Mexico & Toddler

[Kiley]

We're thinking of going to Mexico with our 16.5 month old in early January. Any suggestions as to where in Mexico to go and where to stay? TIA!

[ladybug0525]

We are going to Puerto Vallarta for Chirstmas with our 19month old son. We went last Christmas when he was 7 months and he did great. A little more concerned this year since he is so mobile.

We stay at a house with a cook and maid so it makes it very nice that we have to bring limited "supplies". The place we stay has a crib and high chair for our use and last time we didn't even bring a carseat, horrible I know. We only took a taxi maybe to and from the airport and then the bus once. There is also a WM close to buy dipaers, wipes, swim stuff, etc.

If you are going with a group this place is awesome but the complex in general is nice if you could find another rental. www.villakaraway.com

[doubleR]

*bump*

how did you guys make out on your trips to Mexico with toddlers in tow?

we're going to Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo in march, DS will be a little over 15 months. we're actually going with my parents. we've been there before, my parents have a timeshare so we know the area pretty well and love it. just looking for any tips / advice you can share.

thanks!

[Kiley]

We never went. :( Just as well since we found out we were expecting #2 on 1/3. We're going to Myrtle Beach in spring instead. Have fun!

[doubleR]

congrats kiley :)

myrtle beach is a great vacation place with/for kids!

[mrsash]

* bump *

going to puerto vallarta at the end of august with my 1 year old also with my bro's family (they have a 13 month old). any tips/advice??

if you bought diapers/wipes in mexico, were the prices comparable to prices here?

TIA!

[doubleR]

we went to mexico in March, DS was 15 months and we had a great time :)

we didn't buy diapers / wipes b/c we had packed plenty, but we did run out of swim dipes at one point and prices were definitely comparable.

when we went, my son's appetite went way down due to the heat... he'd eat a great breakfast everyday - usually yogurt with lots of fruit, french toast, maybe a few bites of eggs - and then he'd pick on stuff for lunch, but usually not have much interest at all, and then like every other day, he'd also eat a great dinner - we usually ordered plain pasta for him. I also packed some Annie's mac & cheese thinking I'd make it back in the room, but I never did. I'm one of those "I don't want to cook on vacation" types! It was a little worrisome when he wasn't eating, but we made sure he drank plenty of water every day and all-in-all, he seemed fine. I just know that next time, I wouldn't worry so much about him not eating. It was hot and often times I don't feel like eating when it's that hot, so... Smoothies are a great idea and on one of our last days we caught on that he'd down a smoothie in seconds, so we'd order him one of those for lunch or a late afternoon snack so that he had something in him.

I did bring snacks for the beach from home for him - goldfish, goldfish pretzels, veggie booty and those gerber fruit chew snacks, they're kind of like gummy bears - was so glad I had those. yes, they're pretty much all sugar, but he seemed to really like them and I had definitely reached a point of 'whatever he'll eat' :o

He did fine with the boxed milk that they have pretty much everywhere in Mexico, but you can find the regular milk that we have here, too. The resort we were at only sold the boxed stuff so I was happy that Brady took that, no problems. I'd say that on the days he didn't really eat much, he'd have an extra bottle or maybe even 2, since we had him out and about way past bed time - we'd try to give him 1 at his regular bedtime while we were out and then another one when we got back to the room, if he was still awake...

We used baby banana boat 50 sunscreen on my super fair / pale boy and we had no problems at all. We'd always apply it in the room before heading out, b/c it was so much easier than re-applying it on the beach.

Also, we had asked for a crib in our room. We ended up keeping all of our *stuff* in there since my son would have climbed right out of it. He was pretty much out of a pack-n-play by then so we didn't bother lugging ours there. He ended up sleeping in one of the beds with me, my husband in the other queen sized bed in our room. romantic vacation? not so much, but definitely one of the best!!

Ok, seems like I wrote a lot, hopefully you find some of it useful ;)

I'm sure you'll have a great time, that's aweome that you're going with your brother's family too. The kids will LOVE it.

[mrsash]

thanks so much for the detailed info... definitely useful!

[mrschica]

Just remember that everything they have in the states for babies and little ones, they have versions of in Mexico like boxed juices, little boxes of cereal to snack on, cups of yogurt, etc. I only say this so you won't pack so much stuff!

I would just advise to be sure whatever fruits or veggies he eats are washed thoroughly and you stick to bottled water of course, for you know, Moctezuma's Revenge. Heh.

