Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Cancun is fine...real touristy and also safe. Mexico in general is no more dangerous than any other place in the world. Just use your common sense and you'll be fine. You will have no problems if you want to explore the "real mexico"...people are friendly and open to all, as long as you leave your ignorance at home..people are people..there are good and bad ones no matter where you live in this world. If you are unsure what to do or where to go outside Cancun...just ask an employee at the resort you are staying at..he/she would be happy to show you the real Mexico.....most of the time for free! Relax...enjoy yourself, and use your common sense as you would at home and you will have the time of your life.
Some tips you can use....if you want to eat at a local restaurant...go where the locals go....the busy places. ....don't carry your passport or any id with you...you will not need it...hide it in your suitcase.
....carry money with you...say 2-3 thousand pesos in small bills (from a bank)...no cc or debit needed
....wear lots of sunscreen and a hat and sunglasses....
....drink lots of bottled water ....don't dress too touristy....dress like a local.. ....carry the things you need in your front pockets
....and lastly....learn a few phrases in spanish...as long as you try..the locals will love it.
Ha. The highlighted items belie the comment that Mexico is no more dangerous than any other place in the world. There are lots of places in which I don't have to hide a passport, dress like a local, and some in which I can use back pockets, too. These things are not second nature to every traveler. It usually depends on where you go and how safe it is.
Cancun is partay central, they have to keep it safe to keep the touristas coming. If crime breaks out in any of Mexico's resort areas, the economy will tank. Think of how many people those places employ! Massive joblessness if word got out that it wasn't safe.
Cancun is fine...real touristy and also safe. Mexico in general is no more dangerous than any other place in the world. Just use your common sense and you'll be fine. You will have no problems if you want to explore the "real mexico"...people are friendly and open to all, as long as you leave your ignorance at home..people are people..there are good and bad ones no matter where you live in this world. If you are unsure what to do or where to go outside Cancun...just ask an employee at the resort you are staying at..he/she would be happy to show you the real Mexico.....most of the time for free! Relax...enjoy yourself, and use your common sense as you would at home and you will have the time of your life.
Some tips you can use....if you want to eat at a local restaurant...go where the locals go....the busy places.
....don't carry your passport or any id with you...you will not need it...hide it in your suitcase.
....carry money with you...say 2-3 thousand pesos in small bills (from a bank)...no cc or debit needed
....wear lots of sunscreen and a hat and sunglasses....
....drink lots of bottled water
....don't dress too touristy....dress like a local..
....carry the things you need in your front pockets
....and lastly....learn a few phrases in spanish...as long as you try..the locals will love it.
Dude, what to do with your passport depends heavily on what kind of place you're staying in! If you're staying in a hostel or a downtown hotel, you need to keep it with you, but hidden and safe. And how would people coming from other countries and continents know how locals dress? Tourists are going to dress how they dress at home, pretty much. If that's a problem, Mexico isn't as safe as you think. But I haven't noticed a problem in Cancun, especially in the hotel zone, the foreigner zone. It's almost like Miami there, and that's one reason people go.
Cancun is partay central, they have to keep it safe to keep the touristas coming. If crime breaks out in any of Mexico's resort areas, the economy will tank. Think of how many people those places employ! Massive joblessness if word got out that it wasn't safe.
The economy will tank in Mexico if some American gets pickpocketed? I doubt it. Take a look at this picture. Does this economy look like it will break if the estado unidans ran to their bunkers?
Here's a clue. Mexico has existed for 3000 years. Mexico City has been the 2nd biggest city in the world for milennia. You think their entire economy depends on serving Americanos margaritas on Playa Barricado in Quintana Roo?
Ha. The highlighted items belie the comment that Mexico is no more dangerous than any other place in the world. There are lots of places in which I don't have to hide a passport, dress like a local, and some in which I can use back pockets, too. These things are not second nature to every traveler. It usually depends on where you go and how safe it is.
