dawn waldock

As the title suggests, I'm thinking about going in May 2003 and I was wondering if there's anyone who has stayed in this complex?<BR><BR>Is it clean?, what's the beach like?, is the food good?, standard of all inclusive alcohol etc.<BR><BR>Been to Playa del Carmen on the other side of Mexico, is Puerto Vallarta comparible?<BR>What is there to do outside of the complex? I realise there's nothing like Chichen Itza but I do want to experience some local culture!<BR><BR>Any comments (good or bad)would be welcome.

Clarisa

I don't know about that hotel, but have spent many many fabulous vacations in Puerto Vallarta over the past 10 years. It is a lovely Mexican town, approx. pop. 300,000. There's something for all tastes... 4/5-star upscale resorts, low-key budget in-town accommodations, but *importantly* also a thriving downtown and local Mexican family neighborhoods apart from the tourist economy. People are friendly and welcoming, the weather is lovely.<BR><BR>p.s. The beach sand and ocean water color on the Caribbean side are prettier than the Pacific coast.

PV activities

What to do outside "the complex"...<BR><BR>Stroll along the Malecon on a weekend evening, watch the free dance/music shows at the 'arches' on Sundays, eat tacos or corn on the cob from the street vendors, go to the local cathedral and light a candle for a departed loved one, go to the main local beach on the southside called Playa Los Muertos and have lunch at a palapa restaurant on the sand, watch sunset with mariachis playing in the background, buy fresh squeezed orange juice from the lady on the corner, get ice cream cones from Dolphy's, hot dogs from D'Mikes, visit the tile factory & store, go to the 2-story supermercado just south of the river called 'Rizo'.<BR><BR>Take a cheap local bus out to El Anclote or Destiladeras (towards Punta Mita) or south to Boca de Tomalan. Or a day trip via water taxi to Yelapa.<BR><BR>For more formal activities offered: sunset dinner cruises on the pirate ship, daytime snorkeling cruises out to Los Arcos, horseback riding in the jungle to a waterfall, rent a jeep, sign up to attend a Fiesta, or on the beach try parasailing, banana boats, innertubes.

Rebecca Brandt

We stayed at the Royal Decameron last July and were quite pleased. Please not that it is far from the city and you will have to take a taxi or the bus if you want to go into town. There is a town just North of there called Buceria that you can walk to, maybe 1½ miles or so.<BR><BR>The food was good and the beach was lovely. The Pacific is quite different from the Carribbean though. I would definitely stay there again.<BR>

wandering

I'm looking for a place in Guadalarja where I can stay for two weeks while I'm recovering from surgery. I'd love a quiet, beautiful, serene hotel somewhere off the beaten path but near grocery stores and restaurants. Any suggestions? Thanks!

SusanInToronto

We stayed right in Guadalajara, but if I was looking for a place for a couple of weeks, I think I'd consider Tlaquepaque. It's a suburb of Guadalajara and there are some lovely B&amp;B's there. There are some very nice restaurants and the shopping is terrific. I've spent today shopping for a bedspread for the summer and I'm kicking myself that I didn't buy one that I saw in Tlaquepaque in February!