hi esb,
please help! with all of the wedding planning going on, the last thing on my list is trying to find our honeymoon location. i imagine relaxing on a beach while still having some culture and places to check out (no sandals resorts!).
i'm burnt out from doing countless hours of research online for the perfect honeymoon in mexico (preferably in/near the baja california sur area as we'll be flying from california). any advice for hotels/places to check out so that i can narrow down this insane amount of possibility?
thank you for any help that you can give!
*****
My lady Jamie recently went on a fabulous trip to Mexico (which, naturally, was fabulously documented), so I figured I'd just ask her to tell us about it....
Here is what you do: Book a flight into Puerto Vallarta (right out of Tijuana, if you happen to be in San Diego, and wanting to save some pennies), and a stay at Casa Ninamu. Johann, the proprietor, will arrange for you to be picked up at the airport in PV, and driven to Sayulita.
No need to rent a car, you can walk into town, or, if you are feeling lazy, drive the golf cart up the winding dirt road. Once there you should, in no particular order:
-nap on one of the two private beach cabanas
-nap on your own hammock, the only thing separating your living room from your infinity pool
-spend loads of time in your infinity pool
-have the estate's staff* cook you lunch
-have the estate's staff cook you breakfast
-have the estate's staff cook you dinner
-have the estate's staff cook you dinner, again
-have the estate's staff cook you pizza at your own outdoor pizza oven
-if you really want to eat out, sayulita cafe is there for you
-you also have your own kitchen. but why bother?
-take in the impeccable interior design
-enjoy the sound of the rain hitting the awning over your living room, as the light filters through the thatching (are you inside or outside? it is so wonderfully confusing)
-join johann and his wife (one of the world's leading fashion photographers) for cocktails at sunset on their INSANE indoor/outdoor living room/pool/deck (i don't even know what to call it) area while their three tow-headed boys politely play hide and seek nearby and their horse-sized mastiff snoozes on the floor below you
-nap on your roof top bed
-stop being such shut-ins and explore the adorable little cobble stones hippie surfer expat town that is sayulita
-have burritos at burrito revolution
-take the kayak out for a go, it's just sitting there on the beach
-go for a horseback ride, from your front door
-picnic on the crazy expansive and private lawn just steps from your house
-release baby sea turtles smaller than the palm of your hand into the ocean
-take photos at playa de los muertos before sunset, then take a moonlit dip in the calm waters of the magical adjacent beach
-what, you don't want to nap and eat all day? jungle tours. surfing. boat charters. fishing. yoga. but don't waste your time researching it ahead of time. the estate's staff can set you up with everything.
*the staff is awesome and is there to help you as little or as much as you like. if it is privacy you desire, they will NOT disturb.
(Photos by Jamie Street, also known as 1/2 of Rad + In Love)
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p.s. I've also got readers requesting guides to São Paulo, Bermuda, Buenos Aires and PARIS. Who wants to write a guest post?
Ok, um, I'm totally sold.
ReplyDeleteIf you're set on Baja California, Anthony Bourdain did a pretty great episode of No Reservations there.
ReplyDeleteone of my friends lived there for several years. it sounds like an incredible place!! she keeps saying we're going to take a girls' trip there together one of these days! sounds like the perfect honeymoon spot- have fun!
ReplyDeleteIf you're going between January and March, gray whale watching in Baja is amazing. I went with Baja Expeditions and really loved it.
ReplyDeleteJust to make sure you've considered this, it is 100+ pretty much every day there in the summer.
$400-$600 per night? Wow.
ReplyDeleteright? sheesh.
DeleteSeriously. Normal people can't afford this.
DeleteThere's plenty of cheaper accommodation in town
Deletethat's insane, esp. for that "charming" i.e. kind of run-down town.
DeleteOh my god then do your research for something cheaper?
Delete(we had four days in Cornwall, on a buuuuuudget, no defensiveness here)
oh, christ! just because it doesn't look like the mega-mall/stucco cities of the us, it does not mean it's run down. believe it or not, there is charm in towns that weren't built in the 80s.
Deleteand for the record, there is not one single thing run down about the property.
