Posts Tagged ‘Mexico’

Another spring break, another Mexico travel alert from the US State Department. Every year, college students and families taking spring break vacations seek out great travel deals — and there certainly are some worthy money-saving hotel packages in Mexico. But care must be taken to consider where to go, if Mexico is the destination. The border states are often dangerous, with plenty of crime (from pickpocketing to murder) that makes those border states unwise choices for travel.

I spoke with Prof. Bruce Bagley, a Latin America expert and chair of the Department of International Studies at the University of Miami. This Mexico expert couldn’t have been more clear regarding travel. “The border states are the focal point of violence, but perception of violence [determines vacation destination decisions] and overall Mexico tourism is down 10 percent  from last year. It will probably drop further.” He continued to say that popular tourist destinations with family-friendly resorts, such as “Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, have never been safer.”

Mexico is a large country, with a lot of lovely upscale and/or family friendly resorts. Its cultural and culinary histories of different regions are also varied, and people can travel to the country year after year and have completely different experiences each time if they so choose. But don’t go to the border states. According to Mexico’s Department of Public Safety, the country-wide murder rate  has fallen since the late 1990’s. In some real, measurable ways, Mexico has gotten safer. The US State Department’s Mexico travel alert really only pertains to those states – Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, etc. – where the drug war is up front and corruption looms large. There are so many other Mexican travel destinations that aren’t an easy drive across the border, but make for safe and interesting spring break vacations. There is no reason to risk your family’s safety by taking a vacation in a border state, no matter how cut-rate the travel deals and hotel packages may be.

Now, tourism dollars provide the country with more economic stability than does the so-called drug money.  We can have safe, wonderful and culturally interesting vacations in Mexico, and know that we’re contributing to the financial health of our neighboring country to the south. Don’t scratch Mexico off your list of potential travel destinations (spring break or otherwise) despite all the warnings we hear on the nightly news. Choose your Mexican vacation spot wisely, and it may be the best trip yet.

After stopping in Puerto Vallarta on a Holland America cruise a few years ago, I was absolutely determined to come back and explore more. What I discovered on a longer visit is glorious 85-degree weather; a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and an authentic learning experience, ideal for families. Whether you like to relax on a sunny beach, be enriched by fascinating Mexican culture or love a great outdoor adventure, Puerto Vallarta has more than enough to keep your family entertained.

Pirates of the Bay – What a treasure!

This fabulous half-day tour included buffet breakfast and lunch, pirate-show fun, as well as a treasure hunt on the island. The morning started off at the Maritime Terminal where we were greeted at the pier by our own personal pirate, Angie, who was our server for the day. After a breakfast buffet, we took off for seas unknown. The pirate show was very entertaining for adults and kids alike with some stunts that took even me by surprise.  We arrived at our destination, the Majhuitas Ecological Island, a secluded beach, accessible only by boat. Here the kids went on a treasure hunt, while the adults laid back and soaked up the sun.  After two hours (that went by much too fast), we re-boarded the ship for lunch with more fun and games on the way back. Upon returning to the dock, the kids were loaded down with “loot” and everyone had a great time!

Zipping through the trees at the Canopy Adventure Park

One of the most popular ecological tours in Puerto Vallarta is at the Canopy Adventure Park. Families get a chance to zip from tree to tree, discover jungle wildlife while venturing across suspended walkways and sail through the air on a Tarzan swing. What’s so cool is that it’s a little scary at first, but the view from above is well worth it. Minimum age, 8.

Swim with the dolphins

It has been said that you haven’t lived until you’ve kissed a dolphin and I would agree. The Dolphin Encounter gives kids a chance to learn more about these remarkable  creatures through face to face encounters. After a brief presentation about how dolphins interact with people, I waded into a shallow pool and had a chance to touch, rub and actually ride on the dolphin! Kids as young as five can participate.

For still more kid-friendly adventures in Puerto Vallarta, through outfitter Vallarta Adventures, you might consider taking an excursion to colonial San Sebastian in the Sierra Madre Mountains, with a stop at a working coffee plantation.

As far as dining in Puerto Vallarta goes,  many area restaurants cater to families with special kids’ menus that offer standard American fare, along with smaller portions of Mexican specialties. If your kids are game for fish tacos, let them try!

I have friends who’ve traveled to Puerto Vallarta every year since the 90s. I couldn’t understand why they chose to go back to the same place year after year. Now that I’ve  spent a week there, I get it. And I can’t wait to go back.

ChicaG0-Gal, who also goes by the name Mira Temkin, is a Chicago-based travel journalist who loves to see the world and write about it. From cruises to destinations to luxury hotels, she uncovers new experiences for families, couples and gal pals to discover. Email her at mtemkin967@aol.com.

