it. It would have been a very cool experiene for them.

A camel with the Great Pyramid of Khufu in the background.

On the lower blocks of the Great Pyramid.

The Pyramid of Khafre

Next, we drove in our mini van past the Pyramid of Khafre, the middle pyramid with the stone - cladding top to it, around to the panaromic view point. While it appears bigger than the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre is slightly smaller in dimensions and only appears larger because it sits higher on the plateau than the Great Pyramid of Khufu. From the panoramic viewpoint we could also see the smallest of the three Pyramids, the Pyramid of Menkaure.

If you would like to capture the iconic view of all 9 pyramids, which includes the smaller step like pyramids that sit in front of the Pyramid of Menkaure, you have to travel south via camel across the desert, at an additional cost. This viewpoint isn’t accessable via car or by foot. As much as I wanted to get that classic postcard view of pyramids, I knew I wouldn’t be able to convience anyone else in the family to ride a camel with me. I’ll even admit that it’s a little scary when a camel goes from sitting to standing with you on it’s back.

The Panoramic Viewpoint of the Giza Plateau

Our next stop on the Giza Plateau was the famious Great Sphinx of Giza. It was still early in the morning, around 9am by ths stage, so we were able to beat the crowds and get some wonderful photos of the Sphinx. Before we reached the viewing platform on the right hand side of the Sphinx, we walked through the impressive Valley Temple of Khafre, which had a really mystical feel to it. The girls were probably most excited about seeing the Sphinx. while it does feel smaller than expected in person, its still a breathtaking sight to behold. A lot of mystery surrounds The Sphinx, my favourite theory being a Hall of Records is buried deep inside the Sphinx that contains lost knowlegde of Atlantis.

The Great Sphinx of Giza

The Valley Temple of Khafre

The Pyramid of Khafre with the Great Sphinx in front.

Our next stop of the day was the Step Pyramid of Saqqara which was a 30 minute drive south along the Nile - I’ll share photos in the next post. Looking back on these photos, its absolutely incredible that we were able to show the girls this wonder of the ancient world. It’s a priceless memory that will last forever and I’m blessed to have visited the pyramids for a second time with my husband and daughters.

Nile Cruise in Luxor to Banana Island

After we visited the Valley of the Kings and Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple on the West Bank of Luxor, LT and our driver dropped us back to our hotel for an afternoon rest. Ibrahim, our Memphis Tours Leader, acommpanied us for an afternoon cruise. Initally, we thought this would be a felucca ride up and down the Nile, a felucca being a traditional sail boat used in Egypt. However, when we met our boat driver at the dock, we were found out that we were actually going to go to Banana Island. Also, because there wasn’t much wind that afternoon, our boat driver (I unfortuantely can’t remember his name) recommended we take one of the motorised boats instead.

We actually had a stunning Nile view from our hotel room but it was an added bonus to see Luxor from the vantage point of the Nile. Our boat driver / guide was fantastic, he was so chatty and friendly and really had a lot of interesting information.

Banana Island is a small banana plantation on the banks of the Nile. There seemed to be a number of boats arriving with tourists but it didn’t really seem like a tourist attraction, it was just a banana farm! But it was interesting nevertheless! Our guide told us about the organic banana farming practices and all the interesting featured of banana trees and then we were able to sit down at the picnic tables that overlooked the Nile and indulge in a bowl full of little organic bananas, which were actuallty really delicious. The girls loved them, which was great because we all had been struggling with a lack of appetite after over night of fevers.

The sun was setting as we headed back down the Nile when our guide offered to let Braino and I steer the boat for a bit. I was so terrible at it our guide quickly booted me back out of the drivers seat, haha! But Braino navigated us skillfully down the Nile for quite a while. The boat was actualluy rather big, a group of 30 people could have fit quite easily in to it but we had it all to ourselves.

The first time I came to Egypt in 2007, our tour included two nights of sleeping on a felucca while travelling from Aswan to Luxor. This was a really unique experience, because there was no showers, toilets or even rooms. Our group pretty much camped out on the deck of this sail boat for two days. I loved it but I didn’t think it would be the best option this time around with the girls. Braino and I did consider doing one of the famous Nile cruises boats that travel between Luxor and Aswan but it’s rather pricey and we thought that could get a little tidious for the kids, because there isn’t much onboard to keep them occupied. I’d love to do a Nile cruise later in life maybe, when I can kick back and read Agatha’s Christies ‘Death on the Nile’.

