Tulum isn't a big westernized resort but it's also not the jungle. There are some things to take care of before you leave, and not the day before, there are some things to take with you, and there are some things to keep in mind when you're there. You can make up your own mind about the difficulty and impacts of these things, but we had virtually no problems on our initial trip.
What do to beforehand:
Vaccinations
These need to be up to date for the following per CDC recommendation:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Typhoid
- MMR
- Tetanus-Diptheria
Now, if you're like us, you're probably a little behind on your 10 year vaccinations on the childhood stuff like MMR and so on. Luckily, we went back to school so that got us a little ahead of the game. Given the resurgence of some of these things (and pertussis!) in the US, it's really a good idea to get your boosters sooner rather than later. We also did the HepA and B combo for school, since they weren't specifically required when we were more of that age. You can get that as a combination, but it's still a series. If you are not up to date, you WILL need to start on that sooner rather than later. (Hepatitis B isn't a strict recommendation, but if you're getting A, no point in not getting B in the same syringe, eh?) You can find more information about the hepatitis vaccinations here: http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/
In our case, all we actually needed was typhoid. It wasn't expensive, it was on hand, and it didn't hurt (other than getting a shot).
You may note we haven't recommended antimalarials. While Tulum is in Quintana Roo, the southernmost border of which is with Belize and the jungle, where malaria is a risk, we will not be anywhere near there. I'm sure if you're feeling particularly paranoid you could get some, but they were not suggested for us by the travel doctor, and we were fine. We didn't see a single bug, in fact. Antimalarials ARE associated with some weird side effects, but it's really up to you.
What to Take With You
You should bring:
- Prescription antibiotics for travelers' diarrhea
- Over the counter diarrhea medication
Why?
I'll describe in the next section the precautions you should take against actually getting diarrhea, but the best laid plans.... so you need to be ready. We got a course of cipro and used that. You can also get Levaquin or Zithromax. Your doctor will recommend. You have to take this prophylactically. Or, well, you can be like me: wait for a problem, then take it. That can work out OK, but who knows how bad the timing could be? And you want to have something like Imodium AD on hand for minor things, too.
When You're There
The biggest thing you'll be told is Don't Drink The Water. Really, don't. We're not talking about filth and sewage - the residents of the area obviously drink it and are not constantly ill. Your body, though, isn't used to the water, won't get used to it that fast, and you'll feel pretty awful. However, not drinking the water isn't always the easiest thing. This means you need to:
- DRINK bottled water
- Use bottled water to brush your teeth and rinse things in the sink
- Don't swallow water in the shower
- Don't get ice in anything
- Avoid foods that were probably rinsed in tapwater - things like salads, vegetables without peels - these sorts of things are risks.
That last one? We're pretty sure either that or the one about the ice are what got me. The supper we had one night included a warm lobster salad (so good!) and I also had a frozen margarita. Larry had neither of these things, and was fine. I woke up the next morning and spent 3 exciting hours in the bathroom, back and forth. It's not nearly as sick as I've been before, but I had other things I wanted to do! I took my cipro at that point (why weren't you taking it before, Laura? Don't ask me, I don't know) and after lunch I was good to go. I consider this impressive, since I don't bounce back from stuff like I used to. Would the cipro have prevented that problem? Maybe, if it came from one of those 2 likely sources. Maybe not. Chances are that it would have - so don't be like me, take your pills!
We had NO other problems. We drank plenty of adult beverages, ate all sorts of stuff, and had plenty of coffee - which I suppose, though it's not likely to be super heated, is not as much of a risk. The food is really fantastic in Tulum and not something to be scared of.