For travelers who want to explore two off-the-beaten-path sites in the Yucatan Peninsula, far from the development in high-rise Cancun, I highly recommend a tour to visit Ek Balam, a small Maya archaeological site that opened to the public in 2002, and Ria Lagartos, a biosphere reserve that is home to the largest natural habitat of pink flamingos in North America — and perhaps a crocodile or two.

During a press trip to Club Med Yucatan Cancun earlier this month, I had the privilege of spending time at both of these sites on a day-long (7 a.m. to 8 p.m.!) tour offered by Club Med’s on-site excursion company, Ancila Tours. This company’s trips are exclusive to Club Med Yucatan guests, so unless you’re staying at this all-inclusive resort, you can’t take the particular multi-site excursion I describe below. However, other local tour operators do offer the combination — a quick Google search turned up a couple. And you can also inquire about trips to these eco-cultural sites resort hotel’s activity desk once you’re in Cancun. If you have a rental car you can naturally seek these spots out on your own, as well.

View of Ek Balam buildings from the top of the largest structure, the Acropolis.

Ek Balam Archaeological Site

From Club Med Cancun, it’s a two-hour drive to Ek Balam, which is 30 miles north of the city of Valladolid in the state of Yucatan. Ek Balam, which means “black jaguar” in the Maya language, is northeast of Chichen-Itza and northwest of Coba (see this map of Yucatan Peninsula Maya sites for reference). Archaeologists believe a Maya community here thrived between 700 and 900 A.D.

The most important structures are in a walled enclosure about a kilometer square. Renovation of the buildings has taken place since 1997, and experts have literally uncovered the temples, archways, platforms and sculptures after low-lying jungle had engulfed them for hundreds of years. Some of the structures are still buried; with foliage covering them, you might walk by a giant “hill” and not even know what’s underneath. Archaeologists have also identified two now-grassy plazas and roads leading to the site.

You've got to climb these steep steps for the stellar views from the top of the Acropolis at Ek Balam.

What’s incredibly cool about Ek Balam is that you can climb some of the ancient structures (unlike Chichen-Itza and Tulum where it’s “look with your eyes” only). A highlight is the imposing Acropolis, nearly 100 feet tall, with steep steps leading to the top (not for the vertigo-challenged). Most striking to me was the incredibly detailed carvings found in the Acropolis that are now uncovered and protected from the elements with a thatched roof. One sculpture is of a giant open mouth of a scary, monster-like creature. There are also angels, animals and various designs that are in excellent condition. Walking to the top of the Acropolis, where a small temple once stood, affords stellar views of the surrounding, undeveloped countryside and the other buildings on the entire site.

Our tour guide, Anja, was super  knowledgeable about the history and culture of the Maya people who lived here and elsewhere in the Yucatan Peninsula. While there are a few informative signs about  the temples and the carved tablets on the grounds, I highly recommend you visit Ek Balam with a tour guide, who can bring the site to life with descriptions of what life was like for the Mayas 1400 years ago. Entrance to Ek Balam is 31 pesos (at time of writing about $2.50 USD).

Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve

After Ek Balam we motored for 30 minutes to the bustling town of Tizimin. We relaxed in a second-floor restaurant, with a wrap-around balcony affording views of the town square, and we refueled with pastries, bread, coffee and fruit. Then it was another 45 minutes or so by van to Ria Largartos Biosphere Reserve on the Gulf of Mexico, where we boarded a 6-seater boats (with minimal shade cover) to explore the vine-covered mangroves and murky channels teeming with wildlife.

Within a couple minutes our boat guide pulled in close to some vegetation so we could get a close-up view of a perched pelican. After that, we spotted different types of heron along the way to where the flamingos typically hang out. Of course, when we boated too close to the pink birds, they took off in flight. Still, it was pretty neat to see the flamingos in their natural habitat.

Next up, nature’s “Maya spa.” We anchored near a lagoon dense with salt. Here, we buoyantly bobbed in the water as if it were the Dead Sea. After just a couple of minutes of allowing all the good minerals into our skin, we hopped out of the salty lagoon to the fresh(er) water we were boating in. Our boat guide dug his hand deep into the grey, squishy clay — and promptly started rubbing it on the journalist closest too him. Indeed, the Mayas used the clay as sunscreen and as a skin protectant.

Our fearless Ancila Tours guide Anja, covered in mud and holding a horseshoe crab on the boat.

