[cin3]

Don’t forget Montbell is much cheaper for lots of clothing in Japan too. April will be warm – I only use down for the Alps then.

[cin3]

JDB wrote:

Would definitely prioritise Hanoi over HCMC. The former has retained much old world charm whereas HCMC is a badly planned modern city and you really could be anywhere. As for Phu Quoc, read the previous comments/threads on HFP. Emphasis is on the phu which the local farmed fish/shellfish are eating and the extraordinary volume of phu to be found with other detritus in the sea (plus box jellyfish) and on the beaches. The island is like one’s local municipal dump.

Strong agree on this. HCMC is one of the dullest cities I’ve ever been too while Hanoi is bursting with culture. Budget about a week there.

Don’t miss Hoi An, Hue, Ha Long and Ninh Binh.

[cin3]

Jon wrote:

Just been looking into this myself. So far I’ve looked at 12Voip, Yolla, and Talk360. For my needs (mostly calling US mobile, and UK landlines from overseas), Yolla appears to have the best rates, nice clean app interface, decent call quality based on the test call I just did (NB may need to switch off your VPN first), and when you buy $x of credits, that’s exactly what you pay. 12Voip’s app feels more clunky, but appears to do the job, and you can get free minutes in return for buying credits, but they annoyed me by adding a handling fee and VAT, so you end up paying a bit over 20% on top of the actual credits you’re buying. Didn’t look any further at Talk360 as their rates are higher and Yolla seems to meet my needs, but they’ll be next on my list if Yolla screws up 😉

One thing I have with Skype that I’ve yet to find a replacement option for is a SkypeOut virtual UK landline number for other people to call me on. I assume I’ll lose that imminently, and not sure I can be bothered to jump through hoops to keep or replace it (I rarely actually need it, but it’s occasionally useful to have). But if anyone knows of an easy solution… 🙂

Thanks for this. Will it call all types of UK landlines not just geographic ones?

Literally the only thing I have used Skype for in the last 15 years is calling banks/CC companies while abroad.

[cin3]

CR is probably one of the most straight-forward places for logistics in all the Americas and has a huge tourist tax already priced into almost everything. You definitely don’t need to add another middle man.

[cin3]

I think you mean Bandeja paisa not arepa.

I’d encourage people to go off the beaten path a but in Colombia – it’s such a diverse and wonderful country and there’s so much more than the beach and Medellin/Bogotá (having said that, Bogota is one of my favourite cities in the world with an amazing cultural scene).

[cin3]

Santiago is one of the best South American cities in my opinion. While it is certainly not as good as it was a decade ago, it’s still a cultural heavyweight only perhaps beaten by Bogota, Buenos Aires and perhaps Brazil. The current security situation is not as bad as many people say especially if you’re used to Latin American cities and have basic Spanish.

If you’re remotely interested in music, theatre or food, you’ll want at least a week there. Incredibly techno and experimental scene and very good theatre and performance arts as well as some of the most underrated fine dining on the continent. Great nature options nearby too.

Natales is kinda pointless for less than a week as the travel into TDP takes a while and the best sights apart from Británico and the Torres are on the O section.

[cin3]

Almost any central American country is better than CR for many many reason but if you’re intent on going check out the coast from Dominical down to Uvita and the chirripo area. Probably the least frustrating area to visit is around Cahuita and punta uva.

[cin3]

I think the argument for a decent length cookie is still there. The fact your server is misconfigured for logged in users is a separate issue.

[cin3]

davefl wrote:

ToneTheTraveller wrote:

I do pay my card from 3 different Bank accounts in my name

Likely this!

If so that’s bonkers. Hardly a strange or suspicious thing to do.

[cin3]

With only a week I wouldn’t waste a day on Mujeres personally. Valladolid or Tulum ruins would be much better.

[cin3]

Easily one of the best things I did in Japan. Can’t recommend an e-bike enough. Walking or buses is far too inflexible.

But whatever you do try to get to Teshima too. The Teshima Art Museum was far and away the best part of the art islands. Worth the extra effort and worth using the ticket to visit twice.

[cin3]

BBbetter wrote:

drdan wrote:

as well as an extra 1% on Aldi shopping as 1 of my 6 cash back merchants (worth a drive for the savings Vs Kroger stores and the like).

Yep, this one is interesting. I selected McD and received cashback when I spent at a Mcd in Turkey!

That’s pretty standard. Most cards’ per-merchant CB is simple a regex statement on merchant field.

[cin3]

The average first-time family visitor may well prefer DF and Oaxaca than DF and Yucutan. In fact that’s a very common itinerary for families and shouldn’t be ruled out just because there are cheap flights from Europe to Cancun.

