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| They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Marietas Islands, here we come. |
I've made an executive decision for us, we are going to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in December! Reasons being:
(a) Have you SEEN the picture above? Enough said
(b) Best available timeshare in December for dates available
(c) Inexpensive flight
(d) Inexpensive costs while we're there
(e) Plenty to do!
(f) Again, did you SEE the picture above??? Also it is no surprise it has been voted one of the most beautiful beaches.
Veto? I think not. Please see additional details below and post comments/questions.
P.S. KATE we are doing this for you so.... you have to come. NO EXCUSES! <3 Also if everything goes as planned I will have graduated by then... but that's too much to think about right now.
Room & Board:
RCI Timeshares available in December (Luxury vs. Location):
Casa Velas Boutique Hotel - Decadent luxury but far, no kitchen.
-Trip advisor reviews: "Traveler's Choice Winner" but couples-oriented.
| 2 Bedrooms | 6 (4) | No Kitchen | Sat 14-Dec-2013 | Sat 21-Dec-2013 | Exchange Fee | 11 |
-Trip adviser reviews: This one is nice and has an even mix of couples and families
| 3 Bedrooms | 8 (8) | Partial | Sat 14-Dec-2013 | Sat 21-Dec-2013 | Exchange Fee | 15 |
Special thanks to the Hirds, we should pool our efforts as a token of our gratitude~!
Activities:
(1) We can take charter boats from Puerto Vallarta to Marieta Islands, prices vary with Pegaso Chartering it's $80/person
*Another option is Puntamita Charters
(2) Um, it's Puerto Vallarta helloooo there will be tons to do here.
(2) Um, it's Puerto Vallarta helloooo there will be tons to do here.
Flight:
Cost:
Travel Expenses: Approx. $600 incl. flight, charter boat plus misc. travel expenses (tips, tax, etc.)
Room & Board: $0
Recreation: $400 ?
Total Cost: $1,000 (or less!)
i'm IN!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah! But only if this time isn't too inconvenient for others...
ReplyDeleteuh they filmed Predator in Puerto Vallarta of course I am down! The last time I was there I got really sick though...but it was from the pills they give you to treat the water!
ReplyDeleteok, and after looking at the hotel website...FUCK YES! :D
ReplyDeleteHi Guys,
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of Puerto Vallarta, and that hotel looks really nice, but I think it would be nice to have a condo with a kitchen - that way we can save some $$ by buying food for breakfast/lunch, and have cold beers readily accessible! I just talked to my parents, who recently traveled to P.V., and they said that the location is a little further from city center, so we would either need to take cabs to get into town, or rent a car (otherwise we are pretty much stuck eating food at the resort).
I'm looking at other places in Puerto Vallarta (and surrounding areas) to see if we can find a place with the kitchen, and maybe one that is near a bus line or more centrally located.
Thoughts? Ideas?
Here's a place in Los Cabos - close to city center. We could get a grand master suite with a kitchen.
ReplyDeleteLink to resort:
http://www.thegrandmayan.com/los-cabos/accommodations
GRAND MASTER SUITE
The Grand Master Suite is a palatial 1,898 square foot two-bedroom, two-bath suite, which gives your family and friends plenty of space to relax between vacation adventures. The balcony has a large plunge pool, chaise lounges and extra seating. This room is a combination of a Master Room and a Grand Suite. Accommodates 6 adults and 2 children.
....and here's the Mayan Palace in Puerto Vallarta. Also has a full kitchen. This place is closer to Casa Velas (So the location is not central), but at least if we had a kitchen we wouldn't have to eat at the hotel for every meal.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mayanpalace.com/puerto-vallarta
i like the idea of having a kitchen also. but is there anything else to do around Los Cabos or P.V. that isn't just laying on the beach? Any cultural sites or rainforests? or is it mostly just resorts? i saw a Wal-Mart on the map in P.V. >.< it still would be fun and beautiful, but i just hope we wouldn't get bored in a resort atmosphere. i know most of us are up for some adventure too.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember complaining about jut lying on the beach....of course it was just snowing here in MI yesterday!
