www.tomzap.com
Tom Penick:
tom@tomzap.com
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One thing I left a suggestion for was some teapots. The idea some people like tea with meals seemed like a foreign concept and when it came, it was one bag and staff poured hot water into your cup. I was happy coming home to make a big pot of tea and drink it all! One morning I called room service to ask for a pot of coffee for my husband and a pot of water and a few bags for tea I was asked for how many people? I said enough for 3-4 cups each. I got a call back about this asking if it was for 3-4 people. I explained only 2 cups but enough for 3-4cups each. Well it never did arrive. However by the time we were showered and dressed we just went for breakfast. figuring it was a language problem.
As far as the meals go, I guess we are easily pleased. Breakfast became our biggest meal. The fruit was wonderful. There was always fresh yogurt and granola. I loved the quesidillas and my husband those tortilla things with the peppers. The other restaurants were adequate and I found I could always find something tasty. It would have been nicer to have some sea food. We had lunch in Barra Navidad one day , fresh coconut shrimp and it WAS the best meal we had while there.
I agree about the reception desk staff and the concierge.They were rather aloof and never offered anything extra. I asked the girl at the concierge desk for a few brochures and she said they didn't have any. Later a Mexican guest asked for some and got several right away.
I can't say we were disappointed in our vacation though. We came home very tanned and rested and still in awe of how really beautiful the hotel is. The few frustrations we experienced we put down to language problems and lack of experience. Apparently the place has been open only for a year and tourism is very new to the area. We did ask ourselves how long that level of maintenance can be kept up particularly when they seem to be selling time shares there. All that marble and the grounds are very high maintenance.
One word to the wise about the shopping at the flea markets. I was buying a ring and noted something suspicious when the seller had a kid get him a bag and then help him put it in the bag. I asked to see the ring again before I accepted the bag and sure enough the ring had been exchanged for a defective one with chipped stones. It would have been the most expensive purchase I made there and I feel we had reached a very fair price in our bargaining. I simply said, no, you are cheating me and walked away. He called after me did I want the other ring and he looked very worried. I reported this to our guide who said the man could lose his place at that market for doing that. He did write down the location of that display and said he would talk to him. Who knows? After that I checked everything I had bought to check that what I had bought was what was in the bag. Everything else was fine.
My last comment would to agree about the level of noise from the activities staff. They seemed to be on the sound system from morning to night with announcements for there activities including all the music for the water aerobics. Again The whole place seemed to be different the second week so I don't know what was going on. On the whole though we had a good time. Our room was a junior suite on the sixth floor which may make a difference. Another word to the wise I would not accept a room on the ground floor especially near the pools and bar. I think that would be terribly noisy.
One more warning: Do not buy anything at the little store there. My husband bought some film there and was charged 90 pesos for 15 exposures. One girl said her sister paid the equivalent of 15 American dollars for a small bottle of suntan lotion. There is a shopping center a 10 minute walk away with film for a reasonable price. Some of the stores are pretty expensive though.
If you are going to Manzanillo and are feeling a little discouraged now, don't be . Our overall experience was very positive. And basically we would go back on the same package we went on. Bon Voyage,
Patty
pandprol@home.com
April 2000
Thomas Griffin
tgriffin@acsu.buffalo.edu
April 2000
Martin Robertson
m_robertson63@hotmail.com
April 2000
Gary Potts
Potts@ssimicro.com
April 2000
In a country where $5 a day is considered an OK daily salary, what must Mexicans think about tourists who throw dollar bills at every opportunity? And I bet we'd throw $2.00 if they spoke English! Kind of like what we'd think if some visiting foreign tourists in our homelands became known for their $10 an $20 tips for all sorts of things which we never tipped for. Would we respect them?
My contention is that if you pay $100 for your room, you'll get a nice bed and a pretty pool area, the inspectors will see to that, but additionally for your money you'll get that pissy attitude which we've done such a good job of instilling. It's amazing to me, after 20 years of traveling Mexico, that the Mexicans, in general, still like us. Why?
jm
jmurren@harborside.com
April 2000
The Sixth Summit of Mayors is going in May. I get to tag along with my husband. There is a large delegation going from the metropolitan Kansas City area. My poor husband will be going on lots of tours -- I'm looking forward to all of those pools -and a massage!!! By the way, someone mentioned people putting towels on the poolside lounges early in the morning. That sounds very childish -- I'm guessing I'll be removing someone's towel . . . . Everything I hear about the resort is great! Thanks for this forum!
