Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with travel and mexico

Off to Tulum We Are, Are We

DuckGirl — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:29:19 -0800

Suggestions for must see/do/experience in Tulum? Mr. Duck and I are going to Tulum for the Christmas week, and are looking for suggestions on what to do and see while there. I have reviewed some of the other threads, but as most are a few years old I thought I'd revisit the topic and learn if there are any new thoughts.

We are flying into Cancun, staying at Cabanas Copal in Tulum and will likely rent a car to get to and from all points. I'm interested in good food; he's interested in snorkeling/scuba diving; we're both interested in ruins and artwork and generally neat stuff. Any advice is appreciated!

Hotel Luz En Yucatan

uans — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:18:26 -0800

Hotel Luz En Yucatan , Mexico, sounds too good to be true. Is it? I would like to hear from anyone who has been there before. Thinking of going in January. Thanks.

SoCal Holiday Road Trip Tips?

Capostrophe — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:55:42 -0800

I'll be embarking on a two week road trip from just before Christmas until just after the new year. My plan is to drive south out of the SF Bay Area and spend most of my time in southern California, possibly with forays into Az, Nevada, and Mexico. My interests are nature, archaeology, and history, and I'm an avid photographer. Tell me about the places I shouldn't miss. I'm considering the obvious destinations: Death Valley, the Salton Sea, Pinnacles, and Joshua Tree. I also intend to spend some time in San Diego, visiting the zoo and wild animal park. Beyond that I'm eager to hear your suggestions about roads to drive, places to stay, places to stop, and places to skip.

Bonus points for forgotten little picturesque attractions, and double bonus points for practical tips on visiting Mexico for a few days.

Please plan my trip.

halogen — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:06:14 -0800

We (two Seattleites in their mid-twenties) just booked plane tickets to Cancun over New Year's. I'm not interested in all-inclusive resorts or clubbing or vegetating at the same stretch of beach for an entire week. Now what? We will be renting a car, but there are no plans as to where to drive outside of Cancun (maybe attempt a trip like this one?). We're also pretty well-equipped backpackers--I've been thinking about driving down the shore and sleeping at whatever camping grounds/beaches we find along the way. Is that a terrible idea? Do you have any specific recommendations as to places to stay/see?

How hot will it be at night? Neither of us speaks much Spanish, but that shouldn't be a problem, right? Will I need to have any reservations? Anything else I should be aware of? Thanks.

What do I need to know before bike touring in Mexico?

lhputtgrass — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:04:04 -0800

My friend and I are planning to bike tour in Mexico for around three months early next year. What should we know going in to keep ourselves safe given the current drug war problems in the country? Basically, I'm wondering what two gringos with some but by no means fluent Spanish should know ahead of time to keep from getting into trouble. Are there areas of Mexico we should totally avoid? (Our route isn't totally planned yet and we obviously can't cover a huge portion of the country in our timeframe, so if there are places it would simply be dangerous to be, we can easily avoid them...)

Escape from rain city

PercussivePaul — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:43:44 -0800

We want to go somewhere sunny and warm in February. We're in Vancouver BC and don't want to fly too far; cost is an issue. We would really like to bring our touring bicycles and do a mini-tour at a relaxed pace - maybe 250 miles over two weeks. So far we're looking at South Baja. Good idea? Other ideas? I have all kinds of questions about South Baja if anyone has been there. Specifically we were thinking of flying to Cabo San Lucas (looks like around $600 round trip plus baggage fees), then biking to La Paz and back in a loop, and we need to know about road conditions, traffic, availability of services, typical price of a hotel, etc etc.

But I'm also interested if any other destination comes to mind. The bike tour is not a requirement but something we would really enjoy. Touristy mega-resorts are not really our thing but we would appreciate a little bit of comfort on this trip I think. Beaches would be nice. Sunny and warm in February is the key.

We're looking for a fun, warm place to spend New Year's Eve!

ersatzkat — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:26:24 -0800

My husband and I want to be someplace warm for New Year's Eve where we can see the full moon over the water. We can take time off between Christmas and Jan 3, and we'd like to go someplace warm for a few days. We're travelling from the East coast, have never been to the Caribbean or Mexico, and have a nerdy desire to see the full moon over *some* body of water. I'd like something relaxing and beachy, he'd like a bit more adventure and local interest and tall shit to climb (sorry, editorial I know).

Our problem is narrowing down our options - can you help us? Any recommendations for islands, cities, beaches - I know it's broad, but we don't know where to start! Assume that money isn't a huge object, but we'd also prefer not to blow 10K on a week. We're happy to make lots of reservations and stuff ourselves, but could be swayed by an all-inclusive that wasn't tacky and/or a ripoff. We're both late 30s. Thanks in advance for your help!

