Susan

My husband and I will be driving to and around Mexico from Nov 15th to March 15th or thereabouts. Any suggestions on the "must see" places? Accommodations? Warnings? <BR>Thanks for any help.

Susan

I'm so envious! 4 months! <BR> <BR>I like the interior of Mexico. Mexico City is fascinating and you could easily spend some time there. Other cities (smaller cities and towns) that I have enjoyed on past trips are Oaxaca, Morelia, San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato. All are very different. We spent about 6 days in Morelia last March and took a day trip to see the monarch butterflies. Definitely a must see. It felt like parts of Canada (I'm Canadian) and there was actually a bit of snow on the ground. <BR> <BR>There are some wonderful beaches as well - I'm sure if you do a search on this forum, you'll get lots of information. <BR> <BR>Mexico is a wonderful country to visit - there are so many different areas.

Susan

Thanks for your suggestions Susan. I am a Canadian too. Any comments on accommodations? We are not really interested in fancy hotel digs but are past the sleeping bag stage. Four months could soon get expensive.

texasgirl

Like the second Susan, I like the interior of Mexico _ she lists a lot of my favorite cities. I would add the silver cities _ Taxco and Zacatecas, for instance _ for great old colonial feel. Maybe stop in one of the old spa towns _ Aguascalientes or Ixtapan de la Sal_ for a few days. I like Cuernavaca, though I haven't spent much time there. I've been dying to go to Puebla also. My favorite region, though, is Oaxaca _ if you like folk art and old archaelogical sites, i think you could spent two or three weeks here really exploring everything. <BR> <BR>Also, in all those cities, you can find some nice small hotels at reasonable prices. (We stayed at a lovely old hotel in Oaxaca a few years ago for under $25 a night, and it was right off the plaza. Like you, I don't do hostels anymore either, but I don't need the lap of luxury...) <BR> <BR>Good luck... what a great trip...

Teresa

YOU ARE DRIVING INTO MEXICO??? WOW, you're brave!!! Read my review on our vacation within 24 hours titled Akumal "Secured" Villas soon. <BR>Teresa

Escritora

Are you leaving Canada November 15, or do you plan to be in Mexico by then? Any chance you could get there 2 weeks earlier? You're just missing the Day of the Dead. <BR> <BR>I can offer links to many good Oaxaca-related sites I've found in preparation for my own trip. Some have information on less expensive hotels: <BR> <BR>Official Oaxaca Government Site <BR>http://oaxaca.gob.mx <BR>The main page is in Spanish, but there are some English parts <BR> <BR>Oaxaca Tourism Guide <BR>Spanish: http://oaxaca-travel.com/guide/index.php?lang=es <BR>English: http://oaxaca-travel.com/guide/?lang...=home&section= <BR> <BR>Oaxaca Live: City map, articles, message board <BR>Most content is in English, but some BB postings are in Spanish <BR>http://www.oaxacalive.com/ <BR>This site is run by a B&B owner, Maria Diaz, who is VERY helpful--the Oaxaca government/tourist office should have her on payroll! <BR> <BR>Oaxaca Magazine (Spanish only) <BR>http://oaxaca.magazzine.net/ <BR> <BR>Beyond Oaxaca: <BR> <BR>Mexico Visitors Guide (English) <BR>http://www.visitmexico.com/index.html <BR> <BR>Mexiso Tourism Electronic Brochure Directory (English) <BR>http://www.iskyonline.com/mexico/ <BR>Everything is in PDF format <BR>The "Mexico, The Country" file includes subdirectories for Pre-Columbian <BR>Culture and Archaeological Sites <BR> <BR>Hope this helps! <BR> <BR>

TravelPlanner

Susan, anyone planing to 'drive around Mexico' for almost 4 months should invest in at least one or two guide books for Mexico. <BR>It is a HUGE country with much variety in terrain, culture, weather, altitude, sizes of cities, variety of beaches, etc. <BR>You owe it to yourself to get to a major bookstore (Barnes & Noble and/or Borders) and plan to spend at least one hour perusing the variety of tour guides to choose the one most appropriate for you, your style of travelling, what you expect to get from the trip, and your budget.

Teresa

Susan, <BR>Don't you want to go anywhere else but Mexico? We stayed at a villa called Las Hamacas in south Akumal, Mexico and had money stolen from us by someone who had a key!!! We picked this place because it had a security guard and gate...that didn't help! This was our first and LAST trip to Mexico. Go to the Caribbean. Email me with any questions! <BR>Teresa

Open-Ended Questions

Susan, how would you answer the following if you had clicked on the CANADA BOARD and saw this: <BR> <BR>Message: My husband and I will be driving to and around CANADA from May 1st to August 31 or thereabouts. Any suggestions on the "must see" places? Accommodations? Warnings? <BR>Thanks for any help. <BR> <BR>How would you even begin to respond? <BR>No mention of likes/desires/purpose of the trip, etc. <BR> <BR>

