traveling mexico...

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whitetrashgriz
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traveling mexico...

Post by whitetrashgriz » Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:40 am

please excuse my ignorance on this as i'll likely come across as an idiot but i have a question. we are starting our initial plans and budgeting for spring break this year. my 3 kids are finally old enough where we feel they'd really appreciate and enjoy a family vacation. i have been to mexico a few times (puerto vallarta, cancun, and playa del carmen) amd loved it. my question is...with all of the crap going on there right now and people getting killed left and right is it even a safe option right now? i'm aware it's a huge country and this could be akin to not coming to the united states because the crime in memphis is absurd but i'm really curious. if we did mexico again we'd go back to playa del carmen after flying into cancun. i recall last year around spring break there was some warnings about students going there but wondering if it is still deemed unsafe. anyone travel there recently? it wouldn't be until march but i just have some worries about this trip and am curious if i may be over-reacting... :shrug:


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GrizinWashington
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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by GrizinWashington » Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:52 am

WTG,

My wife and I travel to Mexico just about every year, and we are planning a trip to La Paz in December. Normally, I scoff at anyone saying it's not safe to travel there. However, I will admit that this trip has given me a moment's pause. What I would recommend is keeping a close eye on the State Department's website. Right now, here is a portion of what they are saying about travel to Mexico:
Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major drug trafficking routes. Nevertheless, crime and violence are serious problems. While most victims of violence are Mexican citizens associated with criminal activity, the security situation poses serious risks for U.S. citizens as well.

It is imperative that U.S. citizens understand the risks involved in travel to Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and who to contact if one becomes a victim of crime or violence. Common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where criminal activity might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable. U.S. citizen victims of crime in Mexico are urged to contact the consular section of the nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy for advice and assistance. Contact information is provided at the end of this message.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_t ... _4755.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



So, no, I don't think you're over-reacting. But I also -- at least at this point -- wouldn't let these situations deter your plans.

Oh, and as an aside, Playa Del Carmen is GREAT!


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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by whitetrashgriz » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:01 am

thanks a ton GIW. i'll bookmark that site and keep my eye on it. and couldn't agree more about playa del carmen. the all-inclusive packages they offer are amazing, and our kids have yet to see the ocean so i think we'll plan on it. if you're going again this december maybe you can fill me in on how the trip went. thanks again.


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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by jagur1 » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:07 am

Why Mexico, with thousands of great safer places to visit in the US? Save a buck? Hilton head doesn’t sound as cool as Mexico when name dropping among friends? If you haven’t noticed the US could use the spending at home. That’s just me.


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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by SonomaCat » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:15 am

jagur1 wrote:Why Mexico, with thousands of great safer places to visit in the US? Save a buck? Hilton head doesn’t sound as cool as Mexico when name dropping among friends? If you haven’t noticed the US could use the spending at home. That’s just me.
I just hope your message of "Don't travel abroad to see any of the world beyond your own country, you shallow unpatriotic elitist!" doesn't reach everyone else in the world that travels to the U.S. for their vacations. :wink:



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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by jagur1 » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:27 am

Shhh BAC don't tell the Europeans I like smoking with them in there skinny jeans and funcky shoes outside the brown palace hotel. Now my views on Americans traveling abroad, “Self indulgent twits with too much time and money on their hands.”


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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by wbtfg » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:33 am

jagur1 wrote:Shhh BAC don't tell the Europeans I like smoking with them in there skinny jeans and funcky shoes outside the brown palace hotel. Now my views on Americans traveling abroad, “Self indulgent twits with too much time and money on their hands.”
have you already started drinking today?



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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by AlphaGriz1 » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:49 am

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100831/wl ... encecancun" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


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whitetrashgriz
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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by whitetrashgriz » Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:12 am

jagur1 wrote:Why Mexico, with thousands of great safer places to visit in the US? Save a buck? Hilton head doesn’t sound as cool as Mexico when name dropping among friends? If you haven’t noticed the US could use the spending at home. That’s just me.
who's name dropping? I guess i don't understand that part of your post. i could care less what people think about my vacations. i do care VERY much what my children think about their vacations and the memories they'll have with them forever. :roll: we enjoy traveling this country as well and hope to do so many times in the future. but right now with our kids interests being so high on things like whales, dolphins, snorkeling, etc. mexico seemed like our best bet. sure we could always go to hawaii but if you've been to both hawaii and a place like playa del carmen you'll know that mexico is not only better...but cheaper! and did you not hear me say "all-inclusive"? :wink:

the point is as a grad student the money isn't exactly flowing right now. who knows how old my kids will be the next time i can budget in a trip like this? that said, if you know of any place in hawaii where i can get the same bang for my buck please let me know. all my research has yet to turn anything up where i can stay for a week and not spend a penny once i'm there! really...i'm all ears. :lol:


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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by 3rdGenerationcat » Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:40 am

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... ested.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


there see now its safe barbie has been captured
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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by The Butcher » Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:43 am

Bay Area Cat wrote:
jagur1 wrote:Why Mexico, with thousands of great safer places to visit in the US? Save a buck? Hilton head doesn’t sound as cool as Mexico when name dropping among friends? If you haven’t noticed the US could use the spending at home. That’s just me.
I just hope your message of "Don't travel abroad to see any of the world beyond your own country, you shallow unpatriotic elitist!" doesn't reach everyone else in the world that travels to the U.S. for their vacations. :wink:
I see Jag's point. If your vacation will involve going to a resort and enjoy some snorkeling, tanning, swimming, etc then why not stay in the states? But if you are going to see sites like the Mayan ruins or the latest discover mass grave then consider Mexico.



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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by 3rdGenerationcat » Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:46 am

whitetrashgriz wrote:
jagur1 wrote:Why Mexico, with thousands of great safer places to visit in the US? Save a buck? Hilton head doesn’t sound as cool as Mexico when name dropping among friends? If you haven’t noticed the US could use the spending at home. That’s just me.
who's name dropping? I guess i don't understand that part of your post. i could care less what people think about my vacations. i do care VERY much what my children think about their vacations and the memories they'll have with them forever. :roll: we enjoy traveling this country as well and hope to do so many times in the future. but right now with our kids interests being so high on things like whales, dolphins, snorkeling, etc. mexico seemed like our best bet. sure we could always go to hawaii but if you've been to both hawaii and a place like playa del carmen you'll know that mexico is not only better...but cheaper! and did you not hear me say "all-inclusive"? :wink:

the point is as a grad student the money isn't exactly flowing right now. who knows how old my kids will be the next time i can budget in a trip like this? that said, if you know of any place in hawaii where i can get the same bang for my buck please let me know. all my research has yet to turn anything up where i can stay for a week and not spend a penny once i'm there! really...i'm all ears. :lol:
LOL i just googled all inclusive resorts hawaii and a whole bunch came up.... also you can take the island hopping cruise and they are all inclusive as well.. except the booze of course



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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by whitetrashgriz » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:12 pm

3rdGenerationcat wrote:
LOL i just googled all inclusive resorts hawaii and a whole bunch came up.... also you can take the island hopping cruise and they are all inclusive as well.. except the booze of course
EXACTLY.... :wink:

well i have went through montana travel and although the hawaii ones say all-inclusive they're not even close. hidden fees all over the place. many have buffets that are included but if you want actual meals there is a price. there are housekeeping fees, baggage fees, etc. trust me, i have done a lot more than google research and hawaii doesn't come close to mexico in these regards. some of the playa del carmen packages include huge discounts on fishing trips, whale watching, mayan excursions, snorkeling, etc. this was not meant to be a US vs. Mexico thread because for what i'm looking for it's not close. my concerns were more along the lines of the widespread violence in mexico that appears to be reaching even the tourist cities. using some of the same lines of thought here...you don't have to visit paris ever either 'cause you could always just go to vegas. :roll:


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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by SonomaCat » Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:39 pm

Some timely, but very negative, news about Cancun.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/31/mex ... tml?hpt=T2

That said, some good friends of mine were carjacked at gunpoint in their hotel parking lot in Honolulu and forced to take cash out of their ATM to pay off the guy with the gun who was screaming that he was going to kill them ... so no place you go is completely without risk.



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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by whitetrashgriz » Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:52 pm

Bay Area Cat wrote:Some timely, but very negative, news about Cancun.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/31/mex ... tml?hpt=T2

That said, some good friends of mine were carjacked at gunpoint in their hotel parking lot in Honolulu and forced to take cash out of their ATM to pay off the guy with the gun who was screaming that he was going to kill them ... so no place you go is completely without risk.
ya i read that earlier and it's actually what prompted my post. i really want to take my kids to the exact resort i went to last time i was in playa del carmen. it's about 30 miles from cancun if i remember right. i just didn't know if i was overreacting. i wouldn't cancel a trip to california because of the murders in los angeles! but now that my kids are involved and the trip from the airport to the resort is a ways i'm just trying to get some firsthand perspective. haven't been there in a few years and as a whole it certainly appears to be a scarier place than last time! thanks for all the advice guys.


