I recently went on a trip to Puerto Vallarta early this October, my first since I traveled there in 1998.  Since then, this area has grown tremendously and there is a new area now, called Nuevo Vallarta, which is about 20 minutes from downtown Puerto Vallarta.  Once I arrived I had to be aware of time share representatives that tried to lure me to their gimmicks.  After clearing immigration, I proceeded to collect my luggage and went directly to the airport taxi where taxis were available to take me to my resort.  Once to the resort I was on guard for time share representatives again, as airport passenger arrival and the airport exit corridor are popular spots for time share activities.  They usually posed themselves as passenger assistance/information representatives.  If this happens to you, all I can recommend is saying “no thank you,” and you will most likely have to repeat it again, as they are very persistent.

         I stayed at Marival Resort and Suites in Nuevo Vallarta.  We had two bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a kitchenette, a living room and an oceanfront suite with balcony.  I recommend this all-inclusive resort for families, couples and singles alike.  They offer a great beach perfect for water sports, tennis games on one of their four outdoor courts, or many organized games and activities offered throughout the day.  If traveling with children, they can enjoy their own playground, pool, and supervised activities program.  You can also enjoy the nightlife at Cesar’s Club Disco, where there is no cover charge for hotel guests.  The food was excellent, I loved the buffet breakfast that offered a variety of eggs, pancakes, French toast and even Mexican food like tacos and burritos.  And another convenient aspect was that there is always a restaurant open from early morning until late at night.  The one drawback of my stay at the resort was the cold shower in our suite.  I mentioned it to the front desk, but it was never resolved by the time we checked out.    

            When in Puerto Vallarta, take advantage of the activities at this destination.  One I recommend is the Konkik adventure.  On this tour you glide along the water in a trimaran as dolphins, whales, and bird life surround the boat.  You can also enjoy the deli lunch and continental breakfast, along with snorkeling and kayaking.  This tour offers an English speaking tour guide and staff, open domestic bar, and drinks on the beach, along with snorkeling equipment.  This tour takes approximately 7 hours and operates Monday through Saturday between 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  I recommend taking comfortable walking shoes, a swimsuit, towel and an extra t-shirt.  This costs approximately $85 a person, $40 fro children, reservations are required 48 hours in advance, and pregnant women cannot participate in this activity.  A second thrill-seeking activity I recommend is the Canopy La Vista canopy tour.  In taking part in this, you can zip from tree to tree on 15 zip lines about the tropical canopies of Puerto Vallarta.  From up high you can overlook one of the largest bays in North America (Banderas Bay) and gaze upon the tropical trees, wild orchids, and native birds and reptiles.  This tour offers the most up to date and safest equipment, is approximately 3 hours long, and operates daily with the exception of local and national holidays.  They recommend you wear shorts or pants, closed toe shoes and insect repellant.  You must be at the meeting point 30 minutes prior to the tour time, the minimum height requirement is 4 feet and the maximum weight limit is 250 lbs.  Children must be a minimum of 7 years old, and this tour is not recommended for people who are pregnant, those with heart trouble, seizure disorders, or those with back, neck or shoulder disabilities.  Reservations are required 48 hours in advance.  These tours are $75 per adult, $65 per child, and $25 to just observe but not take part.  Both of these activities, in effort to preserve the environment, limit the use of sunscreen to those which are ecological/environmentally safe.

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