Clara
maincor@hotmail.com
March 2000
The grounds are truly beautiful and very well kept with lush gardens surrounding and intertwining with the pools. The waterslide is fun but goes extreamly fast and can flip a child around. My 7 year old tried it twice and both times he was spun around and badly shaken by the experience. There are lots or organized activities like pool and beach volleyball, water aerobics, kayak tours etc. daily. It is hard to miss these because the entertainment staff will be on the PA until they have enough people to participate. This got to be a bit annoying at times as they are very persistent. The beach area is quite small and very dirty, the sand appears to have a black tint from the pollution or oil from boats. It is not pleasant at all. Most of the water directly off the beach has huge rocks and combined with the pounding surf is potentially dangerous. Wave runners are available at the beach for $40 US per 1/2 hour. Kayaks, innertubes and boogie boards are also available free of charge. There is a bar at the beginning of the beach which is never crowded and it is easy to get a drink with out waiting. Depending upon where you are sitting for the day it can be a real hike to this bar. Because the beach is so small and unpleasant, (the worst I have been to) it can be very difficult to find a chair at the pool. There are simply not enough chairs for the hotel capacity and those people who are not up by 8am will be out of luck. Chairs are spoken for once anything is on them be it a book, shirt, toy, towel or anything else. Many people were very frustrated and irritated by this. There are waiters around the pool but during our stay there were never more than three working the entire area. We found that the service was highly unreliable and that if you did not tip generously the server would not give you the time of day. When I finally gave Salvador a ten Dollar tip on our first drink order of the day he became reliable if not all that quick. Because the pool area is so big it can be quite a long walk to get your own drinks and then a substantial wait as there is only one bartender. If you would like something other than juice or coffee or tea before 11am you need to remember to bring it from your room refrigerator because you can not even get a soda from a bar before 11. We have traveled to Mexico several time and at every resort I have stayed in there has been someone whose job it is to clean the ring around the pool that develops from sunscreen, dirt etc. In our week there I never saw anyone cleaning this and the ring was really gross.
There are three restaurants:
The bugambillias is the main buffet restaurant which is open for breakfast, Lunch and dinner. At night they have a separate theme dinner either on the terrace or the "Maya Theatre" next to the beach. The food is horrible, The hot food is never hot unless they have just made it and the cold food is warm. At breakfast you can get an omelet which is good but the line is usually quite long because there is only one woman making them. Otherwise you have a choice of refried beans, some type of potatoes (4 mornings it was mashed) scrambled eggs with meats and or vegetables in them. Day old chips smothered in beans and green chili, Cut up meat from the night before with a sauce and peppers, quesadillas and pancakes. Always there is an abundance of fresh fruit, sweet rolls and yogurt. Lunch here is much the same being made up mainly of leftovers made into some type of casserole. The one good thing at lunch is a sandwich bar with fresh rolls and a variety of meats and cheese to make your own sandwich, (this was the only thing that kept my kids from eating nothing but crackers and fruit all week). The servers are not very reliable, they are great busboys however. About half the time we had to go to the bar to get our own drinks. I was shocked one day when I asked our server for another soda and he was terribly rude and could not believe I wanted another soda. Overall I found the staff to be rude and highly unreliable.
The Grill restaurant by the pool serves lunch and dinner. It was usually quite crowed and again the staff was lacking. Lunch is always the same, Burgers, hot dogs chicken, ribs, french fries and chips. They also have fruit, some type of salad made mostly of hard boiled eggs and green salad that is iceberg lettuce and tomatoes. They do have guacamole but you have to ask the cook for it.
The Carioca restaurant is open only for diner and requires a reservation. The atmosphere is great and the food is better than anyplace else in the resort, but the menu is very limited. You make a reservation at the Bugambillias restaurant in the morning. Be sure to get there early as the list is usually full by 830am.
Room service is always available, the menu is limited. One night it took almost three hours to get our order and when it arrived everything was cold and soggy. The only place where nachos are available is room service but it is a waste of time and effort, because the cheese is that orange stuff you get when you go to a ballgame or the movie theatre. Breakfast however was ok. Kids club is available for kids from 4-12 yrs old and had some good offerings, you can stop by (across from the steps to the slide) and pick up a schedule of the events for the week. You can sign that the kids may come and go as they please which worked well for my two older boys (7 & 10). We did find that most of the activities are scheduled to begin at 10 am but they would always begin at 11. I also have a 2 year old who thoroughly enjoyed the pools.
