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Dear Aviator,
In January I went to Tulum in Mexico for the first time, to spend my vacation there. This destination has been on my bucket list for so long and I was finally able to experience the vibe myself. To be honest, I loved and hated it at the same time. Here are my 12 tops and flops of Tulum so you can decide for yourself if it is worth the journey for you.

1. Top Beach #lifeisgood🏝
Tulum Beach can be very relaxing as long as there is no partying taking place as there is a lot of loud music playing. Especially at night. So how is it relaxing?
Compared to other popular beach travel destinations, you will not find any noisy water sports, no screaming kids and no aeroplanes (unfortunately) which fly over you at low levels. However, you will find one hotel next to the other at the beachfront. Luckily there are no huge hotel bunkers, instead, there are beautiful small boutique hotels that are integrated into the surrounding jungle. To get access to the beach you need to use the entrance of a hotel or a day beach club.
TIP: Gitano Beach Club is a place to be when you are looking for cold drinks, tasty food and good music at the beach. You can chillax in cosy day beds and you can take a refreshing swim in a private bay.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Patrick Biedenkapp | Captain (@pilotpatrick)

2. Flop Payment #midevil 💳
OMG! This was the worst and so annoying! Some venues accepted credit cards only – then we discovered the machines did not work. Others accepted cash only but to get local currencies was not easy either. When paying by card most venues charged a service fee. So be careful, sometimes these charges can be up to 10% of your original bill.
TIP: Bring some cash. Pesos and USD dollars with you. Have at least two credit cards and be prepared for a lot of hassle when paying.


At Los Bowls de Guadalupe you get healthy food and you can pay by card!
3. Top Entry #forall 🤗
Mexico is one of the few countries which lets in unvaccinated tourists without any test. So this is very convenient for some and reduces the pre-travel stress significantly. Even though hygiene measures were in force, everything was open and you could enjoy a “normal life” without having to think about Covid all the time.
TIP: Enjoy to the fullest!

4. Flop Safety #drugwar 🔫
I had mixed feelings when it came to safety in the Tulum bubble. Before my trip I read some shocking news about guns fired between different cartels, causing injuries to tourists and that the local police were highly corrupt. The pandemic also appears to have worsened the situation, with robberies on the street. The recent events made the Mexican government send armed soldiers to the tourist hotspots to provide safety for the people.
Tip: Leave your expensive jewellery at home. Do not have a lot of cash with you and do not walk in abandoned parts of the city at night. Use your hotel safe to store valuables. If someone tries to rob you, just give him/her what you have. Your life is far more valuable than your possessions.


5. Top Parties #godancing 🕺
To be honest, before I went to Tulum, I thought it was a destination to relax, to have healthy food and to dress up. But it is also an extreme Party location. You can go dancing to the beats of world-famous DJs.
TIP: Party venues stretch over the entire city. I personally enjoyed the open-air parties right at the beach the most. The regular cover is extremely expensive though.

6. Flop Prices #ripoff 💸
Prices in Tulum shocked me so much. Tulum has nothing to do with the rest of Mexico. It is a bubble right in the middle of the jungle. It is somehow working but very insatiable. The entire infrastructure is not built for the size of the city. Fresh water comes with trucks to the beach hotel and electricity is produced through generators. Prices for parties, hotel rooms and dinner can easily cost several hundred Euros in a country that is relatively poor. Everyone is trying to get your money and this can be very annoying on vacation and ruins the vibe. Tulum is a destination for tourists who do not necessarily have to look at a travel budget.
TIP: The Prices for food are more responsible in downtown Tulum. Do not go there if you have a small travel budget, because Tulum will not be so enjoyable.



7. Top Food #inheaven 😋
Tulum offers food outlets for every taste, budget and high-end tasters. For vegans and vegetarians, this is the place to be. As a foodie, you will be floating on cloud nine in Tulum.
TIP: I enjoyed Meze and Taboo for dinner. Both venues slowly transformed into a party location in the evening. Prices are generally higher at the beach compared to restaurants and cafes in the downtown region.


8. Flop Taxis #theworst 🚕
Taking a cab in Tulum is a nightmare. There is no UBER service or any other transportation app. There is no taximeter, so the price will be set by the driver. Prices go up ridiculously at night. During the day you pay around 15€ between downtown and the beach. At night they want around 70€.
TIP: Negotiate the price before taking a taxi. Tell them which price you want to pay and stick with it. Drivers will try to ask for more money. If they ask for too much money for the trip, go to the next taxi. Have cash with you, because not all drivers accept cards.

9. Top Vibe #unique 🚀
Tulum is a bubble and the vibe within it is exceptional. I love how people dress up just to go to the beach. It is glamorous in some way but also down to earth. I did not have the feeling that it was artificially nice but genuinely friendly. It has a certain type of people living and visiting there, I would say.
TIP: Get some clothing which suits the Tulum vibe before your journey. Prices are a lot more expensive there.


