Annotation We had a wonderful vacation using this guide book. Unlike another one that starts with F, the Alive! guide is not full of upfront stuff that nobody reads. It gets right to the point in telling what hotels have to offer, the best places to eat (it arranges them by cuisine and gives sample dishes) and devotes many pages to shopping - in the malls as well as downtown. We got some good bargains as a result. -- Reader, East Coast USA. What a joy after reading some of the other guides to Cancun! This book covers almost everything, and is obviously written by someone with an intimate familiarity with the region. It offers helpful hints on each page, rather than just pointing out lists of places to visit (although it does this also). The Mexican to U.S. clothing size conversion chart is particularly helpful. The book dedicates 12 pages to shopping in Cancun, a topic restricted to 3/4 page in the other guidebook I purchased at the same time (and sent back). The coverage of places to stay, places to eat, and what to do is very objective and frank, unlike some of the guides which seem to be produced by the local chamber of commerce. As a lover of travel (and travel guides), I can't say enough about this one -- it's as good a guide to a city as I have read. -- Vacationer Charles Cutler, Florida. This guide focuses on the #1 tourist destination in Latin America and the Caribbean: Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya (Puerto Morelos, Playa Secreto, Punta Bete, Akumal, Tulum, Punta Allen). 20 million tourists visit here each year. Outlying attractions handled as a traveler would handle them as day trips, while staying in town. Recommended tour operators, suggested itineraries, tips on how to avoid the crowds. Takes a unique approach, encouraging readers to live, breathe and immerse themselves entirely in the places they visit. Hotel and restaurant descriptions are highly detailed, with first-hand reviews based on repeat visits by the authors. Aimed at discriminating travelers who appreciate value as well as luxury. There are many guides covering the broader area of the Yucatan Peninsula, including the Adventure Guide to the Yucatan, but few guidebooks focus on the most-visited area of Cancun and the Riviera Maya. Our book is the most comprehensive, with 320 pages dedicated to this region alone. This is the only guide to the area with maps and photos throughout.