Question about safety in PV for 20 and 21 yr olds?

tjs · Post by **tjs** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:13 pm

New to the board. After browsing, it appears like this is the place to get answers to all questions re: PV.

My daughter and some college friends (approx. 14) are considering PV for Spring Break in '08. They are 20 to 21 yrs old. Several questions.

What hotels/resorts would be best for their age group?
Is it best to be close to downtown for nightlife?
How safe is PV for girls this age?
Is it best to go AI or Hotel Only?
If they go Hotel Only, how much does basic eats, nothing to fancy and drinks, both sodas and alcoholic, cost in PV

They would probably be beach bound during the day but would like to go
to the clubs at night.

I know I will get differing opinions, but I would like to hear from anyone who has an opinion (which everyone does).

Thanks in advance for your help.

tojol57 · Post by **tojol57** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:42 pm

If they are financial tycoons, can manage their time and money respectfully there are many nice hotels close to down town that would work for them... but if they are fiscally irresponsible, then i would go AI and i think the Buenaventura would be a perfect spot for them... close enough to down town to get out and about, and close enough to crawl home from a night of partying and clubbing... now that being said

Please define "safe"... this is a resort town... not to scare you or anything else, common sense is important here... would she go down a dark alley back home, NO, then don't do it here... Vallarta is a wonderful city and she is full of life... as well as some seedy elements just like back home... don't go off with strangers, keep your wits about you, don't try to drink the place dry even if somebody else is buying... and so forth...

sorry if i came off a little abrupt... i didn't mean too... just wanted to make sure you looked at this openly and honestly..... JMHO

davilin · Post by **davilin** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:17 pm

I agree with Tom. P.V. is probably safer than most U.S. beach resorts, but, during spring break it will be full of young college men with visions of "Girls Gone Wild" dvd's dancing in their heads. AI would probably be best, as it gives them a base to stick to where they will be fed if they don't want to deal with the downtown scene every night. Hoping none of this scares you off, I know you are a concientious parent and the young ladies know how to stay out of trouble, and they are sure to have a great time. And that's just MY humble opinion.

tojol57 · Post by **tojol57** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:46 am

i have to agree with Davilin as well... you don't want a DVD - Spring Break Vallarta Style"... we all were young once too... and we all know what it was like for some of us back in the late 60's to mid 70's growing up... and what our spring breaks were like... Today it has become so much more to these young people... It is just smart to keep a level head, watch what you are doing, and who is watching you do it... don't get this idea that what happens in vallarta stays in vallarta, because that one wrong move, will be with you for a long time... but we want your daughter and her friends to come down, enjoy the city, the culture the people of Vallarta... Vallarta is one of the last Mexican resorts that has not totally succombed to the Americanisation and sensationalism of the US... granted they are starting the colonization by adding high rises to the sky line with condo complexes after condo complexes... welcome to the newest rendition of Cancun and the Mayan Riviera... good or bad... Vallarta is still one great vacation spot for anybody and everybody.. spring breakers, old codgers like me... to all the newbies that are looking for their piece of heaven... their piece of paradise...

so set the kids down, put the fear of god in them, and then start planning their trip to paradise. and personally i still think this first time down AI is the way to go... i think like Davilin stated, it gives them food, snacks, and drinks up front, and when they fill like going out, they can and know they have allotted them this much for activities, but never have to worry about where their next meal is coming from...

we are here to help you, not scare you...

BUFFETT 06 · Post by **BUFFETT 06** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:32 am

now that you have been lectured.....go AI, have them take a few bucks to go out and tell them to not act like an idiot. spring break is not a time to worry about the locals, shift the worry to the college kids. youth and drinks....no different than the states.

palapa_gal · Post by **palapa_gal** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 4:51 am

No lecture from me. Most everything has been said so no need to repeat. I will make one suggestion and that was if they are going out and drinking til the cows come home, make sure that one of them stays sober and gets them all back to the hotel safe and sound but then I read your post again and see that there are 14 of them. So if all 14 are going out to the same place I would make sure that 2 stay sober. 14 drunken people is just to much for one person to handle.

tjs · Post by **tjs** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 7:51 pm

Thanks for all the input. I think I saw where you can purchase daily AI after you are at the resort, at least some resorts allow this.