10. Flop Cocktails #awful 🍹
If you are into cocktails, then I have to disappoint you. Tulum lacks good barkeepers. Anyways, that’s a perfect reason to drink less. Alcohol is toxic to your body. Instead, have a green smoothie at the RAW Love Beach.
TIP: If you need to have a drink then have one with mezcal – the world-famous tequila of Mexico.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Patrick Biedenkapp | Captain (@pilotpatrick)
11. Top Nature #stunning 🌿
Most people visiting Tulum forget how beautiful the surrounding nature is – they may be too focused on partying and relaxing at the beach. You definitely have to visit the Cenotes, which are sweet water sinkholes connected through a tunnel system with the ocean. They are spectacular and a must-visit, like the beachfront Maya Ruins of Tulum
TIP: Origin Dive project offers an amazing exclusive experience in a Maya reserve. Besides diving into an underwater cave (without experience) you will fly over a Centore with a zip line. I absolutely recommend doing it. It was one of the best activity experiences I have ever had.

Experience with Origin Dive Project
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Patrick Biedenkapp | Captain (@pilotpatrick)

12. Flop Streets #wrongturn 🚧
Streets in Tulum are a big big flop – especially in Downtown Tulum.
Some of them are so terrible that I would not call them streets even though they lead to a residential area and to high-end hotels. At night there is no street lighting and you have to be extremely careful. Additionally, traffic to and from the beach can be a disaster because the infrastructure is not made to cope with the high number of visitors.
TIP: Rent a scooter to be flexible and to get around quickly. But I would only drive one if you have experience and feel safe driving one.

So…are you going to Tulum after you read my blog post about the tops and flops of Tulum? Please let me in a comment below and do not forget to like the post!
Your PilotPatrick
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Tulum is good place for holiday too but we must be careful in some situation like drug war and at night when walking also the taxi too. But some place like the beach, your hotel , diving in caves, also some party place are Ok. You may still enjoy veggie food and maybe more relaxing stay in the hotel. But i believe you still enjoy good trip there..
Thanks for sharing your experinces here. I always love to read your blog and give me more information about holiday…
Waiting you in Bali
Interesting trips but I did not like Tulum because I felt you were trapped there. In my opinion, your best and happiest friend is Arthur, who can make your day. I suggest you plan your trips with him. I’ve seen the Tulum documentary before. I felt it was an unhealthy and remote environment that is just a hotel that does not have an attractive location. In my opinion Dubai. Sao Paulo and American cities are much more attractive, but Mexico is much poorer and more like Afghanistan.
Estás equivocado ,como comparas Abganistan con México, nada que ver, Tulum es solo una parte de las bellezas que tiene nuestro México, además en todos los países hay culturas diferentes ,Tulun está ubicado en la selva , dónde hay todavía muchas reservas ecológicas , zonas arqueológicas que no verás en otros lugares .
God luck pilot patrick
Wow jentil man you have enjoyed fantastic place great .
You had sex with laryn budi in Tulum?
Mega schön dort, doch es ist eine Abzocke. Alles ist überteuert und teilweise gefährlich.
Ich war dort letztes Jahr, da auch für ungimpfte problemlos erreichbar. Allerdings waren die Preise wirklich way to high!
Yeah it’s definitely a rippoff city. Never again!
Good luck pilot Patrick
Tulum is still good for those who want to enjoy vacation with night life. But we need to be careful and be cautious to somr places as you mentioned. Thanks for sharing your experiences
what I previously knew about Mexico is an unsafe country with many social evils like what you mentioned in the article. Through what you shared, I see that Tulum has more bad things than I thought and inconveniences tourists a lot. however, undeniably, the good points there. wonderful nature and i love beach parties, you had a lot of fun there. whether good or bad, every trip is an experience of your life
Patrick, you did not answer in the comments, please tell me that you had sex with larynbudi, or please answer.
WTF is wrong with you? If he had sex or not with whomever is none of our business, back off and suck it. Hope you don’t get an answer from him… gosh… I really can’t understand why is that even important or related to Patrick’s blog?
Totally agree Patrick; definitely the pluses and minuses you described. I was very annoyed by how often people wanted to haggle you, and the constant feel of them wanting your money. It’s unfortunate the beach and the town are also far apart. The beach town has no sidewalks, nor public beach entries. I went there for the music, Zamna, and we actually overlapped on dates. Nice blog, take care!
Fantastic blog and insight of your trip to Tulum! You gave some useful tips and your photos are stunning.
Hey Patrick, I think you definitely need to come to MEX with a tourist guide or something, I know our country is very different compared to European countries, but it is not as bad as it is pictured by this post; honestly I think it is kinda unfair the way you refer to it at some points. Also, as an FYI, tequila and mezcal at different drinks, both of them are Mexican, but the ingredients, process, and final taste are not similar at all. Hope you get the chance to come back someday, would love to recommend you beaches and cities 10000000 times better than Tulum (it is one of the most overrated places in MX) and I even have some friends that can be your tour guides or give you tips for different places all around Mexico. Love to read your blogs and see you on Instagram.
Wow such a great blog post well done !! Always love Mexico !! Not sure Tulum would be my fave destination but i do love all the nature n stunning beaches there !! Also yea food is very good there !!!
Next time if u really go to Mexico again plz really go to Isla Mujeres !!! You’d gonna love it there n even might want to move there for rest of your life !!! And make sure to go to Mango cafe okay !! I’d love to meet ya there in Isla Mujeres 😉
You are no longer a pilot and you are also not gay. You are a porn star who slept with ugly and ugly Lauren.
I only know about Mexico through movies and thanks to you, I have had interesting experiences there even though I have not and never been there because I cannot go there. Your article is very helpful for those who want to go to Tulum. Always love your posts
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