Is there a limit to how much duty free I can bring home? Not duty free from Australia, but my duty free purchases from Japan?
Final itinerary for 5 weeks in Mexico with the Fam thru the Xmas hols:Fly into Mexico City, stay 5 nights Centro Historico, including Christmas.
Boxing Day bus to Oaxaca & surrounds for 8 days.
Fly back to Mexico City for a side-trip & hike up to the Monarch Butterfly sanctuary at Cerro Pelon.
Stay a couple of nights in Roma Norte for food & coffee scene (Mexico Cityâs hipsterville).
Fly down to Palenque for the Mayan ruins, waterfalls & eco-park.
Bus to Merida for weekend festivities & Yucatecan food (e.g. slow cooked pork in anise & blood orange).
Hire car & explore Yucatan from Santa Elena (staying at Pickled Onion B&B, run by Lancastrian Valerie Pickles).
Overnight at Mayaland with private entrance to Chichen Itza to beat the day trippers from Cancun.
Finish the trip with a few days beachside at Puerto Morelos before flying back from Cancun.Counting the daysâŚ
I recently spent close to 4 weeks in Mexico, loved every minute of it and iâm sure you will as well. We spent 9 days in Mexico City in total and didnât want to leave - it is a genuinely world-class city. La Condesa / Roma are the best places to stay, youâve picked well. If youâre into museums and culture, you probably wonât want to leave to MXC, either - you could easily spend two full days just in the Anthropological Museum.
Make sure you get to the cenotes outside Merida, thatâs a thoroughly enjoyable day (take the bus out there and then hire a private guide on the spot, whoâll take you around from one cenote to the next in his tuk-tuk). Merida itself isnât particularly captivating (lots of abandoned houses strangely), but the food is great (as it is throughout Mexico) and thereâs plenty to do just outside of the city. Los Almendros and Wayanâe were probably the two best meals we had there. We visited Uxmal rather than Chichen Itza, but both are excellent.
The best, day-to-day food in Oaxaca is in the market (and itâs astoundingly cheap), but if you fancy yourself as an epicurean and feel like splurging slightly on a gourmet experience for a 1/4 of the price youâd pay in Aus, iâd strongly recommend you do a tasting with mezcal pairing at a restaurant named El Destilado - that was probably the best meal we had in Mexico (just in front of Quintonil in Polanco, MXC). The museum that backs onto the botanical gardens is really nice.
Youâll be well-served learning some basic Spanish before you go - it helps a lot, particularly once youâre outside MXC. A few other pointers:
- Buy some yellow anti-mosquito bands to wear on your ankles/wrists, particularly in Merida and on the Yucatan.
- Donât take the taxis in MXC, as you have a good chance of being ripped off - use either the (very good) train network or Uber.
- Bring sunscreen and water to the ancient ruins sites - none of them have much shade/infrastructure, and youâll cook quickly under the sun without sunscreen.
My sister is in Mexico atm, just got Zika.
I was in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta a few weeks ago. Fantastic.
My sister and her husband are spending 10 months from January onwards traveling around South America. I've just sent her your write up on Mexico as she is spending a month there, thanks for that!!Sure thing. I'm actually two months into a five month stint in South America myself, currently in Bogota after nearly 4 weeks in Mexico, 2 weeks in Guatemala, and close to 3 weeks combined in Nicaragua and Panama - yet to come is ~2 more weeks in Colombia (Medellin, Cartagena, Santa Marta/Parque Tayrona), ~2 weeks in Ecuador, ~2-3 weeks in Peru, 4-5 weeks in Argentina and Uruguay (predominantly Arg), and then finish in Chile.
I shared a drink a few weeks ago while in Guatemala with a Spanish guy whoâd just spent 5 months traveling around Mexico, and his view was that 5 months wasnât enough and i tend to agree with him - Mexico is enormous and incredibly diverse, i wish i had more than 4 weeks there.