The good sports we are, we kept the clay smeared on our bodies (and faces — some more covered than others) for the boat ride to the town of Rio Lagartos. Along the way is where our boat guide spotted a crocodile; to the chagrin of some of my boatmates, he motored as close as possible to it. Nearing town, we rinsed off in clean water, and then further got the clay out of nooks and crannies (sort of) via an outdoor shower. Indeed, my skin felt soft and smooth to the touch — and did even more so after taking a proper shower back at our resort!

Our tour ended with a set-menu lunch at Isla Contoy, right on the boat docks. Appetizers included sting ray flautas and stewed shark — yep, the marine life I’d just swum with in Belize! My entree of fish grilled in plenty of garlic, plus rice and beans and a cold glass of white wine, filled my belly up so well after our day’s adventures — but I couldn’t resist a small dish of coconut ice cream! I’d recommend this eatery to anyone passing through the area on their own; it’s owned by the same family that runs boat tours in the reserve, so it’s a great place to get the inside scoop.

This tour from Club Med costs $130 per person, with a continental brunch, filling lunch (with alcohol) and plenty of cold water included; all ages are welcome, but I’d recommend it for children over six.  I very much appreciated the opportunity to see some parts of  the Yucatan that are untouched by Cancun commercialism. Most tourists take the combo tour of the Xel-Ha “ecological-styled” man-made attraction and Tulum, with it ancient Maya fortifications perched right on an oceanside cliff. I think these sites are absolutely worth a visit — if you’re a first timer to the Yucatan and you don’t mind crowds. But if you’re looking for an experience that’s slightly more authentic and where you won’t find many tourists, make the trips to Ek Balam and Ria Lagartos.

Pelicans about to take flight in Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve

Here’s a fun game going around the travel blogosphere that’s the brainchild of Katie at the Tripbase Blog: writers post about three of their “travel secrets,” which will eventually be compiled into one giant Creative Commons list and shared among the community. Each blogger tags five more bloggers to spread the game, literally, around the world.

Melanie of Travels With Two and Hillarye at Dotting the Map tagged me last week, and after thinking this over, I decided to focus on Mexico for my travel secrets. (This could have something to do with the fact that I’m dreaming of my trip to steay Cancun last week while it’s 8 degrees at my Colorado home today.)

Playing with snakes at Crococun Zoo near Puerto Morelos.

My family and I have taken more than a dozen trips south of the border in the last 10 years. Coming from a land-locked state, we crave sun/sand/surf for our annual beach fix. We’ve vacationed in some of Mexico’s major coastal cities — Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Playa del Carmen — but I have fond memories of our stays at some smaller towns outside of these bigger resort areas. In fact, we like to split up our time during a Mexico vacation — perhaps 3 nights at an oceanfront all-inclusive resort and then 3 or 4 nights in a vacation rental in a small town.

Here are three, slightly more off-the-beaten-path (but by no means remote) locales in Mexico I’d recommend:

Puerto Morelos: Just 20 minutes south of Cancun, this small fishing village feels worlds away; this is where the Riviera Maya (which stretches down the coast to Tulum) begins in the north. We spent our time in Puerto Morelos lolling on the beach in front of our condo, which was within walking to the the lively town square, lined with a spot to get ice cream (which we did at least once daily), a bookstore owned by ex-pats, and a number of seafood restaurants. The zoo Crococun, where you can handle lizards, snakes and other creatures, is a short taxi ride away.

Holding a baby turtle in Sayulita before it was released in the ocean.

Sayulita: This coastal town about 45 minutes north of the Puerto Vallarta airport draws lots of surfers — in fact, I took my first (and only) surfing lesson here. It’s not unusual to see chickens making themselves at home on the cobblestone streets, and you’ll find plenty of gringos who have relocated to the laid-back spot to open vacation-rental businesses, restaurants and shops. We visited in October, when it was crazy-hot — at least 90 degrees Fahrenheit every day. So, we spent plenty of time in the ocean and in the refreshing pool at our apartment rental at Los Delfines, a small gated complex 7 blocks from town. A highlight for all of us: watching turtles being released into the ocean after a local environmentalist group had protected the eggs by burying them and fencing them in on the beach. It was a nifty serendipitous moment we stumbled upon, and the kids talked about it for days!

Who's that Sayulita surfer wanna-be?

Best sangria ever at Karen's Place in Bucerias.

Bucerias: This town is just 10 miles from the Puerto Vallarta airport. We spent five nights at an awesome, thatched-roof condo complex here, Casa Manana, which was a welcome respite from Old Town Puerto Vallarta, where we’d spent a week at family Spanish-language school (the Spanish Experience Center, which I’d also highly recommend). Once again, we picked a condo that was within walking distance to town, where we found some yummy beachfront restaurants. One we went to twice — because I couldn’t get enough of the best sangria ever: Karen’s Place, ranked the #1 eatery in Bucerias, according to Trip Advisor users. I agree!

