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John, you have me chomping at the bit to get there (May 2007) I can't wait. I appreciate the great review. Are you going to be posting pics on snapfish? shaggy
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Yes, that is a great report and interesting too to read the difference between these two resorts. Beaches are very nice at Nuevo Vallarta but we mainly walk the beach. What was your favorite trip at PV? I had to look up where Xcaret is.
The pictures are beautiful that were posted by SFX. I hope to see yours too.Comment
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The Grand Mayan and the Mayan Palace is the same resort. The difference is in the units. The Grand Mayan units and Mayan Palace units are in separate buildings on the same property and share the same swimming pools, restaurants, and other amenities. The Grand Mayan units are more luxurious. For example the Mayan Palace units do not have the personal pool and are smaller. I didn't see the Mayan Palace units but I imagine they are still pretty nice though not as upscale as the Grand Mayan.Originally posted by Joe LJohnComment
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Leslie, I took a few hundred pictures and will be posting them on Snapfish when I get them organized. May should be a great time of the year. Next time we go, it will be in April - June.Originally posted by shaggyJohnComment
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There are 2 tours we went on in Puerto Vallarta that we enjoyed very much. One was a tour of the city and areas around it with a trip into the mountains. The second one was a boat tour that took us to Los Arcos and the beach Las Animas.Originally posted by iconnectionsJohnComment
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John Great review and since I did the same trip a year ago I have to agree. I will be changing the title to your thread and them making it a sticky.
I am going to the grand Mayan in Alcupoco in Feb to bad your not going there. BTW you will love NV even more. I was there 2 years ago and at the time it was almost done. Now I believe it is compleat.Timeshareforums Shirts and Mugs on sale now! http://www.cafepress.com/ts4msComment
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Frank,Originally posted by bigfrank
Glad to see you back. I hope you had a great time in Aruba.
I am trying to talk my wife into doing Acapulco as well. She still believes that it is like it was 10 years ago when it was dirty and run down.
Several people told me that the Grand Mayan in Nuevo Vallarta was better than Riviera Maya. We are looking forward to going to NV at the Grand Mayan next April for two weeks. All I can say is that it must be fantastic because the Grand Mayan in Riviera Maya was pretty awesome. It changed our perspective.JohnComment
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John, the Grand Mayan in Nuevo Vallarta is a much nicer resort than the older one at the marina and much larger too. It is too big and spread out for us. We prefer a smaller resort. It is in a newer area and there is a beautiful golf course there too. The beaches are nicer too in Nuevo Vallarta. The Master plan is more like the resort areas here in the United States like Wailea in Hawaii. It is all very manicured. It doesn't have the Mexican flavor or flair like the old Puerto Vallarta has. In a way, I prefer that because that is what Mexico used to be before the American tourist discovered it and so many resorts were built to accommodate us. We have enough United States here where we live so a change from that to real authentic Mexico is a nice change too. I like Puerto Vallarta better than Nuevo Vallarta but the beaches and resorts are nicer there.Originally posted by JWCComment
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Emmy,Originally posted by iconnections
I have no idea what resort you are referring to as the older one by the Marina. I was taking about the Grand Mayan in Nuevo Vallarta compared to the Grand Mayan at Riviera Maya which is south of Cancun.
I am somewhat amused by people's perception of what "real authentic Mexico" is supposed to be. I first lived in Mexico 41 years ago and have lived, worked and visited in much of the country over the past years. It is like saying the "real authentic United States". Mexico is a diverse nation with some very charming areas and some that aren't. To me, the greatest thing about visiting Mexico is the people. My wife and I spend a lot of time chatting with the local folks and have made many good friends in our travels. Both of us are fluent in Spanish and totally understand the culture. My wife is Mexican. All of Mexico is authentic Mexico from Tijuana to Cancun and all places in between.JohnComment
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John, we saw two Mayan Palace resorts when we were in the PV and NV area in January 2003. The one in NV had just started to build the Grand Mayan. That one is near the golf course. I thought I read that you wanted to stay in PV only and not in NV so I assumed that you were staying at the older Mayan Palace in PV. I also assumed that they had built a Grand Mayan there too by now.
I can't remember exactly where the older resort was so obviously not at the marina. All I remember is that we did not care for the older resort as it was very busy and the new one was very large but near a nice golf course and at a very nice beach. They had just completed a Grand Mayan model unit and we were about the first ones to view it. They weren't even sure about the prices yet but they told us that they were going to be much higher than the regular units. The Grand Mayan unit we saw was very nice but are they on the ocean? They hadn't started building yet. Are there Grand Mayan units at the older resort in PV too or not? Did you stay in PV or in NV? That wasn't clear to me.