Visiting the West Bank of Luxor With Kids

After the full day we all spent sleeping, getting through the awful fever and lethagy we had all experienced, we mustered enought energy to head out in the moring, with our guide LT, to explore the sights of the West Bank of Luxor.

The Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is where the Pharaohs from the eighteenth dynasty to the twentieth dynasty. During this time were buried. Royal tombs were built deep with in the rock of the fairly unassuming limestone valley in an effort to hide the mummified remains and treasures from grave robbers. The pyramids that were used as burial chambers in the eariler dynasties were a little to obviously for graverobbers, so these style of hidden tombs gained popularity.

However, throughout history, many of these tombs were robbed and any artifacts that was found in modern times are now in the Egyptian Museums in addition to other museums in the world. The most well known tomb was Tutanhkamun’s, which was discovered in 1922. It hadn’t been disturbed at all and was found full of treasures, including Tut’s mummy.

Our ticket allowed us to enter three tombs and although guides are not allowed to enter the tombs and do any talking, LT advised that we visited the tombs of Rameses III (KV11), Ramses IX (KV6) & Ramses IV (KV2). Some of the tombs, like Tutanjkamun’s require an additional payment.

Although the tombs are generally empty, the intricate hieroglyphic adorning the walls are amazing, many of which still have colours after all these millienia. It’s amazing to think that there could still be tombs, sitting undiscovered in the cliffs of the valley.

Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

Our next stop was only a short drive away to the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Queen Hatshepsut was one of ancient Egypt's most successful and prominent pharaohs and only one of the very few female Pharaohs, reigning during the 18th Dynasty from approximately 1479 to 1458 BCE. As the daughter of King Thutmose I and wife of Thutmose II, she initially served as regent for her young stepson, Thutmose III. However, she soon declared herself pharaoh, adopting full kingly titles and regalia.

Hatshepsut is renowned for her prosperous and peaceful rule, which was marked by significant architectural achievements, including her magnificent mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri and the two obelisks at Karnak Temple (of of which is still standing).

The temple is breathtakingly intriging from a distance and up close there are many impressive statues lining the three different levels and more well preserved, colourful heirogliphics. I would rate this as one of my favourite places in in Egypt, maybe because I remember first learning about Queen Hatsheput in a computer game I used to play as a kid; Where in Time is Carmen Sandiago.

The Colossi of Memnon

Our last stop on the West Bank of the Nile was The Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues standing as guardians at the entrance of the ancient mortuary temple of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Crafted around 1350 BCE from quartzite sandstone, each statue, towering at approximately 18 meters (59 feet) high, depicts the seated figure of Amenhotep III. It was fasinating to see all the current archeological exacavations that stretched beyond the statues. Other than the two statues there are only a few souvenir vendors at this site, making it a quick visit to see the Colossi and take photos. We managaed to arrive just before the large bus load of tourist we saw leaving Queen Hatshepsuts Temple at the same time we did, so we had the Colossi all to ourself for the short time we were there.

Because all our travel was arranged by Memphis Tours, we didn’t have to worry about a thing - LT, our guide, picked us up directly from the hotel with our driver in our own private mini van. And we didn’t have to worry about tickets or paying admission on entry. LT had all of that arranged for us in advance. I would highly recommend visiting with a guide; LT was able to provide so much fasinating information and it was a incredibly convinient having someone else take care of everything, considering we were still feeling a little bit unwell.

Because we missed a whole day of our itinerary due to feeling sick, we didn’t get to visiting the following sights:

• Ramesseum

• Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu

• The Valley of the Nobles

Other sights you could add to your West Bank of Luxor interary are:

• The Valley of the Queens

• Hot Air Balloon at Sunrise

• Deir el-Medina (Valley of the Artisans)

• Temple of Seti I

Tour guides will also recommend shops you can visit that usually involve a bit of a demonstration on the production techniques. For exmaple LT recommended we stop in at an Alabastor workshop. Alabastor is a stone similar to marble that is unquie to the West Bank of Luxor and I believe this particular place was the oldest authenic workshop in Luxor.

