Mexico for next year

Jinx

Hi Guys

I've started saving towards going away with my teenager next year to Mexico and wondered if anyone could give me any pointers?

This will be the first time we've travelled just the two of us and the holiday will be taken within the Scottish school holidays, ie end June- mid August.

We both love the beach and seeing the local culture as opposed to the tourist stuff but need a safe base.

Any recommendations, pointers, things to watch out for would be great!!!

Thanks
Jinx

chalky_bertie

Went to Puerto Vallarta several years ago and that was very nice. A lovely village with a great market and not tooo touristy, also swam with dolphins just down the road but can't remember what is was called. Also went to Acapulco which was a dissapointment for me as I thought it would be a long wide open beach with hotels / shops etc along the front but it wasn't - however the high divers were good. Also hired a car (VW) which was... shall i say interesting to drive but we survived.
From what I have heard Cancun is very touristy but there will be poeple on here that have been, as I say I haven't but someone should know more.

Have a lovely time anyway.

Edinburghlass_2

Glad is in Mexico right now for the second time. I'll point her to this thread when she comes back next week and she can tell you all about it.

I don't have the links on this pc but if you look in this post here you can view the webcam on the beach near where she is

Allengg

Some surprise seeing a discussion about Mexico in this forum. Mexico can be very pricey or very inexpensive, it depends on how adventurous you are !
Puerto Vallarta, "PVR" , is a great old village that's grown into a sprawling city.
Personally I prefer a quiet "Mexican" hotel in the heart of "Zona Romantica" or old town. I pay in Pesos, never, ever, use US Dollars. ATM's dispense up to 5,000 Pesos per serving, thank you, best exchange rate. I walk out of the airport, take a bus to old town, 50pesos, check in to my hotel, after a little haggling over rates.
see the sites !
some pictures of the hotel included. Discovered that food is good and safe at some street stalls. PVR is safe, I never bother to lock my hotel room, and I've been as late as 3am, and except for the Gringos, no one will bother you. Teenagers will love the beach, but many vendors will sell beer to your 16 year old. For value, Mexico is tops.

17lbp

we were in Cancun 2 years ago. It is very touristy there, could have been in Spain really. We found it to be reeeally expensive, we were all inclusive thankfully. I had a cough and bought a bottle of cough medicine at the hotel and it was the equivelant of £10, we hadn't really grasped the money at that time (doh!) or I wouldn't have bought it. Went to the various malls etc in Cancun and found everything to be the same, tacky souveneers (sp?) were all so expensive. I'm not sure Cancun is a true Mexican place. Having said all that we did have a great time, weather was excellent, sea was like getting into a bath and food (although AI) was good. Went swimming with the dolphins - which again was very expensive, think it was over £100 each, although I did enjoy it the dolphins were in "pens" which I really didn't like. We were the only ones there that day so had quite a while with them, but afterwards it was a bit of a hard sell to get us to buy photos and videos of the event which aagain was really expensive. Another thing we did was snorkling in a reef, everyone got a "speedboat" through a jungle sort of place and we had to follow the guy in front. We ended up at a reef where we snorkelled, there was loads of tropical fish. I really enjoyed this.
Overall if you want a true Mexican holiday I don't think Cancun is the place.

researcher

Cancun definately isn't mexico, but you can get really good deals there mostly all-inclusive. Some of the benefit we found were that after the very long tiring flight and time change we could just chill out for a few days without spending a bean. All the extra, like non motorised watersports are included, and there's loads to do - for both of you. You've time to aclimatise and then can use it as a base to get out and about - there's lots of things to see in the area - both accessible by local bus and hire car (use the bus to really get a feel) - If you can speak spanish you're on a winner, (and if not go to the library and get a course now)! While there get a good guide book, Lonely Planet are always good for an overview and have a look and see if that's what you fancy. Whatever you decide, Mexico is a third world country and you don't need to go far from the tourist area's to find it.

Jinx

Thank you all very much for your advice and suggestions, its appreciated...

I haven't been away for a couple of years and always fancied Mexico as does my daughter who insists we should NOT go away with anymore of my friends and their kids! lol Hence just the two of us.... We've done the islands Crete, Ibiza etc and fancy something a bit different..