Have fun! :D

P.S. Any of the coastal Mexican towns are great, like the classics, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, etc. I would stay away from Mexico City, though I do recommend Guadalajara, very nice and the state of Jalisco really does have the best Mexican food has to offer, other than Oaxaca.

[Gabe's Mom]

We are going to Cancun in late Jan. Just curious if you asked your peds for antibiotics for diarrhea just in case?

[doubleR]

Gabe's Mom, we didn't. We made sure he ate some yogurt every day, and were just really careful with everything else. We were fine... also, you can go to any pharmacia in mexico and pick up antibiotics - you don't need a scrip. maybe just check with your ped on the dosage & type of antibiotic he'd prescribe and write it down? hopefully no one gets sick, especially the little one.

We're going again in March (Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo) and I can't wait :) :) :) have fun!!

[{b}]

We went to Puerto Morales, Mexico (south of Cancun), with our then 11-month-old baby. She was cruising all over, but not really walking yet at that point. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the all-inclusive resort complex we stayed at.

We took a ton of those Gerber plastic boxed baby foods and diapers.

She did end up with the runs a bit, but it never bothered her and was gone in about 3 days.

[Gabe's Mom]

DoubleR -Thanks for the advice. My sister went in November and was also telling me how much you can get at pharmacies. Pretty amazing!

We'll be going with a 27 month old. Any tips/ideas for the long plane ride? 6 hours for us. I'll brng a variety of snacks/entertainment.

[goldfish]

Gabe's Mom - how was your trip?

[Winter Biscuit]

We leave on Friday for the Riviera Maya -- my 12-month old and 4-year old are coming with us. I'll admit - I'm nervous about the flight there. Allison (12 months) is going to be a lap baby. I'm starting to regret not getting her her own seat! It was easy to book the trip when she was 2 months old and not mobile at all. I have to believe the sleep deprivation prevented me from thinking about the fact that she'd be mobile, walking, etc. Anyway, I'll let you know how it all goes when we get back :)

[ManteoChik]

Just thought I'd pop in here.

I just got back from Isla Mujeres (near Cancun) where I go every year. I don't have kids...but saw A LOT more families with small babies this year. In fact, several stayed where I was as the yacht club. I got to talking to one mom who was there with their 3.5 year old and 6 month old. She said that staying in Isla was wonderful because its such a small island. She said they spent a ton of time around the resort at the pool and when they ventured into town they used a small umbrella stroller for the toddler and wore the baby most of the time. Their kids seemed to be having a blast.

She told me when they fly she makes sure to pack her bags with lots of sealed dry snacks and things. Luckily, from where they came from its only a 2 hour max flight.

[Bbbethie]

ManteoChick What can you tell me about Isla Mujeres? We've been to the Playa del Carmen area and south several times, but I keep hearing about the beaches on Mujeres. Do you have any pictures? I'd love to learn more!

[ManteoChik]

ManteoChick What can you tell me about Isla Mujeres? We've been to the Playa del Carmen area and south several times, but I keep hearing about the beaches on Mujeres. Do you have any pictures? I'd love to learn more!

I *LOVE* Isla. It's fabulous, IMO...lol. Its really laid back, and is the type of place for relaxation although their is some stuff to do.

For starters, you must fly into Cancun and then take a cab (or set up a driver, which is what I do) to take a 30 min ride through Cancun to the ferry docks (Puerto Juarez). You can take the ferry accros to Isla, and its pretty cheap (I think around $7 USD for round trip ticket) and the ferry is really nice. It takes about 20 min on the ferry. When arriving at the ferry docks in Isla there are several cabs all waiting to take you to your hotel. The cabs are really cheap and hardly costs more than $5 USD.

There are several places to stay on Isla and you'd be surprised at how reasonable of a rate you can get for a great room. Will you be traveling with children?

If you are staying somewhere with a pool and beachfront, you pretty much only need to leave for shopping or sighseeing. If you are staying somewhere without a beach (most all places have pools) there are a couple of public beaches (Playa Norte aka North Beach, where the swing bar is) that are really nice. There are several great restaurants as well. Getting around on the island is very easy. They have cabs and a bus.....but most people rent a golf cart or moped for the week. Its not necessary and you can rent them by the day if you prefer to cab it BUT I would suggest renting a golf cart for a least a day or to if you want to sight-see the island.

