I've read this post and many on TA, and I'm gonna add my 2 cents. I respect the fact that so many people on this board love their resort if not they would not give us other travellerse their thoughts and opinnions about a place .People like what they like , the people who I have never met but have met on this board love to stay at a certain place and thats what they like, and they give their honest oppinion. If you dont like it,. dont read there post about a place. And trust me you are not breaking any hearts by not staying there. Just let people enjoy their vacation and if you have to be an a$$ stay some place else-jro
By the way I have not yet had the chance to stay at GCP but I respect my fellow posters who have and will make a visit in November to meet the staff
Whats With This GCP obsession ?
Moderators:admin, Moderators
"We have found that the true essence of PV lies in the city, not north of it."
...so very true...only in PV can you actually find the the true essence of PV...makes sense...however, only north of PV can you ever hope to find the true essence of small villages such as Bucerias, Punta Mita, Sayulita, etc. Everyone travels for different reasons and everyone has different ideas of the best accomodations...for many and especially for Canadians, it is often less expensive to buy an AI package and then venture out using the resort as a sort of home base...even with the off resort expenses it is often cheaper...personally I find PV proper to be a little touristy and somewhat homogenized...Mexico Light if you will...but still I recognize that it is very suitable for some, if not most...I just think that there is no need to judge what other travellers choose over others...I applaud the GCP group for their loyalty and am certain that this loyalty is sincere...to each his own...sonofdob.
...so very true...only in PV can you actually find the the true essence of PV...makes sense...however, only north of PV can you ever hope to find the true essence of small villages such as Bucerias, Punta Mita, Sayulita, etc. Everyone travels for different reasons and everyone has different ideas of the best accomodations...for many and especially for Canadians, it is often less expensive to buy an AI package and then venture out using the resort as a sort of home base...even with the off resort expenses it is often cheaper...personally I find PV proper to be a little touristy and somewhat homogenized...Mexico Light if you will...but still I recognize that it is very suitable for some, if not most...I just think that there is no need to judge what other travellers choose over others...I applaud the GCP group for their loyalty and am certain that this loyalty is sincere...to each his own...sonofdob.
Jeff and sonofdob, you two have brought some good views to this thread as well... There is so much in this region for anybody and everybody from all walks of life. You have those that love being part of old town and all the ambiance there, you have the condo owners that have the opportunity to have extended stays (greater than two weeks) and just love shopping getting their groceries, cooking now and then, and then going out for their side meals when they feel like it too. and then you have the mega resort lovers or the Nuevo Vallarta Lovers, etc... it takes all of us, whether we come from USA, Canada, Mexican Interiors, or accross the pond.... We all come here for the atmosphere that we have found for ourselves. Yesterday i met up with some old friends of the family for lunch, they came to Puerto Vallarta and HATED it... they would rather go to Hawaii (been there done that too) and when i expressed some of the things we like about vallarta, they didn't see that or know that... then they said they don't like going back to the same place over and over... When i told them we have been coming to Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta area for 14 years, they just couldn't believe that... i do believe a small light went on in their heads as that they may have not given Puerto Vallarta a fair shake... You either fall in love with this area right off, or you don't... and yes a resort can set you down the path of doom and gloom as well... But we have noticed that the east coast lovers liked PV, but didn't like the beaches (not white sand), didn't like the bay water (because it wasn't the Caribbean), etc... so as you can see it takes all of us to make the world go round and round.... Thanks for letting me rant again... therapy is working for me....
Tom, I had a similar experience a couple of years ago. We had dinner with a cousin and her husband, the conversation inevitably turned to PV and she said they had been there and were never so bored in their whole lives! I was almost speechless.We all come here for the atmosphere that we have found for ourselves. Yesterday i met up with some old friends of the family for lunch, they came to Puerto Vallarta and HATED it
Exactly
ellen wrote:We all come here for the atmosphere that we have found for ourselves. Yesterday i met up with some old friends of the family for lunch, they came to Puerto Vallarta and HATED it
Tom, I had a similar experience a couple of years ago. We had dinner with a cousin and her husband, the conversation inevitably turned to PV and she said they had been there and were never so bored in their whole lives! I was almost speechless.
