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What types of payment methods do you
accept?
Cash is
very welcome, either US Dollars or Mexican Pesos. Deposits onto
checking or savings accounts in Mexico or in the US can be
accommodated: the banks are either Bancomer or Wells Fargo.
Paypal is also accepted; however a %3.00 Paypal fee
applies. You can also book our rooms through
www.AirBnB.com and pay with a debit/credit card.
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Where
can I get or exchange Mexican Pesos?
The US Dollars are accepted almost everywhere;
however the exchange rate can widely vary from place
to place. Avoid to change US Dollars at the airport
as the rate is very low.
The traveler checks are not widely accepted: only
some exchange places and some banks (mostly the
major branches of some cities). Almost no business
accepts the traveler-checks.
The best way to get some Pesos is to order them with
your bank before you leave home; some 1,000.00 Pesos
is plenty of money to start with (so that you do not
have to exchange some Dollars at the airport). Then
in Mexico, you "refill" in Pesos with your debit
card (not a credit card - if you use your credit
card to get some cash at an ATM, this is considered
as "cash advance" and you pay high interests on the
cash advance) from the ATMs. There are many ATMs
every where.
Usually, when you get cash from the ATM:
- the ATM fee in Mexico is very low (most of the
time a flat fee that is less than one dollar)
- the conversion fee depends on the Mexican bank
that the ATM is affiliated with. This fee is the
same if you go in the branch of the same bank brand.
- the operation fee depends on your own bank: this
can be a flat fee (our bank, Wells Fargo has a flat
feet of $5.00 US per transaction) or this can be a
percentage of the transaction. Ask your bank before
you leave.
Make sure that you notify your credit card or debit
card institution that you will be travelling in
Mexico; failure to do so, may lead you to have your
card blocked by the institution if they believe that
the card has been used fraudulently in Mexico.
Make sure also that your card work with a 4 digit
PIN (not a 6 digits). See the following
link to locate the ATMs in Puerto Morelos. The
closet one is (Bancomer) on the same block of Casitas Kinsol, inside the
Willys grocery
store; another one (HSBC) is inside the 7 Eleven
convenient store, next to the gas station.
No bank is present
in Puerto Morelos; the closest banks are in Cancun or Playa del
Carmen.
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How long is it from Cancun international
airport to Casitas Kinsol?
The bus
does 25 minutes to the bus station in Puerto Morelos. A taxi (door
to door) should do less than 25 minutes..
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Do we need a car to get to Casitas Kinsol and
back to Cancun city itself and airport?
Mexico has one of the best
and most efficient public transportation based on buses.
Transportation from Cancun international airport to Casitas
Kinsol can be done in various forms:
- door to door thanks
to taxis or collective vans. The prices vary with the
companies. Just do a search over the Internet with the
following keywords: Cancun airport shuttle taxis.
- you can also take a bus
that would drop you at the bus station, 4 blocks from Casitas
Kinsol. The cost is MX$60.00 Pesos (as off December 2010) per person.
Make sure that there are buses scheduled at the time of your arrival
at the airport of Cancun: see the "ADO" web site at
www.ado.com.mx
. From the bus station to Casitas Kinsol, you can either walk
or take a taxi (cost of around US$6.00). We can also pick you
up; however be aware that we only have a 2 door subcompact
hatchback car.
There are plenty
of taxis and collective vans in Puerto Morelos, so you can move
around with ease. If you plan to go and visit Cancun, you can also
use the ADO buses; the cost from Puerto Morelos to Cancun city is
MX$22.00 Pesos (as off December 2010) per person: see their web site
at
www.ado.com.mx
. ADO buses make no stops, they are first class buses and they
are direct to their destination. Collective buses stop
wherever some one ask for a lift or a drop-off.
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How far is the beach? How much does the
transportation cost?
Getting
to the beach (1.8 miles) can either be:
-
walking. There is a 1.5 mile long street from the highway MX307 to
the beach that runs through the mangrove; it is wide and safe for
pedestrian; it is also properly lighted at night. Along the street
are 2 decks that allow bird-watching and wild life
watching.
- by
taxis: MX$20.00 Pesos (as of December 2010).
