Mexico is a wonderful country to explore and I cannot wait to explore more of it. During my travels there I spent 4 weeks in Yucatan and Quintana Roo and a week in Mexico City.
This post is about things you need to know before you visit:
It’s not as dangerous as you think.
Don’t get my wrong if you’re heading out late at night and walking down dark alleyways with your designer handbag then you’re welcoming trouble. However with any destination, common sense prevails.
Mexico has a bad reputation, there is no denying that. I visited the states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo and then Mexico City and encountered no threats. Think carefully and research about which neighbourhood you’ll be staying in, take regulated taxis and avoid dodgy areas at night and you’ll be fine.
Don’t expect Old El Paso and Taco Bell.
Real fresh Mexican food is delicious. If you want radioactive cheddar and some mildly spiced beef chilli then head to Texas. That’s TexMex food. You won’t find that in Mexico (in good restaurants anyway) but what you will find is tasty slow cooked pork tacos which are freshly made. Or a steaming hot flavoursome Tamale from a street vendor.
Visiting Mexico, eat Mexican food.
The transport system is very reliable.
During our time in QR and Yucatan I relied on the ADO bus company. The buses are linked to all the major towns across this region.
They can be pre booked online, where you choose your own seat or if you’re not as organised as me they can be bought from the ticket office on the day of arrival. The buses are clean, air conditioned, comfortable and come with free Wi-Fi. The onboard staff are very professional and helpful.
You can make online reservations here.
Mexico is loud.
No matter where you are in Mexico expect to hear loud live music, bike horns, firecrackers going off or cars driving around with a stereo on the outside of their car blaring tunes. Or even mid week you’ll hear a neighbourhood party kicking off with some live instrumental music. It’s insane, but it is what makes you think “shit, we’re in Mexico” and to me that’s a cool thing.
Don’t flush toilet paper.
Might be a weird thing to mention, but if you haven’t travelled to this part of the world then it might be new to you. Most of the Mexican plumbing systems cannot handle paper waste in the toilets. So use the bins provided. It’s annoying at first, but you soon get used it.
Try and learn the language.
We are non Spanish speakers and my biggest regret of this trip is we didn’t take the time to learn some more of the lingo.
Our Lonely Planet Spanish phrasebook is dog eared now and was a life saver. Outside of the main resorts the number of English speakers drops dramatically. It’s useful to know some very basic Spanish, such as Good morning ( Buenos Dias), thank you (Gracias), and how to ask for the bill (La Cuenta por favor)
Eventually you’ll become an expert at menu decoding….
A good language learning app is Memrise which can be found here
Also note Latin American Spanish is slightly different from European Spanish so it’s worth taking a phrase book with you. I used the Lonely Planet’s pocked sized Latin American Spanish book which can be found here.
Take insect repellent.
Insect bites in the jungle areas of Yucatan and QR are very bad for mosquitoes.
At one point during our trip we had 30+ bites each. It’s to be expected since you’re visiting jungle territory but think ahead. It’s worth packing antihistamines too!
One good insect spray that contains deet can be found here
An alternative to spray is the “Zap It” a small device which will stop the pesky itching of those bites.
Pre book tickets in Mexico City.
If you intend to visit Mexico City then it’s advisable to pre book tickets for the popular attractions such as Frida Kahlo’s House.
The queue time outside to buy tickets is upwards of an hour. Save time and get organised. The same goes for tickets to a Mexican Wrestling match (Lucha Libre) if you want decent seats and no hassle at the door then order them before hand.
You can book tickets for Frida Kahlo’s house here.
Do not buy a sombrero hat on your first day (or just don’t buy one).
Buying local souvenirs is something we all do, but purchasing an oversized wicker hat? If you have to do it, purchase it on the last day of your trip. There is no easy way to cart that thing around without looking like a daft tourist.
Accommodation suggestions in Mexico:
Click here to find some of the best airbnb rentals I have stayed in during our trip.
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/associates/248484?s=67&c=.pi115.pk0_11&a4ptk=26773_0_11_248484&af=115