I was really looking forward to this vacation and came home sorely disappointed. I was expecting gourmet food and first class service and found neither. I think that they have a lot of work to do and I was not alone, most everyone I spoke with at the resort had the same opinion of the food and staff, and all agreed that they would not be returning. This is truly a shame because it is a beautiful resort. I did learn that they have just hired the former manager of the Maeva and that he is planning to really shape things up, I do hope that he does for the sake of those of you who have paid but have yet to go. It really does not matter how beautiful or comfortable a resort is when the staff is rude and the service is poor.
We had a great time being a family and enjoying the weather but will continue our search for the "perfect vacation spot".
Rebecca
OAJ27@aol.com
March 2000
Gary Hargrove
Orleans, Ontario
ghargrove@sprint.ca
March 2000
John Southerst
johnjill@telus.net
March 2000
As it happens, I was just about to prepare some information on this subject. The bad news is, National isn't the only agency guilty of overcharging. Car rental companies normally give a 10% discount for just about any reason, i.e. employee plan, "special" offer, organization discount, etc. The rental agencies have toll free numbers that you can use to reserve a car ahead of time and they will inform you of the rate, in dollars if you are in the U.S. Some let you do this online as well. The typical procedure in Mexico seems to be to ignore your reservation information and just charge you the full rate. If you sign the form, you are stuck. In the case of National at Manzanillo, they are affiliated with the international company but are an "independent". So there's not a lot that National (international) can do except set you up again, which seems to be the case here.
Here is what I suggest we all do in the future. Before you leave, create an official-looking document with the name of the car rental agency, their toll free numbers, a title like "Reservation Confirmation", your name, reservation number, the dates, and the amount in both dollars and pesos. (There will be a 15% tax.) Print this out and take it with you to present to the car rental clerk. When they fill out the rental agreement with the inflated price, call their attention to the amount on your "document". When I did this, the clerk didn't bat an eye but immediately gave me a new price and was proud to point out that it was slightly less than the one on my document.
Tom
Annette & Dan
zurawskia@aol.com
March 2000
Send me a copy too. - Tom tomzap@eden.com
I recommend taking American dollar bills for all your tipping at the Kármina, as well as on any excursions. A dollar at the bar when you order a round of drinks goes a long way. The staff will be jumping to serve you and your glass will never be empty, or your drink weak. Manuel at the Grill restaurant is very helpful and speaks beautiful English, and he loves to get help with new words he is learning. Jonathan, also at the grill is a great server who will have your drinks at the ready when he sees you coming. We took $100.00 in ones and that lasted all week. The only down side I can think of at the Kármina Palace was the pool area fills up quickly, so if you like to spend lots of time laying by the pool, reserve a place early in the morning. Manzanillo is a beautiful place, I can't imagine anyone not having a great time!
P.S. Don't miss the restaurant El Vaquero, great atmosphere and some of the best tortilla soup I have ever had. Also, stop in at the Colima Bay Cafe and say " Hi" to Nicolas, then the fun will really begin!
Susan & Paul Wendt
Norco, California
califemu@earthlink.net
March 2000
The one problem we had was that we were originally put into a Time Share Villa (make sure you stay away from these). The units don't seem to be kept up as well as the other villas. We noticed right away that the Star Rating in Canada is totally different then the Star Rating in Mexico. We were in a Two Bedroom Villa and no one had told us that to enter the bedroom upstairs you had to go up an extremely narrow winding staircase. Another concern we had was that because the Villas are made of cement you seem to always have this musty smell. Once we were able to purchase an air freshener and put it in the Villa it was okay. The Villas are not at all what we expected but once we got over the initial shock that these units are not like in Canada it was fine (considering that you are only there to sleep anyways).
The entertainment was topnotch (Maevamigos did a wonderful job considering that none of them are professionals). The kids had one of the best time on this vacation. They were very sad to see the vacation come to an end.
During our time there we went on the Colima Tour put on by Expo-Manzanillo. It was a little bit long for the kids (suppose to be 7 hours and turned into 9-1/2 hours) so if you have young school aged children this might not be a good tour to go on. The pyramids were quite interesting and the kids enjoyed the Volcano. The price seemed to be quite reasonable at the time but we later learned that it would have been about 400 Pesos less if we hired one of the cabs to do the exact same tour. We were talking to a family that was thinking about taking the tour and we suggested that they hire a cab driver and that the tour would be exactly what we went on so they did. After their trip they told us what they saw (more than we did on the bus). They were very happy that we suggested to them that they hire a cab. Next time we go we will remember this.
