I agree that you should post any negative experiences that you may have. Not all is paradise here in Mexico. <BR> <BR>I just wish that Canadians would stop whining so much about the value of their dollar. It gets pretty old after awhile. The devaluation of your currency is miniscule compared to what we have suffered in Mexico with the peso. However life goes on.

Please forgive James, Pancho. It is a natural knee jerk reaction for a canadian to insult the US when critized. He never even bothered to notice your e-mail addy had mex on it. No country is perfect but there is something about Mexico that makes you fall in love with the country again and again. I enjoy the way everything seems to move slowly there. It is such a serene and warm atmosphere. I miss Mexico and hope to return soon.

Hey, this is very interesting -- all whining aside! Actually, i was looking for info on Belieze but you Mexico-travelers have me intrigued, especially Don who hails from NY (me, too) and says he can get cheap airfare. Don, HOW cheap? Cheaper than to Belize? I am looking for warm/hot sunny weather, something like a Cabana on the beach (not a high-rise place in a city preferably) and ESPECIALLY somewhere where we can put on our snorkel gear and just swim out and snorkel. Don't care about night-life or shopping or zinging around to see everything -- just chilling out. Also, don't want to spend the better part of my first and last day of vacation in airports and on planes, so Mexico sounds ideal! <BR> <BR>So can anyone recommend an off-the-beaten-track place in the sun with all the above? I bet there's someone out there who can say, "I know just the place . . .you'll love it." How about it, Fodor-friends! <BR>Thanks! <BR>

I worked in The Yucatan 12 years ago and just recently returned about a year ago. Much of the area has become very developed and it is much harder to get away from it all. One place I found that was amazing was a penninsula south of Tulum. I'm not sure if I'm spelling this right but the road was called Bocca Pailla or something similiar. You need to rent a car to get out there. The road is terrible. It looks like you would need a 4 wheel drive but we made it in a small VW Golf. There is a small village at the end of the road that has a few places to stay. It is a national park and there is a lot of wildlife and a beautiful reef that is a short boat ride. It is inexpensive to hire a guide to snorkel and birdwatch. The people were great. It was definately the highlight of my trip. Any Questions let me know. Also I am leaving for Brazil in a week. Does anyone have any recomendations of places around Rio to get away from it all? <BR>Katinka

Como ya has escuchado, hay tres mil razones. Seria lindo por supuesto que vayamos mas al sur, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile y por supuesto Brasil. <BR>En Argentina tienen la mas sabrosa comida, lo digo en cuanto al sabor de los ingredientes, la gente mas divertida y cariniosa. Brasil ni hablar, genial aunque la comida no es muy buena.En Boliviahay muchas ruinas que visitar, y los salares de Uyuni, (out of this world!!!) Chau suerte y espero que la proxima vez vayan mas al sur.

Updating the issue

Mexico for me because I can afford it. I drive to the border and hop on Mexican buses and can do the entire country. I can visit Mexico three times for the price of my one trip to Honduras. Its great.

James,<BR><BR>Well said. I am proud to be Canadian and love to travel to Mexico. We just know a good value! Cheers!!

Yep, I'm another canadian who will admit that I'm cheap and like to complain. Heck, I want value for my money, and find it so funny that americans will throw money away like it's nothing. <BR><BR>In general, most Canadians like to save their money, that's the culture I was brought up in. And with most salaries and the currency being much lower than in the US, we don't have a choice really. Thank god I live in the US right now, I can save more money so I can go to Mexico and whine! hehehe

Mexican peso-Canadian peso- mismo!!

As a serious response: I take one &quot;major&quot; vacation a year, to a country I've not seen before, and spend a lot of time researching it, getting the necessary documents together, etc. But when I want to take off on shorter notice somewhere to get a little sun, Mexico is the place! In a way, I guess I think this is more creative than going to Florida or Hawaii....<BR><BR>The advantages of going to Mexico are many: It's much quicker and much cheaper to get there from the U.S.; as neighbors, Mexicans and Americans tend to be more culturally familiar with each other than, say, Americans and Nicaraguans; you don't need a passport or special visas; the infrastructure is more reliable than in many Central American countries; tourist services are much better developed, so for example, you can take a two-hour express shutttle to your destination instead of spending one whole day of your vacation tramping from public bus to public bus; Mexico does not pose the health threats that many other countries do - at least in the tourist areas (dengue fever, malaria, etc).... And frankly, Mexico does offer a lot of very interesting archaeological sites.<BR><BR>Is &quot;touristing&quot; in Mexico as enlightening or educational as spending time in a really foreign land and living among the locals? -Of course not. But sometimes, a vacation is just a vacation....<BR><BR>And before you trounce all over me and my ignorance and whining, let me repeat that I do spend my biggest vacation each year in a very unfamiliar country, and I enjoy that too - just in a different way.

