Just returned from two weeks in Oaxaca. The highlight of our trip was the tours we did with Suzanne and Bonito of Discover Oaxaca Tours. You can contact them through their website: http://www.discover-oaxaca.com/about.htm#
Suzanne and Bonito are a wonderful young couple who are willing to tailor a tour to your special interests. Going up to the cloud forest (10,000 feet above sea level!) with Bonito who is native to the area was a special treat--we are so glad we included this in our itinerary as it gave us a perspective of the way people have been living in the mountains for hundreds of years. It was also wonderful to get out of the busy city and enjoy the beauty and serenity of this region. We stayed at the Casa de las Bugambilias, as noted in other posts, an excellent B&B near the Santo Domingo Church. Enjoyed delicious meals at the following restaurants: Casa Oaxaca, Temple, La Olla, Las Naranjos (where we also took a cooking class which was a lot of fun), Las Danzanetes, La Buznaga, Marco Polo near Juarez park (super fresh fish). Enjoyed drinks on the zocalo, the Victoria Hotel up on the hill (great view from open air cocktail lounge), Camino Real. All the markets are fun, but we especially enjoyed the small organic market held Fridays and Saturdays in the little plaza on Tomayo (sp?) by the old aquaduct. We took in the Guelaquetza at the Camino Real. The dancing was wonderful, but the food left a lot to be desired compared to the meals we had elsewhere--hot food was only tepid, food was not as fresh as one would hope for in Oaxaca. We found Oaxaca to be one of the most alluring places we've ever visited--you simply fall in love with the people, the history, the art, the laid-back life style, the food and (expecially at this time of year)the climate.

We were considering Oaxaca for early next year. How did you get there?

I'm not the original poster but here is how we got to Oaxaca: Continental Airlines runs a small, regional jet from Houston to Oaxaca. The flight we took left Houston at around 6:00PM, which gave passengers from all over the US and Canada time to get to Houston that day.

We've also flown Continental from Houston to Guanajuato/Leon and Queretaro. We've been very pleased with the efficient,friendly and on-time service of all flights.

The Houston direct flight seems to be a good thing. It will save a lot of time. I just bought tickets for July and the price was under the best fare I have yet to get to Oaxaca. The first time we ever went, it required an overnight in Houston, cost three times as much and there was only one flight a day from Mexico City in to Oaxaca. If Houston isn't the connection you want, it is no big deal to change planes in Mexico City. Another option is to bus from Mexico City on depending on airfare from where you are comming from.

We live in Santa Rosa, CA. We flew from Oakland Intnl to Houston, then Houston to Oaxaca as prior posts indicated. The flight to Oaxaca arrived rather late. It was necessary for us to let the folks at Casa de las Bug know that we would be arriving at the inn at around 11 pm so someone would be there to greet us.

Just another plug for Suzanne and Benito: If you travel to Oaxaca with children. the trip would greatly enhanced if you book tours with Suzanne and Bonito. Since returning home, we've discussed our trip with our 5 and 9 year old granddaughters. We realize that they would have thoroughly enjoyed Suzanne and Bonito's low-key approach to showing us around the area. Please note the website address in my original post.

Houston would be a GREAT connection for us--we usually fly Continental to Mexico anyway. How many days would you say it would take to leisurely see the town?

We spent four full days in Oaxaca. We relaxed and walked around town each morning, and then each afternoon, we had a guide/driver take us down a different valley to visit ruins and several of the crafts villages. We were a bit too rushed with only four days. I think five or six days will allow a relaxed pace, while still doing justice to the city and surrounding areas. There are several wonderful museums and churches/cathedrals in Oaxaca, and we weren't able to spend as long in each as I would have liked.

Since our trip to Oaxaca, we have also been to several of the colonial cities northwest of Mexico City: Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Delores Hidalgo and Queretaro. While the latter four cities/towns are wonderful to visit, Oaxaca still holds the #1 place in my heart. I hope to return soon and often.

We were in Oaxaca for just short of two weeks--flew in on Sunday (very late arrival) and flew out on Saturday (9 am departure). For us, this was perfect as we took four out-of-town tours while there plus a cooking class one day. Also, we were in need of some serious R&R so we kept to a relaxed pace. Oaxaca lends itself to casual exploring of the streets and byways of the old city so we didn't plan excursions every day. One of the nice things about staying at Casa de las Bug was comparing notes about things to do and see with other guests of the inn during breakfast. I feel a week in the city would be sufficient to enjoy yourselves, but with a longer time, you really get into the pace of the area and truly relax.

I will have 2 weeks over Christmas ,New Years and last year we spend them in Mazatlan and the year before in PV so since we enjoy the beach and and local handicrafts I was thing maybe a week in Oaxaca and then going to a nearby beach town for a week...Does that make sense and which beach area makes sense?..We need to use Continental thru Houston from Phila so that has to be a consideration in getting home.

Barry, we've usually done a week at a beach and a week in the interior. Last year, we had a week in Oaxaca (city), then flew a small local plane to Puerto Escondido for a week. We then flew back to Mexico City and on to Toronto. We personally like Puerto Escondido, but some people may prefer Huatulco.

Hi!
My name is Linda and I live in Santa Rosa, too. My husband and I are going to Oaxaca for 11 days and would like to get info from you about your trip there. Would you be willing to e-mail me?
My e-mail address is [email protected]
Thanks so much!
Linda

I used to go to Oaxaca 2-3 times a yr on business & it remains one of my fav places in the world -altho it has gotten a lot more expensive. I preferred Puerto angel to either of the other beach places mentioned, altho Huat. is truly a wonderful destination. It is really important to go to the villages nr Oax - hiring a driver for the day is not expensive. I think the nicest xmas I ever spent anywhere was in Oax - begins about 16 XII.

bookmarking for later - thanks for all the tips