stan

and looking for some last minute advice... We are two late 20-somethings staying at the Fairmont Princess and are most looking forward to the beaches, restaurants and nightlife. Any recommendations that we may not read on these commercial websites? Thanks in advance, and will post with reviews upon return!

Dori

I was in Acapulco with a friend of mine in 1996. We had a great time. I would suggest you hire a taxi driver for the day. We (there were 5 of us at this point) hired a guy through our hotel and told him to just take us to where he thought would be fun. He brought us to a couple of guys that owned a boat. We paid the boat driver some cash (I can't remember how much, but very reasonable) and he took us around all day. We went through some areas where parts of Rambo were filmed. Very remote and beautiful. We stopped at a place where a woman threw a net in the ocean and whatever she brought up, she cooked for us on an old stone stove. It was excellent. Drank beers. Hung out on hammocks and then were later brought to a place called sunset beach. We brought the cab driver with us the whole time and on top of paying him for the day, paid for his lunch, etc. It was truly one of the best days of our lives. I would highly recommend hiring a driver for the day. You'll have a blast!

stan

Thanks for the suggestion, we will certainly look into it! Any tips on the nightlife... which restaurants/clubs to try on which nights? Thanks.

Dori

I'm not a nightclub person. I prefer the outdoor beach bars. We went to the Palladium I believe it's called one night. It's a huge nightclub. I think they have a light show. You can't miss it. I don't even think the discos open until around 10:30 p.m. but stay open until the last person leaves. Have a great trip and please give us a report when you get back.

Frank

My wife and I were in Acapulco this past April. The dinner at the Princess (major buffet style) was the best meal we had all week. Regarding night life, Palladium and BabyO are your best bets, but don't get there too early; things don't get going until around midnight. Taxis are cheap and you'll need one all the time since the Princess is away from the main drag. However, the Princess is the BEST! We stayed at Las Brisas this year, but if we go back, it'll be to the Princess. There is a beach disco next to some twin towers. I'm sure someone at your hotel can direct you. Also cab rates are posted at the entrance/taxi pickup at the Princess, so you'll know ahead of time how much you'll pay. The pool at the Princess is great and I'll be surprised if you duplicate the quality and food at the Princess anywhere. I know we didn't. Also, you can hire a cab driver to take you to a disco and he'll wait for you for the fare back if you tell him what time you'll leave the disco. Have fun.

Kitchen

November 14, 2002<BR>I think any tour guide or taxi driver will steer you to the nightclubs, including Andromeda's, etc. etc. That wasn't our scene, yet we received many unsolicited recommendations, including an exclusive looking disco in the Las Brisas section, which I think was called the Palladium.<BR><BR>I read the suggestion of Dori, and I envy her experience. We found that 9/11 has really hurt the Mexican economy. The hucksters of timeshares, esp. at the Mayan Palace, knick nacks, tours, and even restaurants were in FULL FORCE. We rarely had an experience were we weren't hasseled for money in the form of services- anything from alcoholic drinks at 9 AM, to suntan lotions, stupid looking hats, sunglasses, braids, massages, you name it, they tried to peddle it to us! Even little kids were peddling braids or singing songs for tips, and food, even if it was half eaten food. I kid you not. IF YOU DON'T LIKE BEING CONSTANTLY HASSELED, DON'T GO TO ACAPULCO. We didn't stay in the Diamante area, but maybe (or maybe not) it would have cut down on the number of wandering peddlers who were constantly in our face.<BR><BR>Two tips we found that worked:<BR>1) If the time share people approach you, esp. from Mayan Palace tell them right away that you are under 28. Apparently that is the magical age , otherwise you can't purchase time shares. I read this in a website forum, either this one or lonelyplanet.com These time share representatives will be there right at the airport, trying to get you to visit their timeshare property by offering you free tours and offering to pay for your taxi or colectivo fare to your hotel. They are everywhere along the Costera!!!<BR>My husband and I told them that we were 22 and 25 respectively and eventually they would leave us alone.<BR>2) If you are a couple, temporarily split up when you are walking up to and past a &quot;Information&quot; booth. They aren't information booths, perse, so much as they are Time Share booths. We found that if one of us walked slightly ahead of the other, and we weren't clearly a couple, we weren't bothered. But again, #1, the age thing worked the best for us.<BR><BR>I enjoyed Acapulco but the trip will be most remembered for the aggressiveness of the salespeople there. We didn't want any extra tours or booze cruises. We didn't want Bo Derek braids or massages. We just wanted to relax, walk around, eat in restaurants, see the sights. But the economy has been hit by 9/11 and the peddlers are getting pretty aggressive and annoying. While I feel sad for their economic situation, I no longer feel compelled to spend my money at a destination where I'm constantly hasseled. Plus, these insistent types are giving the rest of the Mexican mild mannered people a bad name. <BR><BR>At the airport departure gate, you'll be asked to fill out a survey about your trip. Apparently the Mexican government is very aware of these problems. They want to know how much money tourists are putting into the economy and what will prevent return trips. I talked to the survey taker, and she agreed that many, many people have complained about getting ripped off by taxi drivers to the constant pestering. I'm just glad that they realize the problems some tourists face, but until something can be done in the form of education, etc., I expect that the vendors will continue to pester tourists. Until then, I'm taking my tourist dollars elsewhere.