Well, that was fun taking a walk down memory lane — thinking about past family vacations. It’s making me eager for our next one, that’s for sure!

And now I need to tag five more bloggers to play the “spill your travel secrets” game. I nominate:

• My colleague Spencer Spellman, who blogs about lodging with me over at Uptake.com.
• Fellow Coloradoan Lisa Bergren at The World Is Calling.
• Another Colorado mom Amber Johnson who writes about her misadventures at Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck and Mile High Mamas.
• Fantabulous, mulit-talented Jody Halsted at Have Kid Will Travel.
• And finally my Belize trip buddy Gennaro Salamone at Enduring Wanderlust.

Have fun with the posts, you guys. I sure did!

A toy-lending library, kids’ personal video-players in on-site restaurants, Gerber baby food included in the room rate, suites designed for families of five, and guaranteed connecting rooms are only a handful of the incredible family-friendly amenities offered at Azul Sensatori by Karisma, an all-inclusive, oceanfront resort near Puerto Morelos, Mexico. With the carpet rolled out for kids at Azul Sensatori, I confidently call it the best all-inclusive resort for kids in the Riviera Maya.

My family and I were hosted for two nights at Azul Sensatori this spring. It’s a mid-sized resort, as far as all-inclusives in Mexico go: 438 rooms.  The resort is divided into four sections: Adults-Only (with its own pool; which happened to be the most raucous), Family, Luxury and Premium. The Premium suites, where we stayed, have a private pool with access to pool butlers, who come around to lounge chairs with sunscreen, water, fruit and sandwiches through the day. But if you’re traveling with young children, I’d stay in the family section, right next to the phenomenal kids’ club (more on that later) and kids’ pool area with slide and splashing water features.

The resort is brand new — it just opened in November 2008. We found the grounds incredibly clean, beautifully decorated and easy to navigate. Azul Sensatori is is part of the “Gourmet Inclusive,” brand, a term that applies not only to the top-notch service and amenities you’ll enjoy here, but also, naturally, to the food. Is it five-star dining? Maybe not. But the food is among the best I’ve eaten at Mexican all-inclusives, and I’ve stayed at 10 different properties.

Each restaurant at Azul Sensatori offers a la carte dining (the word “buffet” is not used on property; they are called “interactive dining stations.”). The self-serve stations are great for families who need food quickly for hungry kids; but if you choose, you could spend an entire week here and only order off of menus — a far cry from many large resorts where buffets are the norm, not the exception.

Here are just a few reasons why the Azul Sensatori is a top resort for family travel to Mexico:

Large Suites: The rooms are gorgeous, with flat-screen TVs, half-canopy beds and in-suite Jacuzzi tubs. Family suites include a private queen-size bed area, plus a double sofa bed and a single sofa bed for that third child. Want to accommodate Grandma, too? Book guaranteed connecting rooms.

Fisher-Price Partnership: The Azul Sensatori teamed up with Fisher-Price to provide a toy-lending library. Borrow items like the Laugh & Learn Musical Table or even Kid-Tough Digital Cameras for 24 hours; then return them and check out something new! Fisher-Price highchairs and other baby gear are also available for complimentary use in your room; you’ll also find Fisher-Price highchairs and personal DVD players (with loaded animated movies) at the restaurants.

Kids’ Club: This is the best resort kids’ club facility I’ve ever seen. It’s huge and circular shaped, with My Gym equipment in the center area; scheduled, teacher-led My Gym classes cost extra, but the kids have opportunities play on the slide, trampoline, etc. when they are enrolled in the complimentary Kids’ Club. Off of the main space are smaller themed rooms for imaginative play, napping, table games and arts and crafts. Activities are scheduled throughout the day; drop your kids for an hour or from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and then again from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. (perfect opportunity for an adults-only meal).

Teen Space: Tweens and teens have their own dance club with non-alcoholic drinks, board games and comfy seating. An arcade with fee-based games is adjacent.

Still more kid amenities: A playground on the beach; kids’ menu at each on-site restaurant offering items like quesadillas, cheeseburgers, grilled chicken or chicken nuggets, as well as kid-sized desserts; a kids’ wading pool with water slide, nets for “water polo” and a water-spray area; kid-sized tennis raquets to borrow; boogie boards, snorkeling gear, kayaks and sand toys for complimentary use; stepstools in the bathrooms; child-size robes; fruit smoothies at check-in.