Ellen, Lorrie and I have met a lot of people with the same reactions, or the next kicker is "why do you keep going back year after year, don't you get bored"... not with all the friends we have met over the years, as well as from here, the resort, our local communities etc... how can you get bored in Vallarta? Like we all have said over and over, you make life what you want it to be, and you make your vacation what you want it to be... it is all up to you... i wish i could make everybodies vacation be the perfect dream vacation each and everytime ... but i can't... heck there are times my idea of a perfect vacation, and Lorrie's perfect vacation are in the same book, but in different chapters some days...
but it is all about relaxation, having fun, and meeting new people.
talk to you soon ellen....
Bored in Puerto Vallarta? Don't think so!
As my Spanish teacher in school used to say: "only stupid people get bored". So I've made it my mission to never get bored and I've done well 
Anyway, to get bored in Vallarta, the only option would be to go to and AI and be too scared to wander out of the resort (people think they are in Republica Dominicana or someplace like that).
I remember once, meeting people that had gone to Nuevo Vallarta, they thought THAT was Puerto Vallarta (!) and commented it was a bit boring... but that was before the WWW, so now nobody has an excuse to travel without being at least a bit informed.
Greetings
Mogens
Anyway, to get bored in Vallarta, the only option would be to go to and AI and be too scared to wander out of the resort (people think they are in Republica Dominicana or someplace like that).
I remember once, meeting people that had gone to Nuevo Vallarta, they thought THAT was Puerto Vallarta (!) and commented it was a bit boring... but that was before the WWW, so now nobody has an excuse to travel without being at least a bit informed.
Greetings
Mogens
Our CFO and his wife, who are fairly experienced travelers (DINKs), went to Vallarta - once - and he said they were so bored they went home early. Then again, they go to Vancouver repeatedly (I very much liked Vancouver the one time I was there, but not enough to make it my primary vacation spot), and can't get enough of it.ellen wrote:We had dinner with a cousin and her husband, the conversation inevitably turned to PV and she said they had been there and were never so bored in their whole lives! I was almost speechless.
Some of us may be more comfortable visiting cultures a bit more similar to our own, or where our ancestors are from, than other ones. For me, the first time I ventured over the Calif border to Ensenada, I was hooked, and knew I'd be coming back. Interestingly, over dinner with my wife last night (coincidentally tex-mex), we spoke about, and agreed to, planning a driving trip again over the border for next spring, in addition to our stay in PV this October. Whatever it may be that disinterests some ppl about Mexico is like catnip to us, we can't ever have too much of it.
Ross
I'm like that too, Ross. When my husband was first sent to work in Vera Cruz I was so upset about the whole thing. Mexico? Give me a break! Then I took the children there after school was out just for a short visit and was hooked too, in about 3 days. We happily accepted the offer to stay for 2 years and never looked back. I understand in theory why it's not for everyone but I can't understand someone who says they were there for a week and were bored. It turned out my cousin is afraid of water, so wouldn't take any tours. I guess they ended up just sitting around the pool for 7 days. That would bore me too, but wouldn't be the fault of PV - it would be my fault.rossk wrote:ellen wrote:Our CFO and his wife, who are fairly experienced travelers (DINKs), went to Vallarta - once - and he said they were so bored they went home early. Then again, they go to Vancouver repeatedly (I very much liked Vancouver the one time I was there, but not enough to make it my primary vacation spot), and can't get enough of it.We had dinner with a cousin and her husband, the conversation inevitably turned to PV and she said they had been there and were never so bored in their whole lives! I was almost speechless.
