Times Of Year To Go
by richmalak
Dec/Jan = VERY COOL...If you are not into warmth then go for it...can just tolerate sun w/o shirt by day so perfect for true sun worshipers as you can stay out for long periods of time w/o overheating...shade is not an option w/o shirt...at night absolutely need sweatshirt or heavy long sleeved shirt...have experienced lows of 58-59 degrees in Jan.
March = FAIR...sun by day is perfect...shade by day is just barely tolerable w/o shirt...at night need a light cover-up over a t-shirt such as a button down or light sweater.
May/June = PERFECT...sun by day is hot...shade by day is very comfortable...night with a t-shirt is perfectly cool but not cold...about best time of year.
Oct/Nov = Perfect...Mid/Late Oct to Mid/Late Nov is same as Early/Mid May to Early/Mid June......perfect.
La Tourista
by richmalak
Remember, the one sure fire way to avoid the "revenge" is to arrive in PV, go directly to La Farmacia, purchase some Cipro OTC, and start taking it...keep in mind that the dosage for the intestinal tract is about half that of the UT. Not getting the revenge because I took Cipro.
Dining Out
by richmalak
Tipping (1) is same as in US…15% is expected…20% is a very nice tip…service standards (2)…this is very important otherwise you can think you are getting poor service and get ticked off…they will rarely if ever disturb you as they feel that it is rude and intrusive…they will stand where they can see you and if you need them you simply look at them or raise your hand or call out “senor”…for example they will not interrupt your eating to ask how everything is so if there is a problem you must summon them…they will virtually never present the check (3) until you ask for it…again this would be rude as it would be like saying ok now get the heck out of here…simply say “senor la cuenta por favor” when you are ready to leave…consequently you should be ready to pay before asking because they will stand very near by waiting so that they can take the check and payment right away…the check never just sits on the table
exchanging dollars for pesos
by susiemargare
use the money-changing stalls ('casa de cambio'), in town or in the shopping centers, that DO NOT charge a commission. there will be a sign saying so. there are money-changing stalls everywhere. the exchange rates at the hotels are usually not as good as at the money-changing stalls, but you need to compare.
the banks have the best rates, but it is sometimes a hassle to change money there, and they are often open at irregular hours. on a mexican payday, it is futile to try to use a bank, since lines of mexican workers (waiting to cash paychecks) will extend into the street.
Snorkeling around Puerto Vallarta
by toontown
Instead of going with a tour, we took a bus south to Marina Vallarta from where we were staying in Nuevo Vallarta. At the marina we hunted around for a boat who would take us out for the day and rent us snorkeling equipment. Eventually we found someone who drove us to another harbour and got us on a very nice small boat with a couple of guides for several hours. The beauty of hiring your own boat is that you can go wherever you want. We headed south first, past Puerto Vallarta and Cabo Corrientes, and did some snorkeling in a secluded cove in the vicinity of Mismaloya Beach. It was surprisingly cold water but the fish sightings were good and the water very clear. Downsides: because the boat wasn't really set up for snorkeling there was no ladder or dive platform, so getting back on the boat meant being hauled unceremoniously up over the back. We went to Yelapa beach for lunch, where we had a couple of cold drinks relaxing at a beach cafe before heading to Los Arcos to snorkel some more. Bring your swimsuit, sunblock, hat, towels and camera (underwater if you can get one!) Bring your own fins and snorkel or it's easy to rent them. We haggled quite a bit over the cost for the day. It cost us about $120 US for the day, including beer and lunch. The operator actually offered us a great deal in exchange for a timeshare presentation but we opted to pay instead!
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Watercolor paintings vendor
Naval History Museum
Entrance to Bar Los Burros
The Malecon