Copper canyon mexico or costa rica

notned — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:42:29 -0800

Copper Canyon, Mexico or Costa Rica? I know that I'm asking about apples and oranges.

Suggestions for a house rental for Mexico?

k8t — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:57:23 -0800

House rental for a group in Mexico? Babyfriendly a must. ~5 couples and 3 babies (around a year) want to go to the beach for a week(ish). Most are on the east coast (NYC/Vermont), so somewhere JetBlue flies would be nice. We've thought that renting a house would be easiest, so we could cook.

Cheap is good, of course.

Any suggestions? TIA!

Best non-expensive hotel in Oaxaca?

toomuchkatherine — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 08:35:32 -0800

Best reasonably priced hotel in Oaxaca? We're two people, traveling to Oaxaca the week after Labor Day. In search of a not too pricey hotel to stay in for a few nights at the beginning of our stay...and maybe a hotel to splurge on for one night at the end. Ideas? Anyone ever stated at the Hotel Monte Alban on the Zocalo? Or Casa Oaxaca? Those are the two we're thinking of for moderate and splurge, respectively.

Safe travels in Mexico?

thenuts — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:27:55 -0800

[Posting for a friend] My friend is going to Mexico (Riviera Maya, flying into Cancun) in a few weeks and with all the news coming out of Mexico is a bit worried. Should they be? Any concerns or advice?

family vacation near los mochis?

luriete — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:30:17 -0800

My family's regular Mexican vacation spot is a combination of Isla Mujeres & Tulum area. That said, we have a new 10-month old baby this time and are looking for something a little closer. I saw that flights from LAX to Los Mochis are particularly inexpensive; can anyone recommend small, not too touristy beach communities similar to what we'd find in Yucatan (or nicer!) within a bus trip or short drive of Los Mochis? Bonus points for recommendations for inexpensive house rentals or interesting things to do, since (I assume) there are no cenotes in northern Mexico for us to snorkel in all day.

Is anyone familiar with Tecnológico de Monterrey in Chihuahua?

KTrujillo — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:05:41 -0800

Is anyone familiar with Tecnológico de Monterrey in Chihuahua? I was thinking of attending a program there and although it looks like a great school I'm wondering if anyone has firsthand knowledge of the school or the area. I know that things have been tumultuous in Mexico. I have a friend who has lived in Oaxaca for eleven years and she says that times are very tough...worse that she's ever seen. Is it the same in Chihuahua once you get away from the border towns? Is it a safe place to live and go to school? Thanks.

Last-minute cheap travel tips?

pseudostrabismus — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:33:12 -0800

Me and my friends would like to go somewhere warm this February. We don't care where, and we would be fine with booking at the last minute. How do we get a great deal? February is coming and we're not getting caught off-guard. We're gonna need to get the heck out of Canada and give our S.A.D. some sun.

We don't care where we go as long as it's hot, sunny, and laid-back. A rented villa in a hot country, or an all-inclusive resort, or even a cruise would be fine.... we're not picky. Overall, we're looking for relaxation more than adventure (although local activities & food would be great).

Flying standby or getting a last-minute deal would be awesome. I've heard of people going all-inclusive (flight+room+food) from Canada to a Cuban resort for under $400/person, which would be a dream come true!

There are 4 of us- no couples, so we can all sleep in one room if need be.
Our outside dates are approx. Feb 14-22, 2009, for all or part of that time.
A rough budget might be around $600 per person, give & take.
We're all Canadian citizens with valid passports & no history of travel problems.
The catch: One person would fly out of Vancouver, the other 3 from Toronto.

Any resources, websites, stories of how you did this, or other advice would be much appreciated!

Cabo San Lucas Mexi-Fun

SpookyFish — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:12:19 -0800

Cool stuff to do in Cabo, Mexico? I am heading off to my first real vacation in 10+ years in just a few days, and so looking forward to it. Though relaxing on the beach and reading good books would be totally fine, I am hoping some MeFites can contribute a few cool off-the-beaten-trail ideas beyond the normal touristy things. I read mattkline's Cabo thread from '06, but I am hoping the since-expanded MeFi collective can add to it..

