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View Full Version : Has Anyone Takin A Trip To Mexico



PEACHY
07-03-2002, 05:20 PM
AND WHATS IT LIKE?? DID YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME??? WHATS THE GOOD AREAS TO VISIT??? AND WHATS A GOOD TIME TO GO ON A VACATION THERE???
THANX BUNCHES!!!

cpbaby
07-03-2002, 05:39 PM
I was there two years ago on business and LOVED it! I was in Torreon which is down below Mexico City. I dont reccomend it for a vacation trip(nothing to do but shop) but as a free trip, it was GREAT!

DBackFan
07-03-2002, 05:40 PM
I have been all over Mexico. I really loved Cancun.....Cabo San Lucas was really nice as are most of the touristy places...lol. The border towns are yucky and dirty (just my opinion don't jump down my throat!!!!) but you go further south down on the baja or over by the Carribean it is amazing and oh so beautiful. :)

jaybird
07-03-2002, 05:40 PM
Peachy>>>I'm leaving the 12th for a week in Mexico. Never been before but I'm really looking forward to it. We went with Funjet, it's an all-inclusive (airfare, lodging, all meals & alcoholic/non-alcholic drinks, all non-motorized watersports) We're staying at Viva Vallarta (about 30-40 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta in a town called Punta de Mita). I didn't want to be right in the midst of 300,000 citizens and that many tourists, but still close that we can go to PV for a day. I wanted something quieter, less commercialized than PV, Cancun, etc. I've searched the web for 2 months and looked at the area, the town, lots of links to things to do etc. I can email you all this stuff I have if you'd like (word documents) and some pictures of the place.

The cost of the trip for two people was $1310.56. Apple has been running it $20 cheaper the past week. I'll post some links here for you to look at.

http://www2.vivaresorts.com/eng/vallarta/index.htm
(the resort)

http://www.banderasnews.com/nb/punta-mita/index.shtml

(this is information on Punta de Mita)

http://puertovallarta.rezrez.com/tour.htm?strParentGUID={58B3F6BE-7366-432C-86CB-9BCD3D112B86}

(this is a virtual tour of the resort)


Gimme 5 minutes and I'll post pictures in this thread for you!

jaybird
07-03-2002, 05:58 PM
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v0/2/43/77/42524377ZoVxfi_ph.jpg
Bay of Banderas map link:
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v0/2/43/77/42524377ZoVxfi_ph.jpg

http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/2/41/15/42524115jtzqKY_ph.jpg
Aerial view of Punta de Mita
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/2/41/15/42524115jtzqKY_ph.jpg

http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v0/2/39/40/42523940proZdM_ph.jpg
Aerial view of Viva Vallarta resort
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v0/2/39/40/42523940proZdM_ph.jpg

http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v4/2/41/67/42524167coaopF_ph.jpg
Punta de Mita beach
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v4/2/41/67/42524167coaopF_ph.jpg

http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v1/2/42/70/42524270hAWjCI_ph.jpg
Viva Vallarta beach
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v1/2/42/70/42524270hAWjCI_ph.jpg

jaybird
07-03-2002, 06:06 PM
http://wwwpuntamita.com

Punta Mita an unrivalled Mexican vacation experience. Enjoy the magical islands and the enchanting Bay of Flags, Bahia de Banderas.

GETTING TO PUNTA MITA
Punta Mita is located in the beautiful State of Nayarit, 25 miles northwest of Puerto Vallarta. It will take approximately 30 minutes by car to get to Punta Mita from the airport. If you are renting a car please be sure to have it rented in advance of your departure. Get the reservation confirmation numbers and reconfirm before your departure. This is very important, as at times Puerto Vallarta never gets the order to reserve. If you are not renting a car, a taxi is your best bet to get to Punta Mita, a taxi can hold four or five people and is fairly reasonable. Using the bus system is another good option, they stop across the street from the airport, take about one hour to get to Punta Mita and offer a truly cultural experience.
To return to the airport or go to Puerto Vallarta you can take either a taxi or the bus. Most bus lines now provide bus service from Punta Mita to Puerto Vallarta every half-hour. To catch the bus back from Puerto Vallarta to Punta Mita, look for a bus that has Punta Mita displayed on the front window.

Punta Mita is on Mountain Time and Puerto Vallarta is one hour ahead on Central Time. You must remember this when you are planning your departure from our village. Reconfirm your flight 24 hours in advance by telephone or in person at the airport.

Do not lose your tourist card it is required to enter and leave Mexico. You can get the card from your travel agent with your ticket or from the airline you are using. It will be stamped by Mexican Immigration upon entry. Should you lose your card, a new one can be issued at the airport but you must allow extra time.