All in all our trip was extremely enjoyable and our kids had a wonderful time. We would definitely return with our children!
Carl & Tracey
Fort McMurray, Alberta
ceralph@home.com
March 2000
jkh
janssen@sympatico.ca
March 2000
You should be able to get the taxi driver to stop along the way in Cihuatlán at the ATM there. I don't know about cost or busses. - Tom
G.A. Moritz
gaylee01@mediaone.net
March 2000
We rented a car and went to Barra de Navidad, and really liked the town. We are interested in buying Real Estate in the Barra, preferably either view or waterfront. I've been in touch with the Real Estate company you have posted on your web-site [Mar Vida Real Estate], and Marsha has given me some information. I would appreciate any other information that anyone has on buying real estate in Mexico. Any problems, hints, going rates, good deals?
Ronnice
Vancouver Island, BC
krugr@timberwest.com
February 2000
Patty
pandprol@home.com
February 2000
About the water, toothbrushing is the same as drinking as far as bacteria go. The best practice is to just get in the habit of using the bottled water whether the tap water is supposed to be safe or not. - Tom
Erich
eerdstein@home.com
February 2000
With respect to the money, we are Canadian and we took both Canadian cash and Canadian travelers cheques, both which were accepted at the hotel and the bank in the shopping plaza. We got a better rate at the shopping plaza but very small. Don't change too much at a time since they can't exchange it back into Canadian We also took some US cash which is gladly received, both by the staff and shop keepers. But on the whole, if I was to return, I would just bring Canadian.
With respect to clothing, everything seemed to be acceptable. I did dress up for dinner and the men have to wear long pants to go into the dining room at the restaurant which requires reservations. All other dining areas are quite liberal - especially the grill where you can go in with your bathing suit on. I took far too many clothes, although I could have used warmer clothing for the evenings, but april should be much warmer.
The atmosphere will be beautiful for a honeymoon - we loved our room and the bathrooms are just beautiful. Ask your agent to make sure you have an ocean view - other rooms look over the tennis courts. Also, make sure they book you in a room with the king-size beds, some rooms have two double beds. Overall, we were extremely pleased with everything - yes some of the drinks weren't perfect, but after all, there is a language barrier and the staff tries extremely hard to please Maybe we are very contented people, but we found everything delightful and we will return. Being young, you will be quite able to access the beach to the east of the property which can be accessed just behind the tie off for the eighteen hole on the golf course. There is a trail which people have blazed down the hill, you have to cross a small stream, but it is definitely worth it. You will have a lot of privacy there too not too many people over there. The ocean was great - the waves were fun to surf in on although there is an undertow which you need to respect. Loved the place!
We took the trip which was offered by the tour company to Barra de Navidad and it was well worth it. As has been expressed by others on this site, Barra de Navidad is a quaint, typical Mexican village which is relaxed and extremely pleasant We also felt we would like to stay in this area as well Very different from the Manzanillo area which after is a city, but as has been stated, prices in the little shops are extremely competitive and the vendors do like to barter. My only complaint was the vendors bothered us while eating in the restaurant but that was just a minor problem. Try to get to Barra de Navidad if possible.
Debra Parker
tdparker@mnsi.net
February 2000
Andrew Skeins
Tampa, FL
kmcgovern@prodigy.net
February 2000
Don
donbazinet@telus.net
February 2000
You'll get mixed reviews about Pacific coast diving for two primary reasons. 1) There is a great variation in conditions from time to time due to weather and its effect on visibility and turbulence, seasonal changes in water temperature, etc. 2) Compared to popular dive sites like Cozumel, the water is never that clear and the concentration of coral is not as great. However, the sea life is abundant and different from the Caribbean. So a diver who has had his fill of Cozumel can easily become enamored with Pacific coast diving in spite of the visibility reduction. - Tom
The food was very good, but I was a little disappointed because there was hardly any seafood, (no prawns, crab, or lobster). You do get tired of eating the same thing each day. We were also told the ala carte restaurant was only opened at 7:30 each evening, and you had to reserve at 9:00 a.m. in the morning. You were only to reserve for 2 nights. (Very limited menu). My last complaint is that if you were not up at 7 a.m. in the morning, all the chairs, tables and umbrellas had towels on them with no one using them. It seemed everyone reserves their places with the towels. Some people don't show up till 4 p.m. and have at least 2 spots each reserved. (Very selfish).
