Grupo Mayan Vacations Travel Tips

The Grupo Mayan resorts have locations in several wonderful Mexican coastal areas. One of our most popular destinations is the Grupo Mayan Acapulco resort.  The resort offers guests many activities on site and is home to some of the cities best restaurants and trendiest nightlife.

Many Grupo Maya Acapulco guests are satisfied to never leave the resort grounds, happy with all Grupo Mayan offers.  Other guests do not want to miss the awesome opportunity to visit the local Acapulco attractions.  For our adventurous guests, the Grupo Mayan staff has a few fun vacation tips.

Acapulco is a city with a rich history.  A great place to start your tour of the city is at the national landmark, Fuerte de San Diego.  The fort will give visitors a great introduction to the history of Acapulco and has a museum onsite. Another museum visitors will enjoy is the Naval history museum.  Many Grupo Mayan guests are unfamiliar with Mexico´s nautical history and will enjoy seeing replicas of many ships from the 18the and 19th centuries.

Acapulco has a “don´t try this at home” extreme adventure. Grupo Mayan guests will find thrills at La Quebrada, the cliffs where the famous Mexican cliff divers dive from death defying heights.  The divers perform daily and the Grupo Mayan staff will arrange transportation our guests.

Many fun activities can be arranged by the Grupo Mayan staff for our guests.  One favorite romantic activity for honeymooners is a sunset horseback ride along the beach.  The Grupo Mayan staff can arrange for a beachside gourmet picnic to be enjoyed at eh end of your ride.

Deep sea fishing is another popular activity that can be planned by the Grupo Mayan staff. Private charter boats will be reserved especially foe our guests with guides that will take you to the best fishing spots off the coast.  Your catch can be prepared by the Grupo Mayan chefs for your dinner!

Boat tours of the coastline are also fun and the Grupo Mayan has several catamarans for the use of our guests.  Known as party boats, guests will enjoy food, drinks, and entertainment on their coastal cruise.

The Grupo Mayan resorts are known worldwide for our first class tennis and golf facilities.  Guests can arrange for individual instruction with our golf and tennis pros or participate in seminars, classes, or our famous golf academy.

Acapulco is an excellent place for a fun filled holiday and the Grupo Mayan Acapulco resorts are the perfect destination for travelers to this fabulous city.  Our wonderful staff will help you make any arrangements necessary for your Acapulco vacation to you most memorable vacation ever.

One of the best travel tips the Grupo Mayan staff can offer is to talk to our reservation clerks about the many activities when booking your vacation.  If something sounds interesting to you our staff will assist you in making reservations for activities, restaurants, and tours.  Pre-booking many activities will leave you free to enjoy your vacation.

The lavish Grupo Mayan Mexican resorts are Mexico´s premier holiday destination.  Grupo Mayan Acapulco is one of our finest resorts for families vacationing in Mexico. While at our resort you will find wonderful activities from water sports to golf and tennis.  While at Grupo Mayan Acapulco you will also want to tour the local area.  You will find Acapulco to be a family friendly city with much to delight you.  The Grupo Mayan staff recommends the following must see attractions in Acapulco.

•     The rich history of Acapulco can been experienced at Fuerte de San Diego.  The San Diego fort is a national landmark with a wonderful museum on site.  You and your family will absorb centuries of Acapulcan history with a tour of the fort.
•     The Naval History Museum is another stop that will immerse you in the history of the area.  Here you will find replicas of ancient ships and information on the maritime history of Mexico.
•     One of Acapulco´s most famous attractions is the world famous cliff divers.  La Quebrada has been home the famous Acapulcan cliff divers for over fifty years.  The Grupo Mayan staff recommends that all of our guests see this fascinating performance.
•     Catamaran boats are the perfect way to tour the gorgeous Mexican coastline.  You can book tours for an hour or a day depending on your schedule.  Catamaran trips include food and drinks and many include traditional Mexican entertainment.
•     A horseback ride along one of Acapulco´s fourteen glorious beaches is a great family activity.  Couples can also plan a romantic beachside horseback ride with a picnic provided by the Grupo Mayan chefs.
•     Deep sea fishing is very popular in Acapulco.  The waters off of Acapulco are reputed to have some of the world´s best deep sea fishing.  The Grupo Mayan staff will work with you to plan deep sea fishing trips for you and a friend or an entire group.  Charter boats will take care of your every need and your catch can be prepared by the Grupo Mayan chefs.
•    Children will thank their parents for taking them to the CiCi Water Park.  Dolphins swim with the guests at this unique water park.
•     Many Grupo Mayan guests love to scuba dive.  We offer scuba diving trips from our resort for all of our guests.  On one of the Grupo Mayan scuba trips you will see hundreds of tropical fish and many species of colorful coral.
•     Golf is one of Mexico´s claims to fame.  The year round tropical weather makes for great playing conditions no matter when you visit.  The Grupo Mayan resorts are proud to offer the best golfing in Mexico.  Our beautiful courses are designed by world renowned golfers and offer you the best possible play.

