Puerto Rico Warnings Or Dangers

  My daughter with other volunteers
by joiwatani
 
  • My daughter with other volunteers
      My daughter with other volunteers
    by joiwatani
  •   Warnings Or Dangers
    by joiwatani
  • Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico
      Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico
    by jumpingnorman
  • Jumpingfamily in raincoats at Rainforest, PR
      Jumpingfamily in raincoats at...
    by jumpingnorman
  • Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico
      Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico
    by jumpingnorman
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Defining Motel

by staindesign

I don't know where you are from, but where i'm from I don't know a motel that you can rent by the hour. This is very important for those on a budge, motel means hourly sex room rental. We had to stay in one of these places because we were in such a small town that there wasn't guest houses available. It isn't awful and it isn't dirty. There are just mirrors every where and porn on the TV. For 8 hrs, we stayed for $40. There was clean towels and air conditioning. These places look really ligit with nice signs and landscaping. So, they aren't bad as a last resort. They are in practically every city or town.

Don't climb the walls of the El Morro

by joiwatani

There are safety precautions instructions at the front of the castle. There are guards who are checking that the tourists are abiding by the rules. My daughter and her friend Khadija climbed the walls and started walking on it. They didn't know that they were not allowed to do that. As teenagers, they were just looking for fun to do! I can't keep up with them walking and by the time that I knew it, they were already climbing the walls. I could see them on my viewfinder in my camera.Luckily, they didn't fall and luckily the guards didn't see them...So, as a tip, make sure to read the signs and apparently, my daughter didn't read the sign!!! And, so with her friend Khadija!There's a megaphone in the castle and you can hear the guard instructing a tourist to get down from the wall.

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Crimes in Puerto Rico

by joiwatani

I was told by some of the local residents that in some areas of Puerto Rico, the crime has gone up because of the bad economy. And, I think most big cities in the United States as well. As of this writing (9/24/11), the statistics of gun sales have risen to 25% because residents wanted to protect themselves.Most residential houses in the city and the barrios have iron grills in their windows, doors and most houses have iron fences. There is one city in Puerto Rico where 60% of the people have moved to Philadelphia or to New York because there are no jobs available in Puerto Rico.

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Have to pay in the bathroom!

by joiwatani

The El Morro has two bathrooms: One outside located at the right side of the building where most of the children fly their kites. It's a long ways to walk down the grass but there is a nice bathroom there. If you have children with you, and you intended to go inside the El Morro, you can use the bathroom inside the El Morro instead of the one outside because you have to pay first before you can use it. There is a mini-store there where you can buy travel maps, gifts and books. There are also postcards, refrigerator magnets, key chains, etc. The girl at the counter will hand you the key to get in.

Texting while driving, excessive use of cellphones

by joiwatani

This is what I noticed in the whole island of Puerto Rico. Most of the drivers are texting while they are driving. They are constantly on the phone! For the two hours that we were enroute from San Juan to Humacao, the driver of the van that we rented was talking on his cellphone the whole time that one of the parents in our group got mad at him.Also, our driver going to the mountains of Indiera was also on his phone the whole time. There should be a law to regulate this because the drivers are driving on the freeway...

When taking pictures of the big letters of PONCE!

by joiwatani

In order to take a picture of the letters of P-O-N-C-E on the freeway, make sure to park your car all the way to the shoulder of the road. We had to cross the ramp just to take a picture of the steel letters!

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Bad tourist information

by scaleguy

Just a warning that the tourist information direct from Puerto Rico is misleading. While the information is technically correct it may be extremely difficult to impossible to get to the attractions. .For instance, the bioluminescent bay. The tourist information makes this sound like a wonderful experiance, which I'm sure it would be. The map provided gives almost all the relevant information for directions from Mayaguez. Unfortunately, the map calls out the final turn onto a road which does not exist. After back tracking and checking maps and atlas I finally gave up trying to find the bay. By this time it was dark and the traffic in towns was heavy and extremely time consuming to return to hotel.Take this as a warning to verify all tourist information with hotel staff and locals.

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Acommon1 SAFE JOURNEY ANYWHERE

by acommon1

Common sense Acommon Travel rules as to where ever you go.#1. Don't go where you shouldn't go.#2. Follow the rule of law in the country that you reside.#3. Adhere to the rule of law from your home country.#4. Respect and "pre-" read up on the culture(s).#5. Gain some familiarity with the country's national language prior to your trip.#6. Practice the local language with the locals.#7. If concerned with lodging then don't do what isn't familiar to you.#8. Eat what has been cooked.#9. Drink bottled water that has a seal. Open it yourself.#10. Know your coordinates (esp. North & South). Memorize the major cross-roads prior to taking your trip. #11. Have a copy or two of your Passport in a safe place (either on you personally or in an emergency place).#12. Go electronic (with back up paperwork) when you can.#13. Be reluctant to share your full plans with strangers. #14. Be flexible.#15. How...

STICK TO SMALL TOWNS SUCH AS GUAYAMA

by jay00784

A lot of tourists go for the traps, metro area ( san juan ) etc. While its great to visit I suggest you stay in smaller towns such as Guayama, Where people are more down to earth and friendlier, I lived in boston practically all my life and am now a resident of puerto rico. Rules of survival: do not give a ride to anyone you know, Do not flash around large amounts of cash, use a debit or atm card, or credit card. If you get cut off while driving although its annoying or disturbing, just stay quiet let it be, You are not in Kansas anymore, just keep your eyes back on the road say nothing and get to where you are going. There are thousands of God fearing, honest friendly people here, the majority of the rotten apples get raised out in the states.

Bring navigation!!

by Matt1982

I highly recommend bringing a GPS of some kind. I brought my tomtom and it saved me from wasting hours of my time trying to locate places. However, if you are trying to find a residence, a lot of times it will not be able to locate a specific address. Many city streets are not clearly labeled, this is why I recommended having a GPS.

Top 3 Hotels in Puerto Rico

Hotel BaƱos de Coamo  Puerto Rico

 1 Review and 27 Opinions  This has been a spa resort where guests can enjoy the therapeutic effects of the therman waters... 

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Hotel El Convento  San Juan

 5 Reviews and 809 Opinions  The staff was great...the rooms were great...the only place you would want to stay in Old San Juan! 

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Bravo Beach Hotel  Vieques

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The Place

Reviews and photos of Puerto Rico attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Puerto Rico sightseeing.

Experience Puerto Rico
 

Questions and Answers

tarheelblue profile photo

Q:  Looking for info on the various Carnavals and if its ok for kids? If so, which city? My wife and 2 sons (6 and 8) are traveling... 

joiwatani profile photo

A: The Carnaval is in Ponce, a city in Puerto Rico. The Carnaval is like the Rio de Janeiro carnaval. I have not attended one in Puerto Rico because I was there last June.... 

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