AN ear-splitting bang punctured the air and suddenly it was snowing.

Running  full pelt into the white-out, we scooped up the stuff and lobbed it at each other until we were covered.

My girlfriends and I had gone to Mexico to escape the snow and now we were in a blizzard - albeit fake - in Playa Del Carmen's Coco Bongo's nightspot. This crazy club, on 5th Avenue, is renowned for all-night parties with Michael Jackson and Christina Aguilera tribute acts and Cirque du Soleil-type acrobats.

And to get everyone in the mood, we were being showered with a mixture of fake snow, confetti and balloons as we slammed tequilas and downed lethal margaritas by the bucket-load.

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Playa Del Carmen is the little sister of Cancun, the mega-party resort just up the road.
All the action happens on and around 5th Avenue, a long street of lively bars, restaurants and clubs that runs parallel to the beach.

Lots of these are individual, privately-owned venues with their own unique style, so there's more of an intimate feel than in the enormous chain clubs of Cancun.

Tickets to Coco Bongo cost £30, which we bought from our hotel. Transport was included as well as all you could drink.

And here's a tip for the girls - hang on to your skirts as the snow vents crank up or you'll end up giving the crowd an eyeful.

Away from the bars and clubs of Playa del Carmen, the hotels along the Yucatan Peninsula are designed for chilling out.

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The Grand Riviera Princess, where we stayed, is the ideal place to do just this. Right on the beach, about 15 minutes north of Playa del Carmen, it is all inclusive, and fantastic value.
With two large buffets and six à la carte restaurants, there is plenty of choice for food and no extra charge for the posh ones.

These include Las Olas, the seafood restaurant, La Vaqueria, the grill, an Italian, a Swiss-themed restaurant La Fondue, Thai food and of course, Mexican.

There was never a queue at the bar as there are 15 on site, including a sports bar and an Ibiza-style chill-out bar.

All the premium brand drinks were on offer and the measures were generous. The Mudslides, which are a mixture of Baileys, Tia Maria and chocolate milk, went down a treat.

The rooms impressed - some even had Jacuzzis in the bathrooms.

Our room overlooked one of the swim-up pools - you can swim straight up to your room if you're on the ground floor.

These pools are quieter than the main ones, which are all-action with games, quizzes and pumping music.

Then there is the beach, which is wide and sandy.

Kayaking and windsurfing were available for free.

Both were excellent for topping up our tans and working off all those tacos and nachos we'd gorged on.

Best of all were the massage huts, where you could enjoy an all-over body rubdown from the beach for £23 for half an hour.

As well as the all-inclusive hotels, the beaches and the nightclubs, this stretch of coast is famous for its ancient Mayan ruins.

The closest ruins to Playa del Carmen are Tulum, which are just under an hour away.
 
Located on a high cliff overlooking a tropical paradise beach, the pyramid shaped, weather-beaten temples and houses are really spectacular.

Tulum was once an important port town for the Mayans, who were an established civilisation for more than 1,000 years. If you get bored looking at the ruins you can pop down to the beach and enjoy the view of the temples from your sunbed or while swimming in the sea.

The easiest way to get to Tulum is to book a half day excursion with the Thomson holiday advisor, which costs £25 including your transport, entry fee and guide.

So if you are looking for a fun-filled holiday with great food and culture thrown in, Mexico is the place.

FACT FILE:

Thompson offers seven-night holidays in Mexico staying all-inclusive at the five-star Grand Riviera Princess Resort from £929 per person, based on two sharing, departing on April 18 from Manchester.

Thomson Airways flies to Cancun from Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Bristol airports.

To book go to thomson.co.uk or call 0871 231 4691.