The Grupo Mayan staff is excited to welcome you to Acapulco.  We will be happy to work with you to book any off site tour you would like to schedule for you and your family.  Welcome to Acapulco!

The luxurious Grupo Mayan Mexican resorts are happy to welcome you to the beautiful town of Puerto Vallarta. While our guest, you will enjoy world class service, gourmet meals, and a plethora of family activities.  While at your Grupo Mayan resort you will also be able to tour the local area.  Puerto Vallarta is uniquely situated on the Mexican coast, surrounded by jungles and mountains.  The town and surrounding areas are bursting with cultural experiences for you and your family.  The Grupo Mayan staff recommends the following activities to make your time with us memorable.

•     Whale, whales, and more whales.  The waters off the Grupo Mayan resort are home to numerous species of ocean life.  At the Bay of Banderas Grupo Mayan guests can go on a whale watching tour to see the majestic humpback whales native to the area. You will not only see humpback whales as the bay is also full of dolphins and manta rays.
•     One of our Grupo Mayan guests´ favorite day trips is a trip to the jungle. You will not only see the local wildlife ñ you can get wild yourself with a canopy tour.  These tours allow you to strap on a harness and ride a zip line above and through the jungle canopy.  When Grupo Mayan guests return from this extreme adventure they vow to return again and again.
•     If you have always wanted to swim with the dolphins, now is your chance.  Local tour operators will give you a short instructional class and then take you in the waters of the bay to swim with the dolphins and sea lions.  Not only will you swim with these marvelous creatures, you will also get to fed and touch them.  This is a great family activity for children five years and older.
•     The surrounding mountains of Puerto Vallarta are home to many indigenous peoples thought to be descendents of the Aztecs.  A full day tour will take you and your family by helicopter to one of the mountain villages near Puerto Vallarta.  You will be immersed in the daily village life and local customs of the village residents.
•     A jeep safari tour is exciting for everyone. A jeep will take you and your family deep into the Mexican jungle where you will be able to see hundreds of species of birds and other local wildlife.  Lucky guests may even spot one of the rare jungle jaguars.  The jeep safaris are completely safe and led by trained guides.

The wonderful areas surrounding your Grupo Mayan resort will give you a glimpse into the wonderful Mexican countryside.  All of the experiences you have, while a Grupo Mayan guest, will enrich your life forever.  Whether you choose to fly over the jungle on a zip line or swim in the bay with the dolphins, you make lasting memories.

The Grupo Mayan staff will gladly help you schedule any off site tours you wish to participate in.  We are familiar with all the best local tour companies and will find the perfect adventures to highlight your Grupo Mayan vacation.

Our world traveler Grupo Mayan guests love to be on the cutting edge of things travel.  The travel accessory market for travelers is huge and some items you find will be hits while others are misses.  The Grupo Mayan staff has sifted through some of the newest items on the market and offers you some suggestions.