YOUR VACATION RENTAL
The electrical voltage is the same as in the U.S., hot water and basic living supplies, i.e. towels, sheets, plates, cooking utensils, and a blender for your margaritas are always included. We suggest you bring your own coffee as well as binoculars and camera. You will need a flashlight for evening walks around the village. It gets dark between six and seven p.m. unless of course you are lucky to get a full moon while you are here; street lighting is at a minimum. Our community is extremely safe, but you must take standard precautions, as you would even at home. Please keep your rental locked while you are away. It is also not wise to leave money or valuables lying around on the beach or in your room.

CURRENCY
We suggest that you exchange some dollars for pesos in Puerto Vallarta before coming to Punta Mita, as there are no banks in our community. The closest bank and bank machines to Punta Mita are in Bucerias. The lines at the banks can be long so expect a wait. We suggest you use your credit cards as often as possible as you will get the best rate of exchange. Many stores and restaurants will take dollars but at a lower rate of exchange.

DINING OUT
Dining in Punta Mita is always informal. You can eat at many of the beachside restaurants which are open daily for lunch and early dinner.

For a special lunch or dinner try El Tarasco located in Punta Mita. Sacramento, the owner has provided the community with late night dining in a wonderful atmosphere. Take out is also available.

STREET VENDORS
Punta Mita has a local version of a fast food restaurant it is a makeshift street-side taco stand where most evenings one can devour countless miniature tacos, quesadillas, burritos and tostadas. They are very, very good, and you can buy beer or a soft drink from the grocery store, sit at the sidewalk tables, and have one of the best meals of your life. Explore the food and just remember only eat cooked or peeled food.

GENERAL SUPPLIES FOR EATING AT HOME
If you want to cook at home, basic staples are available in the community. There are many small grocery stores in town. Fresh fruit and vegetables are available in the grocery stores. Produce grown in the area include bananas, coconuts, sugarcane, pineapple, limes, oranges, grapefruit, mangos, and avocados. Bagged ice is available at many of the grocery stores; it is safe as it is purified.

Every morning the fishermen sell fresh fish from their boats on the beach by the pier. Choose from Dorado (Mahi Mahi), Huachinango (red snapper), or whatever they recommend. If you want to prepare fresh chicken, a local family sells fresh chickens every morning, just ask for Ramona.

NIGHT LIFE
As a rule, Punta Mita rolls up the sidewalks early, except for eating and drinking; there is not much evening entertainment. However, there are a few exceptions. During the holidays and Saturday nights, there is often a dance at the town hall and tourists are welcome. You can buy your tickets at the gate.

There is always Puerto Vallarta for more sophisticated entertainment, but generally, it's not a good idea to travel there after dark. Car breakdowns and animals on the road make driving at night somewhat dangerous. Day trips are great, but if you are set on hitting the night life of Puerto Vallarta, we suggest you either spend the night there (you can dance all night at many of the discos), or drive home very carefully. Do not stop for strangers or damsels in distress. Discos usually close about six a.m.

THE BEACHES
There are two white sand, beaches in Punta Mita, one in front of the restaurants and the other in front of the village, both are rarely crowded, the exception being the major holidays. (remember to book early)

In the winter months you may even get to see whales right from your beach chair. The beaches are also outstanding for morning walks and enjoying our local bird life.

WEATHER
Punta Mita has truly sensational weather, it hosts both temperate, and tropical vegetation; jungle areas and many coconut-palm forests are located in and around the area. There are more than 343 days of sunshine per year, with the average daytime temperatures reaching into the 80's. In winter, the evenings can get a bit cool with summer bringing more humidity and much hotter daytime temperatures. Thanks to the weather, Bahia de Banderas, and our pristine beaches, Punta Mita has become a vacationer paradise.

SPORTS
Body surfing and boogie boarding are great year round, surfboarding is at it's very best if the waves are up. Snorkeling, diving, and swimming are always enjoyable, if you want to go fishing, sight seeing or whale and dolphin watching, you can arrange and reserve in advance with tours. The best places to jog are the beach in front of our community or on the main road. While there has never been a problem, we suggest that women runners stay away from isolated areas.

CHURCHES
Punta Mita has two Catholic Churches one is located in Coral de Risco and the other is in Emiliano Zapata. Mass is at 8 am Sundays. There is also a La Luz del Mundo temple located in Coral de Risco.

HOLIDAYS
The major holidays in Mexico are the week before Easter, through Easter, Christmas, and New Years. During Christmas and Holy Week, every Mexican who can get away does, and they all go to the beach. The big resort towns and Punta Mita are always fully booked. So please book early to avoid disappointment.