Perhaps one drawback of the Azul Sensatori is its beach area. The sandy area is great for building sandcastles (with the plethora of sand toys, shovesl and buckets available for families to borrow), but the ocean is rocky and not ideal for swimming. But if you want to enjoy the water with your kids, you can walk down the beach to a more sandy area and gentle waves.

I’m a huge fan of the Azul Sensatori — for families with toddlers, preschoolers, school-age kids and teens. Its sister property, Azul Beach, just down the beach, is also amazing for families. Azul Beach doesn’t have quite as many bells and whistles, since it is a smaller property — just 97 rooms — but equal in top-notch service, family-friendly perks and excellent food. If anyone has questions for me or wants to learn more about my firsthand experiences at Azul Sensatori or Azul Beach, feel free to email me at ColoradoGal@thevacationgals.com. I’d love to share my experiences at either of these properties that I consider tops among all other family-friendly resorts on the Riviera Maya.

Last week a reader named LC wrote to us for suggestions on the best tropical romantic getaway to celebrate a significant milestone; she and her husband will mark their 25th wedding anniversary next year. Now, if that doesn’t deserve a stellar adult vacation in a romantic, tropical spot, I don’t know what does!

Her parameters: They are traveling in mid-January and asked for a vacation that is reasonably priced. She said that friends have suggested Cabo San Lucas, Costa Rica and the Excellence Riviera Cancun. She noted that she didn’t want to go to Cozumel or Cancun, Mexico, for this trip — so I’m guessing that the Excellence Riviera, which is technically south of Cancun proper in Puerto Morelos, mights still be under consideration. I absolutely adore the Riviera Maya, which is on the Yucatan coast of Mexico, from Puerto Morelos stretching down to Tulum. The Excellence Riviera is an adults-only resort that is ranked #1 among all the hotels in Puerto Morelos on TripAdvisor.com. With its luxury amenities, this resort sounds divine.

View from the Azul Sensatori

From firsthand experience, I’d also recommend Dreams Tulum, an all-inclusive resort also on the Riviera Maya. This is a fairly large property, with beautiful recently refurbished rooms, with romantic canopy beds and Jacuzzi tubs in some suites. I was just at the all-inclusive Azul Sensatori and Azul Beach in Puerto Morelos, and give huge props to these resorts for their unparalleled service. Although these properties attract families with their rock-star amenities for kids, Azul Sensatori has an adults-only building with an adults-only pool, and intimate Azul Beach is wonderfully laid back for couples who just want to enjoy relaxing on the beach together (and some excellent cuisine).

I think all-inclusive resorts provide great value because food, drink and activities are included in your room rate. Check out BookIt.com, which sells all sorts of all-inclusive vacation packages, and is currently running a “book a trip, get a Blackberry” promotion.

Outside of Mexico’s Riviera Maya, my immediate thought for a romantic, tropical vacation is Hawaii. The Vacation Gals spent three nights at the Westin Maui on Ka’anapali Beach on the island’s west coast and I’d heartily recommend it for couples. (Again, yes, it’s also very family friendly, but if you’re traveling in mid-January, when school is typically in session, my guess it won’t be overrun with rugrats.)

Charming Hotel Lanai in the cool upcountry

Other Hawaii accommodations I love: Hotel Lanai, a 12-room bed and breakfast on a wonderfully quiet island of Lanai and the Outrigger Lae Nani, a condo property on the east coast of Kauai. In general, Hawaii is not a super-cheap destination, but it is pulling out all the stops to attract visitors in this downturned economy. There are some great deals to be had on accommodations and airfare (you still might pay $6 for a gallon of milk, but your room might be cheap).

As far as the Caribbean goes, you might consider the San Juan Marriott in Puerto Rico for a very easy-to-get-to, convenient vacation (no passport required). The Mamas and I had a ball drinking mojitos and enjoying spa treatments there earlier this spring. It’s an urban locale, however, so if you’re looking for a remote resort on a secret beach with plenty of seclusion, this isn’t it.

What Our Twitter Followers Had to Say

I asked our followers on the social-media site Twitter for their suggestions on places for a fabulous romantic tropical vacation and Hawaii fans piped up loud and clear! Here’s what they had to say.

@NerdsEyeView, who pens a blog about Hawaii for WorldHum.com, suggested Kona Village on the Big Island, “though it’s pricey.” She said,  “We just stayed at Hanalei Colony Resort [on Kauai]; that was lovely, too.”

