Our booking includes airport transportation back/forth. Our paperwork includes warnings about avoiding those airport cons… gee, not looking forward to that part. We booked a PV tour first full day… bus pickup/dropoff at the resort.
We also booked a market tour / cooking class the last day in town. For that we are on our own for transportation. We have ability to cancel if we decide it’s beyond our comfort level to do taxi (or maybe use cellphone/Uber).
I’m reading along as I’m going to Cancun/Riviera Maya in 3 weeks. I don’t think I’ll be leaving the resort much (it is huge) because my idea of a vacation is alternating between the pool and the ocean, between magazines and books. My friend I’m traveling with is going to ruins and I believe she is going on organized tours.
I’m not sure I’ll need pesos. I think they issue you a bracelet like Disneyland and you just pay at the end. Also, most places like US $$$. I was watching a Youtube (that warned about the taxi/ride situation at the airports. It also said there was a new form (trial) at the Cancun airport that you were supposed to print out and bring with you, but I can’t find it on the internet. My brother just returned from Cabo and he didn’t have any pre-printed form.
The all inclusive you’ve booked is in Nuevo Vallarta, which is a fair distance north of town. It’s very nice, but not my idea of a Mexican vacation. Too sterile for my taste. Too many smiley happy people.
Don’t worry about taking a taxi. Realistically, about the worst thing that might happen is he’ll recommend a restaurant based on who’s paying him the biggest kickback. The taxi drivers speak pretty good English. In fact, everyone speaks english, because it’s a tourist town. When you get in a taxi, just ask the driver if he has any bambinos, and how old they are; you’ll make a friend.
Bring a bunch of $1. We stayed at an all inclusive in Riviera Maya, so no tips or payments for anything were technically required. However, after we left a couple of dollar bills on our table after finishing our buffet lunch, the staff began treating us like royalty. USD are appreciated in Mexico (and in British Columbia, too!).
I’ve been to China twice, and know this rule and to keep my mouth shut in the shower.
On my second night in China, our plane was cancelled and we had to go to a ‘non-western’ hotel and I was exhausted. I brushed my teeth and accidentally used the tap water. Ack! So I started gulping and rinsing with the boiling hot water in the tea kettle (in every room). I didn’t get sick but at the time thought I might die.
Yes, Nuevo Vallarta. Agree it is not the authentic Mexican vacation that we’d like to take someday…. after our first venture to Mexico. This time it’s a beach vacation with a bit of Mexican flavor. Also going to an all-inclusive is on our bucket list.
For those following the thread who actually do want to stay in PV (and for my future ref), do you have any specific location or hotel to recommend?
In general, we don’t stay at all-inclusives, mainly because we prefer to explore the local restaurants rather than feeling obligated to eat at the home base hotel. But in PV we’ve twice stayed at the all-inclusive Buenaventura Grand, and liked it a lot.
It’s located within walking distance of the Malecon, Cathedral, and other downtown sites, but also has all the amenities you’d expect from an upscale beach resort. Not as new or nice as Nueva Vallarta, but more “real”, if you can call being waited on hand and foot “real”.
We discovered it in response to a timeshare solicitation we received, 4 nights all-inclusive for $199/couple or something like that as long as we agreed to attend a timeshare presentation (not there, but at a different property).
I’m a sucker for a bargain, so we signed up. Note, whatever you do, don’t buy a timeshare. Sit through the presentation, be pleasant, and be prepared to say “no” over and over.
To me it’s part of the adventure. Sacrifice a few hours and try to have fun with the salesperson, and in exchange enjoy a Mexican vacation for $40/night per couple, with meals and drinks included.
The place I’m going to is a time share. My friend’s sister loves her TS and friend went with her last fall. Well, they went to the presentation and they talked them into upgrading, so friend split it with the sister. Now they have 6 weeks a year rather than one. This week we are going on is a bonus week. But friend already regrets buying the TS.
My brother and his ex-wife had a very very cheap week at a timeshare at Alta, in Utah. They actually really liked it and rarely went to ‘their’ week. SIL was a genius at trading for better places, better weeks. She got the TS in the divorce (it was really hers) and I don’t know what she does with it now.
I used to do the legal registrations for timeshares in the US. High end. Some people really like them.
You would have been disappointed in this timeshare. It was a converted motel, and think Motel 6, not the Ritz. And it was for the first week of May. But they rarely used it and traded it for weeks in Florida, Texas, Arizona, etc.
I could have hooked you up for a quarter share (12 weeks per year) at Snowmass. Those were sweet.
So tell me more about how much cash (dollars, pesos) we’d be likely to need. Staying at an all-inclusive in Nuevo Vallarta, but will go into PV twice (once by bus tour, once by taxi or maybe Uber). We have a United Visa and an credit union debit card (on a few networks I think).
That depends on you. If you’d be content lying by the beach or the pool for a week, taking all your meals onsite, and only venturing into town once or twice on organized tours pre-purchased through the resort, then a couple hundred dollars would be more than sufficient.
As discussed in “Random Questions” thread, we did order 4400 pesos ($250) from AAA. Yes, it is a bit of overkill caution. Although our hotel docs say no exchange available there, others have said it is fine to use US dollars for tips at an all-inclusive. Also we’ll be able to Uber (but do want cash in case taxi needed).
So now I need to figure out more about what I’ll wear. ==Staying at Riu Palace Pacifico on the beach, so I envision a lot of time in swimsuit. Usually my summer packing includes lots of shorts/tops, but time thinking it might be handy to have casual dresses I can pop over the suit as needed… thoughts?
If you’re a dress girl I say yes! I would def bring some casual versatile sundresses that can dual purpose as a cover up or a casual dress out and about at breakfast or lunch or a beach walk!
I also like skorts for the beach to pull up over a bathing suit for walking down the beach, running back up to the room, etc
I’m starting my packing too. I’m taking two skorts, some shorts, a pair of white capri pants (that look good with a flowy top and a sheer cover up, and two t-shirt cover ups that are very very casual.
My resort says shorts not allowed in some restaurants. Really, those aren’t my kind of restaurants and I’ll eat at the food trucks.
Normally I’m not much of a dress girl. But I’ve been kindof transitioning that way past few years, especially dresses that can be worn with casual shoes.
It looks like some of the restaurants have dress codes, geared toward men…
FORMAL DRESS REQUIRED FOR DINNER. MAIN RESTAURANT: GENTLEMEN – NO SLEEVELESS T-SHIRTS.
THEME RESTAURANTS: GENTLEMEN – NO SLEEVELESS T-SHIRTS, LONG TROUSERS
A perfect dress/cover up would be a NuuMuu ! But they are a bit expensive though very versatile and easy to pack and even to rinse and wear while vacationing.
Also great for active vacations