1) I adore Mexico, most specifically Old Town Puerto Vallarta. I return again &amp; again. I don't feel the need to be &quot;more creative&quot; when/where I travel and vacation... I'd rather go to a place I am already in love with.<BR><BR>2) I agree with the idea of separating Mexico from Latin America for posts. There was this exact discussion for months (years?) over on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree and LP did create a branch specifically for Mexico. Thanks LP.

Like the chemistry of romance, it is hard to explain to someone who does not feel it.<BR>

For years my husband refused to go to Mexico. He had the idea that everything was unsanitary. I finally convinced him to go in December 2001. He loved it and we've gone back in 2002 and will go again next month. One of these days, I'd like to see other Latin countries. Mexico is closer to the US.

My husband and I have been avid (translate &quot;addicted&quot;) world travelers for many years. While we adore our many travels to Western &amp; Eastern Europe, Latin American (especially Guatemala), Great Britain and other places, we always try to add a trip to Mexico every year. Mexico is rich in culture, tradition, history, cuisine, natural beauty and incredible hospitality... not to mention value. We find Mexico rejuvenates us, with its unique combination of stimulation and relaxation. It is simply a joy to experience, and diverse enough to warrant our return many times over.

I love to travel, explore, vacation, all of it. <BR>I have lived in Germany twice. I have traveled to Austria, Switzerland, Monaco, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Canada, and many different spots in Mexico. I will continue to see the world but I want to retire to Mexico. I love the pace, the people, the climate . . . I hope to go at least every other year until I can finally retire there. I live in the U.S. now (I am a U.S. citizen), on the west coast, and though Mexico is not far away by plane, it feels worlds away from the hustle, bustle, whining, traffic, anger of the U.S.

We had a great time visiting Mexico City for a week. And we want to go to the Yucatan some day. But I agree with an earlier writer. We like to see the world...go to places we have not been before.<BR>We really liked our tour of South America. It included Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. All were very interesting. The highlights of the trip were Igussu Falls in Brazil and Machu Pechu in Peru.

If we're going to get technical America is a continent not a country so, from Canada to the tip of South America we are all Americans. North, Central and South America are used only to indicate what part of the map to look at. So just face it we are all brother's and sister's. One more thing going to just Mexico is boring. They don't have the Amazon or the Andes etc, etc. Going to just Mexico is just not the same as seeing the real thing (as in jungles). If you want comfort stay home.
Pink's.
PS. Che Lorenzo no te olvides de Ecuador! :)

OK who dug up this ancient thread???

Quote from Pink above: &quot;Mexico is just not the same as seeing the real thing ... If you want comfort stay home&quot; have got to be THE most misleading words of travel advice I've seen posted lately!!

Mexico is a HUGE country with so many different regions. It is impossible to generalize about travel experiences there. And comparing travel to all of Mexico to one particular smaller country or area doesn't make sense.

As far as a &quot;debate&quot; on this issue ... if you think Mexico is boring, hey don't go there. I think judging other people's travel preferences and decisions, fruitless at best.

I've traveled to many places over the years, however, Cancun is my favorite. I prefer downtown or Isla Mujeres to the glitzy Americanized hotel zone and now visit 3-4 times a year. The Mexican people are the most gracious, wonderful, kind and friendliest people I have ever encountered and the privilige of my having formed many close friendships over the years is priceless. I live in Florida very close to the beach but rarely go, because the beaches here cannot compare to the beautiful, pristine waters/beaches of Cancun and its surrounding areas. Sure, there are many other places with beautiful beaches, but they don't have the wonderful Mexican people to interact with.