s you probably know the weather is nice in Cancun Mexico all year round. The nice thing for most people is that in the Summer the weather is hot in Mexico and in Cancun in particular and in the Winter it is cooler but still very warm by our Cold Weather standards.

Since Cancun is sitting on the coast of the carribean it is humid and temperate. Inland areas are much hotter or colder depending on the season without the water to help equalize the temperature.

Cancun on a Budget

I found this great article on traveling to Cancun on a Budget from the AOL News Site.

Any time you plan an international vacation, you’ve got to prepare for some extra expenses, particularly higher airfare costs. But you might be surprised just how far your money can go when you travel south of the border on a Cancun, Mexico vacation. On a budget, you’ll have to get creative to make the most of your trip, but traveling to Cancun on a budget is easier than you think! Here are some tips to help you plan for a fantastic cheap Cancun vacation.

Finding Cheap Airfare to Cancun, Mexico

Your best bet for cheap flights to Cancun is to search online for deals. Start by comparing fares on discount travel websites like Kayak.com, Expedia.com, and Priceline.com. Do several searches with different dates and airports to find the cheapest fares, then try to go even lower by bidding on your flight — you won’t get to choose your specific flight times or airlines this way, but if your bid is accepted, you will clear a lot of room in the budget for the rest of your Cancun vacation. You will almost always find the best cheap flights to Cancun when you depart from a major airport; keep in mind that going a little out of your way to take your flight can go a long way toward your Cancun budget.

Another way you can save on airfare for your Cancun on a Budget trip is to shop for Cancun Mexico vacation packages. Some all-inclusive Cancun resorts offer deals on your flights under that all-inclusive umbrella, and plenty more Cancun hotels offer bargains when you lump your flight with your lodging. Surf the web with an eye for Cancun travel deals and your efforts will pay off with plenty of great options for a vacation to Cancun on a budget.

Cancun on a Budget – Hotels

If you don’t bundle your flight and your lodging, you can find cheap Cancun hotels the same way you find cheap flights to Cancun. Start with the discount travel websites to find and compare the best rates. When you find a rate that fits your budget at a hotel that looks good, try the hotel’s website directly. It’s rare, but you can sometimes find cheaper rates directly from the hotel — it’s definitely worth investigating before you commit to a price on a discount site. If you want to save even more money on your Cancun hotel, you can place a bid, but be careful — you’ll have to commit before you know precisely which hotel has accepted your bid.

Eating in Cancun on a Budget

Cancun has plenty of great restaurants where you can splurge on a fantastic vacation meal, but most of the food and drink you’ll find in the area is delightfully cheap and delicious. Plan one or two special meals where you spend a little more, but otherwise stick to cheap eats — they’re not hard to find. You’ll be able to eat most of your meals on your Cancun vacation for less than the price of your average fast food meal at home. Of course, if you book an all-inclusive Cancun vacation, you can get meals included in the cost of your stay. Before you settle on cheap flights and cheap hotels, compare those prices with all-inclusive Cancun resort deals, and you might find it’s well worth it to purchase a more luxurious Cancun vacation package.

It will take some research and number crunching, but if you are patient enough to put in the work, you’ll have no trouble booking a great vacation to Cancun on a budget.

It can be very difficult for you planning a Cancun vacation when it comes to not being there or having the experience of Mexico; this is a common problem for those in the United States or another foreign country.

Planning A Cancun Vacation

You will want to travel to Mexico, but since it is a far away place, you may have a hard time trying to get it organized. That is why you will want to do plenty of research and after you are prepared to organize the trip you will want to make sure that, you are planning a Cancun vacation thoroughly so that it can go smoothly. [Read more...]

No matter where you are going to Cancun, you may find that the traveling arrangements might be some thing that you may become concerned about. There are a number of things that you will want to see in Cancun and there are a number of ways that you can get around the city.

You will want to make sure that you do all of your research on the transportation options so that you are able to make the best options for your family and for your traveling group. You will find that the transportation problems can become a headache while you should be having a relaxing tropical vacation. You will find that it is so important to know how you are going to get to Cancun and around Cancun.

First, you will want to take care of the transportation that will get you to and from Cancun. Depending on where you live, you can take a plane or drive into Cancun. A travel agency can help you plan this best.

You will find that travel agents will help you take care of some of the airline plans and they will be able to get your great rates and will tell you about all of the transportation rules in Cancun and the rules of traveling over the American border into Mexican territory. There are, for example, certain products that can not be taken to and from Mexico. In recent years, regulations have been tightened, as immigration has become a problem. [Read more...]

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Mexican Food at Home

Before you go away on your Cancun adventure why not try some Mexican food at home?

Mexican food is one of the most famous cuisines in the world. Although Mexico is a third world country in a way, often struggling to produce enough food for its eighty seven million inhabitants, there is no doubt that the recipes originating from this area are dear to our hearts.

