Maroma Resort & Spa launches Snorkelling 101 for beginners
17th August 2011 – Snorkelling is an activity that everyone assumes is easy to pick up. However for some, it can prove to be a daunting experience. For those who have never snorkelled before but who want to master the basics of this relaxing and rewarding activity, Maroma Resort & Spa on the Mayan Riviera, Mexico has created a short course designed to introduce first-time snorkelers to the amazing wonders of the sea. Over the course of three sessions, students are taught all the fundamentals of snorkelling and taken on two open water excursions to test out their new found skills.The course begins in the hotel’s swimming pool with a certified instructor taking students through all snorkelling paraphernalia such as masks and goggles, fins, and the snorkels themselves. Students then spend the session familiarising themselves with their gear, provided by the hotel, learning how to clear water from the mouth piece and goggles, breathe through the snorkel, and swim with fins, all in the safety of the hotel’s swimming pool and under their teacher’s watchful eye.
Once students have learnt the basics and gained some confidence, the next class involves a boat trip out to the shallow waters of the second largest barrier reef in the world, the MesoAmerican Barrier Reef. The session in the crystal clear waters lasts 40 minutes and gives students the chance to slowly build their experience by snorkelling in open water with the guidance and close supervision of their instructor who is on hand to provide tips and advice.
The final class will see the beginner snorkelers venturing out to Cristalino Cenote. Created by an underground river system, cenotes are fresh water sink holes that the Maya considered to be sacred. A series of underground caverns and pools, they are a must-do outing for any keen snorkeller, providing a slightly more adventurous excursion.
After the last session, students will be presented with a certificate declaring that they have completed a course in snorkelling at Maroma leaving them confident enough to further explore with their new found skills.
The Snorkelling for Beginners course costs 115 USD (approx £70) per person and includes complimentary equipment hire. Transportation via boat to Cristalino Cenote is not included.
Located on the Riviera Maya, Maroma Resort and Spa is a luxurious hideaway built by hand in the tradition of the Mexican haciendas. Opened in 1995, Maroma rests on the Yucatan Peninsula. Known for its residential feel, it is among the most sought after on the Riviera Maya with its unspoiled beach and lush jungle providing the utmost in privacy and natural beauty. Offering the cultural richness of the region, Maroma’s idyllic natural setting, pristine beach, Kinan Spa, and unobtrusive service, draws sophisticated travellers from all over the world.
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Orient-Express, (NYSE: OEH, www.orient-express.com) the name behind an elite collection of travel experiences, first came into being in 1883 as one of the world’s most exciting and indulgent train journeys. Today that evocative name also embraces hotels, cruises and other luxury rail adventures in 24 countries, across five continents. The Company has offered exceptional luxury travel experiences since 1976, when it first purchased Hotel Cipriani in Venice and then shortly afterwards, recreated the celebrated Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, linking London, Paris and Venice, along with other European cities. Today, the company owns or part-owns and manages 49 businesses, 40 of which are highly acclaimed hotels, each unique in style, from the Mount Nelson in Cape Town and Rio’s Copacabana Palace, to the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg and Maroma Resort & Spa on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. There are six luxury tourist trains, two river cruise operations and ‘21’, one of New York’s most iconic restaurants.
For further information, please contact Sara Mirza or Emily Wilson at Orient-Express on 020 7921 4069 or sara.mirza@orient-express.com, Emily.wilson@orient-express.com