The entire continent is great - i think Australians in general tend to overlook South America in favor of Asia and Europe, but it really is a continent everyone should spend some quality time in if they have the chance.
Just paid the deposits for Insight tours of Germany and Central Europe today...starts in Prague, goes through Bratislava, Vienna, Budapest and ends in Warsaw...for next August/September.Just got back from those parts about a months ago....Prague is now my favourite European city...it was sensational, Bratislava was quite a pleasant surprise and Budapest was almost as good as Prague....if it's ending in Warsaw, do you also go through Krakow?Iâm sure youâll enjoy the trip.
I did a few months in this part of Europe back in 2006. Iâd go back to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest in a heartbeat. Stunning cities. Bratislava is nice to check out, Krakow too. Thatâs a nice looking tour.
I spent a month in Prague doing a teaching certificate, and spent my off time drinking delicious Pilsners, eating great food, and seeing everything possible in Prague and nearby cities. I tell people I once lived in Prague. Itâs kinda true. I had every chance to stay there and work after my course, but the lure of blowing my savings and partying hard in other places (especially with the World Cup on) was too strong. Happy to recommend sights or neighbourhoods if needed.
Just paid the deposits for Insight tours of Germany and Central Europe today...starts in Prague, goes through Bratislava, Vienna, Budapest and ends in Warsaw...for next August/September.Just got back from those parts about a months ago....Prague is now my favourite European city...it was sensational, Bratislava was quite a pleasant surprise and Budapest was almost as good as Prague....if it's ending in Warsaw, do you also go through Krakow?Iâm sure youâll enjoy the trip.
I did a few months in this part of Europe back in 2006. Iâd go back to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest in a heartbeat. Stunning cities. Bratislava is nice to check out, Krakow too. Thatâs a nice looking tour.I spent a month in Prague doing a teaching certificate, and spent my off time drinking delicious Pilsners, eating great food, and seeing everything possible in Prague and nearby cities. I tell people I once lived in Prague. Itâs kinda true. I had every chance to stay there and work after my course, but the lure of blowing my savings and partying hard in other places (especially with the World Cup on) was too strong. Happy to recommend sights or neighbourhoods if needed.
1 day 2 nights tops
And the main sights are sure to be included in the tour.
Final itinerary for 5 weeks in Mexico with the Fam thru the Xmas hols:Fly into Mexico City, stay 5 nights Centro Historico, including Christmas.
Boxing Day bus to Oaxaca & surrounds for 8 days.
Fly back to Mexico City for a side-trip & hike up to the Monarch Butterfly sanctuary at Cerro Pelon.
Stay a couple of nights in Roma Norte for food & coffee scene (Mexico Cityâs hipsterville).
Fly down to Palenque for the Mayan ruins, waterfalls & eco-park.
Bus to Merida for weekend festivities & Yucatecan food (e.g. slow cooked pork in anise & blood orange).
Hire car & explore Yucatan from Santa Elena (staying at Pickled Onion B&B, run by Lancastrian Valerie Pickles).
Overnight at Mayaland with private entrance to Chichen Itza to beat the day trippers from Cancun.
Finish the trip with a few days beachside at Puerto Morelos before flying back from Cancun.Counting the daysâŚ
I recently spent close to 4 weeks in Mexico, loved every minute of it and iâm sure you will as well. We spent 9 days in Mexico City in total and didnât want to leave - it is a genuinely world-class city. La Condesa / Roma are the best places to stay, youâve picked well. If youâre into museums and culture, you probably wonât want to leave to MXC, either - you could easily spend two full days just in the Anthropological Museum.Make sure you get to the cenotes outside Merida, thatâs a thoroughly enjoyable day (take the bus out there and then hire a private guide on the spot, whoâll take you around from one cenote to the next in his tuk-tuk). Merida itself isnât particularly captivating (lots of abandoned houses strangely), but the food is great (as it is throughout Mexico) and thereâs plenty to do just outside of the city. Los Almendros and Wayanâe were probably the two best meals we had there. We visited Uxmal rather than Chichen Itza, but both are excellent.