•     Raise your hand if you remember the hippie “earth shoes of the 1970´s”!  The company is still around and now produces the ultimate travel tennis shoe.  These tennis shoes will pack flat in your luggage and pop back into shape when unpacked.  They, like the old school earth shoes, are designed to give great support for your feet.  Perfect for the weary traveler.
•     Cell phone technology is growing by leaps and bounds.  It seems as if you purchase the latest one and a day later a cell phone comes on the market that will do ten more things.  There is now a cell phone created with the traveler in mind.  It has options for currency exchange rates, weather and forecasted weather, and a unique feature that will let you access flight arrival and departure information.  Great for when you get stuck in traffic on the way to the airport, (or if you are a contestant on the Amazing Race).
•     Want the real scoop on your hotel? Several web sites now offer you real reviews from real guests who know what they are talking about. Sure, you could go to your hotel´s web site and find out what amenities are offered, but if you want to know how clean the tub is check out a web site that has reviews from honest to goodness guests.
•     Travelers have long lauded the benefits of audio books.  They are great for long drives and to drown out noise in any public area.  Audio book titles are now available in a broad range of topics.  You are no longer left with a slim variety of choices.  New titles for audio books range from classics to the newest non-fiction.
•     The new craze in European hotels appears to be the hammam.  A hammam is a Middle Eastern steam bath and the majority of well known European hotels are now including them on their lists of amenities.  The hammams are a great way to relax after a long day of sightseeing and business meetings.
•     Travel scents come in many forms.  The most well known travel scents are candles to freshen up your room.  A safer choice may be the new travel fragrance sprays now available from many health and beauty companies.  They are a great way to make your room and your clothes smell great.

The sophisticated travelers who choose Grupo Mayan as their holiday destination will find that we offer all the amenities of home.  But when traveling the rest of the world we hope that you will find several of these new travel accessories of use.  Grupo Mayan guests are always on the cutting edge of new travel items and we thank them for their many suggestions.

The Wonderful Grupo Mayan resorts are located throughout Mexico.  Our many lavish resorts provide our guests with luxurious accommodations, gourmet food, golf, tennis, and many water sports. We at Grupo Mayan also recommend that you make plans to tour the areas surrounding your Grupo Mayan resort.  Here are some ideas for offsite activities near Grupo Mayan Mazatlan

Mazatlan is well known for its many outdoor activities.  The Grupo Mayan resort staff will be happy to help you schedule outdoor activities while you are our guest.  Deep sea fishing is one of the most requested activities of our guests.  The deep sea fishing off the Mazatlan coast is known to be the best in the world.  You will spend the day on a chartered boat on the beautiful waters off the Grupo Mayan resort, fishing with local fishermen who know where to go to find trophy fish.  The Grupo Mayan chefs will gladly prepare your catch upon your return to the resort.

If you are a freshwater fisherman, the Grupo Mayan staff can arrange a trip for you and your family to fish on a charter boat on a nearby lake.  Several world class lakes are located near the Grupo Mayan resort.

If you are into extreme sports, cliff diving might be for you.  Let the Grupo Mayan resort staff schedule a day of cliff diving on the craggy beaches near our resort.  You will be able to learn techniques from a pro and have a high energy experience.

Mazatlan is a great place to spend a relaxing day.  The town is located only a brief ride from the Grupo Mayan resort and we will arrange transportation for you.  While in town you can visit the local aquarium, the botanical gardens, and several local museums.  The town of Mazatlan is full of old time charm and you will enjoy a stop in one of the local cafes for a bit of refreshment.

Another relaxing option is to take a boat tour to one of the three outlying islands off the Grupo Mayan resort coast.  These islands offer a great place for a peaceful afternoon spend strolling on the beach.  The Grupo Mayan chefs can provide picnic lunches for our guests who choose to visit the islands.

Trips to the areas surrounding the Grupo Mayan resort area will allow you to experience true Mexican culture. The local people in surrounding villages are wonderful artists and carry on crafting traditions that have been passed down for hundreds of years.

The Grupo Mayan staff wants your Mazatlan vacation to be full of memories for a lifetime.  Our resort, and the local Mazatlan area, is the perfect destination for your best family vacation ever.  Our professional staff will see to your every need while you are our guest.