[cin3]

PeteM wrote:

Response times were ever good? 🤣

You used to be able to call and speak to a real person after about 30 seconds on hold. They used to have the most responsive customer service by a mile of the 20+ plastic cards I hold.

[cin3]

Guernsey Globetrotter wrote:

OK – I’ll bite – normally I’m really supportive of any contributors on here – it’s a forum after all, so it’s all about asking for and giving opinions. I also admit I haven’t been to Mexico and it sounds like you have a lot of experience in the region … BUT …
that being said, your suggestions lack any detail and focus and seem somehow detached from the real world.

They included an abbreviation (DL) without explanation and two previously unmentioned in-land cities (in a different area to the ones being discussed) as your recommended 2 week itinerary, without any detail as to why you consider them “two of the best places”. All this after OP had specifically mentioned a “focus on the archaeological sites, wildlife and cenotes” in the Yucatan. Then you go on to suggest tacking on a 10 day diving holiday!

It’s great that you want to contribute but generally your advice smacks of someone who is living a very different life from most of the ordinary folk on here. As a result, your recommendations are rather unrelatable and, I’m afraid, therefore also pointless.

I’m not sure what you determine the “real world” but there are hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting Mexico, many of which are families and many who decide to take trips longer than a couple of weeks. Regardless, the spec was for a family trip for a couple of weeks and that is what I have answered in addition to giving some context for my choices.

DF was the abbreviation I used (not DL) – it stands for Distrito Federal i.e. Mexico City. Even though it’s now been renamed, DF is more common and most Mexicans know it as this.

I didn’t “tack on a 10 day diving holiday”. I said “if you’re into water you could add on 10 days and do a week of scuba in Cozumel and some of the more hidden cave dives around Merida and Valladolid”. This is a direct reference to the interest in cenotes (“cave dive”). There are some touristy cenotes that are still worth diving in and around Tulum and Valladolid, but the best ones are nearer Merida and require transport and often someone to take you to the entrances. Many of the best cenotes (there are hundreds) can only be accessed by cave diving.

I hope that people appreciate that people other than the OP read these threads and use the content for their own trip planning.

One of the other aspects mentioned was Cozumel because of the request for wildlife. There is not much interesting wildlife in Mexico (compared to somewhere like Guatemala, Honduras, CR, Colombia, etc.) just monkeys and Sciurus yucatanensis. However, Cozumel is a world highlight for aquatic wildlife which, if you like diving, I would say is a must see if you’re nearby on the coast and definitely the best option for wildlife spotting.

Oaxaca (and especially OC which you’ll note is very frequently included on guided itineraries) is famous for good reason and one of the most popular states for visitors to Mexico so I don’t think I really need to justify why it was mentioned with the restriction of a 2 week trip.

San Cristobal was mentioned because it is one of the most charming colonial towns to visit, has beautiful sights, amazing nature and culture nearby (natural parks, plentiful traditional festivals, great markets and the influence of the local indigenous population). Anyone who has studied humanities will also be fascinated by visiting a nearby caracol. It’s also a great location for the other thing the OP mentioned – archaeological sites. Again I explicitly mentioned several in my suggestions but Chiapas has one of the best known in Mexico in Palenque which most people prefer to CI for reasons alluded to by other posters. It also has more hidden gems such as Chinkultic, Lagartero, Tenam Puente and the attractions of Comitan, Chucumaltik and El Chiflón.

Mexico is a vast country with an embarrassment of spoils. Just because a handful of posters haven’t mentioned these places doesn’t make them obscure or less worth visiting. Again, these are well-known and popular spots on the tourist trail. I’m a bit confused what you’re getting at as if you go to the places I recommend, you’ll see that very ordinary people visit them all the time. I didn’t mention them because I’m “not ordinary” but because the OP might well decide after a little research that they are more interesting options than the ones already given.

[cin3]

Response times have got a lot worse in the last year or two. They now vary between 24 hours and 2 weeks in my experience over the last 6 months 🙁

[cin3]

I could easily get £150+ pp value out of it. But it’s not something I’d otherwise choose to spend my money on so I’d never pay more than £50pp cash.

[cin3]

Guernsey Globetrotter wrote:

OK – I’ll bite – normally I’m really supportive of any contributors on here – it’s a forum after all, so it’s all about asking for and giving opinions. I also admit I haven’t been to Mexico and it sounds like you have a lot of experience in the region … BUT …
that being said, your suggestions lack any detail and focus and seem somehow detached from the real world.

They included an abbreviation (DL) without explanation and two previously unmentioned in-land cities (in a different area to the ones being discussed) as your recommended 2 week itinerary, without any detail as to why you consider them “two of the best places”. All this after OP had specifically mentioned a “focus on the archaeological sites, wildlife and cenotes” in the Yucatan. Then you go on to suggest tacking on a 10 day diving holiday!