Miami is definitely more dangerous than DF. Most American cities are more risky than DF, and every reliable source I've ever heard says Yucatan and the smaller cities south of DF are super sweet. My second trip to DF has convinced me fear mongering about Mexico is absurd beyond ridiculous. But hey - your fear equals my bargain hotel prices.
DF is better than Paris. The place is beautiful. The history is fascinating. The art is magnificent. The music is wonderful. The architecture is awesome. The ecology is great. The service is fab. The food is incredible. The people are SO nice. Mesmerizing. Totally love.
Ha. The highlighted items belie the comment that Mexico is no more dangerous than any other place in the world. There are lots of places in which I don't have to hide a passport, dress like a local, and some in which I can use back pockets, too. These things are not second nature to every traveler. It usually depends on where you go and how safe it is.
The reason for not carrying it with you....is so you don't lose it..I would hate to lose all my id on vacation..beit my passport, drivers licence, etc..
Front pockets...well no-brainer...I don't know how many times I see a tourist carrying a big fat wallet in his back pocket...just looking for trouble
Dude, what to do with your passport depends heavily on what kind of place you're staying in! If you're staying in a hostel or a downtown hotel, you need to keep it with you, but hidden and safe. And how would people coming from other countries and continents know how locals dress? Tourists are going to dress how they dress at home, pretty much. If that's a problem, Mexico isn't as safe as you think. But I haven't noticed a problem in Cancun, especially in the hotel zone, the foreigner zone. It's almost like Miami there, and that's one reason people go.
I guess it depends where you stay...but i just hide mine in a hidden liner in a bag or suitacase...better than losing it while travelling around with it in your pockets.
When I say dress like a local...I mean...don't wear big gaudy expensive gold jewelry..flashing all your materialistic things for all to see how rich you are...looking for trouble..and that could be anywhere in this world...I've seen far too many naive tourists on vacation..wanting to show their wealth by flashing their goods or wallets and thinking nothing will happen to them..
I guess it depends where you stay...but i just hide mine in a hidden liner in a bag or suitacase...better than losing it while travelling around with it in your pockets.
Who carries their passport in their pocket? How many times has it been posted here to carry your passport underneath your clothes, in a passport pouch? By saying it's unsafe in your pockets, you're raising a straw man argument. No one's suggesting you carry it in your pocket.
I agree that where you keep your passport depends on where you stay, and how you travel. Not everyone uses a suitcase, lots of people backpack through Mexico. No one can steal it from you if you have it inside your pants leg or under your shirt. Unless they try to kill you first.
I just came back from Cancun and had a great time. It was hot but not much hotter than Baltimore or West Virginia and the heat just makes swimming in the ocean all the more enticing. I felt Cancun was very safe, much safer than Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Jersey, or Washington DC. Even in US beach resorts like Ocean City, MD we have news of shootings and stabbings on the Boardwalk. There is far less violent crime in Cancun than in Baltimore, Philadelphia, or New Jersey and very little issues with muggings or pickpockets. Apparenlty London and Paris are worse for pickpockets than Cancun.
Of course all this applies to the Hotel Zone and even if you stay there the whole time you can still get an international experience. The Hotel Zone does NOT feel like you are in the US like some travel writers say you are clearly in a foreign country even (and especially) walking down Kukulkan Boulevard. THis isn't necessarily a good or bad thing just how it is. I personally had a mix of the touristy and authentic experiences and went to Outback and McDonalds there (the Spanish menu was very interesting and the food did taste different and less flavored) and also had traditional Mexican food including Yucatecan fish. Do take the guided tour of the Chichen Itza pyramids though that was definitely worth it.
Honestly my biggest safety fear was going too far out into the ocean and hearing of the surf and riptides since our hotel was on the eastern side of Cancun which has rougher surf but even that wasn't too bad. So I did not feel at ALL afraid while I was in Cancun.
And this is coming from someone who lived in a gated community for the past 5 years, and now that I am moving out of a gated community I am buying two guns to keep in my new home.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