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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by ChiOCat » Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:58 pm

whitetrashgriz wrote:thanks a ton GIW. i'll bookmark that site and keep my eye on it. and couldn't agree more about playa del carmen. the all-inclusive packages they offer are amazing, and our kids have yet to see the ocean so i think we'll plan on it. if you're going again this december maybe you can fill me in on how the trip went. thanks again.
You can also register with them to get email updates if there is a change of status. And you can register with them when you plan to be out of country, so they know you're there just in case of emergency.


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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by chester Spartanpot » Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:37 am

One can never over react when it comes to safety abroad WTG!!

Chester has been down to ol mexico a few times, but never to a resort town and never with 3 critters in tow. That being said, he has never run into any problems in Mexico City, Puebla, Orizaba or any of the smaller towns. He would guess that the college kids (and americans around the border towns) would be more of a target than some dude with his family on holiday as Chester doubts you are going to be stumbling down the street at 2am.

Advice would be that before you go, make a list of the nearest US Consulates / Embassies (and your hotel) contact info and location and make sure each person has this list just in case something happens. Make copies of your passports, credit cards, etc... and take those with you to leave in the hotel in the rare case of a mugging, loss, etc... and never keep all your greenbacks in one spot. Thats just a couple simple things (that you have probably done on your priors to mexico) that at least takes some worry about ugliness away. Also, if you are going to do Mayan excursions, dolphin dives, snorkling and the like... chances are that the hotel has these kind of tours / day trips set up with a set fee and people they trust... Chester has ALWAYS done these types of things through the hotel.

Most importantly.. HAVE FUN!!!!


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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by whitetrashgriz » Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:35 pm

chester Spartanpot wrote:One can never over react when it comes to safety abroad WTG!!

Chester has been down to ol mexico a few times, but never to a resort town and never with 3 critters in tow. That being said, he has never run into any problems in Mexico City, Puebla, Orizaba or any of the smaller towns. He would guess that the college kids (and americans around the border towns) would be more of a target than some dude with his family on holiday as Chester doubts you are going to be stumbling down the street at 2am.

Advice would be that before you go, make a list of the nearest US Consulates / Embassies (and your hotel) contact info and location and make sure each person has this list just in case something happens. Make copies of your passports, credit cards, etc... and take those with you to leave in the hotel in the rare case of a mugging, loss, etc... and never keep all your greenbacks in one spot. Thats just a couple simple things (that you have probably done on your priors to mexico) that at least takes some worry about ugliness away. Also, if you are going to do Mayan excursions, dolphin dives, snorkling and the like... chances are that the hotel has these kind of tours / day trips set up with a set fee and people they trust... Chester has ALWAYS done these types of things through the hotel.

Most importantly.. HAVE FUN!!!!
will do and thank you as well for the advice. the wife and i were starting to feel guilty because we have taken several trips without the kids but we feel they're old enough now. (8, 6, and 4) but by taking them you really think a lot more rather than just hopping on a plane and going like we used to do. in fact, my idea was to go to vegas and watch some hoops but the loving wife said she wouldn't go on another trip with me until we took a family trip first. so here i am. the area that we will go is about as safe and away from things as a guy can get. couple resorts along the water but for the most part it is very secluded. i guess i was more worried about the trip from the airport to the resort because it's about 30-40 miles and you travel through some pretty shady areas. i'll just plan on going and follow everyones advice here and see what happens. if the time comes and it is deemed unsafe than i guess...seaworld here we come! :wink:


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Re: traveling mexico...

Post by ChiOCat » Sun Dec 12, 2010 8:15 am

Hola amigo! We're just enjoying our last full day in Cancun.

We've been at the Gran Caribe Real which is a family all inclusive and its been wonderful. Our room has a king and there bunks. It opens out to a small pool with a kids area to the right, the main lobby bar to the left, and a cafe across the pool. The foods good. Lots of families and the kids have been able to have a bit of freedom because its a smaller resort (280 rooms). We've left the resort a few times and felt safe. But we've really spent most of our time here.


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