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Tulum isn’t necessarily known for being one of the cheapest travel destinations in Mexico. In fact, out of the main cities that people visit in the state of Quintana Roo it has the highest prices for hotels, food and taxis. TikTok vlogger “Tania Loves” found this out the hard way after she and her friends were literally scammed while having breakfast at a local restaurant. She would go on to share a small video of her experience on her TikTok. It’s really in the comment section though where she explained the situation. Her experience can certainly serve as a cautionary tale for people visiting any Mexican destination.
Always Ask What Currency The Prices Of The Products Happen To Be In
Things started going south rather quickly for Tania and her companions, although they probably didn’t realize it at the time. She mentioned that the virtual menu that you were supposed to be able to access through a QR code wasn’t loading properly. The waiters at the restaurant didn’t provide a physical menu either, so they just decided to order off the cuff.
It wasn’t until a couple of bowls of fruit and coffee were brought to them, that they realized that the price for the food and drinks was $150. Tania goes on to claim that one of her friends asked the waiter if the prices were in pesos. Things took a turn for the worst when the waiter replied that the prices were in US dollars.
Ultimately this now famous TikTok vlogger mentioned that they confronted staff before they even started eating anything. Even though the food was taken back, there were still they were charged $75 dollars for a couple of cups of coffee. This is probably the first time in their lives they could’ve gotten something much cheaper at their local Starbucks.
Tips To Stay “Safe” While Ordering Food In Tulum
Tania Loves would go on to claim that she visited the site of the restaurant where the incident took place after what had happened and did confirm that there were no prices on the menu whatsoever. It’s extremely likely that this is a tactic that is used by the restaurant owners to scam tourists.
According to Mexican law, every restaurant is required to post the prices for their products on their menus in the local currency. Places like this are actually breaking a couple of laws by not being honest about their pricing. If they only take $US dollars as payment, they are breaking Mexican law.
The best thing that anyone can do to avoid these types of scams at any Mexican tourist destination is to ensure that you understand the prices of what they’re buying before making any purchases. Unfortunately there are people out there that literally make a living out of scamming tourists. This is a trend in multiple destinations throughout the world and Tulum is one destination where you want to be extra careful.
A Happy Ending For Tania Loves
After going through a bad experience in Tulum, TikTok user Tania Loves was able to have a bit of a happy ending to her Mexico vacation. She would go on to post a video about a breakfast in Playa del Carmen a couple of days later. In it, she shared a plate filled with sausage and eggs and accompanied her breakfast with a few mimosas, all for the low price of $18 dollars. That price tag is one that is more realistic of most breakfast options in the Riviera Maya.
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Matthew
Sunday 22nd of May 2022
We had similar with a taxi back to a hotel in bahia mita. Got a taxi to punta de mita for 10$ the Return was 23$ no choice but to pay as stuck otherwise.
Brian
Saturday 21st of May 2022
Chez Celine in Playa is awesome. Eat there all the time. La Vagabunda on 38th is great too. 230 pesos for 2hrs open bar basically with great cheap food. Love Playa
David Knapp
Friday 20th of May 2022
Playa del Carmen. Captain Sandwich. get the pancakes. Amazing!
Also the vagabondu on calle 38. So good. 300 ft from the beach. And live music. Loved it!
Angie
Friday 20th of May 2022
Stay away from Bagatelle in Rulum. Ordered a margarita without checking the menu. Ended up paying 680 pesos per drink, where they also demanded us to pay tip after handing them the total. Tulum beach is a big scam. Stay away. The city is cool and super cheap but beach clubs are insanenly crazy.
Angie
Friday 20th of May 2022
If you are in cancun use uber.