Is the option available at the Buenaventura? How much does it cost?

If they go, they might want to do this a couple of the days and go without the AI a couple of days to check out the local restaurants an shops.

Thanks again for all the input.

ronald · Post by **ronald** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 2:49 am

The kids will all have a great time. Although they have never gone by themselves, our kids (presently 16-28) have gone with us and have always had a blast. Your girls will be no different.

I would suggest they pick an AI simply for the peace of mind of ensuring a good breakfast and lunches and all the 'beverages' they want, should they decide to not party the town throughout the week. If they buy together they will get a pretty good discounted vacation rate... I would pick a decent place though, (Buenaventure is nice) rather than something like the Getaway club which caters to that crowd, (cheap and more cheap... says it all) but creates to many questions in parents.

All of our kids were offered drugs from the beach vendors at one time or another, and I am sure your daughters will have the same opportunity. While we all do our best to control our children's future health and welfare, enticements are there, and although warning them of the dangers is incumbent on us as parents, ensuring that they have appropriate medical coverage is extremely necessary. Be sure they have the right coverage. Kids just seem to be want to do things more athletic and adventurous under that hot sun.

Beaches in PV proper are no hell, but I am sure they'll be partying hardy around the pools, and maybe taking in the odd fun event... (eg: pirate cruise, canopy cable ride) which could create a pretty intoxicated group. Might as well be close to your hotel.

Food prices are comparable to what you normally pay at home with the McDonalds on the Malecon equating to exactly the same in pesos as your home price. Depending on where you go out, liquor prices are either very reasonable or totally nuts.. Of course with them being females, they may be able to get out of many of the cover charges too.

All I have to add is the site of 14 young women walking down the beach would have just made my sons days when they were there.

Trev086 · Post by **Trev086** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:13 am

Well, You got all the adults point of view, let me offer mine as a 20 year old going on 21 in a couple months. I have been to PV almost yearly since I was 14. I have stayed at the Westin, simply because we have a time share there. The food is expensive, so i usually managed to maek it to down or share something with someone each year i went. Orders are usually large enough to manage that, and it'd probably be the same at any non-ai hotel. The marina i personally think is a great distance. For fitting 4 people into a cab, it woudlnt be more than two bucks each way per person going downtown and back.

The westin had a great group of kids which we met and ended up going out with. Assuming your daughter is in college and so are her friends, the atmoshphere is no different than that of a college party. YOu go out, you drink, you walk back(usually if you're a girl, it'd be with another) and you haev after hours. When i went to PV, We'd go for dinner, go downtown, drink, take a cab back, and then hang out on the beach or pool bars with everyone else at the hotel. Assuming everyone can handle themself well enough to walk up to the cab and say their hotel name, there shouldn't be a safety issue, especially with the other 14 of them right there as well.

Nightlive is best downtown, but doesn't mean you have to stay there. There are a ton of bars which are a bit more chill than the night clubs... PV is extremely safe for girls, guys, who ever at my age. Lately, it seems as if it is even a bit safer than my college campus.

Would i go AI or Hotel? Depends.. How much is the rate for the hotel, and do they care about paying for drinks and food. If we pre-gamed, we would buy liquor at Wal-mart, bring it back and make out for a cheaper night. Other times i have had to pay for it, but then again i wasn't paying for the room. For 14 people though, i'd honestly say all-inclusive would be better. The last thing they want to do is pay for drinks and food. We usually skipped breakfast, and ate a late lunch so we made out well... college diet.

My average meal:

Chicken quesadilla-- 8.00 (Fairly large)
Fries--3.00 (Large plate)
Drink (Strawberry daq, or some other fruity drink)--- 7-9.00
Beer---3.00-5.00

Downtown, i usually found my meal averaging between 10-15 bucks depending on what it was. Drinks were a bit cheaper, but still add up.

My opionion:
Go all inclusive, but not in nuevo vallarta. Every person i met out there is annoyed with the long drive and high fare. Stick to downtown or on the marina. No idea what your daughter likes to do, but assuming she is like most other girls, laying out is most likely the number one thing they'll do. So from... 11-5 is laying out.. 5-7 is getting ready, 7-whenever is going out. Booze cruises are fun, Atv tours are fun.. snorkeling haven't done, but have heard its okay.
I personally love PV, and i have always had a great time. The night life is a blast, and the weather has never failed us once. Every year i have met a ton of people, some who i still keep in touch with today. Again, it really is no different than a college campus in responsibility... so hope my insight has helped a bit coming from someone who is their age.