@GoVisitHawaii noted that January can be a generally wet time in the Hawaiian islands. She recommends the dry Kohala coast of the Big Island. Fairmont Orchid, Manua Lani, Mauna Kea & Hapuna Beach are four resorts she sugested. The Wailea area on Maui is also a “drier” region, offering some fabulous resorts (albeit not cheap): Fairmont Kea Lani, Grand Wailea, Maui Prince & Marriott

@Nathan Kam, a vice president at MacNeil-Wilson, the PR company that reps the Hawaii Convention & Visitors Bureau had plenty of suggestions:

• Kauai: Hanalei Beach Resort on the North Shore or the Waimea Plantation Cottages on the west side
• Big Island: Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Kohala Coast or Hilo’s Shipman House B&B
• Maui: Kaanapali Beach Hotel or Old Wailuku Inn on Maui might work, too!
• Oahu: JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa in Ko Olina or the North Shore’s Turtle Bay Resort

@rherhe, who also works in public relations for Hawaii, seconded some of Nathan’s picks, but also suggested Maui’s Napili Kai Beach Resort and Sheraton Maui.

And some other destinations got some love:

@EliteTravel, a luxury travel planner for high-end clients, suggested Capella Ixtapa Resort & Spa on Mexico’s west coast. Although this gorgeous property doesn’t sound terribly “reasonably priced,” deals happening now include rates from $350/night, with one night free. An oceanfront plunge pool comes with every suite!

@DreamsResorts piped in with, naturally, some Dreams Resorts: In the Caribbean, Dreams La Romana but the Riviera Maya’s Secrets Maroma Beach is a fav for romance. (And don’t forget my Dreams Tulum plug above!)

@NomadicTweets recommended Panama’s Punta Caracol Acqua Lodge, Popa’s Paradise Beach Resort and Costa Rica’s Tabacon.

Whew! Lots to sort through. In the mix, I know I’ve mentioned some relatively expensive resorts and our reader “LC” asked for “reasonable.” Here’s my thinking: you only celebrate a 25th wedding anniversary once!

Although I’ve listed a bunch of recommendations, I’m sure the other Gals and our readers have other thoughts on where you could spend your tropical romantic getaway in January, and I’m hoping they’ll chime in with comments. I also hope, LC, you’ll let us know where you end up booking your fabulous adults-only vacation!

The US Department of State has released another travel alert, warning Americans that travel in Mexico is growing increasingly dangerous. It’s becoming one of the kidnapping capitals of the world, and the government’s crackdown on drug cartels has made those criminals increasingly desperate and dangerous. This alert from the Bureau of Consular Affairs delineates that most serious crimes, like armed robberies, carjackings and worst, are escalating.

Violence isn’t exclusive to Mexico, of course; there are plenty of places here in the USA where we shouldn’t walk alone late at night either. However, the dangers of Mexico – particularly in the border areas of Chihuahua, Tijuana and Juarez – cannot be understated at this time. Drug traffickers have the local police outgunned, and those policemen may be corrupt anyway (local governments are also suspect). One of the worries that I, as a Southern Californian, have is that Tijuana is a very, very popular vacation destination for spring break. It’s an easy hop from San Diego, and college students love to go to TJ for binge drinking and other…shall we say, incautious behaviors of young adults. Tijuana especially, right across the US border, is not a place I’d want any young person I know to spend their spring break. With all the fun things to do in safer destinations, spring break shouldn’t be a cause for alarm.

Now, Mexico is a large country; many beautiful states therein are still safe for spring break. Except for the Mayan Riviera and the Yucatan Peninsula, however, they’re just not hugely popular tourism draws. Drug cartels are effective at corrupting local governments and police officers, and their supply of guns and other weapons is scary. Young adults from the USA are not exempt from planned kidnappings, either. They may even be targeted. This spring break, take your vacation somewhere other than a Mexican border state. These vacations are supposed to be fun and frivolous, not frightening and possibly violent.

US/Mexico Border (wiki commons)

The “bait and switch” technique that some hotels use to lure guests to their property is legendary on hotel-review sites like Tripadvisor.com. The scheme comes in many forms: Maybe you make your reservations at Hotel X, but when you arrive, you find Hotel X is oversold, and you’re told you can stay “for the same rate at our sister property” Hotel Y — which is in a crummy location with tiny guest rooms.

Or perhaps you book an oceanfront room, and when you arrive, you’re given a key to a garden-view room. Or you pay a nice, low Internet-only rate, only to find that rate only applies to the least desirable rooms in the house — and to “upgrade” to a decent room you’ll need to shell out the bucks on site. (Remember my epic nightmare experience at the Hotel El Pescador in Puerto Vallarta?)

