Any trip to Mexico, or anywhere else for that matter, should involve a wide absorption of the culture. Unfortunately, many places that are worth traveling to are highly expensive which means that you don’t get a chance to actually see all of the many things the place has to offer. Not so with Mexico. While many vendors increase their prices to trick American travelers into coughing up extra green, Mexico is fairly inexpensive all-around to foreigners due to the currency exchange rate.
Cheap Hotels
Before you do anything else, you’ll need to figure out where you’re staying. Mexico is a beautiful place if you have shelter but if you find yourself homeless then you’re going to experience the true Mexican culture that so many poor families go through on a daily basis. The following are some fine examples of inexpensive hotels where you can drop your luggage during the day and come home to a nice meal and a soft bed at night.
Del Prado Hotel
The Del Prado Hotel features enormous rooms and good customer service. There’s a shopping complex right next to the hotel which is something normally hard to find when staying in many hotels. Usually big cities have many shopping areas but are miles away from each other which forces you to commute for basic necessities like a gallon of milk and deal with busy traffic. For the Del Prado, however, you don’t have to deal with that. Some people have complained about there not being enough outlets in the room and bad Internet reception but if you’re worried about social connections then you’re obviously missing the whole point of a vacation. The things we’ve grown accustomed to like constant A/C and WiFi on every corner aren’t normally found in Mexico but for a third world nation, the Del Prado Hotel far exceeds expectations.
NH Monterrey
The NH Monterrey is described as a whole other world when compared to the dusty sands of the Mexican Outback. This exquisite hotel provides its customers with prompt properly dressed staff members, large rooms, soft beds, and the whole place feels majestic. Moreso, the NH Monterrey is directly connected to a large mall called the Paseo San Pedro which serves to meet any and all of your shopping needs. The NH Monterrey is a bit far from the airport but the trip is well worth it when you step into this reasonably priced hotel of your dreams.
Cheap Travel
Now that you’ve chosen a destination for your temporary living quarters, you’ll need to decide how you’re going to get around. In Mexico, you’ll see many people walking around but walking everywhere while on vacation isn’t exactly the kind of stress-free holiday that you’re looking for. Below are some suggestions of how you can get from point A to point B without straining yourself.
Airplane
Flying to Mexico could save you a hassle if you live in Northern or Eastern North America and is just about your only way to get there if you live anywhere else. Before you go, remember to get your passport. Cheap flights can be booked from either http://travelocity.com/ or http://www.expedia.com/ while http://www.tripadvisor.com/ is great for all of your vacationing resources. Once you’re there, you can either rent a car at the airport or take a few cheap plane rides if you plan on visiting several cities during your stay.
Just Drive
If you happen to live in Texas or anywhere near the Northern border of Mexico, driving may be your best bet. You’ll need your passport to get through the border checkpoints but it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Driving to Mexico will allow you to stop when you want to stop, carrying certain goods across the border that you wouldn’t be allowed to take on a plane, and it will also be very beneficial once you’re already in Mexico because you can just drive wherever you need to go. Beware that some Mexican locales are apt for crime, just as any other country you might visit, so if you do decide to drive there then you take the risk of damages to your car or even getting your car stolen. It might be a better idea to rent a car rather than taking your own.
Cheap Attractions
Now that you can get around efficiently, you should focus on the actual vacationing part. Who needs to spend a buttload of cash when Mexico has some of the greatest, free sightseeing locales in the world? Mexico was once home to some very ancient and advanced civilizations and their monuments are still here today for all to look at and explore without even opening your wallet. The following are some fun things to go and see while you vacation in Mexico.
Michoacan Monarch Butterfly Reserve
The average Monarch butterfly lives to be about four weeks old. That’s average. Every year, however, at the end of August, there’s one generation of Monarch called the “Methuselah” that gets to live up to eight *months* in order to fly up to seventy-five miles per day across up to two thousand miles to settle in this one particular range of forests that stretch along the Michoacan/Mexico Border known as the Michoacan Monarch Butterfly Reserve where over 150 million Monarch Butterflies spend their Winter. It is a remarkable sight and a miraculous gift of nature which allows them to escape the Northern weather which would otherwise kill them. Do not pass up this inexpensive majesty.
Chichen Itza
The Chichen Itza is a wonderful thing to see if you ever find yourself in Mexico. This ancient building from one of Mexico’s oldest civilizations was at the heart of the Itza’s culture. The Itza, at the time that the structure was built, was the dominant authority of the Mayan society in Northern Mexico. The Chichen Itza seems to be some sort of government office where many sacrifices took place along with the decision making of the entire society. Chichen Itza is Mayan for “At the mouth of the well of the Itza”.
Cheap Food
I’d hate to break up the fun but the downside to getting away from your day-to-day troubles is that you still have to eat. Luckily, Mexico has some very nice restaurants and dining experiences for you to choose from and considering the currency conversion, you won’t have to worry about blowing all of your money. Here are some great places to put your taste buds to the test while experiencing Mexican culture firsthand.
Caffé Todos Santos
The Caffe Todos Santos is a small restaurant that specializes in deli cuisines. They have all sorts of whole grain breads and exotic fruits to satisfy their breakfast clientelle and I hear they make excellent flautas, which are just tortillas wrapped around some savory toppings and fried. I don’t know about you but that sounds delicious to me. Their price range is crafted to fill your wallet’s tummy too.
Plaza Cafe
The Plaza Cafe isn’t the fanciest place around but that’s good considering all that advertising of big restaurants is what makes the price skyrocket. The Plaza Cafe is always packed full of people because of its excellent food quality and decent location. While some may argue that its just another diner, the Plaza Cafe isn’t too expensive and features large enough portions to get two meals for the price of one.
Hopefully this article has given you some information that you were previously lacking and you can now set forth on your journey to the Caribbean and ejoy everything your vacation has to offer. I hope you have a wonderful trip and return home safely.