COMMUNICATING WITH THE MEXICAN PEOPLE
Many community members speak minimal English, but they love it when you speak to them in Spanish. Any attempt is always appreciated, and they will never laugh or make fun of your effort. The traditional greeting is "Hola," pronounced "oh-la," and "Mucho gusto" is their rendition of "Glad to meet you." "Gracias" and "Por favor" cannot be used too often. You will be able to get by very well in the community without speaking Spanish as the people are used to communicating with Americans and Canadians who do not speak Spanish.

Sincerely,
puntamita.com

hdlzx2
07-03-2002, 06:52 PM
And DON'T forget to buy youself some vanilla!!!!!
Go into a local grocery store, buy a case. The pure stuff is cheaper than the imitation stuff here! Buy some for me.....

Tasha405
07-03-2002, 07:10 PM
I have never been but if anyone on here would like to take me with them just let me know..LOL.:rolleyes:

MistyWolf
07-03-2002, 07:33 PM
When I lived in Yuma, Arizona, we used to go to Algadones which is a border town. I don't think it realy was dirty, but a pain if you don't know how to say no to people when they try to sell you something. It really wasn't that bad though. You definitely could buy stuff cheaper like Tylenol and could even buy penicillin without a prescription .. nice to have around in case someone gets sick.

Your trip sounds like it will be nice .. hope you have a great time.

babystar0729
07-03-2002, 07:48 PM
I've lived in Mexico and not all the small towns are "dirty" "nasty" or "yucky", I dont think it is a nice thing to say, specially when NOT every place is the same. I have been in lots of parts of the U.S. too and have seen " not so pretty " areas , but that doesnt mean that the ENTIRE country is ugly....

There are LOTS of beautiful places to visit there. You can go to beaches, small pretty towns with history etc. I have been in Puerto Vallarta , Manzanillo, Guayabitos and they are BEAUTIFUL beaches!!

I have also visted Guanajuato ( which is NOT a beach) and there are lots of places to visit there as well, like a museum with Mummies, "El callejon de el beso" wich is a romantic place, lots of small houses etc!! it is so beautiful!!

I would sugest you take some spending money cause you are going to LOVE buying things there, as they are very cheap! they have loads of hand made things, from pottery, paintings, to chairs, and other furniture!!

Have lots of fun, dont forget to take your camera and enjoy!

Okiechick
07-03-2002, 08:03 PM
Been to Mexico twice and I loved it!!! The first time I went with my EX, the second time I went with a "friend.":rolleyes: and had soooooooo much fun!

I remember going to Tijuana when I was little and my mom buying everything that she could get her hands on. (she still buys everything she can get her hands on! lol)

I hope you have a wonderful time. Post pics for us when you get back will you?

mesue
07-03-2002, 09:02 PM
Gosh I know very little about the place other than what my daughter told me and every place has its horror story, she and a friend a girl she worked with decided on a road trip before my daughter got married so they plan and saved and off they went alone, staying in hostels (hope I spelled that right) and camped out in a tent in the grand canyon, they also crossed the border got chased by men on bikes immediately and came back across the border terrified and stopped and reported the incident to border patrol and thats when he told them this story, whether its some urban legened and he was trying to scare them to death I don't know but he said a young couple with a small toddler crossed the border and went to spend the day shopping, they had no more than got over there than the child disappeared they came frantically back to the patrol and reported this and they, border patrol, stationed them on the bridge and told them the man would come on foot across carrying their child and to watch for this, he did later in the day exactly as expected and was arrested the child was dead of course, the man had killed the child and filled its insides with drugs, he apparently thought no one would stop him since he was carrying a white child. My daughter and her friend were of course very upset to hear such a story and said a border patrol officer told it to them they were horrified and also angry that the patrol would station that couple there to watch for their child knowing full well what the outcome would be. At that time they believed the story since the guy was just filling them in on some of the terrible things he had seen occuring there and he also told them they were very lucky they didn't hit anyone trying to get away from those guys, who actually were trying to ram their car with the bikes, since their insurance would not have applied and the laws definitely would not be the same as here and please do not buy any form of drugs even penicillin there, I've heard of people getting arrested for filling their prescriptions across the border, saw this on tv, young lady got her doctor to write her a prescription for 6 month supply of meds and went to get it filled across the border since its cheaper and she got arrested outside of the pharmacy and thrown in prison, her family worked for years to get her home, she was diabetic and not allowed her meds in prison and died a few days before she would've gotten to come home. I still remember the scene where the father would go an yell her name outside the prison walls and she would answer, I think he told her that her release date would be and then the narrator told the date she died, it was heartbreaking she was a very young lady and you could hear the agony and misery in both the fathers and daughters voices as they yelled back and forth. I don't know if what the guard told my daughter and her friend was true but the men chasing them on bike I know for sure, why would she lie about this and I saw the thing about the young lady dying in prison on tv, just to be on the safe side know the laws and check out everything carefully. I'm not trying to say anything bad about people of any culture bad and good things happen everywheres just thought that since I do know my daughter's experience there and what I saw on the documentary and if that story the border patrol guy told then I should post it to warn everyone to be extra careful and know the laws. If anyone knows if the story the border patrol guy told is true or not please post.