I am sure that most newer cities or extended old cities are no longer authentic Mexico like it was before but aren't they keeping Puerto Vallarta that way on purpose so the tourists can see what this city looked like before it became famous. We hope Puerto Vallarta will stay this way. We took the same city tour you took where they explained a lot about it. Nuevo Vallarta is very master-planned and could be a newer community anywhere today. I am sure Mexico is building new communities everywhere which have wider roads and look more like a modern city. EmmyComment
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It is true that we first requested PV rather than NV. However we changed our minds when we learned what an awesome resort the Grand Mayan is in NV. Our reasons for choosing PV first is that we do like to be near the city but we can easily find transportation from NV to PV.Originally posted by iconnectionsJohn, we saw two Mayan Palace resorts when we were in the PV and NV area in January 2003. The one in NV had just started to build the Grand Mayan. That one is near the golf course. I thought I read that you wanted to stay in PV only and not in NV so I assumed that you were staying at the older Mayan Palace in PV. I also assumed that they had built a Grand Mayan there too by now.
I can't remember exactly where the older resort was so obviously not at the marina. All I remember is that we did not care for the older resort as it was very busy and the new one was very large but near a nice golf course and at a very nice beach. They had just completed a Grand Mayan model unit and we were about the first ones to view it. They weren't even sure about the prices yet but they told us that they were going to be much higher than the regular units. The Grand Mayan unit we saw was very nice but are they on the ocean? They hadn't started building yet. Are there Grand Mayan units at the older resort in PV too or not? Did you stay in PV or in NV? That wasn't clear to me.
I am sure that most newer cities or extended old cities are no longer authentic Mexico like it was before but aren't they keeping Puerto Vallarta that way on purpose so the tourists can see what this city looked like before it became famous. We hope Puerto Vallarta will stay this way. We took the same city tour you took where they explained a lot about it. Nuevo Vallarta is very master-planned and could be a newer community anywhere today. I am sure Mexico is building new communities everywhere which have wider roads and look more like a modern city. Emmy
We have stayed in PV before but not at the Mayan Palace. There was no Mayan Palace when we stayed there. We just got back from the Grand Mayan at Riviera Maya. As I said, we two confirmed consecutive weeks at the Grand Mayan in Nuevo Vallarta fro next April.
The price for a 2BR unit at the Grand Mayan in Riviera Maya is $79,000 USD for 16 weeks. We never went to any presentation but that is what somebody that did go to a sales presentation told us. The price seems absurd for just 16 weeks. That is almost $5,000 for just one week at the resort. I am sure there is more to it than that. In any event, I would never buy at the Mayan, Palace or any resort in Mexico. The Mayan Palace and most resorts in Mexico are very easy to exchange into.
I am still somewhat confused by your use of the term "authentic Mexico". Just what do you mean? If you are referring to the conservation of the traditions and culture than I understand. All of Mexico is authentic. Some areas are just different than others just like the US is. Being an old city often doesn't make any difference. Cancun and the Rivera Maya is a very new area developed strictly for the tourists. However, there is far more Mexican culture available in that area than in Mazatlan which is a port city. Puerto Vallarta has done a good job of preserving the culture and the traditions. If you are really into Mexican culture than you should visit Guadalajara which is considered to be the root of much of the Mexican culture such as the Mariachis etc. Morelia, Michoacan is a beautiful colonial city. Culiacán, Sinaloa which is about a 100 miles or so from Mazatlan is quite colonial. My wife is from Culiacán. We were married there and lived there. Culiacán is larger than Mazatlan and far more prosperous. It has no tourist industry at all. When we lived there it was a city of great contrast with very palatial estates to very poor barrios. Now the barrios are gone. There are Wal-Marts, Costco, McDonalds, KFC, etc., and some local chains like in most Mexican cities. That doesn't make it less Mexican. It is just evolution and the country is much better for it.
I could go on and on about this subject because it is very dear to my heart but I am sure it would bore everybody to tears.JohnComment
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What do I mean with it? Puerto Vallarta has narrow little cobblestone streets and the old buildings are painted in colorful tones where the shops are with many little squares and arches and neat white homes for the people. They all get free paint to keep their houses looking nice. The driver at the bus tour told us this. I like the architecture of the old buildings. That's what I mean.Originally posted by JWC
Puerto Vallarta is located between the Bahia de Banderas and the foothills of the the Sierra Madre mountains which gives it a beautiful picturesque view.
These pictures were found on the Internet here:
http://www.lapuntarealty.com/rm/list...mages/74_1.jpg
http://www.hotelencino.com/images/iglesia.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/benbabusis/P...-Images/63.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/benbabusis/P...-Images/64.jpgComment
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I agree that Puerto Vallarta is very charming as your very nice pictures indicate. As I have said many times, Puerto Vallarta is one of my favorite cities in Mexico. However, because another city is not as beautiful nor as charming does not make it any less authentic Mexico.JohnComment
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You are right. We haven't seen much of Mexico yet.
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Mayan Palace - Nuevo Vallarta
Hi: I loved your write-up especially giving so much info on the Mayan Palace....Is that the Mayan Palace in Neuvo Vallarta by chance? If so thanks for all the good info.....JudyComment
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