Trip to Mexico... suggestions?

Question

OK, so I have traveled throughout Europe and Asia extensively, but due to the value of the dollar have decided to check out Mexico...

I have never been and I am curious what should one pack for a week long trip (I'll be doing a trip to some ruins and other than that mostly staying in Cancun).

Also, any tips on how to not get sick... I guess this is a big thing about American's going to Mexico...

Any tips and/ or suggestions?

Answer 1

Shorts, sleeveless, swimsuit....its usually hot there.

Most of the resorts provide you with bottled water.  If not buy some.  Be careful eating out...get things that are cooked.  Try to avoid salads/fruits, etc.  I ate fruit at the resort and didnt have a problem but I didnt eat off the resort so I'm not sure.  

Bring or rent a snorkle mask.  The water is beautiful and there are lots of cool things to see...fish and plants.

Answer 2

If you are going to Cancun.  Shorts, t-shirts and a swimsuit should suffice.  Don't drink the water and if you squeeze the limes, don't put the rinds in your drink afterward.

Answer 3

If you are staying at a resort make sure to review their dress code.  Make sure that you have nice clothes to go out to eat.

Answer 4

Dress is casual, it will be hot so bring cooler clothes, t-shirts, shorts, etc.

About not getting sick.... drink only water and other beverages if they come in a sealed container that you open yourself (there's been occasional rumors of water bottles being reused and filled with tap water, so open those yourself).  Also, be wary of fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, etc.  It's best to eat vegetables that have been cooked, and fruits that you can peel and eat, like bananas.

I've followed these rules and not gotten sick.

I love the Mayan ruins there, you'll enjoy it!

Answer 5

= Nothing works 100% for avoiding getting sick. I've gotten sick at excellent restaurants, and I've been fine eating at roadside stands. Avoid lettuce and any green vegetable exposed to bacteria. Closed up fruits like bananas are OK.

= Cancun was basically unpopulated until the 1970's. It's more an international tourist destination than a Mexican town. A lot more northern europeans are coming now that the dollar and the peso are so low. It's cheaper than the traditional vacation spots like the southern coast of Spain.

= Since you've travelled a lot, you should go to colonial cities like Guanajato, Guadalajara, Zacatecas, Oaxaca, Puebla, and San Miguel de Allende. Your dollar will go much further there than it will in Cancun. In Zacatecas they've turned the town bull-ring into a luxury hotel (see source).

Answer 6

All the fancy hotels and resorts have their own water treatment systems so they're pretty safe. I just wouln't open my mouth in the shower in a hotel that caters to the Mexixan touist.  If you want to learn about Mexico, you have to get away from Cancun and that edge of the Yucatan peninsula.  That area is all about catering to the gringo tourist and trying to get his money.  There is a great diversity in the thirty-one states that make up Mexico.