Susan

Teresa, I'm sorry to hear about your experience in Mexico. But I'm going to say something that you'll probably hear from others as well. Can you honestly say that kind of thing hasn't happened elsewhere in the world? I had a very scary experience, where my personal safety was threatened, in Curacao, but I would never say that my experience was typical of Curacao. For heavens sake, I've had my wallet stolen twice in Toronto while riding the streetcar. I know numerous people who have had break-ins. Please don't extrapolate your experience to the whole country.

xxx xxx

Well, I went to NYC a couple of years ago. Someone went through my luggage and found my hiding place (inside the bag's lining). They took US$ 400. <BR> <BR>&lt;begin sarcasm&gt; <BR>Don't go to NYC. By all means, move out of the US! <BR>&lt;end sarcasm&gt; <BR> <BR>Teresa, I am sorry that happened to you, but judging a whole country on the basis of one incident is quite irresponsible. You don't need to be brave to drive into Mexico. You just need a little bit of common sense. <BR> <BR>Leaving my money in my suitcase was STUPID. Leaving your money in your room was also STUPID. <BR> <BR>"They had a guard at the door"... so what? Do you honestly think that a burglar went in? Obviously, it was someone who works at the hotel. Most probably the lady who cleans the room. I've seen that happen in Mexico, in the US, in Europe, and in Asia. NEVER LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR ROOM. That notice is displayed in hotels around the world. <BR> <BR>In any case, not taking another trip to Mexico because of that is also very stupid. <BR>

Guy Hamaekers

Hello, <BR> <BR>We opened a center for yoga and vacations in Zipolite, coast of Oaxaca. <BR>We have daily Hatha yoga classes (starting in september), workshops and comfortable holiday bungalows. <BR>If you're interested you can check out our website: http://www.solstice-mexico.com <BR> <BR>Hope to see you in Zipolite ( www.zipolite.com.mx) <BR> <BR>Guy and Brigitte

Teresa

Hey, I am just warning people to be careful. We go to the Caribbean every year in March/April and have NEVER had a problem with thefts or illness! We go to Mexico and someone that had keys to this villa, Las Hamacas (had to be the housekeeper or the yard boy) stole from us! We took our rental mini van back and the people at Alamo rental told us our licence plates were missing. They said said that is what the cops do down there when you do something illegal and that we would be getting a surprise charge on our credit card that we rented the car with. My son is fluent in Spanish and we were extra careful because we were in Mexico, so I know we did nothing illegal. My husband said it is a SCAM the cops pull on unsuspecting tourist. Then let's talk about being SICK in Mexico...all of us were there, and after we got home too! My husband came down with a weird respiratory illness the day after we got back! (103 degrees fever and chills...this man is NEVER sick) We drank bottled water, even brushed our teeth with it! We were told not to drink anything with ice...how can you drink a Margarita without ice??? Then again, it could have been the food! Feel free to e-mail me, if interested in anymore about our nightmare trip to MEXICO. Sorry, but it was! <BR>Teresa

xxx xxx

"Hey, I am just warning people to be careful. " <BR> <BR>That's bullshit and you know it. You have done nothing but gripe about your trip, and telling people to go someplace else. <BR> <BR>You had a bad experience, so? Many people have had bad experiences and act much more responsibly than you. <BR> <BR>I was robbed in NY (at a very expensive hotel), I got sick in Paris, I got terribly sick in Singapore, I was swindled in Italy and in the US. <BR> <BR>So? <BR> <BR>You live and you learn. You become a little bit more aware of your surroundings and take some precautions. You don't go around bashing a whole country for a bad experience. <BR> <BR>BTW, I have traveled all around Mexico, and I have NEVER been ripped off, I have never been robbed, and I have never gotten sick. <BR> <BR>Now, please, shut up.

Teresa

xxx xxx & to all, <BR>I have not been writing all of this stuff! I've been vacationing in Santa Fe only to come home and see all of this mess all because I wrote a few bad things that happened to me while in Akumal, Mexico! I think it is this person xxx xxx...this person won't even put their name on. That has to say something right there! I really think they have been having some fun at my expense! Please STOP it! You people are ruthless! This is TRAVEL TALK...why can't we stop this ridiculous raving! Respect others views. <BR>Teresa

Susan

Thanks everyone for your replies. We really appreciate all the helpful tips and sorry if the question was rather general for at least one person. Most people seemed to manage to give us some useful information. It will be an adventure for sure - will be back in April or May and will post a comment!

Linda

Susan, <BR>You will have a wonderful trip no matter where you go in Mexico.Do as one poster suggested and get a good map and travel book. One thing.........don't drive at night in the country, or be VERY careful if you do. They don't have fences and there is a real danger of hitting livestock.Be sure you vist some of the many markets all over mexico. usually crowds but a lot of fun.We used to get our insurance from Sanborn's and they had trip guides you could get that were very good. Christmas in Mexico is wonderful. Have a good time, wish I was going with you!

mexicodan

Expect the unexpected in Adventure Travel!