Travel to Beautiful Mexico

Mexico has always been a popular destination for tourists, expecially those from North America. Its close proximity, along with its rich culture make it both convenient and somewhat exotic, allowing for a real feeling of escape from everyday life.

Most tourist destinations in Mexico are in found on the edges - Mexico enjoys some of the most spectacular coastlines in the world. Tourists flock to Mexico for the stunning beaches, majestic mountains, world-class diving, deep-sea fishing, mystical ancient ruins and even whale-watching in some places. Mexican resort areas boast a multitude of excellent quality all-inclusive and upscale resorts, as well as myriad other options such as time-share condos, rental suites and basic hotels and motels.

Mexico takes tourism very seriously, and they carefully plan and monitor many of their destination areas for best use of resources. They have been busy lately with a sweeping ad campaign, enticing travelers to visit their beautiful home, and many are reconsidering their usual Caribbean destinations in favor of Mexico.

Here is a list of the most popular and up-and-coming Mexican destinations:

EAST COAST

• Cancun: The original planned community developed by FONATUR (Mexico's Trust Fund for Tourism Development), Cancun lies on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. It quickly became popular, and in fact is Mexico's number one tourist destination. Set on an island-like peninsula, Cancun's hotels enjoy miles of powdery beach. Cancun is great for nightlife and scuba diving.



• Cozumel: Cozumel is an actual island just off the coast south of Cancun, and is known for spectacular diving. It is quieter and offers less hotel choices than Cancun, and Cozumal fans love it that way.



• Mayan Riviera: The area along the coast south of Cancun contains many small communities and is home to an uninterrupted line of spectacular beach. Many of these smaller communities are being purposely and carefully groomed for tourism, and areas such as Playa Del Carmen have fast become a luxury destination with world-class shopping and many elite visitors.

From all of these destinations, the Mayan ruins of Chichen Iza and Tulum are accessible. There is a water shuttle which runs from Cozumel to Playa Del Carmen (weather depending, it takes from 1/2 hour to 45 minutes).

WEST COAST



Many of the popular west coast destinations are cities, with tourist areas clustered mostly on the beach.

• Acapulco: Popular for vibrant nightlife and a variety of hotels, Acapulco offers water-and landsports aplenty. This may be the least 'Mexican' experience you can have while visiting Mexico - it is quite tourist-oriented and msot of the cultural references are rather commercialized.



• Puerto Vallarta: Made famous by the move 'The Night of the Iguana,' this coastal town has grown into a full-blown tourist destination over the past 30 years. Beautiful beaches, plenty of watersports, excellent food and nightlife options, along with a vast array of hotel choices make Puerto Vallarta a perennial favorite.



• Huatulco: This destination is in the soutehrn Oaxaca region and is much quieter than the cities mentioned above. Situated in a series of secluded bays, Huatulco boasts beautiful hotels and timeshares and is a lovely, fairly exclusive area. The beautiful scenery, golfing and diving draw discerning clientel and its popularity grows every year.



• The Mayan Riviera/Costa Maya: This catch-all phrase applies to a number of smaller communities which are quickly becoming world-renownedRiviera Maya

BAJA PENINSULA



Technically separated into the North and South regions, Baja is on the extreme west coast, south of California. Amazing deep-sea fishing, kayaking and whale-watching are all popular activities here.

• Los Cabos: This area on the southern tip of the peninsula has come to the attention of international travelers in a big way in the last few years. This stunning location boasts many upscale hotels, including Four Seasons, One & Only and many more. Many of the high-end patrons come here for the spectacular scenery, but also for its exclusivity and relative privacy. You may have neard of the popular Cabo San Lucas in this area.



• Loreto: This is an up-and-coming area mid-peninsula, renowned for unrivalled whale-watching opportunities. Originally a colonial village, this community expansion is being planned and promoted by FONATUR. Look for increasing popularity and many new hotels here over the next decade.

Find out more at www.VisitMexico.com and Cancun-Travel-Guide.net.

Why You Need Travel Accident Insurance

When planning a trip or vacation, many people neglect to spend the little extra money and time to ensure themselves the peace of mind of having travel insurance. This leads to the unfortunately common scenario of travellers who find themselves ill or hurt in a foreign country and unable to afford the appropriate care.

Imagine for a moment that you and your family have embarked on a long-awaited and planned for vacation to Europe. You finally arrive at your destination and excitedly set out on a day tour of your first city. During the day, one of your family members falls ill or falls and breaks a leg. Do you have any idea how much it will cost for an ambulance trip in this foreign country? How about doctor’s fees, hospital services and medications? Every year, thousands of travelers are left in just such situations without adequate medical coverage to pay for the emergency they find themselves in.

When you are visiting foreign places there are often aspects you will be unfamiliar with, such as terrain, animals, plants and insects. Add to this possible difficulties communicating because you don’t speak the language or understand the local customs and you could be setting yourself up for a difficult time should anything unexpected happen.



Like any good insurance product, the premium is always worth the coverage in case of needing it, and is often overlooked by consumers. Most people have an ‘it won’t happen to me’ complex – don’t be most people!

Travel insurance, also known as travel accident insurance or travel health insurance, should include at least the following:

• Any charges for ambulance services to the nearest hospital
• Hospital accommodations as needed
• Any laboratory testing and x-rays
• Doctors, surgeons and nurses’ fees
• Emergency prescribed medications

In general, be sure and ask for coverage which cover at least the above-mentioned. Additional questions to ask include:

• Specific amounts of coverage and what is excluded, if anything
• Is there a deductible and how much?
• Are sports related injuries covered?
• Are any medical emergencies due to pre-existing conditions covered or excluded?
• Is every member of your family or travel group covered in the plan?
• Is there a provision for costs incurred if a flight is missed and a more expensive flight has to be booked? What about missed work due to illness or accident?
• Is the cost of returning the sick or injured person home covered?

Medical emergencies can be expensive no matter where they occur. Travel health insurance is an effective and cost-efficient way to secure peace of mind so you can go have some fun!

**Find this and other articles - and many more ways to save on your next trip! - at Travel-Like-A-Pro.com. Bon Voyage!