Deletewho has suggestions for beach front, staffed, luxury 2 bedroom homes for less than 400? where do i sign up?
but of course, lots of less expensive places in sayu, for sure. and many are lovely.
I second this! Puerto Vallarta is amazing. Just make sure you stay in the old-town "romantic" portion if this fancy estate is out of budget. Steer clear of the resort section. You can even walk by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's old house. Or take a horse ride into the rain forest where Predator was filmed.
ReplyDeleteTulum
ReplyDeleteRancho Pescadero! About half way between La Paz and Cabo. Best damn vacation I've ever had in my life, and the prices are completely reasonable.
ReplyDeleteNext can someone write about how every American will not be killed and/or ransomed if they step foot across the border? I've been trying to convince my husband for at least a year that we need a tropical vacation, and living in Southern California, Mexico is the cheapest and most economical option. He, however, is A Worrier and watches too much CNN. I am still in need of an outdoor living room and an excuse to nap all day.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever shown your husband the US govt travel warnings? They make it clear which areas are safe and which aren't.
DeleteState.gov
I married The Most Practical Man in the World. I've tried, and he just pulls the whole "better safe than beheaded" excuse and says we can go somewhere else. (We haven't got anywhere.)
DeleteMaybe this is a little mean, and would be drawing some kind of line in the sand, but: make plans to go without him. Alone or with a friend. If he sees you're truly determined to go through with it, I bet he'll decide he'd rather be with you and worrying than worrying about you from home.
DeleteThen, be very sensitive to his worries. Do your homework and show him you take his concerns seriously. Be 2 hours early to the airport. Make contingency plans for emergencies and less threatening (but more common) problems like pickpockets. Buy a travel insurance policy. All of these things should help him relax and once you're there I bet you will both appreciate it all the more. Good luck!
wtf to your husband? i mean, be sensitive to his concerns and all, but if you guys are going to be vacationing anything like this guide to this hippie-surferbum-quirky little town kind of expat (read: gringo) version of Mexico where there really wasn't much discussion of mexican culture per se (sorry, i'm sure it's a wonderful place, but that's how it came across to me...), and you're not trying to traffic drogas, then isn't it just like going to freaking santa cruz or la jolla, but a few hundred miles south? your husband needs to grow a pair, have a little adventure, and stop being so damn sheltered.
Deleteor instead of sara's suggestion just: 1. pull the stick out of his butt
DeleteAnon, that's the goal, but be real telling someone to lighten up never works. She has to stand her ground and then hold his hand and show him that it will be OK. And it will be. And then he'll become more reasonable. You catch flies with honey, or something.
DeleteBut for real, OP, not traveling because sometimes bad things happen is not The Most Practical Thing in the World. Push him to grow on this, even if you start with somewhere "safer" than Mexico and work your way up to it; one day he'll thank you.
Bahahaha! I've been slowly pulling the stick out of his ass for the past 6 years. I just realized that his reservations might have a leeetle bit to do with living in the middle east in the 70s and 80s. He just takes that shit seriously.
DeleteRE the Paris guide, I honeymooned there last October. I'm sure there are tons of folks that are better equipped for a guide, but I have to recommend flying Iceland Air and take advantage of their free stop over for a couple days. If you're in Washington, Colorado, or on the east coast it could actually be one of the cheapest flights. We LOVED it.
ReplyDeleteThe best tip I have for Paris is spend at least a half a day lounging in the Luxembourg gardens. Paris is not for rushing, it is for relishing.
I second TULUM!
ReplyDeletethat all sounds great, but please don't touch the baby sea turtles. seriously, what the hell.
ReplyDeleteI don't think she went around scooping up random baby sea turtles. I'm sure it was something like this
DeleteOMG THANK YOU.
DeleteWe went to Cozumel on a Groupon. We had an amazing time--because it was our honeymoon--but I wouldn't recommend it if you actually want to experience Mexican culture. The whole island is pretty much catered to obese Americans.
ReplyDeleteTo add to yer list of requested honeymoon guides, how bout Thailand??