As for activites: sportfishing (sailfising in January/February/March) as well as meat fish (golden tile and grouper), Dolphin Swimming at Dolphin Discovery, Garafon (which is a zipline and snorkling). There are a few other outfits for snorkling trips and things like that. You can always day trip it on the ferry back to Cancun to sight-see. I'm just not a huge fan of Cancun.

Isla really is the place for relaxation. Its a lot of beach sitting, pool swimming, and maybe a few activities like dolphin swimming or snorkeling.

If you'd like some recs on places to stay let me know.

[ManteoChik]

Isla pictures

The beach at Zama Beach Club (owned by Villa Vera also known as the Yacht Club)
http://photos-b.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v65/147/11/53501072/n53501072_30402645_7578.jpg

http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v65/147/11/53501072/n53501072_30402647_8174.jpg

The view off of my balcony at Chac-Chi (hotel). Its not on the water but just around the corner from the marina where SO keeps the boat
http://photos-b.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v65/147/11/53501072/n53501072_30402657_1198.jpg

Walking around before dinner (at night, obviously...lol) There are several shops and street vendors
http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v65/147/11/53501072/n53501072_30402662_2769.jpg

Excuse my face, this is me taking a self portrait while I was riding around the island on the golf cart
http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v65/147/11/53501072/n53501072_30402682_9303.jpg

The beach at the Swing Bar (Playa Norte "north beach") this day it was almost sunset and there was a wedding taking place
http://photos-a.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v65/147/11/53501072/n53501072_30402696_3782.jpg

[Bbbethie]

Thanks for the info. We've been down to the Riviera Maya four times but never saw anything in Cancun but the airport. That really isn't our scene. We're not interested in nightlife but just a beautiful beach along with decent accomodations and food. We spend most of our time reading, swimming, eating and napping.

We've never traveled with our son, but may be open to it in the future. So, I'd take recommendations for any adults only or family friendly resorts/hotels.

Have you been to Playa? The street vendors picture reminds me of the way it was a couple years ago. I still love Playa but it is certainly becoming more commercialized.

Also, do you need a lot of Spanish to get around? Mine is rather elementary!

[ManteoChik]

Thanks for the info. We've been down to the Riviera Maya four times but never saw anything in Cancun but the airport. That really isn't our scene. We're not interested in nightlife but just a beautiful beach along with decent accomodations and food. We spend most of our time reading, swimming, eating and napping.

We've never traveled with our son, but may be open to it in the future. So, I'd take recommendations for any adults only or family friendly resorts/hotels.

Have you been to Playa? The street vendors picture reminds me of the way it was a couple years ago. I still love Playa but it is certainly becoming more commercialized.

Also, do you need a lot of Spanish to get around? Mine is rather elementary!

You'd probably really like Isla Mujeres. Its really peaceful and great for relaxation. I don't speak any spanish, and its never been a problem for me. A lot of people there speak at least some english and the ones that don't are pretty good at figuring out what you need. I know only basic phrases and usually spend several days by myself with no problems.

I'm not sure what your budget is, but here are a few places I'd recommend.

Villa Vera (also known as the Yacht Club). Its beautiful and the rooms are very nice. Most rooms (that I've been in) have king sized beds, sitting areas, and HUGE bathrooms. I notice mostly adults around, but there were families there and its pretty family friendly. The pool is amazing with a swim up bar and they have their own restaurant with both inside and poolside dining, as well as room service. The Yacht Club is also home to the main marina (where we stay with the boat) where several of the boats do charter fishing trips. The rooms are pretty pricey though, but Villa Vera also has their own beach club on the island called Zama Beach Club. The beach at Zama is beautiful and they have their own open air restaurant on site - along with a HUGE double story infinity pool. They provide the lounge chairs at both places and serve you poolside although you can choose to go sit under the big "hut" at a table. Here's the link to a video that someone took of the beach club. Keep in mind its currently under renovation - the pool should be the same but I think they are redoing the restaurant area.
http://www.mystica.com/mexico/zama/

Just down the street from Zama is Rolandi's, the 5 star resort on the island. Its amazing. The place is beautiful and they have a WONDERFUL restaurant. I won't lie, Rolandi's is expensive BUT it also includes two meals per day. Breakfast, and your choice of either lunch or dinner.....totally worth it. Their pool and beach are amazing and they have a great spa. Once you eat in their restaurant you are pretty much hooked. I do know that only children 13 and over are allowed to stay here (however restaurant patrons are welcome to bring their kids)
www.villarolandi.com

