Two friends and I left for Riviera Maya before the pandemic hit and one of the hotspots we hit was Coco Bongo. I did not know what to expect but it definitely exceeded my expectations and its easily an experience I can’t wait to enjoy again. Mexico is one of the few countries that are accepting travelers with few restrictions so if you travel and decide to hit up Coco Bongo check out these ten tips:
1. If you’re staying at a resort in Riviera Maya just know this place is located in Playa Del Carmen and is at least 40 mins away. The resort we stayed at had a scheduled bus service escort guests to Coco Bongo. Depart time from the resort was at 9:30pm and pick up time was 4am. Those are also the hours of the club. Unless you are planning to stay the whole time I recommend getting your own car service to and from there, which is what we did. (Have the resort staff order or recommend a car service). Having our own car service turned out to be a clutch decision as we were not at all ready for the 9:30 pm pick up time. We were still running around the resort enjoying the pool and taking are time getting ready per usual. If you don't stay in Riviera Maya, you can also find Coco Bongo in the following locations: Cancun, Los Cabos, and Punta Cana.
2. Bring comfortable shoes to wear. My girls and I opted to wear some cute sandals. Trust me it’s a lot of walking, stairs, mostly standing room, with a few VIP sections and chairs. This is a dancery so expect to be on your feet for hours. We wore our cute heels for the photo ops and ditched them on our way to the venue. Speaking of attire I recommend not wearing any flowy skirts or dresses. The club is full of air machines (Who doesn’t like getting their Beyoncé on?) especially on the stage, skip down to tip 7 and 8 on why or when this might come into play. ;-)
3. Once you arrive it’s a strip of restaurants, clubs, and lounges with a tropical and Caribbean feel. But Coco Bongo is clearly the star attraction and lights up the whole area. Once you get there you’ll know when you have arrived to the destination. You can’t miss that huge red infamous Coco Bongo sign.
4. The Coco Bongo staff is extremely nice and will make sure there is a drink in your hand at every chance. Also it’s clear they have the best jobs in town and you will see them dancing and interacting with the patrons. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by a group of waiters/dancers who provided us with complimentary drinks. They love their jobs, and why wouldn’t they?
5. There are at least four floors inside the building. Once you enter into the lower main level you are welcomed by a massive opening space facing the huge stage, you’ll look up and notice the other floors are overflowing with people.
6. On the stage depending on the night you will see all out performances of Chicago, Moulin Rouge and a mix of dancers, musicians, entertainers, and impersonators (j-lo, Mariah Carey, KISS, and multiple acrobatic performances mid air).
7. You might just get pulled on the stage. The Coco Bongo staff not only wants you to enjoy the show they want you to JOIN the show as well. When we first arrived there were a few people who got on stage as a curtain unveils them and they dance in front of the crowd. One older man bared it all as everyone cheered him on and laughed with him. He was clearly having the time of his life. My friends and I made it to the top floor and got in VIP (don’t ask me how) and were able to get a better view of the crowd and stage. Security approached us and asked if we wanted to get on stage. I was immediately like “oh hell naw in front of all these people?" But then downed some more liquor courage and was like wtf it’s Coco Bongo. So we got asked to go on stage and dance, just the three of us and once that curtain opened-we didn’t disappoint.
8. You might get pulled on stage TWICE- I guess our performance was so good they asked us to get on stage again for the pre finale with the KISS impersonation band. This time it was a few other ladies on stage with us and we danced with them. Balloons, confetti, and streamers dropped from the ceiling. It was like a scene out of a movie. Now you see why this needed a separate post?
9. Coco Bongo attracts tons of night lifers and it can feel like a hundred close to a thousand people in one place. Despite that it didn’t feel super crowded with all the space especially at the top in VIP and didn’t get hot either.
There are huge projection screens to view the stage or music videos no matter where you’re standing in the venue. I would say the music they play is Top 40 hits or pop songs. Some songs I never heard of but definitely got added to my playlist.
10. Lastly, If you haven’t realized by now Coco Bongo is not your normal club. I don’t care what you’ve read or heard about it. It is an ultimate dance party with a tropical and Mexican ambience. If you happen to find yourself in Cancun, Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen. or Los Cabos this is not a place you want to miss. It was an unforgettable experience and probably will hit super hard once this whole pandemic quiets down.
For more information on ticket prices, capacity limits, and venue operations visit their website here: https://www.cocobongo.com
Kommentit