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Getting to Oaxaca shouldn't be too much of a pain. I have never been personally but now plenty of people, specially form Montreal that used to spend a lot of time there, in Puerto Escondido. You said there is no Beach? Oaxaca has beautiful beaches. I wouldn't count out Oaxaca just yet, look into it a bit more.
Puerto Escondido is full of people from all over the world. Very young and trendy. The water is very rough so probably not a good idea to expect to swim (except in the lagoon). It is very difficult and time consuming to get there by land, so most people fly from Mexico City.
Huatulco is much calmer and older. Most tourists are from either Mexico city or Manchester, UK.
Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido is about 90 air miles apart. Most people think in terms of USA where you allow two hours to drive that distance over minor roads andpeople plan on a combined cultural and beach vacation.
This will be the most brutal 90 miles you have ever traveled in your life. There are no first class buses that follow the direct route, and the second class buses are a nightmare. Most Mexicans pay for a seat on a private 14 seat van which manages to get airborne careening over the Sierra Madres. I've heard people kiss the ground when they arrive at their destination.
You can take a first class bus to the isthmus and up the coastal highway, but it will take about 7 hours. Spend the money for a luxury class bus where you can sleep.
Getting to Oaxaca shouldn't be too much of a pain. I have never been personally but now plenty of people, specially form Montreal that used to spend a lot of time there, in Puerto Escondido. You said there is no Beach? Oaxaca has beautiful beaches. I wouldn't count out Oaxaca just yet, look into it a bit more.
Okay I need to look at a map.... if there is a beach ...my interests just peaked back up again.
Puerto Escondido is full of people from all over the world. Very young and trendy. The water is very rough so probably not a good idea to expect to swim (except in the lagoon). It is very difficult and time consuming to get there by land, so most people fly from Mexico City.
Huatulco is much calmer and older. Most tourists are from either Mexico city or Manchester, UK.
Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido is about 90 air miles apart. Most people think in terms of USA where you allow two hours to drive that distance over minor roads andpeople plan on a combined cultural and beach vacation.
This will be the most brutal 90 miles you have ever traveled in your life. There are no first class buses that follow the direct route, and the second class buses are a nightmare. Most Mexicans pay for a seat on a private 14 seat van which manages to get airborne careening over the Sierra Madres. I've heard people kiss the ground when they arrive at their destination.
You can take a first class bus to the isthmus and up the coastal highway, but it will take about 7 hours. Spend the money for a luxury class bus where you can sleep.
Oh no ...... my husband will kill me. Forget that lol. Also if the trip gets more complicated my kid won't be able to come.
Now I am thinking just see what's on sale closer to my desired departure time and keep it simple.
Thanks for all the feedback and ideas. From my end... I literally want to just book a vacation package and show up without too much thinking and planning in advance. I am not really in a mood right now to spend to much time or effort searching for rooms and stuff. I want to pay ... get to the airport and be delivered safely to hotel with no drama.
Ok, you kinda have to decide what it is you want. On one hand, you seem hesitant to venture out because you don't speak the language and don't trust the people but on the other hand you want to explore and see the culture.
If you just want an easy packaged vacation to chill out, book an AI along the Riviera Maya. Then you'll have a shuttle to your resort, unlimited food and drink, a nice beach and pool, and plenty of other resort activities. You can add on a few excursions to see Xcaret or Tulum or a cenote or a day of shopping in town. No planning, no researching, just show up and veg out for a week. Not my usual thing but I've done it a few times and it has it's merits.
If you do want to explore and see the culture, get a cheap room near the heart of PDC or Tulum. You can walk around and see the town and have plenty of shopping and dining. You can walk the tourist streets where they all speak English, where you can pay in dollars or with credit card, where the restaurant menus and service is American-oriented, and the shops are clean and bright. Or walk a few blocks away where all the shops and restaurants are holes in the wall, owned by local Mexican families.
The taxi drivers in the Yucatan are not going to rape, rob, or kill you. At worst, they might charge you a few dollars more than the fare should be. Everyone is used to tourists and most everyone knows a few key phrases in English if not fluent.
Personally, I find all the research and planning to be half the fun of a vacation. It's how I get in the mood, it feeds my excitement for weeks and months before the trip, it familiarizes me with the local scene and helps me maximize my time there.
Three years ago we rented an apartment through REMAX close to the entrance post of the city of Tulum and rented bikes (a lot of bikes lane in the whole area), it was an awesome vacation. And not very expensive . We visit th ruins, the pristine white sand Tulum beach, etc, bought our grocery at the very practical Supermercados... a 10/10 vacation in my book, so much better than our winter vacation in CR last year where we were witness of crimes and were ourselves pickpocketed (passport, credit card)...besides prices were outrageous (for the same price as our gorgeous flat in Tulum with US cooking ranbge, kingsize bed and shared pool, we had what can be best described as a shack)..."pura vida", no, "pura mierda" :a 3/10 vacation.
Oh no ...... my husband will kill me. Forget that lol. Also if the trip gets more complicated my kid won't be able to come.
Now I am thinking just see what's on sale closer to my desired departure time and keep it simple.
Don't do Oaxaca this time, but do visit some day. You might even think about studying Spanish in the capital city with a trip down to the beaches before/ after. But for this trip, given what you've said, book an AI in Riviera Maya.
Go to Oaxaca- you get Native American cultures, pyramids, beautiful downtown/culture/nightlife in Oaxaca City, then beautiful beaches in Puerto Escondido.
Puerto Escondido is full of people from all over the world. Very young and trendy. The water is very rough so probably not a good idea to expect to swim (except in the lagoon). It is very difficult and time consuming to get there by land, so most people fly from Mexico City.
Huatulco is much calmer and older. Most tourists are from either Mexico city or Manchester, UK.
Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido is about 90 air miles apart. Most people think in terms of USA where you allow two hours to drive that distance over minor roads andpeople plan on a combined cultural and beach vacation.
This will be the most brutal 90 miles you have ever traveled in your life. There are no first class buses that follow the direct route, and the second class buses are a nightmare. Most Mexicans pay for a seat on a private 14 seat van which manages to get airborne careening over the Sierra Madres. I've heard people kiss the ground when they arrive at their destination.
You can take a first class bus to the isthmus and up the coastal highway, but it will take about 7 hours. Spend the money for a luxury class bus where you can sleep.
My mother always took us as kids to Puerto Escondido. While it is true about it being a trendy surfing destination, it's good for families as well. We would always befriend other families who were there too.
The bus ride is insane though- but it is pretty easy to take flights there from Oaxaca City. My friend has gone twice with her small children and they fly to PE from Oaxaca City.
My mother always took us as kids to Puerto Escondido. While it is true about it being a trendy surfing destination, it's good for families as well. We would always befriend other families who were there too.
The bus ride is insane though- but it is pretty easy to take flights there from Oaxaca City. My friend has gone twice with her small children and they fly to PE from Oaxaca City.
Flight???? It this is option? Can I fly from Mexico city to Oaxaca?
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Lol...