You days will be filled with the many activities offered at our wonderful resort and your night will spent dining on gourmet food and experiencing exciting Mexican nightlife and traditional Mexican entertainment.  Make plans now for the vacation of a lifetime.

The Grupo Mayan resorts of Mexico are aware that the rising airfare prices are a concern to our many guests.  Grupo Mayan guests are concerned about not just vacation travel, but domestic travel has also become extremely expensive.  The Grupo Mayan travel professionals have uncovered some tips to help you win in the rising airfare market.

The Grupo Mayan travel professionals advise you to travel on ìoffî days.  If you are planning a holiday trip, you can save hundreds of dollars by extending your vacation a few days .  For example, airline prices are much higher this holiday season than they were at this same time last year.  But if you rearrange your travel dates you will be able to shave money off of your ticket prices.  A great idea is to extend your stay until the Monday or Tuesday after the holiday.  By booking return travel on a normal business day you will be surprised at your savings.

Another tip to save money, from the Grupo Mayan staff is to fly from another airport.  If the airport close to you is a smaller airport, you can save money by driving to a larger airport and taking off from there.  Smaller airports have less daily flights and are therefore not able to offer as many discounted seats as larger airports.  A drive of one or two hours could save you hundreds of dollars. You can use this strategy to check your local airports and the airports at your destination, saving you even more money.

Check often for lower fares.  The Grupo Mayan travel professionals tell us that during the holiday season you will find that airfares are very unstable.  You may find price differences of over hundred dollars in one days time.  You can sign up for free internet services that will allow you to receive notice when a fare you are watching lowers in price.

The Grupo Mayan travel professionals also urge you to read the small print.  You may think you have found a great ravel deal but by the time you have paid all the extra fees you may be out more money than you planned.  Check to see if the airline you are booking with is going to charge you extra for baggage or any if they have slipped any other fees into your tickets final price.

The age old advice of booking your flights early is still the best advice around, say the Grupo Mayan travel professionals.  The earlier you book your travel plans, the better deals you will be able to find.  If you are planning to travel during the holidays you must be aware that thousands of other people are making the same plans you are.  The earlier you book, the more money you will save.

We at Grupo Mayan hope that the above advice will help as you make your holiday plans.  We love having you as our guests, and hope to see you again soon.

Grupo Mayan´s Mexican resorts are the premier travel destination of many world travelers.  Our quests not only vacation at our luxurious Grupo Mayan resorts, they travel for business and pleasure throughout the rest of the year.  The Grupo Mayan travel professionals have collected some unique travel tips for our consummate travelers.

•     Travel bags and cases can be heavy.  To keep these heavy bags from digging into your shoulders you can purchase as padded seat belt cover to place around your bags strap. This will keep your shoulder comfortable while waiting in long airport lines.
•     Always carry mini bottles of shampoos and cleansers.  The Grupo Mayan hospitality staff says that the complimentary toiletry items we put in each guests room are the perfect size for travel.  In a pinch, you can use shampoo as a soap to get clean.
•     Perfume bottles and other glass items have a tendency to break when packed in luggage.  An easy way to solve this problem, say the Grupo Mayan travel professionals, is to lightly spray your clothing with perfume before leaving home.  This way you can leave the glass bottles at home.
•     A trick used by fashion designers to keep packed clothes from wrinkling is to place bubble wrap on the inside of your suitcase and between your clothes.  This is a great trick to keep wrinkles at bay and give you wrapping material for breakable souvenirs you purchase on your trip.
•     Most hotels, say the Grupo Mayan hospitality staff, put shoe mitts in their complimentary travel kits. Don´t throw these shoe mitts out.  You can use them to clean your glasses and sunglasses while on vacation and your computer screens when you return home.
•     A unique trip our Grupo Mayan professionals found on the internet makes great use of modern technology.  If you travel to countries where you do not speak the language you can store photos of common items in your cell phone.  When you need a taxi or a bottle of water you can pull up the photo and show it to a local person.  What a great way to break the language barrier.
•     Change your choice of luggage, say the Grupo Mayan travel professionals, and you can save pounds.  Soft sided luggage weighs less than the hard sided type and will allow you to pack more items without going over airline limits.
•     For families traveling with travel documents it can sometimes be hard to keep straight what belongs to whom.  This is easy to solve by attaching a small mailing label to the outside of each passport or other document before leaving home.

