Mexican Paradise

My husband and I recently went to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico on vacation. We had never been to Mexico before and even though we had researched it and also received advise from friends, we still we a little unsure what to expect. Everyone knows that you shouldn't drink the water, but what else should we avoid and what should we look for? We stayed in a resort called Marival that was all inclusive. That was one of the best ideas! Although gratuities were included, we still carried around a few bucks for extra tips and that was it! The resort had 5-star restaurants which included fare of Italian, Mexican, Mediterranean and a steak house. There was also a 'theme' buffet each night. Breakfast was awesome each morning at La Pergola. All the wait staff was super friendly. Enough about the food! The grounds were super clean and beautiful too!

We were vacationing with 2 other couples and when we checked in, the front desk asked us if we would like to 'upgrade' our rooms. Instead of separate rooms, they wanted to put us in a 3 bedroom, 2-level suite. After looking at it, we all agreed - YES! It was perfect, facing the ocean, huge bedrooms with their own bathrooms, a kitchen, living room and another bathroom. Two big balconies looking at the ocean. It was perfect. We were all together so we didn't have to go searching around the grounds for our friends when it was meal time, beach time, or happy hour! We had a lot of time on the beach and at the pool. We also spent a day on a catamaran whale watching, snorkeling, and having fun on a private beach. Another afternoon was perfect for renting jet skies and going out in Banderes Bay. We had left the beach, headed up along the coast and then as we went further out in the bay we came along the humpbacks! A female and a calf along with a male. It was an awesome sight!

The only somewhat scary thing that happened on our trip was a taxi ride from dinner in town back to our resort. The taxi driver was wild and crazy - driving way too fast and reckless for me! My friend Kami asked him his name. First he said it was Poncho, then quickly changed his mind and told us his name was Mario Andretti!

I can tell more stories later but here are some pictures from the trip.