- by
collective vans / buses: MX$6.00 Pesos (as of December 2010) from
the Pemex gas station.
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What do I
need to bring?
- Bring Mexican Pesos as some small business that do
not deal on a daily basis with tourists will not
accept US Dollars or will accept them at a very
disadvantageous rate.
- Bring your own beach towels.
Linens are provided on short term rent (not provided
on long term leases = one month rent or longer).
-
Sunblocker / sunscreen need to be biodegradable: the beach of Puerto
Morelos is part of the National Park whose rules and regulations
require biodegradable sunscreen.
- Bug
spray is needed.
-
Earplugs can be needed if you think that the singing of the birds
and the roosters can disturb your sleep or your "siesta"
time.
-
Electrical adapter: please see the following
link.
-
Remember also to bring your medications: you cannot have them
shipped to Mexico.
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Do I need to bring electrical
adapters?
The
electricity is the same as the USA (110 volts). However, most of the
outlets do not have "ground": so you will need to bring an adapter
from grounded plug to a non grounded outlet.
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What about
laundry?
There are
many laundries within 3 blocks of casitas Kinsol. You drop your
laundry early morning and you may get it back the same day. If not,
the next morning. The exact location can be found on the map with
the following
link. The cost is around MX $10.00 Pesos (as of
December 2010) per kilogram of laundry.
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What channels do I get on the TV
set?
TV set can be accommodated in some of the rooms
at extra charge. An extra damage deposit is required. The local
cable TV company provides more than 50 channels: Mexican, local, US,
Central American, South American (Brazil) and European channels are
available. A complete list of channels can be found on the following
link.
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Is there a large supermarket near Casitas
Kinsol?
A medium
size super market is located on the same block as Casitas Kinsol:
"Willys"; another one ("DUNOSUSA") is located on Highway 307, 2
blocks south of the ADO bus station. Plenty of convenient stores and
fruits and vegetables mini-markets are only one block away from
Casitas Kinsol. Large supermarkets and malls are located in either
Cancun or Playa del Carmen: US brands as Walmart, Sam's club and
Mexican brands as Soriana, Chedraui, La Comercial Mexicana, ... are
present.
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Are there golf courses close to Casitas Kinsol?
There are
currently no golf course in Puerto Morelos. However, the Iberostar
resort, halfway to Playa del Carmen (less than 15 minutes drive) has
a golf course. Should you choose to go to Cancun (30 minutes drive),
you'll find 7 golf courses. The following links give you a complete
list and map of golf courses by:
-
Cancun.
-
Playa del Carmen.
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How many
occupants are allowed?
2
occupants per room. Some room can accommodate an extra bed (either
individual or full size) at extra cost: US$10.00 per night per
extra person.
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Do you
provide linens / towels?
Linens
/towels are provided on short term rent only (no linen provided on
long term rent - more than one month rent). Beach towels are not
provided.
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Is
there a curfew? Is there a lock-out?
No curfew and no lock-out time:
when you check-in, you get a key of your room and a
key of the main gate. You can access the property at
any time that you wish. When coming back late,
please respect the other guests by maintaining a
quiet atmosphere.
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Do you have lockers?
We do not have lockers. However,
all the rooms are equipped with a safe box where you
can leave your passports, IDs, small electronics
and valuables. You program your own code on
these electronics safes.
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Is there a
restriction on bringing pets?
Pets are
welcome if well behaved. Pets need to be trained and
sociable/friendly with other pets. A US$7.00 fee per pet per night
is required. Pet are not allowed on furniture neither on beds. The
owner of the pet must pick-up immediately after his friendly
animal.
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Is Puerto Morelos a safe and secure place?
Puerto
Morelos is still a small town that has not experimented the
expansion and the exponential growth of Cancun or Playa del Carmen;
therefore it has not experimented the drawback like these 2 mega
tourist cities have and consequently has not been exposed to
delinquency. Puerto Morelos is as safe as Mexico can be. And much
safer than Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Casitas Kinsol is located on
one of the main avenue in town; the "Municipal Police" and "Transit
Police" squad cars patrols the area day and night.
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Is it safe
to drink the water?