If you're really feeling ready to shell out some bucks you can stay at Casa de los Suenos. Prices are comparable to that of Rolandi's, but doesn't include the meal plan. The place is absolutely stunning. Its totally private (you must ring a bell and be buzzed in) and there are only 8 rooms. It is absolutely the most peaceful place.....EVER. While I haven't stayed there, I do usually book a massage at their spa on each trip. Its heaven. I have been in a few of the rooms when the spa director took me on a tour. I keep telling my SO that we need a vacation just to Los Suenos...lol...he hasn't given in yet. :D Not sure about their kid policy.
http://www.casadelossuenosresort.com/

If you are looking more into keeping costs down I would highly recommend Chac-Chi. Its a great little spot that just opened last year. I stayed for a week last year, and a couple nights this year. Its nothing super fancy but it is very nice. I've stayed in the Luxury Suite which has two balconies, king size bed, vanity sink area, spa tub, kitchenette with dining table, sitting area with couch and love-seat - $95/night. I've also stayed in a suite with balcony which included the same things but with only one balcony (instead of two) and without the sitting area - $75/night. Standard hotel rooms are $45/night and studio apartments are $55/night. I really enjoyed my stay at Chac-Chi. They have a pool, but its small and in the center of the hotel which means its usually pretty cold. Even though its not on the beach, that's never been a problem for me. I usually go to Zama and use the beach pool there, but North Beach (where the swing bar is) is always an option as well. I've never seen kids here but I know they are welcome.
www.hotelchacchi.com

[ManteoChik]

As for restaurants, there are a lot of options.

JAX - Located on North Beach. Its a great little spot owned by an american couple from Texas. They have great burgers and cheese fries - and grouper sandwiches. Its the one place on the island that really is americanized for that day where you feel like you've had enough of mexican food. Its also a big sportsbar scene.

Angelo's - Located in the midst of the "downtown" area...which is where most of the shopping and restaurants are. Its a great little italian restaurant, we eat here a lot. Their pasta dishes are really good, and they have an authentic brick oven they still cook all their pizza in.

Pizza Rolandi's - Also in town, kinda self explanatory. I've never eaten there but I know a lot of people who do. I know a lot of people who will grad a pizza at night and take it back to their room and stick it in the mini-fridge to have lunch on the beach the next day or a snack in the room. This is owned by Rolandi's.

Rolandi's - The restaurant at their main resort is fabulous, 5 star. For being 5 star I consider it reasonable, but still quite a bit more than your average Isla restaurant. If you stay there, your meal is factored into your room price. If you're not staying here, its at least worth one trip for a special dinner. Be prepared, when you eat there once you'll want to keep going back.

The Lobster House - Located in town as well. They have a great breakfast and dinner. I really enjoy their french toast at breakfast...and while they have a wide selection on the dinner menu, their Lobster and Shrimp is really good.

I often find myself eating breakfast or grabbing a quick lunch by the pool at Villa Vera. Honestly, I don't find their food spectacular (breakfast is fine) but I usually stick with the Club sandwich for lunch if I'm too lazy to go somewhere else.

The boat SO runs is private, so the owners are the only ones who fish it. However, most of the other boats in the marina are from my hometown (or close by and we know them) and they charter. The captains and mates all stay on the boats, and because of this we do A LOT of cooking out on the dock at Villa Vera.

[Bbbethie]

Thank you so much for the input. It's good to know which places tend to be child-friendly because who knows if we'll be alone or not on our next trip. (Trying to stay on topic just a little bit here ;) )

Hopefully I'll be able to put your knowledge to use in the not-so-distant future!

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Help!

We really want to take a family vacation to mexico next year. DD1 will be 5 and DD2 will only be 2.5. I really want to go somewhere that offers a kids program for toddlers aged 2. I'm hitting road blocks though, most don't seem to start until age 4. We just want to have the option of putting her in there so we can have some adult time too.

Looking for a really nice AI.

Any suggestions for us?

[rosa727]

bumping this up...

We plan on heading to the Playa area next Feb/March with DS (who will be 2 then) and both sets of grandparents. We either want a resort that has suites or to rent a house. We have been to the area several times but always stayed at adult-only places. Any suggestions for resorts?