First Holiday to PV in May/June 06

[clairebear]

Hi All

We are looking to stay for 2 weeks (May 27th to June 9th) at the Riu Jalisco in Nuevo Vallarta, going to book next week, yippee. I have read a combination of very good reviews and the odd bad review - but the hotel is rated as a premium resort by UK tour operator and I feel that my partner and I will have a great time there weighing up the pro's & con's. All the reviews on UK Travel Forums rate this as an excellent AI resort.

I would really appreciate some information on the following:
What will the weather be like at the end of May/start of June?

When are American College Students on vacation/summer break? Will this fall at the time that we are going? If so does this hotel attract a lot of College Students?

What are the best excursions to do? We enjoy getting out & about and seeing the country not just staying in the hotel 24/7. Are there any Mexican Historical ruins to visit nearby? I have previously stayed at Viva Azteca in Playa Del Carmen (fantastic hotel) and thoroughly enjoyed visiting Chitzen Itza. I have read that you can go on a trip to a nearby Island, if so what is it called and what is there to do - is there a local ecological park?

My partner and I enjoy long walks on holiday and I believe it is walking distance to Bucerias (spl?) a nearby village and there are some shops/tourist markets in Nuevo Vallarta itself.

We will catch the local bus into PV - are these regular and cheap?

We are aged 26 and 35 years old with no children. I see in the holiday brochure that the Riu Jalisco has a adults only pool so that should be great.

I am vegetarian (no meat, fish or poultry) also with a recent development of allergy to mushrooms (sucks big time) - do you think that I will find plenty of variety of foods to eat at the Riu Jalisco?

Many thanks in advance for your help and tips - any other info regarding the resort and area would be greatly appreciated. The flight is 13 1/2 hours from the UK but everything I have read sounds like it is so worth the long flight. Really looking forward to going.

Claire

[parrot]

Hello Claire,
We just returned from our first trip to PV in March. Although I may not have all the answers to your questions, I think I can answer a few. As far as food is concerned you can find just about any type of cuisine in PV. You probably will want to partake in the salads, rice and beans offered at the Mexican restaurants. I did take heed to he warnings of salads in Mexico but when I did eat salads they had no adverse affects.
You will find that there is so much to do that you will always be busy, we found that PV offers much in the way of excursions. If you do not want to stay around the hotel there is plenty to keep you occupied. We enjoyed the whale watching and downtown...although there is much...much more.
The culture is wonderful, the people are so very nice and the food is wonderful. Enjoy!

[tojol57]

Good Morning Claire, You should be able to find plent of salad fixings at most of the buffets at the Rui Jalisco. I am not certain of the schedules of the busses, but they are quite inexpensive compared to the taxis from Nueve Vallarta. There is a vegetarian resturant in town that you may want to check out as well. Island? Everybody gets Las Caletas confused as an island, but it is actually part of the rim of the bay area, as is Yelapa. Las Caletas by day or night (Rythm of the Nights) are two nice excursions to take. There aren't as many Mayan Ruins on this side as there are on the East coast (Cancun, Cozumel, PDC, etc). But a nice tour for historical value is the San Sabastian tour up into the mountains. Most of the whales will have moved back to the northern waters by the time you arrive, but there should be plenty of dolphin and sting rays etc swimming about.. If i can think of anything else, i will try to post them here for you...

have a great time... enjoy your holiday...

Tom aka Mr. Crown

[ginger]

Hi Clair. My family and I stayed in Nuevo Vallarta last September and had a great time. Couple of excursion suggestions, you really must go swim with the Dolphins - what a neat experience.
Also, we went on a "tequila tour" in Pitillal (not sure of spelling) which is a small town between NV and PV. Not a long "tour", but interesting info on making tequila, good breakfast, good margaritas, and you get to taste many varieties of tequila (ginger tequila and tequila cream) after the tour.
When we were there, the excursions by jeep into the countryside were closed because it was the rainy season, but check them out. Only be careful and carry good insurance that will cover you in Mexico.
We are semi-vegetarians, we do eat fish, cheese and eggs. Found many good things to eat, even without eating fish. Lots of ways to stuff a chile, squashes, etc.
Enjoy your trip.

[parrot]

I forgot to mention that we stayed in Neuvo as well. I loved it! Taking walks to the square and the marina were very lovely. We would take a cab to downtown and it usually would run about $16.00-18.00 but I felt that it was less confusing then, especially the return trip.... because of all the buses we saw downtown. Most resorts will call the taxi in your behalf.

[clairebear]

hi to everyone who has posted me a reply

thank you so much for all the information, i am not concerned about the vegi food as i know the buffets will have a very large selection.

i am looking forward to my holiday and i will defo take up alot of the excursions you have mentioned.

just a couple of things that i asked i need more info on - will PV/NV be full of american college students/summer breakers during end of may/beginning of june.

i have read that the weather will be very hot and humid but that the time we are going we should miss any rain or it won't be too horrendous. i reckon from what i've read that the temp will be around 30 - 35 c - bliss especially as its -3 c in england at the mo - v chilly! we went to turkey in july and it was 48c so we can stand the heat so i'm not too worried about that anymore.

thanks again for your help
claire
lincoln, uk

[chuck]

Tut-tut..no need to worry. For the last 7 years we have spent a week in PV from the end of May till mid July. First you can't do anything about the weather. It's going to be hot and humid, a few showers in the late afternoon, not enough to spoil your fun, and maybe a cool thunderstorm later at night . I know lots of people have posted the same remarks but it bears repeating. These storms are very entertaining, and I actually look forward to them.
As for the crowds. I hate crowds . This time in PV doesn't seem to bother me . Of course you will see lots of other vacationers but it's not overwhelming.
Go with the flow and enjoy your holiday, you won't regret a minute of it.
TTFN

[chuck]

I forgot to add, PV has not been a big spring break site for US kids and with Cancun back to 99.99% normal, I think most will again return there. Also traditional spring break is in March and April.