But what happens when your group of 14 (yes, 14) arrives at your all-inclusive resort in Mexico to find you’ve all received an upgrade you don’t want (aka the “reverse bait and switch”). Well, if you’re my extended family, you start drinking a lot of the included cocktails you’ve already paid for!

When we booked our Christmas vacation at the Sandos Playacar Resort & Spa in Playa del Carmen last fall, we looked very carefully at the prices for each of the room types available. We made it very clear in our reservation (via a travel agent, through Apple Vacations) that we wanted to stay in the least expensive “Beach” section of the resort.

These “Beach” rooms at the Sandos Playacar Beach are the oldest, smallest rooms closest to the activity pool and the ocean. After, all we had six young children in our group — we knew they’d spend most of their vacation back and forth between the pool and the ocean. We wanted our pool homebase to be ultra-close to our guest rooms, so we could run upstairs for the inevitable forgotten flip flops and goggles.

However, on arrival, we were handed our keys to our four different rooms in the “Riviera” section of the resort – the furthest rooms from the beach!

We were given lines like, “Oh, these rooms are better. They are new and large and have whirlpool tubs and flat-screen TVs.” Yeah, well that’s all fine and good, but we didn’t fly to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico for a week to sit in our hotel rooms soaking in the tub and watching television!

The front desk staff (and every manager we called over) told us that they “love” Apple Vacations and wanted to reward us with the bigger more beautiful rooms. We contended that in our eyes, these “big beautiful” rooms were not an upgrade — they were a 10-minute walk to the ocean, or our ancy kids would have to wait 5 minutes for a tram to come to deliver us to the second lobby closest to the “Beach” rooms and the activity pool — and even then we’d still need to walk a few minutes to the action.

To make a very long story short, we needed to stay in the big, modern “Riviera” rooms for one night — they had absolutely no “Beach” rooms available that evening. Then we were all switched to the “Beach” rooms the next day for the duration of our week’s stay. But we were really, really mad. What gives a hotel the right to “upgrade” you, when the “upgrade” is questionable?

This was not simply moving us to another floor. We wouldn’t be complaining if they gave us large suites instead of standard rooms in the “Beach” section. Nope, this was a very, very different animal! (Click on this map to see what I’m talking about.)

We contend that the resort should have emailed us and asked us if we wanted to be moved to a very different section of the property. We were insulted they just decided for us how we wanted to spend our vacation — and we told the managers that.

Turns out, management realized how upset we were (could it have been our raised voices after two or three daiquiris each?) — and offered to make it up to us. They said they’d arrange a big family meal in a private palapa on the beach for us one night, which was a lovely gesture — especially since the special meal was outstanding (although we certainly didn’t ask for such service).

What I did ask for was four free massages at the on-site spa for all the adult women in our party — and management obliged. (Hey, we needed to work out all the stress caused by the room snafu!)

The moral to the story?

If you’ve paid for a certain section of a hotel, and the quality of your vacation depends on your guest room in that section of the hotel, ask the reservations staff make a note (and underline or bold it!) in your record. Follow up with a phone call to the reservation staff to confirm your room choice closer to the date of your stay.

Turns out, we all loved our small, old, cheesily decorated “Beach” rooms. They were literally steps away from the activity pool (and kids’ games, water aerobics, giant chess, ping-pong and pool bingo), super-close to the a buffet restaurant, and we could see the ocean from our balcony. The “Riviera” rooms are absolutely spacious and modern and sophisticated, but worlds away from the ocean and the action! We had a balcony that looked out to a sidewalk and an overgrown jungle — where’s the ambiance in that?

While I wouldn’t hesitate to visit the Sandos Playacar Resort & Spa again — the food, resort location, activity staff and spa are all great — you can bet I’ll specify exactly where I want my room to be!

No, those kids aren’t playing on a beached whale. That’s a massive sandbag in the ocean in front of the Sandos Playacar Beach Resort & Spa. It’s just one of dozens of humongous bags of sand found up and down the beach along the hotel strip known as Playacar just south of Playa del Carmen.

The hotels put them up to protect what little sandy beach is left in the area. Beach erosion has been problematic in the past few years. There were no sandbags when my family visited the same area in 2005 (in fact we were at the Iberostar Tucan next door to the Sandos property). Since then, a series of storms and ocean currents have wreaked havoc on the sand, and the natural reef/sandbar that had formerly protected area beaches has disappeared.

The sandbags are decidedly unsightly. And in front of some of the resorts in this Playacar area, lounge chairs are packed like sardines on what little beach is left. (The Sandos and the Iberostar had decent beach for chairs and palapas.)

