thoughts on the balance of our 2 month itinerary
Replies: 3 - Last Post: Aug 3, 2012 8:53 AM Last Post By: evanscm3
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thoughts on the balance of our 2 month itinerary
Hi Guys,Looking for some thoughts on the 'balance' of our 2 month (early Oct - early Dec) Mexican itinerary starting in the DF.
This is the start of a 7 month trip for us starting in Mexico City and ending in Colombia via Cuba and the 'rest' of C.A. We are a couple, late 20s - travelled a few months in South America (peru, bolivia, argentina )a few years ago & speak some basic spanish.
Interested largely in more relaxed, quieter pace of travelling with good food/drink & interesting culture but maybe the occasional late night here and there - we want to keep as much variety in our whole trip as possible - so enough beach 'stops' to keep it relaxed but not a total beach/ruin/city overkill....a balance. Our budget is around $110-130 per day.
During the 2 months in MEX we plan 2 weeks @ spanish school early on (Oaxaca?) and a 1 week PADI openwater course (Cozumel?)
So with that in mind our rough plan is as follows:
1) Mexico city + day trips out - 4/5 days
2) Puebla - 1/2 days
3) Oaxaca city -2 weeks (spanish school)
4) Puerto Escondido/oaxaca coast - 4/5 days
5) SCDLC - 3/4 days
6) Palenque - 2/3 days (side trip to Yaxchilán and Bonampak)
7) Campeche - 2 days
8) Merida - 3/4 days
9) Holbox - 5 days (to relax after a busy 10 days)
10 backtrack a bit to Valladoid (maybe Izamal?) 2/3 days (Chichen Itza)
11) Tulum/PDC- 4 days
11) Cozumel 6 days (PADI course here?)
12 - fly to Cuba via Cancun.
Do you think this is too heavy on any particular aspect and if so would you recommend changes? I have read a few different ideas and this seems to be a fairly well trodden path (ignoring the small backtrack after Holbox) - the other option is to load a few more days at the beginning and head north of the DF somewhere, but I feel Oaxaca may be a better place to acclimatise... thoughts?
safe travels
Chris & Rachel
1
Its your trip. Only you know your likes and wants.If you are serious about PADI , and not just doing it to get certified, I'd suggest that you take the course where you and the instructor have the same primary language. Sometimes, things get a little fuzzy in technical translation.
Remember that you will use a lot of time traveling.Allow plenty to get to the bus station and from the final station to your destination. Its not just bus time.
If you mean weather when you say acclimatise in Oaxaca, you'll be going form high desert to coast. The coast and Yucatan lowlands are going to be very hot and humid that time of year.
Many people on this board would call your budget generous.;particularly if you do a "homestay" with the language school. However, money is like time, you'll use what you have.
Enjoy - -
2
Overall I like your itinerary. I would consider taking your Spanish course in San Cristobal, although that would mean it wouldn't happen until further into your trip. But it's smaller than Oaxaca and I preferred it. I'm not sure what you would do in Merida for 4 days unless you are really into seeing all the little ruins around there. I would cut that a bit and add time in Vallodolid, it was one of our favourite spots in southern Mexico.Also, you might want to think about doing your OW course before Tulum so you can do some cenote diving. It's pretty spectacular. You can snorkel them either way but diving allows you a lot more freedom.
All in all it should be a blast.
3
excellent responses. thanks. by acclimatise i mean to slow down from our recently-paused careers and adjust to a different pace of life, language, culture etc - not so much about the climate.interesting tip re Tulum after the OW course, will play that by ear - we're flying back into Cancun after a month in cuba and will head to Belize from there, so Tulum may be a stop on the way down... not sure. Noted re time in Merida also, but will play that by ear.
suffice to say we can't wait...!
cheers
