FIVE BARGAINS

1 A Mexican Sim card from Chedraui Selecto supermarket for NZ$14. I topped it up a couple of times for about $25 and had plenty of data (essential if you’re on the move) and local calling for six days.

2 A six-pack of Corona for NZ$4.15 at the supermarket. Drinks are less expensive in restaurants and cafes than in New Zealand and takeaway liquor is ridiculously cheap.

3 Rental cars: I rented a small, nearnew Chevy for two days and it cost NZ$102. I drove two hours south to Tulum, a comparatively laidback place famed for its Mayan temple on a cliff above the beach. Highway driving is straightforward but watch for the banknote switcheroo when topping up with gas before returning your car. Your credit card “won’t work” for the pump attendants and when you pay cash they will protest you’ve given them the wrong denomination peso or US dollar (the greenback is widely accepted throughout the area) after switching it when you are distracted. Watch the transaction like a hawk.

4 Eden Cenote or Cenote Jardin del Eden, a limestone sinkhole just off the road to Tulum. There are hundreds of these in the area; some are in resorts and have underwater caves with stalactites and stalagmites and elaborate networks of waterways and cost $200 to snorkel or dive. Eden is more humble with $8 admission and $5 to rent gear. A beautiful place in the jungle to spend a couple of hours.

5 The executive airport lounge at Cancun Airport. At NZ$52 it was worth a splurge. The public departure area is frenetic and airlines don’t have lounges at Cancun. The paid lounge is compact but has good complimentary food and drink.