Looking for advice about getting and spending money while in Mexico.

iamkimiam — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:02:20 -0800

Traveling to Oaxaca, Mexico next week. Looking for advice and information about money while I'm there. A friend and I will be spending some time in Oaxaca, Mexico in July. We are wondering about how to get and spend money while we're there. Specifically, whether or not it is better to bring dollars in, or go to ATMs once we arrive. Why? How do conversion rates work? Should we get pesos too? What ratio of dollars-to-pesos should we have? Where is our bargaining power and when is it most effective to offer to pay with dollars versus pesos? Any other monetary info welcome as well. Thanks!

¡ORALE!

phaedon — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:03:04 -0800

I want to get a bunch of friends to drive down to Mexico and rent a house for the weekend. I live in Los Angeles, and I'm looking to rent a house by the beach somewhere in Baja, Mexico for a weekend trip. Has anybody had any good experiences doing this? Specific recommendations are totally welcome.

Tell me about Xilitla/Las Pozas

headless — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:00:04 -0800

Has anyone ever visited Xilitla, Mexico? I am trying to plan a vacation specifically to enjoy Las Pozas, but I am finding the info on the web a bit scarce. I've pretty much read everything I could find on google including talking to the people at el Castillo, but I am looking for personal accounts and suggestions of how long to plan on staying, what else to do while I'm down there, and answers to questions I haven't thought to ask. I will be coming from Austin if that helps, and right now I am thinking about going round October/November. Thanks.

Looking for advice about Spanish immersion programs (and more) while in Oaxaca, Mexico

iamkimiam — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:02:03 -0800

Traveling to Oaxaca with a friend for a 2-4 week Spanish immersion program this June/July. We are looking for some advice about Spanish language programs, homestays/lodging, and transportation. We are having a very difficult time finding a good learning program—there are so many to choose from and we don't quite know what to look for and how to determine which ones are good. We are both in our 30's, female, both semi-fluent in French (if that helps us any), but looking for an intensive Spanish immersion program in Oaxaca. We want to learn as much of the language and about the culture as we can during our short stay.

Have you had experience with programs in Oaxaca (state or city)? Did you do a homestay? What do you recommend? What should we know?

Also, any information about transportation and/or beginning/intermediate surfing in the area would be much appreciated!

Drive to Mexico with just a drivers license?

eas98 — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:24:48 -0800

Can I drive in and out of Mexico with just my drivers license? I'm visiting a friend in California and we thought we might drive down to Mexico for the day. However, I have heard that the entry/exit rules have changed this year and you can no longer make the trip with just your drivers license. Is this true? Has anyone tried this in the last month or so? Are they adamant about this or is it strongly suggested but not required? If I manage to get into Mexico with only my DL will I be able to get back out?

¡Oh! Mexico, what do you have in store for me?

rhinny — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:35:04 -0800

I'm going to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara for 12 days and I'm looking for recommendations of things I absolutely must do/see... I'm a hardcore museum & gallery junky, a bit of a foodie, and I'm interested in architecture. I'm not really into outdoor activities [beyond reading on the beach] and I'd like to avoid the other tourists as much as possible [growing up in a tourist town left me with some as yet unresolved frustration].

embarrassing truths: I will have next to no money and I speak no Spanish.

My trip to Mexico City and ???

smackfu — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:40:32 -0800

Nine days in Mexico in early June. Flying into Mexico City. Where else in Mexico should I go after 4-5 days there?

RoadTrip TipS!

madmamasmith — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:26:27 -0800

I'm going to Yellowstone in May , traveling from Austin TX via New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming then back through Kansas and Oklhoma. I would really appreciate recomendations for any cool places to stop along the way. Cool museums, cheap flea markets, places to buy cool jewelry, cool parks, places to camp, vegetarian resteraunts etc. And also the best places to stay in Yellowstone as thAT's where we'll be spending most of our time.

Travel in Puerto Morales, Mexico

nikksioux — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:31:24 -0800

What are some fun things to do/see in Puerto Morelos, Mexico? Specifically vegetarian-friendly restaurants, nice walks, natural wonders, other things you may have enjoyed on your stay? (we were planning on going to London in May, but after the current drop in $$ value, decided to hold off for a while) Thanks!

Where to stay for family vacation near Cancun?

gottabefunky — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 17:22:08 -0800

Family vacation to Cancun area - where should we stay? Six adults (30s to 60s, vet travelers to newbies, one Spanish-speaker), one young child and a baby. We're looking for a place that's in or near Cancun so we can fly in cheaply and then leave that horrid city behind to explore everything around it on day trips: Isla Mujeres, Isla Holbox, Tulum, Riviera Maya, Chichen Itza. We'd like a house, ideally, reasonably priced ($300-400/night?), convenient to all of the above...and maybe even near or on a beach.