What do you all think of travel to Mexico right now?  Are places like Cancun safe in general?  I know Mexico City has very high crime, but I'm not sure about the resort-type places.

Thanks,
Chimborazo

Sir Chim,

Howdy! I couldn't help but respond to your post.
I work for American Airlines and fly down to Latin America ALL THE TIME.

It is absolutely safe right now. This is actually the best time to go in years.

I love to go to Cancun. I usually rent a "Jeep" and drive to the different ruins within 5-6 hours of Cancun. I have always enjoyed the history of the Maya, Toltec, and Olmec people of Central America.

I have found Cancun to be a very safe area.

You would have a great time if you decide to go.

Have fun!

Uncle-Al

Now here's someone who works for the travel industry telling you it is a great time to travel and safe,,, boy, what a suprise...

Uncle-Al,

Thanks for the response.  What kind of weather should I expect in early November?  Also, is it expensive for everyday things like food, etc.?

retrodog...perhaps a good point, but no-one else has responded![;)]

Weather will be mid 80s and somewhat humid, depending on what you're used to. Food and stuff can be as cheap or as expensive as you want them to be. That's why people go there. You can eat a lot for just a few bucks. Hotel is dependent on what you want as well. Just remember to wear a Canada shirt [:D]

Thanks for the info.  I wanted to go somewhere warm...hopefully we won't get hit by a hurricane or tropical storm.

Stay near the "safe" tourist areas! Bandits roam the back country.  They all know YOU'RE UNARMED!  Remember to take a MSR-type water filter with you.  Don't get injured!  It's a couple 'thou to have you transferred out.  We've had some die in their gurnies waiting for money from home!  Have fun.
           On The Border

I can see why some people might have the cynical attitude of Retro concerning my response.

I truly had no intention of promoting travel for business sake.

I have SIX children. I feel that, as far as safety goes, now is a safer time to travel than at any time in the past 12 years that I have been flying.

Contrary to Retro's intonations, I really have nothing to gain by "piping the pipe" for travel. If you don't feel safe . . . . . don't go anywhere.

However, if you do head down there I know of a great local place for dinner. I went there the first time with my wife and I enjoy the authenticity(sp?) and atmosphere of this place.
Email me and I feel you in.

I would be careful though, 727's going to Cancun are sure to be the first choice of Camel pilots for their shinanigans! :-)

Uncle Al

I made the reservations.  We're going to Playa del Carmen to some resort.  Uncle-Al...have you ever been there?  I can't wait to take a vacation.

Just went to Cancun in August. Cancun is very touristy. There are some nice resaturants, try som with local flavor as opposed to the Planet Hollywood/Hard Rock types. When you shop in the "flea markets" don't pay any more than 1/3 to 1/2 of what they are asking. When you walk away, they'll come after you dropping the price constantly. Shop with the attitude that you don't need to but it but they need to sell it. Kepp an eye on the exchange rate (basically 9 to 1) but sometimes you get different currency in change from what you paid in and it can be confusing.


Places to see: Cozumel, especially if you dive/snorkel. Xel-Ha (snorkeling) and Tulum (Mayan ruins).

Dring Negro Mondela if you like beer!

Thanks!!  My fiancee was asking me if she should take off her engagement ring (and leave it at home) so nobody can steal it.  Is that a good idea or is that unnecessary?

You're darn tootin it's a good idea to leave jewelry at home. I wouldn't take anything more than a Timex (or Casio) and a roll of 10s. And maybe a St. Christopher medal too, and I'm not even catholic.  

Oh, sorry Uncle-Al for the sarcasm. It was just too easy [:D]

I guess I got carried away. You gotta at least appreciate my sick sense of humor and the fact that I was paying attention. And hey, they decided to go anyway. Now go cash that bonus check and take the family out for Big Macs. Oops, there I go again. Sorry.

going to Cozumel in Feb-  Prices are dropping-is it possible to get lower pricing, even though we alread booked and have money down?

Judging from Mexico's tepid response to our plight in the past month, I wouldn't fork over one thin dime to our "allies" south of us....

If you and your fiancee want to vacation somewhere warm this winter, spend your money in the USA where it helps- Florida (and Louisiana, if the weather holds up) are a good start.

There are better places than Mexico.

1) USA. Florida, etc.
2) Bahamas. Just off Florida, and cheap.
3) Puerto Rico. Still Part of America.
4) The rest of the Caribbean.
5) Fiji. It's spring there now. They have some private islands out there that are bigger than some countries.
6) Europe.

Any of these places are better than Mexico. Safety is good as compared to Mexico. If you decide you like Ruins then Mexico is a good choice. Just remember stay close to the Tourist areas. The area near Belize is safer than areas near Guatemala. Because last I heard Belize executes Bandits and Druggies. The west coast of Mexico is a cespool with the exception of the Acapulco region. So generally avoid the Pacific coast. SOme regions of Southern Mexico mainly Chiapas are in a state of insurgency from Zapatista rebels. The Mexcian army has checkpoints and can search you and your vehicle with no reason at all. Tijuana is under the control of the Arellano-Felix brothers and will likely get you killed. Basically the only area I'd visit is Cancun and Belize. Belizze has some great SCUBA diving if your interested in SCUBA. There are a number of islands off of Cancun that will probably be much safer.

Chimborazo......I've been to Playa and I loved it....hopoefully it hasn't grown too much. It was the europeans favorite for a while....topless beaches yeah....make sure you hit the ruins south of town and go by Xelha.
swimming with the fishes is cool.

Thanks for all the responses.

The reason I chose Cancun (actually, Playa) is because I have a FREE 7-day resort stay.  The option in the Bahamas sucked, and I had to take my vacation in early-mid November for work reasons.

hound:  Did you think Playa was a safe place (the town)?  Of course I'm always on guard, but I just want to know if I can bring a watch, etc.

Man, I keep checking the weather in Cancun and for the past few weeks it seems like it has been raining non-stop.  Is this normal?  Is it still going to be like this in 15 days?  I really hope not!!

The resort communities would probably be fine, but I'd stay clear of much any place else.  I was in Mexico City for 3 days a few months ago and my company made sure that we had escorts every where we went, to make sure that we didn't go somewhere that we shouldn't have.  I saw lots of police, military and security with machine guns at the ready.  The poverty outside of the resort communities is staggering!  I saw a cabbie pull a driver out of a car and swing at him, for cutting him off in traffic.  Fortunately, we were on our way to the airport to fly back to the States.  I really missed my Kimber those 3 days South Of The Border!