My sister and I just took our first trip abroad, to Cancun, Mexico. It was a little bit nerve wracking, not only to be out of the country, but to be out of the country alone. In preparation for our vacation, we received a variety of tips from friends, family and our travel agent. After collecting all of this advice, I've also added my own recommendations from our experience. For anyone planning to take an international trip soon, particularly to Mexico, here are some pieces of advice you should consider:
1. Stay in an All-Inclusive Resort
Especially if this is your first time traveling to Mexico, it's probably easier (and arguably safer) to stay on your resort for the duration of your trip. It's no secret that parts of the country are unsafe, so unless you're in a familiar area, you may want to avoid exploring too much. But even if you do choose to venture off-resort, having an all-inclusive stay simply makes things more convenient! All-inclusive packages factor all of your meals, drinks & snacks into your lodging costs, not to mention some resort activities!
2. Don't Drink the Tap Water
You've all heard it - tap water in Mexico isn't safe to drink. Avoid feeing crummy during your vacation by taking care to drink only bottled water, or filtered water provided at a restaurant. You should also be careful about eating any foods that are washed in tap water, such as salad lettuce. Be especially careful when showering or brushing your teeth - some people will swallow just a little bit on accident and become sick.
3. Stay Hydrated
It's pretty hot in Mexico, and being out on the beach you may not notice how much you're sweating. If you're drinking alcohol on top of the heat, it makes it that much more important to drink water throughout the day. It's easy to lay in the sun and drink more than you meant to, and that makes it easy to get dehydrated. A friend of mine actually had a serious reaction to dehydration during a different trip & had to see the local paramedics for treatment. For our trip, my sister and I brought some drink mixtures to put in our water to get some added vitamins and electrolytes when we hydrated.
4. Arrange Transportation in Advance
| With safety being one of our top priorities while traveling abroad, we didn't want to take any risks using public transportation/taxis. Instead, we set up a transfer reservation to drive us from the airport to our hotel, and back again at the end of the trip. With everything paid for in advance, it was just one less hassle we needed to worry about! 5. Wear SunscreenThis may seem obvious, but the sun in Mexico is much stronger than what we are used to in the States. We took 5 different bottles of sunscreen with us (ranging from 30-50 SPF), completely went through three of the bottles, and still ended up mildly sunburnt. Despite having reapplied sunscreen every hour, my worst sunburns were right along my bikini strap, and my sister had some similar burns around her bikini bottoms. We assume this was thanks to our suit material rubbing off the lotion throughout the day. Therefore, make sure to thoroughly reapply your lotion all around your swimsuit lines! |  |
6. Carry Cash
Hide small increments of money in different places on your body; don't keep it all in one place. Carrying smaller bills is helpful so that you can tip the staff, and it can keep you safe if you choose to shop in the market. That's a good rule of thumb no matter where you are - you don't want anyone to see you carrying a lot of cash when you open up your wallet to pay for something.
Additionally, many tourist hotels/resorts will accept American money for small purchases around the property, so you may be able to avoid getting an exchange. Just make sure to give your hotel or travel agent a call in advance to double check!
Additionally, many tourist hotels/resorts will accept American money for small purchases around the property, so you may be able to avoid getting an exchange. Just make sure to give your hotel or travel agent a call in advance to double check!
7. Don't Bring Valuables
You're going to be spending the majority of your time on the beach anyway, so there's really no reason to bring a bunch of valuable jewelry or other items that could get stolen. We just brought our phones, cameras, and a couple pieces of cheap jewelry to dress up our outfits for dinner. Whatever you do bring with you, make sure to lock it up (especially your passports) in the hotel safe any time you leave your room.
8. Bring Medicine From Home
If you start to feel crummy, you'll want to have some of your own familiar medicine (i.e. ibuprofen, aspirin, etc). Some other personal care items you may consider bringing are: band-aids, q-tips, cotton balls, aloe, lotion and rubbing alcohol.
9. Consider Travel Insurance
A small piece of insurance can make all the difference. I, personally, did not get the traveler's medical insurance. However, a colleague of mine had upwards of $2,000 in medical costs in Mexico. Having travel insurance not only means that an accident is covered, but that you would also be airlifted to be treated by an American medical service, if necessary. We were fortunate enough to not have any experience with medical treatment in Mexico during our trip, however my unlucky colleague tells me that the experience is not up to the standard that we are used to in America.
If you're getting ready for an upcoming trip, you should check out these tips on how to quickly get fit for bikini season!
Bon Voyage :)
Bon Voyage :)