All in all it was a beautiful place. Being new, I feel they have a lot to learn. The entertainment was good. The employees were "top notch". The drinks weren't too consistent (some were doubles, some were watery, some you didn't know what you were drinking.
I don't think I will be returning to this place.
Shirley from Smithers, B.C.
hux@mail.bulkley.net
February 2000
Bruce
brutus_69@hotmail.com
February 2000
It sounds as though there is not much of a beach at this hotel . Are there nice beaches nearby? We are also interested in some good beach walks or hikes. A friend of mine was injured last year by a "killer wave" on a beach in Mexico. (site escapes me at the moment). Is this a possibility in this area? Thanks to all for the remarks thus far.
pius rolheiser
pandprol@home.com
February 2000
Debbie Henderson
debbie0056@home.com
January 2000
Since we (group of 6 of us) were there for two weeks we got out to see the area. We went snorkeling for the day in Tenacatita and it was awesome, the clear water around the coral was excellent for snorkeling, we saw so many bright-colored fish, octopus, manta rays etc. and the waves and wind were calm the whole day. Later on we had supper and I tried the Rollo de Mar, it was the best thing I ate the whole trip. Don't forget your English/Spanish Dictionary if you can't speak Spanish the one restaurant we were at spoke no English. We also made two trips into Barra de Navidad shopping, everyone was so nice and polite we had to come twice. We had drinks in Piper Lovers, neat place, and then over to the Sunset Bar for supper and a few more drinks, food was great (I think we all ate hamburgers)and the drinks were huge. Good prices! We did get the opportunity to go to Manzanillo, but the hour and a half drive in the cab wore us out. Not as friendly there and a lot more people and traffic to deal with. I wish I had gone to Barra first because I wouldn't have bothered going to Manzanillo, prices and services were way better in Barra and it had everything you needed right there without the hassle. We walked all through Barra de Navidad saw a lot more cuz everything was in the same general area. A lot of time was wasted in the cab in Manzanillo. It all depends on what you want, the big city or smaller towns. Awesome trip! Be sure to go and visit Barra de Navidad and Bahía de Tenacatita.
Shelly
skaisner@titanlink.com
January 2000
JLC
Cavallari@sympatico.ca
January 2000
outtolunch@canada.com
January 2000
The garden and pool area is spectacular. I believe there are 8 pools, wonderful waterfalls and a really fun waterslide. The Grill restaurant was open all day long and offered great burgers, hot dogs, french fries, chicken, salads, deserts and that fantastic Mexican salsa for the tortilla chips. A couple nights a week it offered a theme supper, like pasta or oriental food. The buffet was open from 6:30 AM until 10:30 at night. The Caricoa, (which is the ala carte restaurant) is built out over the ocean. The ambience is unsurpassed. The menu, unfortunately, got to be a little tiresome, as there was only a choice of two salads, two soups, two or three appetizers and there were I believe 6 or 7 main dishes, If you don't like fish, like my wife, you only have three choices. As we were there for two weeks, we were looking for other places to eat outside of the resort.
One great service this hotel offered was 24-hour room service, which we used a couple of times, you order off a menu in your room and in 20 - 30 minutes it is delivered to your door with a nice white cloth and they set it up for you, no charge! It's all part of the package. We had a round of golf at the golf course and I must say I was quite disappointed. The eighteenth hole is at the back of the hotel where the pools and nice restaurant are. It is a spectacular hole where you have to hit it over the ocean to an almost island green, it is really well manicured, but unfortunately the rest of the course was not. We paid $200.00 US to play, The rental clubs were a choice of Ping or the newest type of Wilsons. They all looked like they were made in the fifties with about ten coats of silver paint on them. The golf carts looked like they were once bumper cars from a circus, (ours got a flat on the fourteenth hole)! The tee off boxes had practically no grass on them. The fairways were kind of like crab grass and they had a temporary green. But the sun was shining, it was hot and we were not in Calgary, so we made the best of it.
We took a couple of side trips while we were there. Barra de Navidad is a town outside of Manzanillo, it is a great spot to go to shop and it has great little restaurants and a great beach! Manzanillo town centre is a lot different than Puerto Vallarta or Cozumel, we had trouble finding really great little shops and the restaurants just did not seem that appealing.