Some of us may be more comfortable visiting cultures a bit more similar to our own, or where our ancestors are from, than other ones. For me, the first time I ventured over the Calif border to Ensenada, I was hooked, and knew I'd be coming back. Interestingly, over dinner with my wife last night (coincidentally tex-mex), we spoke about, and agreed to, planning a driving trip again over the border for next spring, in addition to our stay in PV this October. Whatever it may be that disinterests some ppl about Mexico is like catnip to us, we can't ever have too much of it.
Ross
Re: Exactly
I get that too, Tom - the "why do you keep going back" question. The truth is that we have traveled alot - last count for me was 22 countries, so I know which one I love the best. I'm just like a "born again" preacher - I want everyone to know the good news and come around to my way of thinking. Gotta cut that out!tojol57 wrote:ellen wrote:We all come here for the atmosphere that we have found for ourselves. Yesterday i met up with some old friends of the family for lunch, they came to Puerto Vallarta and HATED it
Tom, I had a similar experience a couple of years ago. We had dinner with a cousin and her husband, the conversation inevitably turned to PV and she said they had been there and were never so bored in their whole lives! I was almost speechless.
Ellen, Lorrie and I have met a lot of people with the same reactions, or the next kicker is "why do you keep going back year after year, don't you get bored"... not with all the friends we have met over the years, as well as from here, the resort, our local communities etc... how can you get bored in Vallarta? Like we all have said over and over, you make life what you want it to be, and you make your vacation what you want it to be... it is all up to you... i wish i could make everybodies vacation be the perfect dream vacation each and everytime ... but i can't... heck there are times my idea of a perfect vacation, and Lorrie's perfect vacation are in the same book, but in different chapters some days...
but it is all about relaxation, having fun, and meeting new people.
talk to you soon ellen....
Re: Exactly
ellen wrote:I get that too, Tom - the "why do you keep going back" question. The truth is that we have traveled alot - last count for me was 22 countries, so I know which one I love the best. I'm just like a "born again" preacher - I want everyone to know the good news and come around to my way of thinking. Gotta cut that out!tojol57 wrote:ellen wrote:We all come here for the atmosphere that we have found for ourselves. Yesterday i met up with some old friends of the family for lunch, they came to Puerto Vallarta and HATED it
Tom, I had a similar experience a couple of years ago. We had dinner with a cousin and her husband, the conversation inevitably turned to PV and she said they had been there and were never so bored in their whole lives! I was almost speechless.
Ellen, Lorrie and I have met a lot of people with the same reactions, or the next kicker is "why do you keep going back year after year, don't you get bored"... not with all the friends we have met over the years, as well as from here, the resort, our local communities etc... how can you get bored in Vallarta? Like we all have said over and over, you make life what you want it to be, and you make your vacation what you want it to be... it is all up to you... i wish i could make everybodies vacation be the perfect dream vacation each and everytime ... but i can't... heck there are times my idea of a perfect vacation, and Lorrie's perfect vacation are in the same book, but in different chapters some days...
but it is all about relaxation, having fun, and meeting new people.
talk to you soon ellen....
WHY!?!?!?! I know what you mean there. We haven't been to that many countries, but Lorrie and I have been on cruises, both sides of Mexico, Jamaica, Caymans as well as Hawaii (Granted it is the USA, but it is like going to another country somedays)... but that too is what makes life go forward right....
Wow, now that's what I get for going to PV and staying at GCP and getting snowed with work when I get back. I miss everything!!! Before I say anything, please forgive me, I just scanned through the posts and I should probably have read them all in detail but thats not me. The GCP is a great place. Do they have issues??? Yes, it's Mexico. The greatest thing about the resort is the people. I have not posted a trip report because I've been buried since my return. But what I can say is it's like going home. Tom, thanks to you, I have learned alot about everything, not just the GCP. Everyone has an opinion but the problem with them is everyone thinks everyone elses stink. I love this board and wish work would lighten up a little so I could post more. Well, again I'm sorry if I've missed the whole thing, love you guys and gals....Alaska here we come....