The best, day-to-day food in Oaxaca is in the market (and itâs astoundingly cheap), but if you fancy yourself as an epicurean and feel like splurging slightly on a gourmet experience for a 1/4 of the price youâd pay in Aus, iâd strongly recommend you do a tasting with mezcal pairing at a restaurant named El Destilado - that was probably the best meal we had in Mexico (just in front of Quintonil in Polanco, MXC). The museum that backs onto the botanical gardens is really nice.
Youâll be well-served learning some basic Spanish before you go - it helps a lot, particularly once youâre outside MXC. A few other pointers:
- Buy some yellow anti-mosquito bands to wear on your ankles/wrists, particularly in Merida and on the Yucatan.
- Donât take the taxis in MXC, as you have a good chance of being ripped off - use either the (very good) train network or Uber.
- Bring sunscreen and water to the ancient ruins sites - none of them have much shade/infrastructure, and youâll cook quickly under the sun without sunscreen.
Thanks for all that - good to hear you enjoyed yourself so much & Iâll take note of those recommendations. We travelled thru Latin America a fair bit pre-child in '98 / 2000 & have been itching to return - to Mex in particular. Our Spanish is very rusty, so we are doing a 5 week crash-course at El Patio in Westgarth (including our 12 year old).
Weâll have a hire car for the last couple of weeks, picking up when exiting Merida & dropping at Cancun airport, so weâll explore Uxmal & the area South of Merida at our own pace from Santa Elena. Did you have a car? Iâm reading the travel forums to work out who to hire thru - the big international franchises seem the worst for scams & price gouging, so will probably go with a local independent.
How about restaurants in Mexico City? Weâll be staying near the Zocalo across Christmas, so will be keen for a special meal somewhere (Azul has been recommended) then returning to stay Roma Norte - anywhere recommended?
How safe is Mexico? You sound like a seasoned traveler. My sister travels a lot but worry is cause her and her husband prefer to do their own or the local thing rather than the tourist thing.
There are no-go areas in Mexico where there is effectively a civil war between the Narco gangs, vigilante groups & the feds. The states affected are generally up North near the US border and to the West of Mexico City.
Mexico City itself is considered as safe as any big European City with the usual caveats re. opportunistic street crime and some off-limit suburbs.
There are also local political & economic issues in the Southern states of Oaxaca & Chiapas that flare up from time-to-time, but rarely affect travellers. These are worth keeping an eye on, but shouldnât stop anyone going. The Yucatan Peninsula is considered generally safe (other than rogue cops & price-gouging car rental agencies).
So its important to do some homework - it would be worth them reading the US govt travel warnings for Mex - they are much more comprehensive than DFATâs with ratings per state.
Thanks for all that - good to hear you enjoyed yourself so much & I'll take note of those recommendations. We travelled thru Latin America a fair bit pre-child in '98 / 2000 & have been itching to return - to Mex in particular. Our Spanish is very rusty, so we are doing a 5 week crash-course at El Patio in Westgarth (including our 12 year old).Weâll have a hire car for the last couple of weeks, picking up when exiting Merida & dropping at Cancun airport, so weâll explore Uxmal & the area South of Merida at our own pace from Santa Elena. Did you have a car? Iâm reading the travel forums to work out who to hire thru - the big international franchises seem the worst for scams & price gouging, so will probably go with a local independent.
How about restaurants in Mexico City? Weâll be staying near the Zocalo across Christmas, so will be keen for a special meal somewhere (Azul has been recommended) then returning to stay Roma Norte - anywhere recommended?
No, we didnât have a car (iâd been living in New York for three years prior and never got around to getting my US driver licence, and inexplicably let my Aus licence lapse), but it definitely would have been useful!