You Can Cook Mexican food at home

It is a pity that most people assume what they get in Latin fast food joints or poor quality restaurants is what this cuisine is all about because, like with Indian or Chinese food, these popular dishes often bear no more than a passing resemblance to authentic Mexican food recipes. Why you can have Mexican food at home anytime.

Influences From Other Cuisines

A lot of the modern recipes are based on ancient Maya, Inca, or Aztec traditions combined with the cooking methods introduced by the Spanish explorers. The native, pre-Columbian diet consisted mainly of corn-based recipes, as well as tomatoes, beans, herbs and chilies. The Spanish combined their favorite ingredients of pork, chicken, beef, rice, garlic, onions, and wine with the indigenous foods of Mexico and modern Mexican cuisine was the result. All of these are easily available in your local supermarket so that you can have your Mexican food at home.

The French also occupied the country and they introduced baked foods like bread, cakes, and pastries. The Manila-Acapulco galleon trade in the sixteenth century was responsible for the minor Asian influence you can spot in some traditional recipes from Mexico.

Different Types Of Mexican Dishes

Because of the local geographical and climatic differences, typical ingredients varies quite a lot from region to region. Goat and beef is popular in the north of the country, barbacoa is popular in the center, and fish and seafood are well loved along the coastline, for example. Spicy chicken and vegetable dishes are favored in the southeast of the country.

The Importance Of Corn

Mexicans love to cook Mexican food at home with fresh ingredients, unlike many other nations. There are some ingredients which feature in most recipes and the main one is corn.

Corn flour is used to make Mexican dishes and corn is used to make everything from tortillas, casseroles, stews, and salads to candy and even ice cream. It is the primary edible crop in the country and cornfields occupy about fifty percent of Mexico’s cultivated land.

What About Tex-Mex?

Tex-Mex dishes came into being when the cuisine Mexico met the cuisine of the southern United States. Tex-Mex meals feature more meat and fewer beans that authentic Mexican food recipes. The sauces and spices are used in a different way and the tortillas are different. Mexican tortillas are thinner and chewier.

You can also see items on the menu like shrimp enchiladas or fish tacos which you would not get in Mexico. Crispy chalupas, Tex-Mex chili, tamale pie, seven-layer dip, and even fajitas are American inventions. Tex-Mex chorizo contains different spices from the chorizo you would buy in Mexico and you find lots of green chilies in Tex-Mex dishes.

Tex-Mex salsa features a lot of cilantro although the Mexicans do not add this to theirs when they cook Mexican food at home. Beef, beans and spices are probably the three main ingredients in this cuisine and Tex-Mex cuisine is interesting because it shows how this cuisine has grown internationally and been tailored to suit the American palate.

It is interesting to learn how typical Mexican recipes have changed, from the ancient times to today, and also how something as simple as a salsa recipe can have so many different styles and variations.

Next time you have people over to talk about the plans that you have for your Cancun vacation why not have some Mexican food at home for them to try?

Bacteria in Cancun

It is important when going to Mexico to avoid bacteria in Cancun. Whenever I travel I try to be very clean. The reason for this is that the bacteria that we are used to in North America is of course different then what is common in Mexico. As people travel they bring the bugs commons to their home be they real bugs or bacteria. And remember bacteria can not be seen so you don’t even kn ow about it.

Spring Break can be a tough time for germaphobes, particularly when traveling by air. Fortunately, there are some easy tips to stay healthy while sharing tight quarters with those bound for Cancun.

Bacteria on Planes

Unsurprisingly, airplane lavatories are the grossest, with a high likelihood of bacteria on seats and handles. And this is not even bacteria in Cancun but before you have arrived.

They are “hands-down the germiest place on the trip,” Peter Sheldon, vice president of operations and development for Coverall Health-Based Cleaning System, tells USA Today.

“Numerous studies have shown that these are teeming with E. coli on almost every surface.”

They are also rarely sanitized and have “the cumulative effect of hundreds of users.” The size of the sink also makes it difficult to thoroughly wash your hands, he says.

Other than the obvious solution of avoiding the bathrooms altogether, Sheldon says, it’s a good idea to bring your own sanitary wipes, and use paper towels to touch anything in there.

Seats and tray tables are another germ hotspot. Among the worst horror stories are mothers changing their babies right where later passengers put their pretzels and peanuts. Some disinfectant there could go a long way.

The recent scare of the 27-year-old woman diagnosed with measles who flew from Britain to Washington Dulles International Airport in February is good reminder to exercise healthy caution of fellow travelers.

The enclosure of an airplane cabin is “particularly risky for airborne-spread diseases” such as measles, Physician Martin Myers, director of the National Network for Immunization Information, tells USA Today.

The simplest solution to this specific incident, or other potential exposure to contagious diseases, is to get immunized, Myers says. Not rubbing your eyes or touching your nose or mouth helps too.