Jennybean · Post by **Jennybean** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:58 pm

For reasonably priced good accommodations closer to where they will likely be spending the bulk of their time (the clubs along the Malecon), the Buenaventura is a good choice. The less time and money they have to spend on travel back and forth to their accommodations (as they would have to do w/ the Westin), the less likely safety will become an issue.

And yes, the AI is optional and can be purchased by the day if you like.

You've been given some sound, solid advice about young folks in PV and how to handle it without parental guidance. Nobody wants their kid to be a statistic, so arm them with knowledge and instill them with logic before they go.

Help them pack their common sense, and remind them to UNpack it when they arrive. Doing that, they should be fine and have a great trip.

matt · Post by **matt** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:13 pm

As Ronald suggested above, there is a possibility that your kids may encounter someone offering drugs. Although, this could happen in almost any country one visits, not only in Mexico, I have found that many teenagers and young adults falsely believe that possession of drugs in Mexico is no big deal. Maybe, TV and popular movies reinforce this incorrect belief. I have personally seen the police hauling kids off to jail after they were caught smoking pot on the beach, in Puerto Vallarta. As parents, we should all let out kids know the facts; even though they will ultimately make their own decisions.

Trev086 · Post by **Trev086** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 3:05 pm

I don't mean to be rude in this post by any means. But, we are talking about 20 and 21 year olds here. I am on my way to 21 in a month, and as i do agree i am not all mighty man of knowledge, at this age i have the common sense to know picking up drugs in another country would probably be a big mistake. I don't even think parents have to make an effort to let their kids know at this age not to do it. Yeah, people offer others drugs in mexico, i've seen it. But you say no, and they leave you alone. It's no different than any street corner back at home in any location. The only difference is the legal system here and in mexico is different.

At 21 one is on their way to the real world, and personally, if my parents or my friends parents were still telling them what to watch out for referencing to drugs, they were either A. Too late, or B) They should be extremely concerened about how he/she will survive the second they are out of college and on their own.

Again, i'm not criticizing anyone's parenting methods, but I feel a lot of this especially the drugs are common knowledge at 21, and if someone's parents were to tell them about it.. they would shrug it off. But again, thats just coming from a stubborn 20 year old.

Jennybean · Post by **Jennybean** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 3:49 pm

I think they were referring more to advising their 20 and 21 year olds the distinct and HUGE differences between possession charges in the US and Canada, and being in possession of a narcotic in Mexico.

Frankly, doesn't matter if you're 20 or 60, not everyone is aware of the fact you're dealing with two distinctly different legal systems, AND a total zero tolerance authoritative system when it comes to tourists getting caught with drugs. Unless you're willing to part with pockets full of cash, you're going to jail in Mexico if they catch you with them. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

At 20 or 21 if you're already doing drugs yes, no parent's advice is likely to stop you. But at that age, your parent describing to you in vivid detail what the inside of Las Juntas prison is like, and how long you might likely be there before even getting to trial (could be days, could be weeks, could be months or even years...that's entirely up to them and not you), would be IMO a pretty serious deterrent to someone smoking up or purchasing in a foreign country.

Stubbornness isn't an excuse for willful blindness.

katnsocal · Post by **katnsocal** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:12 pm

I have to agree with JB, 100%. There are a whole lot of 20-21-40-60 year olds that do drugs in their own country and have been lucky enough or savy enough how to pull it off without getting caught. So I think what everyone is trying to say is "its a whole different ballgame in Mexico". No one is saying anyone is stupid or needs to be told not to do drugs at 20-21 years old.

The only other advice I disagree with in what you said earlier is hanging out on the beach at night after you have been partying in town. The majority of the drug "problems", take place on the beach in PV. While you might be safe in a group sitting infront of your resort there are times people decide to take a walk on the beach and that is when you will run into problems. The beaches in PV at night are not a good place to be.

Question about safety in PV for 20 and 21 yr olds?

Hotel

Hmm