DeleteGoogle maps shows that Mayan Palace and the Grand Mayan are near Nuevo Vallarta which is north of Puerto Vallarta. I also don't like that Casa Vela is directly adjacent to the airport which seems gross.
ReplyDeleteThe next step seems to be looking into what/where to go so we know which location is best to stay at. Main activities in the area include beach, snorkeling/diving, fishing, zip-lines, a big gay community ("gay zip lining", "gay whale watching" and "gay bar hopping" ...they're capitalizing on this weirdly), "straight" whale watching... It seems more of the touristy sight seeing is in Puerto Vallarta (eg. old towne, historical landmarks, activities, etc.) I don't know the area at all so it's only web-based research.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g150793-Activities-Puerto_Vallarta_Pacific_Coast.html#TtD
Once we know, Laurel can book the hotel anytime between Dec. 15 - Jan. 6 and then we can follow-up with plane tickets.
GAY ZIP LINING!!!! ok i like how the grand mayan los cabos is right next to a park. it'll probably be pretty nice beach scenery. and i'm down for zip lining of course, and snorkeling. and i guess we'll be doing that trek to the marietta islands. can we do that from los cabos, ekid?
ReplyDeleteThe Grand Mayan is in the city center of Nuevo Vallarta which I haven't researched.
DeletePuerto Vallarta from what I understand is rich in history from the Spanish colonization including lots of cultural sites and historical landmarks, botanical gardens, zoos, etc.
Also we will be there to see: Las Posadas (December 20) - An evening of candlelight caroling & processions to handmade nativities is hosted by the Vallarta Botanical Gardens. Poinsettias and native Mexican pines are also featured during the celebrations... sounds very religious to their Catholic roots!! :o
Laurel said that the grand mayan location she was looking at is in los cabos....
Deletebut maybe we should stick to the Puerto Vallarte area, because then we can go to that secret hidden island beach :)
I'll talk to you my parents about activities in Vallarta - they stayed in the city center, and they also stayed at a timeshare when they were there.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Lonely Planet, Vallarta is the "gay capital of Mexico" - guess that explains the gay ziplining!
There is a nature preserve called Las Caletas that is accessible only by water, which would be a fun day trip. Visiting the Marieta Islands also sounds fun - they have snorkeling and cavern swimming.
I'm confused, I thought you were talking about the Grand Mayan in Nuevo Vallarta https://plus.google.com/106893732074357715182/about?gl=us&hl=en
DeleteWe should talk... :)
Agreed - I was talking about the one in Los Cabos, but just as another option. Los Cabos looks like it's a more expensive flight.
DeleteWhere is Shoshana in this thread? Is she the only one who is actually working?
ReplyDeleteSeriously. What a skank.
DeleteI agree that a kitchen would be ideal, and some adventuring other than beach-going.
ReplyDeleteWord on adventuring other than beach going. We'll have to do some research but it looks like there are waterfalls!
DeleteOK guys, check out this place. The location is great, and we could get a 3bdrm/3 bath imperial suite! The dates would be 12/14 to 12/21. December is high season, so I think we should book something ASAP!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.buganviliasclub.com/penthouse_pp
I am IN!!! Let's all agree on a location ASAP so we can reserve. I checked out the buganvilias club penthouse pp and it looks huge and hopefully has an awesome balcony overlooking the ocean. Maybe we can request that it faces that way?
ReplyDeleteLet's get votes on hotel from everyone......
this is officially my vote for that! the bugan club place anyways :) can't wait!! can we just like go now?
DeleteI have some classmates who've been to Puerto Vallarta several times so I'm going to get activities recommendations from them today.
ReplyDeleteLet's book/hold the suite ASAP.
As for flights it'd be nice if we could all fly out together from LAX (and maybe we can get a discount via travel agency) but I don't know if that's feasible for everyone.