He also offered to take us to a perfumerary on the East Bank near Karnak Temple where we could purchase esential oils and perfumes. However, declined on both occasions. With these sort of visits, there is a bit of an implided expectation that you purchase something, so we felt that if we weren’t going to buy anything we didn’t want to waste anyones time. However, if you do have the budget and the luggage space, it would be very interesting to see how things are made.

East Bank of Luxor - Karnak Temple & Luxor Temple

Luxor, once known as the ancient city of Thebes, was the captial of Egypt from 1570 BCE to 1069 BCE. Like most of Egypt, The Nile flows right through Luxor, dividing it into the East Bank and The West Bank. The East Bank is where you’ll find mots of the large hotels, shops, residential areas and two of the most important sights of Ancient Egypt; Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple.

We arrived in Luxor in the afternoon, after our driver from Memphis Tours transported us by Mini Van from Hurghada. The Drive took around 3 hours and we drove though some very barren, desert landscapes.

Unfortunately, Hallie and Rooney came down with feverish, flu like symptons on this day, so by the time we reached the hotel in Luxor, The Sonesta St George, they were in no state to head out sightseeing. Braino stayed at the accommodation while they slept and Farley and I headout with our guide LT to visit Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. As sad as it was that two of the three girls were sick, it was still a lovely afternoon, spending some one on one time with Farley.

Karnak Temple

 Dating from around 2055 BC to around 100 AD, the Karnak Temple Complex is a collection of temples, chapels, pylons, and other structures, making it one of the largest religious complexes ever built.

Inside the Karnak Temple Complex, the Precinct of Amun-Ra, is the only part that most visitors get to see. The other three parts, the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Montu, and the dismantled Temple of Amenhotep IV, are not open to the public. 

The most impressive area is the The Great Hypostyle Hall, where the awe-inspiring towering columns soar towards the heavens. The other iconic sights to look out for are the Obelisk of Thutmose I and Queen Hatshepsut along with many huge statues of Ramses II. 

Our guide, LT was a qualified Archeologist and Egyptologist and had so much knowledge to share. He also specialised in spiritual tours and had worked on film shoots as a historical consultant including The Scorpion King with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. He was such an interesting character and was very proactive at offering to take our photo, which is always lovely. I actually didn’t get any photos with him. 

First Pylon of Karnak Temple

Obelisks of Thutmose I & Queen Hatshepsut.

The Great Hypostyle Hall

The Great Hypostyle Hall

The Great Hypostyle Hall

The Great Hypostyle Hall

Aries Sphinx Statues in the Great Court

Luxor Temple

After Karnak Temple, we headed to Luxor Temple, which is only a short 2km drive away. There is an Avenue of Sphinx Statues that once linked Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple.

Farley, LT and I arrived as the sun was setting but were surprised to find the crowded were still quite thick. LT mentioned that these crowds were nothing compared to amount of people who visit between Christmas and New Years. Visitors would have to line up for hours just to enter the temples. No Thanks! I’m glad we had missed those sort of crowds by a couple of days

Luxor Temple resembles a smaller version of Karnak Temple and was built by Amenhotep III (1390-52 BC) but completed by Tutankhamun (1336-27 BC) and Horemheb (1323-1295 BC) and then added to by Rameses II (1279-13 BC). The Temple interestingly has evidence of Christian worship and remains of a Coptic church. There is also a Mosque that was built on top of the Temple while it was still buried under the sand. It has been preserved and still stands to this day.

The front of Luxor Temple is guarded by 6 statues of Rameses II - two seated and four standing. Originally two 85m tall obelisk stood on either side of the entrance but one only remains today, the other can now be seen at the Place De La Concorde in Paris.

Avenue of Sphinx

Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple

If I could choose a super power, I would want to be able to go back in time to see ancient sites in all their splendour . Or to the late 1800s, when these temples were half buried in the sands of time, before any one saw the value in excavating the ruins of the past. Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple are magnificant in their current states, it’s hard to imagine what they would have looked like over 3000 years agao. Even with the crowded they still have an ethereal, otherworldly vibe, that makes you marvel at history and the evolution of civilisations. I felt very proud to be able to return to Egyot and share the experience of visiting these temples with Farley, 18 years after visiting them for the first time.