It’s great that you want to contribute but generally your advice smacks of someone who is living a very different life from most of the ordinary folk on here. As a result, your recommendations are rather unrelatable and, I’m afraid, therefore also pointless.

I’m not sure what you determine the “real world” but there are hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting Mexico, many of which are families and many who decide to take trips longer than a couple of weeks. Regardless, the spec was for a family trip for a couple of weeks and that is what I have answered in addition to giving some context for my choices.

DF was the abbreviation I used (not DL) – it stands for Distrito Federal i.e. Mexico City. Even though it’s now been renamed, DF is more common and most Mexicans know it as this.

I didn’t “tack on a 10 day diving holiday”. I said “if you’re into water you could add on 10 days and do a week of scuba in Cozumel and some of the more hidden cave dives around Merida and Valladolid”. This is a direct reference to the interest in cenotes (“cave dive”). There are some touristy cenotes that are still worth diving in and around Tulum and Valladolid, but the best ones are nearer Merida and require transport and often someone to take you to the entrances. Many of the best cenotes (there are hundreds) can only be accessed by cave diving.

One of the other aspects mentioned was Cozumel because of the request for wildlife. There is not much interesting wildlife in Mexico (compared to somewhere like Guatemala, Honduras, CR, Colombia, etc.) just monkeys and Sciurus yucatanensis. However, Cozumel is a world highlight for aquatic wildlife which, if you like diving, I would say is a must see if you’re nearby on the coast and definitely the best option for wildlife spotting.

Oaxaca (and especially OC which you’ll note is very frequently included on guided itineraries) is famous for good reason and one of the most popular states for visitors to Mexico so I don’t think I really need to justify why it was mentioned with the restriction of a 2 week trip.

San Cristobal was mentioned because it is one of the most charming colonial towns to visit, has beautiful sights, amazing nature and culture nearby (natural parks, plentiful traditional festivals, great markets and the influence of the local indigenous population). Anyone who has studied humanities will also be fascinated by visiting a nearby caracol. It’s also a great location for the other thing the OP mentioned – archaeological sites. Again I explicitly mentioned several in my suggestions but Chiapas has one of the best known in Mexico in Palenque which most people prefer to CI for reasons alluded to by other posters. It also has more hidden gems such as Chinkultic, Lagartero, Tenam Puente and the attractions of Comitan, Chucumaltik and El Chiflón.

Mexico is a vast country with an embarrassment of spoils. Just because a handful of posters haven’t mentioned these places doesn’t make them obscure or less worth visiting. Again, these are well-known and popular spots on the tourist trail. I’m a bit confused what you’re getting at as if you go to the places I recommend, you’ll see that very ordinary people visit them all the time. I didn’t mention them because I’m “not ordinary” but because the OP might well decide after a little research that they are more interesting options than the ones already given.

[cin3]

JDB wrote:

Is @Cin3 AI without the I, whatever that’s called?

Why the unnecessary rudeness?

And GG – I gave multiple 2 week itineraries as well. A significant proportion of families would prefer a trip to SCdlC and OC to the standard recommendation of the Yucutan as you’d know if you’ve every visited either.

[cin3]

On the contrary side, I’d say almost no city is small enough anywhere in the world for 2 days to feel close to enough. Especially if you’re interested in food and culture, that’s not physically enough time to even try the shortest shortlist of dishes/eateries and makes it incredibly unlikely an event you’re interested is on the one night you are there.

Mostly importantly, apart from not having enough time to see major sights and attractions, it gives you no chance to interact with the local scene or to begin to get a feeling for the vibe of the place, scope out favourite spots or connect with local people.

[cin3]

meta wrote:

On where to stay in Lima – best stick to Miraflores or Barranco. Downtown area is not safe after dark and there is literary nothing to do in the evening.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. If you’re after nightlife the last thing you want to do is go to the sterile soulless places in Miraflores.

If you want a taste of the local culture, there are excellent clubs, bars, squat parties and great street food in downtown.

[cin3]

For future readers, I’d strongly suggest skipping Calafate or doing at most a night there. If you want to spend time in Argentinian Patagonia go to El Chalten, Bariloche or El Bolson to start with and avoid the worst tourist trap in the region.

[cin3]

Be very very careful. Many of the companies on MSE or other comparison sites have absurd restrictions regarding trip length and activities.

[cin3]

It almost physically pains me to read about going to places with dozens of michelin star restaurants and mindblowing street food scenes and eating hotel grub 🙁

[cin3]

Anything is better than read more tedious reviews of Dubai/Costa del Sol/Maldvives/etc. hotels but that was a fantastic write up, thanks for sharing. I quite fancy a through hike there soon.