ReplyDeleteHi! I don't know when your honeymoon is, but if you are going in the summer I might look at the Cabo area versus Sayulita. I'm no Mexico expert but my understanding that when summer is well underway, it gets pretty muggy/hurricaney in PV, whereas Cabo on the tip of Baja is HOT but gets an ocean breeze.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I went to Cabo this summer. We actually really wanted to go to PV/Sayulita because we've heard wonderful things but we could only get time off together in the summer (end of July) and it just seemed like the weather was too iffy that time of year in PV. In Cabo it was around 90s every day - hot but doable. We were worried it would be total spring break scene but it was really easy to stay away from that type of stuff - maybe because it was the off season? We rented a car so we could get to some more off the beaten path beaches (the main beach in Cabo is full of tourists and jet skis and boats and cruise ships are everywhere). Todos Santos is a really cute area just up the Pacific Coast.
We stayed here: http://thebungalowshotel.com
And it was super cute, charming, affordable, wonderful staff and 100% not a resort. I would totally go back.
We also found this list: http://trapperscabolist.com/
Which was really invaluable for scoping out the best tacos. ;)
We also never felt like we were in danger or threatened at all, even driving all over the place.
I think Cabo gets a little chilly in the winters so I would look at weather averages for the time you want to go before you commit.
Ah, I forgot to fancy links!
Deletehotel
restaurant list
I can third Tulum, although if you're coming from the west coast, it's kind of a long journey. I just came back from there. Skip Cozumel. What a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteWe honeymooned in Puerto Vallarta, and then went a little south to Yelapa and stayed at Verana. Again, it ain't cheap, but it was lovely. It might be more adventurous than most resorts, as there are no walls, and it's in the jungle, but it was surprisingly luxurious and incredibly beautiful.
Have fun!
That list of things to do was like, the nicest thing I read all day.
ReplyDeleteThe only addition I would suggest is: Before each nap, have HOT HONEYMOON SEX. :)
DeleteOP here -- thanks to Jamie and for all of the comments from the readers...I feel the weight lifted off my shoulders already! Starting to get super excited about this now!!
ReplyDeleteBookmarking this for future adventures. I'm the one looking for São Paulo advice. I arrive there tomorrow...
ReplyDeleteI WANT TO BE THERE RIGHT NOW. Torture
ReplyDeleteUmmm but you said you wanted to see culture? How about you stay a few days around Puerto Vallarta / Sayulita but you DO rent a car and go on a road trip to:
ReplyDelete-Guadalajara (it is a beautiful city and there is lots to see, including but not limited to Hospicio Cabañas, with murals from master painter Orozco, the cathedral, the old kiosk brought directly from Paris in the 1930s... ); -then Tlaquepaque (small town where you can hear the best mariachi of the whole of Mexico dare I say),
-a tour to Tequila (and see how the stuff is made at the local factories)...
-And if your honeymoon is around February, you can go whale watching and see Boobie birds at Marieta islands (you know ,those birds with bright blue feet that Darwin described and only live in some Pacific islands). If you are interested check Vallarta adventures
TULUM! We honeymooned there exactly 1 year ago. It was basically this restaurant that inspired it and it was totally worth it:
ReplyDeleteHartwood
Oh, what I would give to be there right now!
Go to Oaxaca. Enjoy the beauty, the food, the architecture, art, people, parades, nearby ruins, museums...I'm getting teary eyes thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little late to this fiesta but had to weigh in. That place looks pretty amazing. I was looking for the same vibe for our honeymoon earlier this summer - pretty place to stay, chill beach, amazing food, awesome town, but at a third of the cost of this place. We stayed at Playa Escondida. The website's pretty cheesy but it is seriously beautiful and relaxed. Also, a not too hard 30 min hike into town (over the beach & through the woods) for a bit of exercise, and you can always take a taxi back.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I second Burrito Revolution! Although probably not daily if you plan on lots of honeymoon sexytime.
We also stayed at Playa Escondida and LOVED IT.
DeleteY'all would travel all the way to Mexico to eat at a place called "BURRITO REVOLUTION"? A place with a gringo name like that would get laughed at even in LA.
ReplyDelete