Glamp Ikal Tulum

The photos led us to book the “Luxury Tent” expecting a bungalow with an ocean view. What we found was a small, moldy canvas tent in the middle of nowhere. The toilets were dirty, nobody showed us where they were, and we couldn’t even tell if there was a shower. They left a bottle for water, but it was empty. Wi-Fi only worked at “reception,” not at the tents, and there was no phone signal elsewhere. The place is remote, with no nearby shops or supermarkets. We dragged our suitcases through sand because there’s no firm path, and the reception was hard to find. Most tents don’t really have a sea view because a sand wall blocks it, perhaps excepting two. The beach isn’t particularly swimmable either. When we complained, the receptionist spoke very little English and gave me his boss’s private mobile number to deal with it. The boss rudely complained about us in Spanish, saying he didn’t know what we wanted, not realizing we understood him. Later he claimed we’d booked the wrong kind of accommodation and offered an “upgrade” for something we’d already paid for, so we left. Thanks to an employee at the neighboring hotel for finding us a cab, since nothing, including other people, seemed to come out here.

The place is run down and missing the glamour you’d expect from glamping, though the staff are great when you can find them. Staying in the Jaguar park means paying Mex$120 a day just to enter the area, though access is free after 5pm. Food and drinks nearby cost more than in Sydney, AUS$70 for two beers and two mescalitas, $32 for a chicken burger, and $7 for a tiny taco. We left three nights early after the aircon and fan stopped working. Can’t recommend it.

Don’t book here. The place seemed abandoned when we arrived, with nobody around and everything filthy. They wouldn’t refund us, so we had to find somewhere else to stay. Be warned.

There’s plenty of wildlife around, including plants, birds, and lizards, and the nearby beach is beautiful. The tents were fairly nice, and the AC worked okay overnight. Breakfast was wonderful, though it didn’t start until 8am, so we only managed to eat it one day. We had to leave early or got up too late on the other days. Getting to GlampIKAL was awkward at times because of construction in the park and the one-way main road. We missed the turn on the first approach and had a long loop back. You also pass a national guard checkpoint, which I hadn’t known about beforehand. The tent we stayed in got full sun, and on the day we slept in, we woke up drenched in sweat. I also found the layout confusing. Nobody pointed out where the amenities were, and I didn’t see a map. It was a mixed stay for me. If I could choose again, I’d probably stay outside the national park.