The swimming with dolphins sounds amazing... I think I'll do some digging on all the suggestions as we need a pool (daughters comment!) and I def want us to see some 'real' Mexico.

Allengg, I think I could be adventurous if the natives are friendly! lol I'm just a little wary of looking vulnerable being on my own with a teenage daughter (which sounds very unadventurous!!)

Thank you all

spursman

Hi Jinx
i have been to Mexico 3 times 1st time i went to ACAPULCO in 89 had 3 weeks it was brilliant got a coach to Mexico City spent 3 days there. went to the museum of anthropology(brilliant) zoo at the time it was regarded as the worlds best zoo that was also brill(dont know if zoo's are PC nowadays) had a day just sightseeing round the city(azteca stadium/ mexico city cathedral)while we were there an earthquake hit San Francisco & we felt the aftershocks in Mexico city(scared the locals as it was only 1 year after there last earth quake) then we got a bus to the silver mining villages at somewhere beginning with X then we went to the Sun & Moon temples which are the biggest pyramids in Mexico(world i think) at Teotihucan, this is also the home of the Mayan civilisation as well, we had 2 weeks around Acapulco & as we were room only we got out a lot & saw some of the local life we loved it, a few years later we went to Puerto Vallerta before it really took off & although very touristy it was still definately Mexico then in '99 we went to Cancun the hotel was set on a beautiful beach looking across at Islas de Mujeres, but it was a German run hotel & so all the food/entertainment etc was european you may as well have been in the costa del anywhere, we ventured out into Cancun but i wasnt impressed with Cancun at it was Little america.
nowadays no-one goes to Acapulco but if we went back to Mexico Acapulco would be our 1st choice followed by PV most people who have been to Cancun love it so we probably got a bad 2 weeks but Cancun would be low on out list for a return
all the best
Larry

Wolfhound

I have been to Cancun, out of all the people I know who've been within the last few years only one couple said they liked it. It is a rip-off if you are not all inclusive. There were quite a lot of people being robbed when we were there. Hotel security boxes were being robbed but not damaged ! Chichen Itza was great to see but its a full day trip from Cancun. You would think that Tequila would be dirt cheap there, its cheaper here. One of our friends came back with an empty case and his passport from Mexico because the poverty was so bad where he was that he gave all his stuff away to the locals as it was so heart-breaking to witness it.

Reaper

Mexico is a fantastic place, I spent 6 weeks there covering as much of the country as I could.

However Cancun is to be avoided at all costs. It is not Mexico it is a transplanted American city.

Indeed much of the so called "Mayan Riviera" is to be avoided as it is excessively touristy, getting steadily worse the further north you go. Playa del Carmen was as far north as I could bear to stay, I quite enjoyed it mostly because the diving is world class (and even more so round Cozumel, the pricier island just off the coast).

I strongly suggest you buy the Lonely Planet Mexican guide book. If you can pack light enough to be mobile and are feeling adventurous you can go exploring using efficient and cheap Mexican coaches.

The Yucatan peninsular is an obvious area to head for as you can get easy flights to Cancun (don't stay!) and the region is awash with great Mayan ruins to visit.

It is also worth taking a trip to either dive or snorkel in the crystal clear water of the cenotes (caves). The water is so clear it is as if you are floating through the air. Here is the place I went. You might have even seen the Imax film made there.

However the rest of Mexico is also filled with wonderful places to visit and you get far less tourists once you leave the Yucatan. I'm nor sure I can pick out my favourites. Well, I suppose there was one which is the truely bizarre and little known Las Pozas but it is hard work getting there so don't try unless you have a lot of spare time on your hands.

Jinx

You guys are just amazing!!!!!!! A big thanks for all the information....

I was planning a two week trip but I'm wondering if I could afford 3 weeks to meander around with my daughter...

Its interesting that none of you really rate Cancun as I've heard good things about it however that has been from people who like all inclusive and no culture at all which isnt really me.

Sounds like I should definitely buy the lonely planet guide book, although you sound a lot more adventurous than me Reaper! lol Not sure on packing light to be mobile, how DO you get a 14 yr old girl to do that??? Hmmmm will need to work on that one!

Hope you're all having a fab wkend.
Thanks