We tried to walk from our hotel to the town centre, but it was just too far as you get cut off by the harbour. We took the buses as they are only 4 peso's. All in all we had a great time, I wouldn't recommend it for two weeks unless you are just going to relax and enjoy the sun (we never saw a cloud in two weeks), but I highly recommend it for a 1-week holiday just to stay at the Kármina Palace!! If you would like to e-mail me with questions or pictures, I would be happy to reply.
Tony and Debbie Scott
Calgary, Alberta
tony.scott@home.com
January 2000
Thank you
Susanne
cstaylor@sk.sympatico.ca
January 2000
jkandswood@aol.com
January 2000
Here is the web site address for the Blue Bay Village. It looks very beautiful and gets great reviews but you are definitely paying for it (pricey - ouch!).
Wendy Randall
wrandall@yknet.yk.ca
First of all, forget Canadian travelers' cheques. Nobody wants them or understands them. Arm yourself before you leave Canada with some small denomination bills in American money. That will deal with cabs and odd expenses. Taxis take American dollars, buses take microscopic amounts of pesos. Then change around $20 Canadian into pesos at your hotel or the nearest bank, whichever is most convenient. Charge everything, including excursions, at your hotel or restaurant (make sure they take VISA but most do,) and relax. You do not pay for another month anyway and the exchange rate is usually fair. Even on the beach or the small boutiques every Mexican is happy to take that good ole American dollar and the dollars you don't use this trip -you should be so thrifty - you can use next vacation.
Do not waste time and money changing Canadian money into pesos when in Canada. Nobody cares and Canadian money is unfamiliar currency. As long as you are armed with enough pesos to give a small gift to a child or buy an ice cream (not a wise move for North American insides) plastic works just fine.
Perhaps you might comment, Tom, but this holds true for Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Cancun, and various spots in between. Happy New Year everyone,
Ann
campbelx@cadvision.com
January 2000
Ocean beach (tiny) within the complex is adequate and safe. Adjacent public beach does not have easy access from hotel and I suspect has undertow problems (locals fish from shore but few swimmers in evidence). Food & drink is abundant and adequate but the the ala carte restaurant (Carioca) only offers a single menu which does NOT change every week (I was bored after a week). The ambience of the restaurant was great and the music (live & canned) encouraged many of us to get up and dance. Overall a very nice evening is offered. The Bugambilias (buffet) restaurant lies within the main building and affords a very good dining opportunity. Water associated with eating is purified but you are warned not to drink from the tap (each room is supplied with many bottles of drinking water and all bar supplies are also purified).
Staff are congenial and though English may be lacking sometimes communications are not a problem. They do their utmost to provide activities/entertainment for all, including a children's program. For some really simple, no cost fun don't miss the Casino Night. We hope to return again but expect the cost to increase.
John Howe
johnwhowe@telus.net
December 1999
Yes, Barra and Melaque are very child friendly places. It's my kids favorite place. I know families with four generations coming back there every year to visit. Among the reasons are the smallness of the resort areas, Melaque's great beach, and the surrounding area with its natural beauty for snorkeling, horse-back riding and hiking etc.
There are however in 1999 few all inclusives so you have to seek out your opportunites and make your vacation. This is fun to do! I could go on and on but I'm busy packing for my next trip back. Feel free to ask me questions.
Wendy
wen@mexconnect.com
Dec.1 1999
Buena suerte
Wendy
weninmex@hotmail.com
December 1999
Ride the busses. You can figure them out easily and they are so inexpensive.
Beware of the La Huerto restaurant. It has a wonderful sea-side view, the best free music, and wonderful food. However, watch the bill. My wife and I split a lobster dinner and the bill was changed from one dinner to two dinners and they exchanged our travelers check for only 8 pesos. We had never exchanged for less than 9 elsewhere. It's too bad that they had to "rip us off" like that as we would have eaten there probably every night. This was about our 40th trip to Mexico and this was our first disappointment.
Take some kites. You will become in instant "kid magnet" and then give it to one of them. It's a blast.
We love the mariachis but ASK how much they charge before hiring them. We tipped them three dollars for three songs and they needed six dollars more for two dollars per person per song. Sorry, we paid but that was too much. We didn't ask again.
Try Willy's for a great dining experience.