The Grupo Mayan staff knows that our sophisticated travelers all well aware of many tips and tricks that make travel easier.  We hope that the tips collected by the Grupo Mayan travel professionals will add to your travel knowledge and help make your next trip easier.  And we hope to see you again soon at one of our Grupo Mayan resorts.

The Grupo Mayan Mexican resorts are home to thousands of world travelers each year.  Many of our guests not only travel to our luxurious Grupo Mayan resorts, but also spend part of every year traveling for business or other pleasurable reasons.  For our sophisticated travelers, the Grupo Mayan staff has searched out the newest travel must haves.

•     Do you relish the thought of another bland airline meal? Several companies are now making portable spices for travelers who want to add a little spice to their food.  Tsp Spices makes portable spice tins that contain twelve individual teaspoon servings of popular spices and herbs.  The spices are kept fresh in foil packets.
•     Bugs, and painful bug bites, can ruin a vacation.  In addition to bug sprays and creams, you can now buy clothing that comes with a bug repellant.  The colorless repellant does not contain harmful chemicals but will keep those pesky insects at bay. The Grupo Mayan staff says this type of clothing really works!
•     You can now record your vacation without toting around several heavy electronic devices.  Panasonic has created a digital camcorder that weighs less than ten ounces.  This lightweight camcorder can also be used as a digital camera.
•     Many travelers have had difficulty with the new airline regulations for traveling with liquids.  You can now travel without worries with a carry on beauty kit.  Many cosmetic companies are now selling portable sizes of their skin regimens and other beauty products.  Most travel sizes contain enough product to last for one week.  The Grupo Mayan staff has heard from our guests that these are great space savers, too!
•     Many countries advice you against drinking local water and your only option is to drink bottled water.  But what if you want ice cubes in your drink?  A company named Ice Rocks now produces water sealed in plastic cubes.  You can pop these cubes in the freezer once you reach your destination.  Presto, instant ice.
•     Some travelers find it hard to eat nutritiously while on the road. This, of course, will never be a problem while you are a Grupo Mayan guest, but for other destinations you might want to pack a few of the new Think Green Bars.  The company advertises their bars as “a portable salad bar”.  The bars are chock full of good veggies but taste like sweet treat.
•     If you have ever been to Argentina you will see many people wearing the popular local shoes called Alpargatas.  These canvas shoes are known for comfort and durability making them the perfect choice for travelers.  The TOM´S company is now selling their version of these slippers and donating all proceeds to charity.

The Grupo Mayan staff knows that you will find all of the comforts of home while at any of our Grupo Mayan resorts.  But we hope that some of these new travel accessories will make your world travels a little more comfortable.  Happy traveling!

Grupo Mayan would like to welcome you to Mexico!  You tropical holiday at any one of our Grupo Mayan resorts will be a vacation you always remember.  While at your resort you will not be faced with using unfamiliar currency but once you are in the neighboring towns and villages, shopping for souvenirs, you will need to know a little about the local currency.  The Grupo Mayan staff would like to offer you a few tips.

Mexican currency is based on the peso.  The peso can be broken down into 100 centavos.  Five or ten steel centavos; twenty or fifty brass centavos; one, two, or five steel ring pesos; or ten, twenty, fifty,  or one hundred brass pesos.  The higher peso denominations are rare as are the lower centavo denominations.  Mexican banknotes are available in ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred, two hundred, five hundred, and one thousand denominations.  When you exchange money or receive change from a clerk, be sure that the peso is no older than 1992.  Pesos issued before this date are not worth anything today.  United States dollars and pesos use the same symbol which can cause confusion.  If you are in a tourist area the US price of an item will be marked as US$.  The exchange rate in the fall of 2008 is about one US dollar to a little over eleven pesos.

You will find US dollars accepted in many places throughout the country.  Euros are not so easy to exchange and if traveling from a country whose currency is the Euro you might want to exchange funds before travel. The Grupo Mayan staff will help you with exchanges while you are on site.