PEACHY
07-04-2002, 03:44 AM
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE INFO,,THANK YOU JAYBIRD,,IAM COPY ALL THIS TO HAVE IT ON HAND!! MESUE...THAT IS SOME PRETTY SCARY STUFF,,YOU HAVE TO BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS EVERYWHERE YOU TAKE TRIPS THESE DAYS!!

greenfairy
07-04-2002, 09:13 AM
Drink bottled water when you are outside of a resort that purifies their water!
Mexico has so many beautiful places, I've been on several vacations there. I love Puerto Vallarta the most, it has a small town feel in the village away from the beachfront resorts. Cobblestone streets and friendly people.
Bring your bug guard, be aware of your surroundings, and don't get in trouble with the law. I have seen all kinds of things from a guy who just got stabbed lying on the street in the middle of tourist town to meeting the most wonderful family who own their own restaurant and invited us to stay over any time. The safest thing is to stay in the resort areas where there are plenty of fun things to do and see. If you go driving in the country there are so many other things to consider regarding your safety. Get a book about traveling in Mexico if you are going to really adventure, the customs are different and the laws are different. And the situations will be different.You won't be in the United States anymore and you will not have your same rights.
I would love to go on a mexican vacation right this minute. Last time I went, we were having so much fun we didn't take the plane home & stayed 5 extra days. Take extra duffel bags that you can fold up in your suitcase and then bring them home stuffed with blankets or whatever you buy.Oh and good luck finding an unscented deodorant...don't forget yours if you like unscented.

mugwump
07-04-2002, 11:11 AM
Have been all over, Puerto Vallarta for my honeymoon, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Taxco, San Jose Parua (sp?), Acapulco, Ixtapa, Vera Cruz, Cancun, but my favourite place of all is the

MAYAN RIVIERA !!!

We were there last year in November and stayed at the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort (all inclusive), about 20 minutes from Playa del Carmen. We loved it so much we are going again this November ... just in the process of getting reservations at a brand new all-inclusive resort, which was being built last time we were there.

The people are fabulous, beaches are the best we've seen anywhere in the world, weather perfect, and it's very safe...I even went to town a couple times without D/H and never felt uncomfortable travelling as a woman on my own.

We went everywhere on public bus or collectivos (13 passenger mini-vans) and really had a lot of fun. Food was good, too. Other than drinking bottled water, we didn't take any precautions and didn't get sick.

RobMom
07-04-2002, 11:55 AM
I went to Cancun for my honeymoon in 1991. I really loved it there. We always meant to go back, but we just haven't gotten around to it. Always drink bottled water and when you go out to a restaurant, ask for no ice for your drinks. The one place that I got a soda with ice was McDonalds - what a mistake! I figured they should be safe, but my DH and I were both sick that night. But at least that was our last night there! Have a great time wherever you choose! Wish I could come too. :D

~MK~
07-04-2002, 12:04 PM
We crossed the border in Arizona. It was so nasty and dirty, we stayed only 10 minutes, then left. *shudder*:(

leenga
09-30-2002, 10:53 AM
marci-h

I agree, we stayed at the Riu Yucatan and El Dorado Resort and Spa. We are looking at going to the Barcelo in January. I bet you are looking at the new Fiesta Grand? I'm trying to decide between the two. You'll have to let me know how you enjoy your trip in November.

Widgetsx3
09-30-2002, 11:05 AM
I LOVE Mexico! I have been all through-out...some of my favs are Puerta Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan. Make sure, if you go by Taxi, you ask how much the fare will be before you get into the cab. Most hotels will post fares to/from points of interest. I personally love to go to the smaller towns, the shopping is great, and most of the locals are very friendly. I would recommend not carrying money in one spot. Put some in your shoe, bra, undies. Very little in your wallet.

I also carry alot of change. When you see the kids begging, you will understand. I agree that alot of Mexico is dirty...but it is very humbling to see how much we do have and take for granted.