[titustitans]

American students will all be done for the school year in May/June. Most spend their summers either in study or working, so you should not have to worry.

[petitgirl69]

Hi Claire!

Welcome to PV! you are coming when the weather is very humed and hot but you are going to like it, bring sun ten lotion.

All students come by that time but they satay at Kristal and Canto del sol hotels, they don't offer them all inclusive hotels.

Riu Hotel is very nice is a little bit far from town but you can catch the bus they run every 15 minutes in front of your hotel and in the way back take the one that says Riu-Nuevo Vallarta, because the one that just say nuevo vallarta doesn't run by the Riu, people says food is very nice they have salad bar's in restaurants and I'm sure you will find something there
In PV are no many vegetarian places but every restaurant offers salads, sea food and...more

Vallarta has not ruins like in cancun we have nice tours I recomend you to take a tour to Yelepa is a nice tour during the day, don't let them sale you more than two cruises it really doesn't worth, fiesta mexicana at Kristal hotel is the best, in los arcos at the board walk there is always something going on weekends, Vallarta is very nice to walk arround don't take the city tour PV is very easy and safe city so you can make the tour yourselfes, all old town is very beautiful to take pictures from, a tour I think is very nice is the San Sebastian is a very old town in the middle of the sierra and is beautiful.
Bucerias is walking distance and there are very nice cheap restaurants there also you can go to Sayulita you can take the bus in wall mart is a surfers town and is colorfull I love it. Also you can rent a car for a couple of days there are beautiful places where buses or tours don't go, if you want give me a call xxx or in PV at my cel xxx. I can get discounts in any tour you want to take, I have 11 years living in PV and I can give you very nice advices. Take care

Petit Girl

Hi All

We are looking to stay for 2 weeks (May 27th to June 9th) at the Riu Jalisco in Nuevo Vallarta, going to book next week, yippee. I have read a combination of very good reviews and the odd bad review - but the hotel is rated as a premium resort by UK tour operator and I feel that my partner and I will have a great time there weighing up the pro's & con's. All the reviews on UK Travel Forums rate this as an excellent AI resort.

I would really appreciate some information on the following:
What will the weather be like at the end of May/start of June?

When are American College Students on vacation/summer break? Will this fall at the time that we are going? If so does this hotel attract a lot of College Students?

What are the best excursions to do? We enjoy getting out & about and seeing the country not just staying in the hotel 24/7. Are there any Mexican Historical ruins to visit nearby? I have previously stayed at Viva Azteca in Playa Del Carmen (fantastic hotel) and thoroughly enjoyed visiting Chitzen Itza. I have read that you can go on a trip to a nearby Island, if so what is it called and what is there to do - is there a local ecological park?

My partner and I enjoy long walks on holiday and I believe it is walking distance to Bucerias (spl?) a nearby village and there are some shops/tourist markets in Nuevo Vallarta itself.

We will catch the local bus into PV - are these regular and cheap?

We are aged 26 and 35 years old with no children. I see in the holiday brochure that the Riu Jalisco has a adults only pool so that should be great.

I am vegetarian (no meat, fish or poultry) also with a recent development of allergy to mushrooms (sucks big time) - do you think that I will find plenty of variety of foods to eat at the Riu Jalisco?

Many thanks in advance for your help and tips - any other info regarding the resort and area would be greatly appreciated. The flight is 13 1/2 hours from the UK but everything I have read sounds like it is so worth the long flight. Really looking forward to going.

Claire

[petitgirl69]

I'd forget to tell you that buses to Nuevo vallarta just stop at the airport, wall mart, plaza las glorias and their bus station this are not the regular city buses. There is a couple of Islands named marietas Islands located on the north side of the bay and is an ecologic area there grow the bobo birds is a white/grey bird with blue feet there are thousand of them that side of the bay is nice for scuba diving. call if you need help!(Sorry for my writing I don't know if My spelling is correct but I'm Mexican and I'm not very sure I'm right, so I hope you can understand what I try to tell you)

Peace
Petit Girl

[chuck]

Cuidado...be careful, Mexico is one of those places that I would not be getting 4:20 in. You are guilty until proven innocent and that could take lots of time and money. I have spent over 24 hours in a Mex. jail back when I was young and would not like to ever repeat that experience.
JMO

[winterpegman]

And further to the 420 postings, petitgirl I have now edited all of your posts, and deleted 2. No more 420 mentions, and no more phone numbers. This is for both your own protection, and the boards'. We have no way of knowing whose phone numbers those are, and nor do we wish to find out. If people wish to get ahold of you, they can email you, and THEN you can give them your phone number(s).

Again, no more 420 mentions, and no more phone numbers.

[KevinG]

I'm curious about how many local establishments have AC during the summer months.

We had been planning our first trip to PV in mid May.
Being from the mid-west we get our share of 180 degree days ( 90 degrees + 90% humidity ) and quite frankly I find myself less and less fond of them.

After researching all the resort options I thought we had found one that seemed to fit the bill....until I read MULTIPLE posts on several forums about the lack of airconditioning at the resort. It is large and appears to be quite nice, yet there is only one place in the whole complex that is AC'd, with the exception of the rooms that many posts describe as barley functional.

Now please understand that hot and humid doesn't mean a bad time as long as we have options to take a break and cool off when needed.

Our fear is that this is common in PV (the lack of decent AC), and you either deal with it or stay away.

We're considering the latter.