Tourists have told the Grupo Mayan staff that one of the best places to exchange pesos is in the supermarket.  Many gas stations have proven less reliable.  If you plan to make a purchase with a credit card you will need to ask beforehand if credit cards are accepted.  All Grupo Mayan resorts are happy to accept your credit cards.

You will find Automated Teller Machines located at Grupo Mayan resorts and throughout the country.  Your bank may have a policy with certain Mexican banking establishments that will wave ATM fees.  You will want to check with your bank before leaving on vacation.  If you are in a smaller town for a tour you will want to get money from an ATM at your Grupo Mayan site before going on tour.  Small town ATMs frequently run out of cash.

Merchants in many of the smaller towns will look over your money for rips and tears.  Some will only accept pristine bills.  Many merchants do not like to give change so try and pay with small denominations.  Again, you will run into none of these problems while at any of our Grupo Mayan resorts.

The best advice we can offer our guests is to be as diligent with your Mexican money as you are with the currency from your country.   All Grupo Mayan resorts offer lock boxes for your use while on holiday.  You will find them to be a safe and convenient location for not only your money, but your travel documents and other valuables.

Grupo Mayan offers vacationers many resorts throughout Mexico for the perfect holiday.  You will find our staff and the people of Mexico to be warm and gracious while you are visiting our country. While most Mexican people understand and speak English, and all of our staff will be able to communicate easily with you, it might be fun to learn a little of our language before you arrive.  You will find that it may come in handy while visiting attractions off of the Grupo Mayan property.  Being able to speak a few words of Spanish will show your respect of the local people.

People will be pleasantly surprised when you are able to say “por favor” and “de nada” when speaking with them.  Your accent does not have to be perfect; part of your charm will be the effort you make.  Here are a few terms to get you started.

• English    Spanish
  •   Hello  -    Hola
  •   Good afternoon  -   Buenas Tardes
  •   Please -   Por favor
  •   Thank you  -  Gracias
  •   What time is it?  -  Que hora es?
  •   How are you?   - Como esta?
  •   You´re welcome  -  De nada

The Mexican people are very pleasant and also very courteous.  They will address you with respect and we suggest you do the same.  “Senor”, “Senora”, and “Senorita” are all appropriate words to use when politely addressing someone.

In Spanish you will find that there are formal and informal ways of addressing people.  When meeting someone you do not know “Como esta?” , how are you,  would be the formal wording.  If you are speaking to friends you can use the informal “Como estas?”.

You will also want to use Spanish when shopping off of the Grupo Mayan property.  Many stalls and bazaars throughout Mexico are famous for haggling and bargaining.  Some even see it as a requirement of shopping.  Here are some phrases to help you negotiate for the best bargain.

•     Barato- inexpensive
•     Comprar- buy
•     Cuanto cuesta? - How much does it cost?
•     Cuantos dólares?,  Cuántos pesos? , Cuántos euros? ó How much (dollars), How much (pesos), How much (euros)
•     caro, cara- expensive
•     descuenta - discount
•     grande - large
•     Hay (object)?- Do you have(object)
•     Mediano, mediana- medium
•     Quiero-I want
•     Quisiera probarlo- I would like to try
•     Quisiera- I would like
•     Voy a pensarlo-I’ll think about it, maybe
•     pequeño, pequeña- small
•     por favor- please
•     de rebajas- on sale
•     Sólo quería mirar- I’m only looking.
•     tarjeta de crédito- credit card

You will notice that many words are similar, with a different ending. Unlike the English language, Spanish is a formal language. Objects are considered masculine or feminine.  If you are speaking of feminine object the word will end in an “a”.  Masculine objects end in an “o”.  As in any language there are words and phrases that do not follow the rules but knowing this simple gender principle will help when you run across it in conversation.

The Grupo Mayan staff hopes that you will have fun making the Spanish language a part of your Mexican experience.  You will find our beautiful language to be very expressive and romantic.

El Grupo Mayan te da la bienvenida a México!
Grupo Mayan welcomes you to Mexico!