It’s just sad that in a few short years the makeup of the Playacar beaches has changed so much! Thankfully, my marketing friend at the Riviera Maya Tourism Office tells me that government officials recently approved a “beach restoration project” that will pump some money into pumping sand from deeper spots in the ocean to restore beaches to their former glory (sans sandbags).

One bright spot is that kids do love playing on the massive sandbags. Of course, there are warning signs telling visitors that they are not to climb on them (ha!), but kids have a ball jumping off the massive “whales” into the ocean. Since the “whales’ block the big waves and strong currents, the ocean is a bit friendlier for young children, too.

That said, for two days on our vacation, a tropical storm must have been brewing off the coast somewhere. We had major winds and HUMONGOUS waves, and we (adults included) played and laughed in the giant waves in an area in front of the hotel that was not blocked by the sandbags. I have no idea what those strong currents did to the sandy beach, but we sure did have a ball.

Don’t let the sandbags and smaller strips of beach stop you from booking a hotel stay in the Playa del Carmen area. Sure, it’s not as enjoyable to gaze out into the turquoise and royal-blue ocean with those massive lumps in the way, but all-inclusive properties, hotel activities, archaeological ruins, tequila bars, snorkeling expeditions, ATV rides, ziplines, tropical breezes and lots of sunshine still beckon!

Here are a couple more photos of the “beached whales” in front of and just north of the Sandos Playacar Beach Resort & Spa:

Note to self: Do not book ultra-low-cost hotels in Puerto Vallarta.

For our two week sojourn in the Puerto Vallarta area last month, we planned on three different sets of accommodations 1) because I love sampling different offerings in any area and 2) I couldn’t make a decision on just one and 3) we had different needs at different points in our vacation.

For the first three nights, we stayed at the Hotel Buenaventura. We loved this all-inclusive property just a few blocks from Puerto Vallarta’s oceanfront boardwalk, the Malecon, lined with shops, restaurants and nightclubs (not that we partook in the late-night action on our family trip). This moderate property is value priced, and contained everything we needed: a pool, beach access and plentiful dining options on the all-inclusive plan.

For the last six nights we stayed at Casa Manana in Bucerias, a rustic fishing village north of P.V. Our condo-apartment a half a block from the beach had a thatched roof a la Giligan’s Island. Loved it!

For the middle part of our stay, we wanted accommodations within walking distance of the downtown Spanish Experience Center, where we studied the language for five mornings. While we’d considered some condo offerings from Puerto Vallarta Vacation Services, ultimately we decided on a room at the Hotel El Pescador and locked in a rate of $57/night. We knew it was cheap and were fully prepared for a budget property.

What we weren’t prepared for was the ickiest hotel room I’ve ever seen. The bellboy showed us our dingy, interior room with a view of decrepit buildings across the street (above left), a bathroom with no toilet paper (above right), fingerprints all over the walls (left), a balcony door handle that fell off, scuffed shelves and old wire hangers in the closet. ICKSVILLE!

Since I’d emailed a note that we’d like an oceanfront room when I booked the reservation online, I asked about availability. We got the old “bait and switch” I’d read about on TripAdvisor! The bellboy called down to the front desk (who knows if he actually talked to someone), and told us, “Sure you can have an oceanfront room, for an additional $20/night.”

The front desk said that since we’d paid the “Internet rate” we’d booked the interior ick room. I said there was absolutely NO VERBIAGE on the site detailing that if I paid the $57/night, we’d have an interior room. They said, in essence, “Too bad,” and if you want the oceanfront room, cough up the bucks. So we did, as the room was marginally better. (The oceanfront had toilet paper.)

However, the “air conditioning” did not work in the room! We had the unit on the highest and coldest setting, but with no ceiling fan in the room to help circulate, it was like sleeping in a concrete shoebox. We even had hotel staff come up and check it at 11 p.m. to confirm, “Yes – it’s working just fine.” HA! Though the kids slept through the night (spending the day at the pool will knock you out!), MountainDad and I were miserable.

With the help of the kind staff at the Spanish Experience Center, we revisited the condo-rental website and we got into a GLORIOUSLY beautiful, two-bedroom, two-bath, full-kitchened condo with an amazing view of downtown and Banderas Bay (left) and still within walking distance of our school. For $105/night, just $28 more a night than the icky El Pescador, we got plenty of room to spread out, blissfully cool air conditioning, laundry, a pool and wireless access. Heaven!

Moral of story: In many, many instances, you get what you pay for. Going for a budget hotel south of the border is not the best way to save money. Instead, eat like the locals do or take public transportation to shave a few bucks off your vacation. Don’t try to cut costs with sketchy, budget accommodations. It’s not worth the headache!