The thing with food and Mexico City is that thereâs so much good food, literally everywhere and at every price point, that itâs really hard to pick out just a few places. For our special/blowout meal, we were between Pujol and Quintonil (my girlfriend assures me that both are on some âtop 50â worldwide restaurants listâŚi wouldnât know) but chose the latter, and it was outstanding. Other food experiences that stuck in my memory were: Mercado de Coyoacan (near Frida Kahlo museum), Merotoro, and even the quick & cheap lunches in places like El Tizoncito (claim to have invented taco el pastor) and El Farolito are really good. We also werenât shy in trying the street food (which is absolutely everywhere), and itâs generally really good, too - just pick the vendor with the longest queue of people and ask him/her for their favorite/specialty food, canât go wrong (and i found all the street food vendors to be really friendly).
How safe is Mexico? You sound like a seasoned traveler. My sister travels a lot but worry is cause her and her husband prefer to do their own or the local thing rather than the tourist thing.There are no-go areas in Mexico where there is effectively a civil war between the Narco gangs, vigilante groups & the feds. The states affected are generally up North near the US border and to the West of Mexico City.Mexico City itself is considered as safe as any big European City with the usual caveats re. opportunistic street crime and some off-limit suburbs.
There are also local political & economic issues in the Southern states of Oaxaca & Chiapas that flare up from time-to-time, but rarely affect travellers. These are worth keeping an eye on, but shouldnât stop anyone going. The Yucatan Peninsula is considered generally safe (other than rogue cops & price-gouging car rental agencies).
So its important to do some homework - it would be worth them reading the US govt travel warnings for Mex - they are much more comprehensive than DFATâs with ratings per state.
Agree with Gnik - save for the drug-related crime hot spots, mostly in the north, Mexico is safe. The machismo culture throughout LatAm is, however, alive and well, so women can expect things like unsolicited cat calls (the men tend to make this âts-ts-ts-tsâ noise, whistle, or say things like âmamasitaâ) especially if unaccompanied - more an annoyance than a genuine security concern.
My sister is in Mexico atm, just got Zika.I was in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta a few weeks ago. Fantastic.
Thatâs really sad to hear about your sister.
My sister is in Mexico atm, just got Zika.I was in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta a few weeks ago. Fantastic.
Thatâs really sad to hear about your sister.
Thanks. Doused herself in mossie repellent every day but didnât make a difference. Sheâll be ok long term.
When the world is given an enema, they stick the tube in Tijuana or Ciudad Juarez, so steer clear of the US border areas.
Well clear of Sinaloa too.
Just paid the deposits for Insight tours of Germany and Central Europe today...starts in Prague, goes through Bratislava, Vienna, Budapest and ends in Warsaw...for next August/September.if you're going to be in Prague, stop by the Prague Dolls shop. Nesting dolls for a huge number of professional sports teams from around the world! there's one at Karlova 14, plus two more elsewhere in the city.
Yeah nah!
I saw them when I was in Prague recentlyâŚjust near the Charles BridgeâŚgood for Stanton fans as they have number 5 on their jumper
Is there a limit to how much duty free I can bring home? Not duty free from Australia, but my duty free purchases from Japan?
No idea, but feel free to bring me back a bottle of Yamazaki. Or maybe even twoâŚ
I saw them when I was in Prague recently...just near the Charles Bridge...good for Stanton fans as they have number 5 on their jumper
these ones are Stanton, Goddard, Watson, Hibberd and Heppell. Names and all 
Is there a limit to how much duty free I can bring home? Not duty free from Australia, but my duty free purchases from Japan?No idea, but feel free to bring me back a bottle of Yamazaki. Or maybe even twoâŚ
I think that Customs tend to go by volume that you bring in (for alcohol, anyway)âŚcheck the following link:
Is there a limit to how much duty free I can bring home? Not duty free from Australia, but my duty free purchases from Japan?No idea, but feel free to bring me back a bottle of Yamazaki. Or maybe even twoâŚ
I think that Customs tend to go by volume that you bring in (for alcohol, anyway)âŚcheck the following link:
Was thinking more general goods than alcohol or that kind of stuff.