In the past 28 years, Cancun has grown from a few hotels and a makeshift downtown to a sprawling tourist paradise, attracting millions. Uniquely renown for its white coral sand, Cancun claims to have the ‘coolest' beaches in the world. Due to increased competition, hotels continue to outdo themselves with garish trappings and unbelievable deals. If you're traveling there this year, here's some things you might want to know about...

TRANSPORTATION There are many ways to get around Cancun. Taxis are plentiful, but comparatively expensive. Be prepared to pay as much as 10$ US for a ride up the strip or to the city center. Buses on the other hand are very cheap. Ride a bus from the hotel strip for 50 cents or 30 cents for a ride from downtown to where ever. There is no such thing as a bus transfer, and the little slip of paper they give you, is just a receipt. (In the event the bus is in an accident, this is your proof that you were on it, in case you'd like to sue the bus line.) You can grab a bus by just sticking your hand up when you see one. Rental cars also abound. Different companies have different deals, but on average you'll pay 25$-50$ US for the day, plus your gas. (But be prepared to cough a bit of dough to the local police. Pulling over tourists is big business for cops and there's a good chance you may get fined for something.) Extreme caution should be exercised if you are driving into the country side and never drive at night. Above all make sure you always have enough gas. Park your vehicle in well lit areas, preferably where there's security, because car theft runs rampant and if you lose it, you go to jail until you pay for it!! That said, walking is also a good way to get around. Within the hotel district, the sidewalks are maintained and swept daily. There are also separate riding paths for bikes and joggers. Downtown walking is a bit more of a chore but well worth the sights.

TOURS All kinds of tour activities are available. from snorkling with dolphins to ancient ruins, there is much to do. Best to ask other tourists which tours they recommend. Cancun boasts the world's second largest barrier reef and the snorkling is top notch. Try to find a tour where the guide only takes a few at a time. Chances are you'll be taken into some off limit areas that bigger groups don't get to. Make sure you check out the tour. You want the one where they supply life-jackets!! If you're looking for ruins, there's tourist tours leaving daily to Tulum, Coba and Chitzen Itza. If it's your first time, take one of these. They usually cost 50$ and include a meal of some kind. Tulum is about 1 ½ hours from Cancun and is a pictureque ruin. Small in comparison to Coba or Chtizen but with a spectacular view over the ocean and some secluded beaches famed for their nude bathers. Coba lies within the interior of the Yucatan and is about an hour from Tulum. This site boasts the highest pyramid in the Yucatan towering 43 m above the jungle floor. Most of Coba is still under mounds of dirt and some of the trails are no more than goat paths. You can rent bikes to ride for about 2$. Chitzen Itza is the motherload of Maya culture. This site incorporates a large pyramid, massive ball-court, sacrificial pond and a good number of other temples and platforms. You name it, Chitzen has it. A must see.

FOOD Because Cancun is a "new" city it has its own water filtration plant. For the most part, this ensures clean cooking water and ice cubes, but avoid food from street vendors. The sanitary conditions are usually less than adequate. Like any great tourist destination, every fast food joint is available from Domino's Pizza delivery to Subway. So if you're feeling weird about the local cuisine, you're in luck. If there's one dining experience you can't miss, it's Perico's. Located downtown, Perico's is Cancun's oldest and most successful restaurant, incorporating traditional Mexican food and drink with theatre and music. Nothing cheesy about this show, all of its staff are either actors, musicians, comedians, jugglers or magicians and entertain you from the moment you come through the door, til the moment they pour you into a cab. Just ask anyone who's been there.

NIGHT LIFE Not known to be a town that sleeps, Cancun offers all kinds of nightlife. Though you'll be hard pressed to find a rock band, discos are everywhere. Most have drinking specials nightly (pay 20$ drink all night) and are lavishly decorated. Coco Bongo and La Boom are two big discos that rock til the wee hours or for something a bit more retro, a night at Christine's will take you back to the hay-days of disco. Best to stay in the hotel zone if you're thinking of getting plastered. though there are a number of great local clubs downtown, they're not the safest for drunken tourists with US dollars. In all, the most important thing to remember when traveling anywhere is to respect the other culture and try to go away with as much new insight as you can. Try speaking Spanish... it doesn't hurt. Hola.