Don't forget to go to Juanita's Sports Bar and have a great hamburger with pickled jalapeńos! Wonderful and football on the TV. Great time.
These things being said, we can't wait to go back.. The weather was perfect.
dcwilkens@uswest.net
December 1999
K.B.
karib@home.com
November 1999
This is an international celebration taking place the week before Ash Wednesday. Does anyone know specifics in regard to Manzanillo? -Tom
The easiest way to rent a car would be to arrange through National Car Rental International 1-800-227-7368 and pick it up at the airport. Just make sure the price you are quoted is the one you are given when you arrive. -Tom
Sue
willec@jeffnet.org
November 1999
As far as exchanging money, there is an indoor mall in town by the Aerocalifornia office that has 2 banks and one other place where you can exchange money- you can do this up until 1:00 p.m. each day. There are also many other banks in Manzanillo. The taxi service there is very efficient and trustworthy and reasonably priced.
Deep sea fishing is something we do every time we go! Last week we caught a sailfish and a Dorado! Yummy! It really is a lot of fun. One of the better places to go fishing is out of the Las Hadas resort- there are several boats you can choose from.
An excellent restaurant owned by Canadians that has a french flair is called L'Recif - it is located at the Vida Del Mar Resort near my father-in-laws house. After or before you eat there, be sure to walk down to the beach and collect some beautiful shells and coral! It has excellent food and the restaurant sits on a cliff over the ocean- gorgeous for sunsets. Everywhere you go they use bagged ice and bottled water- you can ask to make sure if you are worried, but we have never had a problem.
The flea markets are a good place to buy souvenirs, the ones at the north end of town are the best. You can get marble chess sets for $15, blankets, silver and t-shirts- talk them down to 4 t-shirts for 100 pesos (about $10) You can also go horse-back riding at the North end of town by the flea markets- they are healthy horses and reasonably priced- they take you on a trail ride through some trees and then down to the beach to run the horses--very fun! There are some very nice golf courses there as well, you have to see the one at Kármina Palace!
Colima is a nice town you can visit- if you're not renting a car you can have a taxi driver take you there for a reasonable price. Well that's about all the information I can think of for now, I hope it has been helpful to some of you!
Rena
Larena@autobytel.com
November 1999
Val and Roy
travellers@home.com
November 1999
David Dawson
dawsonda@cadvision.com
November 1999
David
kermit@cablelan.net
November 1999
Vorp5@aol.com
November 1999
Vorp5, your email address didn't work for me. I haven't been to many of the Manzanillo beaches. One thing I have observed is that wherever there is development on the beaches, that the beach tends to become steep, which makes the waves break close to shore. This can be a real problem for small children who want to splash around in the shallow water. I have observed this in Manzanillo and Barra de Navidad, and many other places. Some of the less developed areas like Boca de Iguanas and Tenacatita have very nice beaches, but fewer amenities. There is Coconuts by the Sea, 335-71668, 335-15360 (fax), in Boca de Iguanas, that seems like a nice place. -Tom
Fishing Story with a Photo Too
I cought the biggest fish in Manzanillo. The fish weighed about 600 pounds and it was about 13.5 feet long. It took 2.5 hours to bring in. The boat belonged to a guy by the name of Angelo. He is a stout fellow that hangs around the fisherman's Warf in town. His son was the baitman and he drove the boat. We had lots of fun together. The weather was perfect. The people are very nice.
Angelo Falzon
afalzon@idirect.com
November 1999
Any information would be appreciated.
dawsonda@cadvision.com
November 1999
How about packing? How informal/formal should a person plan on? Evidently, this hotel is new and I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has stayed there.
Patty
pandprol@home.com
October 1999
Jacquie Condon
jcw11@webtv.net
October 1999
Jean
jjridella@rockisland.com
October 1999
Diane
diane.beaulieu@cgi.ca
October 1999
KL
LAMCONST@webtv.net
September 1999
Richard Sampson
sam122@webtv.net
September 1999
Helga Tucker
htucker@bc.sympatico.ca
British Columbia
September 1999
Stephen McGuire
semcguire@worldnet.att.net
September 1999
T. Hansen
THa3057081@aol.com
September 1999
Wendy Randall
wrandall@yknet.yk.ca
August 1999
This year I found a new and very interesting restaurant -- Los Cascabeles Restaurante. I was so impressed with the place and its owner and his family that I have helped them put together a web page that tells about the restaurant in pictures. Hope you enjoy it.
http://members.aol.com/acevesg/manzanillo/index.htm
Rollybrook@aol.com
April 1999
We took a small plane from Manzanillo to Guadalajara....It weaved back and forth on the runway and couldn't get off the ground. We finally all got out and boarded another small plane. A near accident was avoided. We have taken these small planes before, but we now feel they are not maintained well in Mexico. We love Manzanillo and will return next winter with children and grandchildren.
