Aeromexico Flights from Merida, Mexico (MID) to Miami (MIA)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Aeromexico, which operates a non-stop flight Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays from Merida, Mexico (MID) to Miami (MIA), regularly scheduled to depart at 10:15am and arrive at 1:00pm. Usually a Boeing 737 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Merida, Mexico to Miami, FL is 1 hour and 45 minutes.
During your Miami vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Parrot Jungle and Gardens
This Miami institution took flight from its lush, natural South Miami environment and headed north in the winter of 2003 to a new, overly fabricated, disappointing $46 million home on Watson Island, along the MacArthur Causeway near Miami Beach. While the island doubles as a protected bird sanctuary, the jungle's former digs (in a coral rock structure built around 1900 in the heart of South Miami) had a lot more charm and kitsch. The new, overpriced 19-acre park features an Everglades exhibit, a petting zoo, and several theaters, jungle trails, and aviaries. Watch your heads because flying above are hundreds of parrots, macaws, peacocks, cockatoos, and flamingos. But it's not all a loss. Be sure to check out the Crocosaurus, a 20-foot long saltwater crocodile who hangs out in the park's Serpentarium, which also houses the park's reptile and amphibian collection. Also a pleasant surprise here is the Ichimura Miami Japan Garden (see the "A Japanese Garden" box, below). Continuous shows star roller-skating cockatoos, card-playing macaws, and numerous stunt-happy parrots. There are also tortoises, iguanas, and a rare albino alligator on exhibit. The park's website sometimes offers downloadable discount coupons, so if you have Internet access, take a look before you visit, because you definitely won't want to pay full price for this park. If you do get your money's worth and see all the shows and exhibits, expect to spend upwards of 4 hours here. Note: The former South Miami site of Parrot Jungle is now known as Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 Red Rd. (tel. 305/669-6942), which features a petting zoo, mini water park, lake, natural hammocks, and Banyan caves. Open daily from 9am until sunset, admission is $5 adults, $3 kids, and $4 seniors.
Miami Children's Museum
This brand new museum, located across the MacArthur Causeway from Parrot Jungle Island, is a modern, albeit odd looking, 56,500-square-foot facility that includes 12 galleries, classrooms, a parent/teacher resource center, a Kid Smart educational gift shop, a 200-seat auditorium, and Subway restaurant. The museum offers hundreds of bilingual, interactive exhibits as well as programs and classes and learning materials related to arts, culture, community, and communication. Even as an adult, I have to say I was tempted to participate in some kids-only activities and exhibitions, such as the miniature Bank of America and Publix Supermarket, and a re-creation of the NBC 6 television studio. There's also a re-creation of a Carnival Cruise ship and even a port stop in a re-created Brazil. Perhaps the coolest thing of all is the World Music Studio in which aspiring Britneys, Justins, and Lenny Kravitzes can lay down a few tracks and play instruments.
Heritage Miami II Topsail Schooner
This relaxing ride aboard Miami's only tall ship is a fun way to see the city, since it's on a schooner (as opposed to the other tour company's cruising boats), which gives you more of a feel of the water. The 2-hour cruise passes by Villa Vizcaya, Coconut Grove, and Key Biscayne and puts you in sight of Miami's spectacular skyline and island homes. Call to make sure the ship is running on schedule. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, there are 1-hour tours to see the lights of the city, for $15 per person.
Fontainebleau Hilton
In many ways, this is the quintessential Miami Beach hotel. Also designed by the late and legendary Morris Lapidus, who oversaw an expansion in 2000, this grand monolith symbolizes Miami decadence. Since its opening in 1954, the Fontainebleau has hosted presidents, pageants, and movie productions, including the James Bond thriller Goldfinger. This is where all the greats, including Sinatra and his pals, performed in their prime, and to pay homage to the Rat Pack, the hotel has redone its lobby bar to reflect the era of swagger, attitude, raffish cool, and panache, featuring large, bordering on tacky but still swell silhouettes of Frank, Sammy, Dino, Joey, and Peter, and the live music of The Pack, a really good Rat Pack cover band. Drinks are named after all the greats, but the best one is Dino's Martini -- a classic, unfettered stiff one. Club Tropigala is reminiscent of Ricky Ricardo's Tropicana and features a Las Vegas-style floor show with dozens of performers and two orchestras. Rooms are luxurious and decorated in various styles from 1950s to ultramodern; bathrooms are done up in Italian marble a la Caesar's Palace. In 2001, the hotel underwent a $10 million food and beverage renovation, introducing the massive, cruise-ship-esque 150-seat Bleu View Mediterranean restaurant and cocktail lounge. Adding to the Fontainebleau's opulence is the 7,000-square-foot Cookie's World water park; the water slide and river-raft ride bring a bit of Disney to Deco-land, which, along with supervised children's activities, is catered toward (though not reserved for) the little ones.Facilities: 4 restaurants; 3 cocktail lounges; 2 large outdoor pools; 7 lighted tennis courts (after next year's renovations); state-of-the-art health club; 3 whirlpool baths; watersports rentals; children's programs; game rooms; concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; business center; shopping arcade; salon; room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning.
Miccosukee Resort and Convention Center
Located on the edge of the Everglades, about 30 to 40 minutes west of the airport, the Miccosukee Resort is the closest thing South Florida's got to Las Vegas, but accommodations really are just a step above a Holiday Inn. The Miccosukee tribe was originally part of the lower Creek Nation, which lived in areas now known as Alabama and Georgia. After the final Seminole War in 1858, the last of the Miccosukees settled in the Everglades. Following the lead set recently by many other Native American tribes, they built the resort to accumulate gambling revenue. Although many tourists go out to the resort solely to gamble, it also has expansive meeting and banquet facilities, spa services, great children's programs, entertainment, and excursions to the Florida Everglades. Guest rooms are standard, furnished with custom pieces made exclusively for the resort, but if you're here, you're not likely to spend that much time in your room.
Royal Palm Crowne Plaza Resort
This conveniently located 422-room resort stands apart from other area resorts in that it's the nation's first and largest African-American owned and developed beachfront resort. Unfortunately, unflattering fluorescent lighting in the lackluster lobby is reminiscent of a sterile hospital ward, despite colorful wall decor by local pop artist Romero Britto. A mish mash of unsightly lobby furniture doesn't help either. The hotel is massive, composed of five buildings located adjacent to Ocean Drive. Three of the five buildings are restored, while the two towers are brand new, and, despite the fact that this resort is a small city, it miraculously maintains a sense of intimacy not typical with many large resorts thanks to the renowned design team Arquitectonica. While the rooms aren't as appealing as the building itself, they are comfortable, modern, and, here's a surprise for a South Beach hotel, remarkably quiet with little or no disturbance from the throbbing bass coming from cars passing by. The outdoor areas of the hotel are pretty, with one pool on a mezzanine level and the other beachside.
