Extreme Canopy Adventure Tour

The Extreme Canopy Adventure Tours offered at Selvatica are by far the most extreme of all side excursions in Cancun. This extreme tour features zip-lines and skywalks through the Mayan Jungle, a parachute jump, an ATV tour, diving into the cenotes (natural bodies of water that formed from sinkholes) then lunch back at the palapas.

Selvatica tours offers this amazing adventure at their Adventure Kingdom location in between Cancun and the Riviera Maya. The park has been there for 6 years and features 2 palapas, 2 zipline courses, and an amazing tour of the non-beach side of Cancun. People of all ages have endured these extreme tours. Children from the age of 2 all the way to adults over 85 have slid down these ropes over the tree top canopies and felt the wind through their hair while viewing the amazing jungle. 

The guides are great and give you plenty of instruction and comfort (if you need it.) The tour may be intimidating at first, but they are completely safe and are offered to four large groups per day. 

You are welcome to take photos of all of the tour, with the exception of the zipline, but do not fear, there are plenty of paparazzi hiding in the jungle to snap your pictures and they come out great!

There are no words to describe the anticipation you feel as you climb up the stairs that wind around the trees to the top, where you will slide down to the line. There are 12 in all and each differs as to how fast, steep or scenic they are. 

The guides will assure of you how quickly you will need to brake as you near your stop and once you are comfortable, they will show you how to go faster, hang upside down or even spin, if you are feeling daring.

After the ziplines, you will walk through some of the wildest air-suspended bridges and at the end, there is a parachute jump where you free fall back into the lobby palapa where you will gear up for your next adventure.

A large army-style bus will take you through long dirt roads and into a canopy where, either your rally buggy or ATV, will have you bouncing up and down the rocky terrain. There are many jumps throughout the course and it will take you under a really cool bridge next to the cenote. Drivers will get a chance to play the passenger as well.

After this, you will be very dirty and will want to wash off. The perfect place to do so is at the cenote, where the rope swings are amazing. The clear water will wash you clean and you are welcome to try all kinds of crazy stunts.

After this, lunch is served while they prepare your special video and picture slides. You can purchase just one or the whole package, and view them while you eat. The staff here is so great and you get to see a little bit of everything, including wild birds and even stray dogs. There is also a congo band while you eat lunch, which is delicious.

STS recommends this for any one who has a wild side or enjoys extreme sports. For more information on booking a trip, please call 1-800-648-4849 or visit www.ststravel.com.

Market 28 in Cancun

While in Cancun, you are bombarded by souvenir shops, street vendors and even locals on the beach trying to sell you everything from T-shirts and cigars to silver jewelry. No doubt, you will want to bring back memorabilia from your trip to the beautiful place of Cancun, but where do you go when you want to purchase authentic items that will benefit both the locals and yourself? The answer is Market 28.

 Located in the Centro (or downtown) area of Cancun, Market (Mercado) 28 offers a mix of vendors with jewelry, clothing, food and decorations, as well as a taste for a traditional Mexican market.

To get to the Market 28 from the Hotel Zone, you will need to take the bus towards the Party Center (the bus will say Downtown/ Centro or Wal-Mart). If you ask the bus driver to drop you off there when you get on, they will usually take you to right out front and the bus costs only 8.5 pesos, which is about 75 cents USD.

There is an abundance of silver jewelry in Mexico and it is generally offered at a better price than in the states. There is also a lot of tradition associated with it. Silver jewelry gained popularity in the 1930s and has been an abundant export of Mexico's ever since.

From earrings to necklaces to rings with giant stones in them, those who seek fine hand-crafted silver jewelry will find it in the many shops of this market.

The stones, hallmarks (etchings in the surface) and symbols all mean different things, so be sure and ask the vendors what you are buying. They will be happy to tell you what means what. For example, a butterfly represents the souls of dead warriors.

The market is busiest on the weekends. If you visit on a Tuesday, like we did, you can expect a much quieter scene, making it easier to haggle with the locals or even catch one taking a siesta.

You can also get a good glimpse of the locals making some of the handcrafted items. Maybe you can ask to have one made personally for you or some one special back at home.

These hand painted Day of the Dead skulls are beautiful and make great candle holders with an authentic Mexican feel. You will see many wall decorations and shelves full of knick-knacks and decor, all handmade.

 These ivory pieces are stunning and represent the true Mayan spirit still thriving in the Quintana Roo state.

Hand embroidered clothing and bags are also a great thing to take back to the states with you. We loved the dresses and handbags that were so beautifully decorated and displayed.

The best part about Market 28 is that the prices are significantly less expensive than anything you may find in a hotel gift shop and you can support the locals who both sell and make these items. We recommend that anyone visiting the Cancun area pay a visit to this market and the downtown area to experience a true taste of Mexican spirit.

For more information on booking a trip to Cancun to see Market 28, please call 1-800- 648-4849 or visit www.ststravel.com.