Kathy
acnye@southwind.net
March 1999
Week later we took the Primera Plus bus from their depot in Santiago to Barra and stayed at the Hotel Delfín...absolutely delightful and spotless little place in a great location, just a block or so from everything. Priced at 290 pesos for 2 people, has nice little pool, no A/C just fans, very nice view of the Barra Lagoon. Suggest rooms on 3rd or 4th floors (best view). Somewhat noisy if your a light sleeper, maybe take earplugs. Best buffet breakfast in town (29 pesos!). Old Hotel Sands directly across the street was once the high spot of Barra, looking very tired now, but still promoted in several guide books. The Delfín is the hands down choice for this part of town! Will be there next year if everything goes well.
Scott Morrison
smn@bmts.com
February 1999
Kathy
acnye@southwind.net
January 1999
Since I wrote the series, Walking the walk which ran monthly on the http://www.mexconnect.com site last year, I have received approximately ten e-mails a month asking for specific information about the Barra de Navidad/ Melaque area. That's about 100 e-mails or more! I answer each one personally and often refer and link them to your site.
During my last month's trip I researched some internet connections before going and looked up the people when I arrived in the area. This involved spending time with Susan Dearing, the authoress of, Manzanillo and Colima, Facts, Tips and Daytrips. and scuba instructor/business woman. Through her, I experienced many of the delights of the area and I will be writing a story for her especially regarding her efforts to promote an ecologically aware tourism in her area.
I also made a tour aboard the Research Vessel, ATLANTIS while it docked in the port, courtesy of another internet connection. In addition, I visited Guadalajara and Laguna Chapala, again, meeting with internet friends from my visit there last February. My stay with two of my teens in Melaque, my hikes, day-trips and experiences with old friends and new will hopefully be featured on Mexconnect over this next year.
Overall, I just wish you to know that I have a long-standing commitment to Mexico and her people and I try always to foster a positive cultural exchange. My stories attempt to promote visits to Mexico and to dispel fears and prejudices. Hence the writing of my stories reflects what I feel that I have experienced and learned and hope to share. So all that being said, please let me know if I can assist you in any way. Perhaps you would wish to provide a link from your site to my name or articles on the Mexconnect site. Hope to 'talk' with you again.
Wendy Devlin
wdevlin@prcn.org
http://www.mexconnect.com
http://www.prcn.org
January 1999
Cindy Cunningham
cindysue@cyberhighway.net
Idaho, USA
December 1998
Hank Rudin
PO 1776
Onset, MA 02558
hveer@aol.com
November 1998
From the economical point of view Manzanillo is the most convenient Port on the Mexican Pacific coast and doubled its capacity every 2 years. This is due to the fact that is a natural port with deep water upto 25 meters , 75 feet and the entry / access channel to the San Pedrito Port is 39 feet 5 inches on mean low low tide.
As far as driving from Laredo / Manzanillo , it takes more than 30 hours and you drive as follows : Laredo - Saltillo - Guadalajara - Manzanillo. From Nogales: Hermosillo - Guaymas - Ciudad Obregon - Los Mochis - Mazatlan - Tepic - Guadalajara ( approx 1,300 milea). I drove many times from Los Angeles to Manzanillo and I slept first night in Phoenix , Az ,second night in Hermosillo ( Sonora) third night Mazatlan and forth day I arrived in Manzanillo ( there are approx 900 km / 600 miles from Mazatlan to Manzanillo.
Hotel Sierra and Las Hadas offer very good corporate rates ( 60-79 US $ per night).
Vasile Tudoran
vtudoran@aol.com
October 1998
Brad Purdy
bpurdy@puc.state.id.us
October 1998
I would also be pleased to be a regular contributor to your web site, since I have spent 11 years on the Pacific coast of Mexico, 3 in P.V. and 8 here in Manzanillo.
Susan Dearing
scubamex@delfin.colimanet.com
July 1998
www.tomzap.com
Tom Penick:
tom@tomzap.com