Advice for Mexico?

[Ralliart]

My wife and I want to do a 5-7 day all-inclusive deal in Mexico but need some advice on where to start looking.

I googled some stuff regarding all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and got about a million different websites, not sure which ones to trust and who to avoid. Anyone do any package deals with airfare and everything else included? How about destinations....Cancun? Puerto? Mazatlan?

Any advice on which companies, resorts, locations etc would be a nice experience to look into?

We'll be flying from the US. I've never been to Mexico before. Looking for a nice resort, good beach, mainly just to relax.

Thanks

[Nark]

Cabo San Lucus
Puerto Viarta

Or anywhere on the Yucatan are my recommendations.

Mazatlan is an excuse for drunken college students to party, not very nice in terms of a tourist destination.


It also depends on what you want to do. Stay by the beach drinking Rum and Corona's? Or see some of old Mexico or Mayan ruins??

Expedia, Orbit etc... can give you a good deal.

[Invertago]

The Caribbean side has better beaches and is probably safer with most of the countries crime either in the big citys or close to the border.

If you want the big developed resort experience try Cancun, if you want more small beach town style try Playa Del Carmen. Recommend a tour of Xel Ha if you can, great chance to snorkel and float around. Kinda a natural aquarium nature reserve / park. Tulum is also a neat spot to check out some ruins and a beautiful beach as well. They're about an 2 hour bus ride from Cancun, or half an hour from Playa-del-carmen.

When catching a cab for the highway, try to flag a guy who is about to turn on to the highway empty, you can negotiate a cheaper ride as he was about to head back empty vs getting a in town cab to take you out of town. The same cab ride can cost $30 with one guy, or down to $4 for another guy who is already heading in that direction. Ask for prices in Spanish typically gets you a discount, ask in the local Mayan dialect if you can figure it out, and you can get the local rate that is usually way cheaper

Take lots of loose change, Pesos or American is fine as every service person expects and survives of tips. There is a guy in the washroom who keeps it tidy and hands you paper towels, he works for tips, the guy packing your groceries is there for tips, the Hotel maid is there for tips. They even have parking lot guys who guide you back into your parking spot for tips so spare change is a must. Can get annoying, but on the other hand in Mexico they try to earn your spare change anyway they can to feed a family while in Canada we have bums that lie about needing bus / ferry money and spend it on drugs. The other side of the coin (no pun intended) is that the guy working for your tips is friendly vs some other places where they just pick your pocket.

[l_reason]

I was Just in the DR at an "Excellence" resort I would recomend it above any other chain of resorts. No kids, amazing food and any kind of drinks you like any time. We spent a week at a "Riu 5 star" then a second week at the "Excellence" there was no comparison.

There are two in Mexico. If you have the cash to spend on a really nice place you cant go wrong. http://www.excellence-resorts.com/

[Ralliart]

Thanks for the info.

Did you guys just fly down on your own and then stay at a certain resort? Or did you do the whole thing through a package deal?

I've done my fair share of backpacking and independant travel around the globe, looking for a straight forward, no surprise holiday in the sun this time around.

I-reason the place you recommended looks great!

[Airtids]

1) itravel2000.com for the Royal Decameron in Puerto Vallarta (Bucerias, actually). Whole package. We got 14 days for about $1100 all in.
2) get out of the resort and check out the outlying areas. Same goes for any resort, etc.
3) Have a great time.

Tids

[Invertago]

The all inclusive does take away the surprises and simplifies things plus they tend to work in a pretty good deal. I'd go all inclusive in the future if I where headed south again.

[niss]

Go see a donkey show.

[Invertago]

Go see a donkey show.

I'm NOT with stupid.

[Freetime]

I just got back from Cancun and enjoyed it alot. We stayed at "The Royal Cancun" and it was great - awesome food, good service, nice rooms, nice beach (including beach waitresses), and good weather. $599 including air from Westjet Vacations.

[just curious]

XCaret, XelHa, Akumal are all great. Playa del Carmen not so nice these days. Tolum is great.

For future years, try a langauge course for a couple weeks in Merida.

If you get stuck or delayed for an extra day, the Torre Dorado ia on the laggon side of the main drag in Cancun, opposite the ferry launch for Isla Mujeras. They give an airline rate.

Spring break time of the year, any of the above are great. Cancun, if you are older would be a colossal pain.