It is
said to be safe; however, we personally do not trust the quality of
the water. The drinkable water truck stops by (Monday through
Saturday) between 10:00am and 1:00pm. The cost of the 5 gallon
refill is less than US$3.00. If you need an extra bottle/container,
it will cost less than US$7.00.
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Are there doctors & hospitals close by?
There are private clinics and there are also
doctors available through a chain of drugstores called 'Farmacias
Similares". A
basic consultation with a general doctor can be as low as MX
$35.00 Pesos (as of February 2011). And medications are on the
same range of prices. There are two well known hospitals in
Cancun, approx 30 minutes away and are located at the south
entrance of Cancun: AmeriMed Hospital (998-881-3400) and
Hospiten Hospital (998-881-3700). The Hospiten Hospital has
MRI & CAT Scan equipment.
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Are there people around who speak
English?
Plenty of
them. Locals will always find a way to help you and communicate with
you.
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Where can we
worship God?
The
following
link provides you with a map and the locations of
churches around town.
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Where is the
closest embassy?
Most embassies are located in Mexico City.
However, many consulates have offices in Cancun: see the following
link for a list by country. Some countries have
only an consul "honoraria" (or
consular agency) in
Cancun
or Playa del Carmen.
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What about
taxis?
Step in
the street, outside of Casitas Kinsol; you won't wait long before
you can get a taxi. You can also call the taxi station in Puerto
Morelos and the dispatcher will send you a taxi: the phone number is
871-0090. Add a $2.00 Pesos fee for the pick-up at Casitas Kinsol. You can also walk to the nearest taxi station located at
the Pemex gas Station, on Highway 307. Taxis are not equipped with
taximeters: always ask for the cost / fare before you get on board,
do NOT wait until you get to your destination to inquire the
cost.
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What about phone
services?
There is
pay-phone on the corner of the block, up the street, on the right
hand side of the intersection, next to the Union of Taxis Office
(Sindicato de Taxistas); it takes coins and pay-phone cards.
Payphone cards can be bought in most of the convenient
stores.
Puerto
Morelos is area code 998. When dialing from Puerto Morelos to
another "998" phone number, only dial the last 7 digits XXX-YYYY.
Cancun is
local. Playa del Carmen and Tulum are long distance.
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Will my mobile phone work in Puerto
Morelos?
Your
mobile phone may work in Mexico: please check with your mobile phone
provider for the coverage and the conditions that apply
(international service fee, roaming fee, ...). Most of the US
providers have services or agreements with local providers. You can
also buy a local provider cheap and insert the cheap into your
phone; just make sure that you have an "open" phone.
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How to dial a mobile phone in
Mexico?
When
dialing a mobile phone within the same area code, first dial 044
then the local area code (998, in the case of Puerto Morelos), then
the number:
044-998-XXX-YYYY.
If the
mobile is from a different area code, first dial 045 then the local
area code (AAA), then the number:
045-AAA-XXX-YYYY.
To
receive a call from the USA on a Mexican mobile, the caller need to
dial 011 (to reach the international) 52 (to reach Mexico) 1 (to
reach a mobile phone) and the mobile phone number:
011 52 1
AAA-XXX-YYYY
To
receive a call from the USA on a Mexican land line, the caller need
to dial 011 (to reach the international) 52 (to reach
Mexico) and the mobile phone number:
011
52 AAA-XXX-YYYY
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Will my GPS work in Puerto
Morelos?
Your GPS
will work in Mexico. You just need to
get the software and the maps for Mexico; check with your GPS
provider to download the maps of Mexico on your device. Let us know
if you need a rental GPS: we have two units available.
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What is the time zone in Puerto
Morelos?
GMT-06:00
: this is the central time (US and Canada). Mexico city is on the
same time zone. However, Mexico has Daylight Saving Time that starts
in the first Sunday of April and finishes on the last Sunday of
October.
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What is the weather in Puerto
Morelos?
The
Weather Channel will answer this question. Click on the
link and get the forecast, the average
temperatures, the rain accumulations, ... However, we have
found these forecasts to be poorly reliable. If you want a reliable
forecast, just talk to one of the local fishermen at
the main pier.
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