Bacteria in Cancun Avoidance Tips

When going to Cancun you may find want to take a couple of important precautions to avoid the bacteria in Cancun. Get a hepatitis shot a few weeks before as there is a lot of Hepatitis in the Cancun area and secondly make sure you have a bunch of baby wipes so that you can wipe down surfaces like counters and stuff. Cleaning staff at resorts can inadvertantly spread germs that could be avoided if you are careful.

Also of course avoid the obvious like water from a tap and ice cubes (made from tap water) and stay hydrated by drinking lots of safe bottled water (check the seal) as sun and alcohol can make you more sensitive to these bacteria.

Cancun is an awesome place for a vacation but it is important to be careful to watch out for  bacteria in Cancun at the same time.

Although most of the drug-related violence has been in the northern border region of Mexico, far from the Mayan temples of the Yucatan, the regional cuisine of Oaxaca or the beaches of Baja California Sur, violence has also erupted in tourist destinations, including Acapulco and the state of Michoacan, home to the famous monarch butterfly sanctuaries. Even Cancun’s safety was questioned earlier this year after eight employees of a strip club there were killed when a group of men threw Molotov cocktails into the building in an area not frequented by tourists.

Increasing Safety in Mayan Riviera

To combat the perception that violence has been widespread, tourism officials in Mexico have invested $30 million in advertising and social media initiatives to spread the word that much of the country is safe for tourists.

“Visitors have the right to be well informed,” said Alfonso Sumano, regional director for the Mexico Tourism Board for the Americas. Many of the affected areas, he said, “are very far from the destinations tourists visit.”

The latest travel warning, issued by the State Department in September, urged American citizens to defer unnecessary travel to Michoacan and areas along the northern border, including Tamaulipas, and parts of Chihuahua, Durango and Coahuila, where tourists generally don’t go. Yet, ever cautious, it stated, “violence has occurred throughout the country, including in areas frequented by American tourists.” Visitors were encouraged to stay on main roads in daylight hours and to remain in well-known tourist areas.

Crime Stories Hurt Mexican Travel Industry

All of this has made travel to Mexico a hard sell lately, but travel agents say the negative publicity has also made Mexico among the best values out there as resorts lower rates or add free incentives. When asked where agents are recommending travelers go to get the most for their dollar this year, 70 percent said Mexico, according to Travel Leaders, a major network of agents.

“A lot of clients will come here and say, ‘I’ll go anywhere except Mexico,’ ” said Kate Rosevear, owner of a Travel Leaders agency in Plymouth, Mich. “Quite often we’ll be able to talk them back around to it based on the value.”

The deals include Villa del Palmar Cancun, a new all-inclusive resort in Playa Mujeres with a Greg Norman-designed golf course. It’s offering rates of $142 a person a night — up to 60 percent off. And St. Regis Punta Mita is offering butler service, a third night free, a $50 resort credit per room and a glass of champagne with its Welcome to Paradise deal from $580 a night for stays starting Jan. 11.

Mexican Destinations, the Mexico Villa brand of the rental company VacationRoost, says its villas are far from reported violence, and it’s offering specials of 25 percent to 50 percent off. One deal is Casa del Sol, a four-bedroom, five-bath property on the Pacific Coast in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, where rates have been slashed to $750 a night, from $1,500 for early this month.

Many resorts say safety is at the top of their guests’ minds.

“When our reservations manager receives requests, the first question …is if there has been violence in this area,” said Giorgio Brignone, proprietor of Costa Careyes, a luxury resort two hours south of Puerto Vallarta, which has added free airport transfers to and from Manzanillo. To put jittery travelers at ease, the company’s website highlights the resort’s 24-hour security.

Many travelers are unclear about where the violence has occurred and how it might affect their vacation, Brignone said.

“People don’t realize that there are many regions and areas in the country that are not affected by the violence and drug wars,” he said. “It’s like saying I will not go to Dallas, or New York, because there are problems or riots in Los Angeles.”

Still, there are some tourist destinations travelers should steer clear of, at least for now. “I would not encourage my family to visit Acapulco right now,” said Josh Miller, who lives in Mexico City and is the general director for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean for Control Risks, a risk management firm.

Travelers should also hold off on visits to Michoacan, in central Mexico. The state is a stronghold of La Familia, a drug cartel known for bold ambushes.

Popular resort areas, including Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa and Cancun’s resort strip are generally safe for travelers, Miller said, particularly if visitors stay within the resort’s boundaries.

“Mexico is a volatile place,” he said. “You have to have your itinerary planned out quite well, consider transportation and stay abreast of latest developments.”

Some travelers who have been to Mexico before are surprised when friends express safety concerns.

“Everybody was like, `What? You are going to Mexico?’ ” said Tina Youtsey, a dog groomer from Milan, Mich., who went to the Riviera Maya with her teenage daughter last month. “Seriously,” she said, “the drug lords aren’t hanging out at the resort.”