The Holiday Rush Is The Perfect Time to Think About – Mexico

We’ve been talking about a lot of offbeat places in the travel world lately, and we think that’s a good thing. Sure, if you have a family tradition of always going down to the Maldives or something, that’s fine. We’re not trying to get in the way of that. But if you’re looking for a different type of adventure, there’s nothing that says that you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for. It’s better to really spend some time really looking at how fun you’re going to have. You want to look at getting some new experiences. In ancient history, travel was seen as one of the highest things you could do if you wanted to really expand your mind. This is something that cannot be ignored. If we traveled and enjoyed it, what else would we enjoy? What else would we get to experience? The truth is that you don’t have to spin your wheels at all. You can go ahead and start looking at creating the life that you’ve always wanted, and that includes great travel.

But we’re getting off topic. What about traveling to Mexico? If you don’t know much about Mexico, this is definitely the guide for you.

Geographically speaking, Mexico doesn’t get a lot of attention. Most people think about going out to the United States, but they don’t consider Mexico very often. You have a lot of options around Mexico as well, making it even more difficult. You have Guatemala, Belize, and the United States right around it. Did you know that there’s 6,000 miles of shoreline across Mexico as a whole? If you’re looking for warm beaches, you can definitely find it. There’s incredible jungles to explore if you’re a serious adrenaline junkie, and there’s historical ruins of pyramids and other wonders. You have a blend of luxury and rustic simplicity across the country.

UK holidaymakers will be pleased to find that Mexico uses the metric system. However, they use 127V plugs, so you will still want to bring transformers accordingly.

The weather depends on where you’re trying to go. You’ve got a rainbow of climates, from Mediterranean all the way up to semi-arid and full out tropical.

The country as a whole tends to be deeply religious with a rich Roman Catholic history.

There are plenty of cities of note in Mexico. You have Mexico City, which is the capital of the country. It is a massive city and considered one of the most populated cities in the world. It’s very modern, much more than people realize. However, the recent rash of violence in Mexico City might make you look at quieter parts of the country.

There’s also Cancun, which is very well known for wild parties in the summer. If you’re trying to have a little fun, you’ll definitely find it in Cancun. However, you don’t have to just accept that — you can always explore other things going on elsewhere.

Guadalajara is a beautiful city, but a little more conservative than some tourists prefer. But if you’re trying to get out of the party setting, you will find a relaxing holiday waiting for you.

What about going to Mazatlan? It’s a little off-beat for some holidaymakers, but this shipping hub definitely has a few surprises up its sleeve. Highly recommended.

Getting around Mexico is best done by bus or car, though you can book flights from one city to another if you really want to do a multi-city tour. It’s up to you. Within cities, the bus will be your cheapest option.

You have plenty of things to see and do around the country. Mexico has a huge following in scuba diving circles, especially around the Mayan Riviera. The wide range of aquatic life is just fascinating.

You’ll need to exchange some money into pesos, which you can do at banks and many currency exchange shops.

When it comes to activities, you have a seriously wide range. It’s not just about scuba diving. You can actually go surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, whale watching, white water rafting and more. The country has active and inactive volcanoes so you can look at those as well.

Food is something that might throw you for a loop. Mexican food is all about the region that you’re in rather than a list of dishes that you’ll find all over the country. If you’re used to going to a Mexican chain back home, you’re in for a big surprise. The food is going to be fresher, spicier, and very filling. For example, in the Northern part of Mexico, there’s a lot of dishes made from goat — including all of the organs. Mexican culture strongly encourages using the entire animal, but it’s perfectly okay just to have the muscle meat if that’s what you want.

There are a lot of vegetable dishes to be found. If in doubt, pick up a Spanish phrasebook and learn how to ask what’s cooked in what if you have special food needs. There are also grocery stories available as well so you can look into getting food on your own as well.

One thing that really makes Mexico shine as a whole when it comes to food would have to be the street carts. If you thought New York City had variety, you haven’t seen variety until you go to Mexico. There’s fresh breads, burgers, roasted root vegetables like sweet potato. Tacos can include anything from steak pieces all the way up to cabeza, which is the meat from the cow’s skull. Cow brains, cow stomachs, cow tongues… it can all be cooked and shredded into some really good food. If you want to be adventurous, the street carts are where you want to be. Keep in mind though that not all food carts are created equal. You might face a little stomach distress. The water quality in Mexico isn’t standard across the board. Get bottled water to avoid picking up bugs that’ll make you sick.

We can’t talk about food without the drinks. There are plenty of alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic beverages to drink. You can go with many different beers, and there’s wine and tequila available as well. Non-alcoholic drinks include horchata (a rice drink that’s delicious), and refrescos (refreshing soda that’s made with real cane sugar. Very tasty!)

Looking to learn something else? You can do that in Mexico as well. Foreigners are actually encouraged to come and take classes. You can learn how to do traditional crafts of Mexico, as well as learning Spanish. If you wanted to major in something and study for a while, you can do that — however, you will want to make sure that you’re getting the proper visa before you stay too long in the country!

Sleeping arrangements will again be a matter of region, but you have plenty of them to choose form. If you’re going to the beach resorts, then they’ll have an all inclusive package for you. If you’re really trying to stay somewhere that has a lot of Mexican charm, you will want to ask the locals directly. Just about everyone speaks Spanish, even though Mexico technically has 68 languages. Ask around and people will lead you to places with a lot of true Mexican charm and flair rather than yet another chain hotel. Of course, if you’re trying to get more or less a generic experience where you can just lay down your head, then you can go with that.

Make sure that you look at the room before purchasing it, because many budget rooms don’t have bathtubs and very small showers. You might have to improvise in the sink if you’re not careful.

You get to have a lot of experiences if you decide to travel to Mexico. However, it’s important to make sure that you’re viewing everything with a very open mind. This isn’t the time to lecture people in Mexico about the problems in their country. They live around their problems every single day, so they really don’t want to hear you talk about them. If you’re going to really have conversations with the locals, you want to focus on everything that’s good about time in Mexico. The people are honestly friendly and they really do like to talk to just about anyone who will have the courage to speak to them. Befriending the locals helps you find the best places to eat as well. Time in Mexico is a little slower and more relaxed, unlike some of the busier places on earth where everyone is rushing so fast that they really don’t know what they’re doing. It’s better to make sure that you’re focusing on this as much as possible. Good luck!