Jungle and Snorkel Tour

In Cancun, there is lots to see and do. The nightlife is amazing and the many flea markets, restaurants and nightclubs can keep you distracted for hours, but also leave your head spinning. If you are looking to get away from that madness and see some of the geological treasures that this area offers, STS can hook you up with some really great side trips. One of our favorites is the Jungle and Snorkel Tour offered by the Sunrise Marina.

The Sunrise Marina is located in the Hotel Zone on the lagoon side, directly across from the JW Marriott and provides everything from jet skis to fishing trips with all the equipment you will need.

There is a great little restaurant you can snack at while waiting for your tour to begin. An open air view of the lagoon is the perfect back drop to a seafood lunch before a great time out on the reefs!

Your guide will explain the rules to you before you venture out into the beautiful Caribbean for some amazing sites. This guide, Alex, let us know we were in good hands and gave thorough directions before we left the dock.

Two people to a boat, we take off through the lagoon and around the side of the Cancun, with a great view of the hotels and an even better view of the crystal clear blue water.

The views are incredible, but there is much more to see.

You will pass a cool little beach restaurant while making your way to the Riviera Maya and you will likely see locals fishing in the water or swimming, many birds and other boats.

As you wind through the jungle, the narrow paths lead way to the Caribbean Sea, just on the other side of the strip. Your hotel is probably right on the beach, but to view the area from the open water is an experience all of its own.

After a 30 minute boat ride (you drive your own), we park out on the edge of the Puerto Morelos reef, the second largest coral reef in the world. Where the calm water meets the surf, the waves will let you know you are here and ready to explore the marine plant and animal life that dwells here. 

Dive right in!

Your guide will lead you through the water, where he will point out lobster, sea urchins, colorful fish and the most beautiful plant life under the sea.

After about 45 minutes of snorkeling, you will turn around and head back to the marina where you can purchase pictures that are taken for you (you do not want to bring your camera, but underwater ones are perfect!) We really recommend this trip if you are interested in seeing what lies beneath the clear blue water of the Caribbean that got you to Mexico in the first place. Enjoy!

For more information on how to book a trip to Cancun or Riviera Maya, please visit http://www.ststravel.com/ or call 1-800-648-4849

Coco Bongo

If you were to ask any one who knows anything about Cancun, they will tell you that you must go to Coco Bongo. There are many nightclubs in Cancun to enjoy hours of dancing, drinking and even live entertainment, but none compare to Coco Bongo, the club that sets itself apart from any other in the Cancun Party Center.

Coco Bongo offers the nightlife of other clubs, with a live show that is sure to impress even a Broadway buff. Performances impersonating Elvis, Beyonce, Lady GaGa, Michael Jackson, the Beetles and much more, insure that there is something for every one.

The light show is unreal. With amazing lasers of every color and confetti, balloons and fog machines filling the air, it is Mardi Gras every day in Coco Bongo.

Coco Bongo also offers more bang for your buck. With the live show, open bar is included and the drinks will flow freely as you enjoy the most amazing show you have ever seen.STS invites you to come dance, drink and watch the most amazing show of your life in the most amazing city in Mexico.

For more information on booking a trip to Cancun, please call 1-800-648-4849 or visit www.ststravel.com.

Senor Frogs and Late Night Cancun at the Party Center

Sunday night, STS hosted their party at Senor Frogs, a well-known bar located all throughout the Caribbean. The entertainment is unreal. For its size, Senor Frogs surely packs a punch. First, the drinks are HUGE. We liked the margaritas and mojitos.

When you book your VIP Party Package with STS, our parties include open bar at different places every night. This works to your advantage, especially in bars like Senor Frogs where drinks are huge and in abundance.

We love our students!

After a night of dancing on stage, sliding down the water slide into the lagoon and massive frozen drinks, spring breakers may find themselves upstairs at Senor Frogs, where Piercing Point awaits you. That's right, there is a piercing shop located right to the top of the stairs where piercer, Tomas Navarro strategically places needles in the body parts of spring breakers from all over. In addition, there are tattoos available, both temporary and permanent...

One of our travelers from Canada- He got his fiance's name on his back (in Henna ink, of course).

Piercer, Tomas Navarro

One of our travelers wanted a nipple ring, so this guy paid for it, while we video taped...

After that, we had enough and ventured out into the streets to get a real feel of the Cancun nightlife. Just outside of Senor Frogs, was this taco stand which sold hamburgers, hot dogs and the best tacos you have ever had.

Fresh guacamole and hot sauce and other things to load up your late night munchies!

Isn't it past his bed time? He shouldn't be out selling bracelets at 1 am!

STS Dress!

Cancun Spring Break 2011 has been phenomenal! Look for more posts to come this week of our wild and crazy adventures in the best party city in Mexico!

For more information on how to book your spring break trip with STS Travel, please visit http://www.ststravel.com/ or call 1-800-648-4849.