TOLL FREE 877 278 2142 USA
TOLL FREE 844 776 3727 USA & CAN
TOLL FREE 877 278 2142 USA
TOLL FREE 844 776 3727 USA & CAN
If you’ve never snorkeled before, you may have some trepidation about giving it a try. But no need to worry. With just a few simple tips, you’ll soon be gliding among coral, turtles, tangs, angelfish, damsels, crustaceans, and maybe even octopuses and rays.
Since you may already be a bit uncomfortable in the water, it’s important that you feel as comfortable as possible with your equipment. Masks come in different shapes and sizes, so find one that fits properly so it won’t leak. Place it over your face – simply hold it, without putting the strap around your head – and inhale through your nose. If it doesn’t leak air, it won’t leak water.
If you choose to wear flippers (they are optional), try them on to make sure they are not too tight that your feet hurt, or too loose that you’ll lose them in the water.
Snorkels are fairly generic; if you’re using rental equipment, make sure it’s dry with no water inside. If it makes you squeamish thinking about putting something in your mouth that has been in hundreds of other mouths, you might prefer to buy your own. A simple mask and snorkel can be purchased for about $20.
You definitely shouldn’t be in the open sea the very first time you try snorkeling. Practice first in a pool or shallow water. Your mind tells you that you shouldn’t be breathing with your face in the water and you have to get used to this. Get comfortable with the mask and snorkel. Put your face in the water, breathe a few times, and take it out. When you’re comfortable with this, try swimming while doing it. Some water will inevitably get into the snorkel while you’re swimming, so learn how to purge the snorkel by blowing hard to get the water out.
You should do this both physically and mentally. Don’t go snorkeling on a full or empty stomach. Also, avoid alcohol before snorkeling; it will not enhance your experience and may make it more difficult. Your body can react differently to alcohol when in the water. Go with an open mind and a sense of adventure and anticipation too. If you’ve done your preparation and take it slowly, very little can go wrong. Focus on the new world that awaits you.
Choose a calm spot with minimal waves. Relax. Breathe slowly. Float, if you feel uncomfortable in deep water, use a floatation device. And always go with someone else, preferably an experienced snorkeler. It makes the experience more enjoyable, but most of all, it’s much safer. Relax, float, and enjoy the enchanting world beneath the waves!
Source: Beach
From the moment visitors arrive in Puerto Vallarta in Western Mexico, their travel radar picks up the signal that this destination is different from other big cities in the country. It’s a matter of the history, geography, culture, food and the very people who live in Puerto Vallarta that contribute to the differentiation.
The U.S. accounts for 75% of North American visitors to Puerto Vallarta. Overall American travel to Mexico increased by about 12% in 2016; for Canadians, Mexico ranks as the second most visited destination, after the United States, and before the UK and France.
While just about every visitor to Mexico has a favorite destination that resonates with their particular lifestyle, travel needs and safety concerns, here are some basic tips to tantalize your clients when it comes to getting the most out of a visit to Mexico and in particular, Puerto Vallarta.
1. Revealing the Magic
2. Iconic Experiences
With the emphasis on visitors wanting to connect with the destination, it’s important to know the bounties of not only what the towns or cities hold but also what each of the 31 states may offer visitors. In Jalisco, for example, Puerto Vallarta does not qualify as a Magical Town (due to the fact that it’s a city), but there are seven Magical Towns in the state and there’s a joint promotional program to enhance the Vallarta visitor experience with trips to nearby Guadalajara and Tequila. A new highway, scheduled to open in late 2018, will significantly reduce travel times to the towns. And the state itself promotes three icons: Tequila (the national drink, based in the area around the town of Tequila), Charro (the horsemen, and in fact there are Charro festivals/rodeos in Gauadelajara and Puerto Vallarta) and Mariachi (the music of Western Mexico) that can be found at festivals throughout the state (and the country).
3. Cruising into the Future
Construction has already begun on the Puerto Magico, a complex that will enhance Terminal One and turn it into a customer experience-based Hacienda Tequila with interactive opportunities related to the production of Tequila, Mining and Gastronomy, as well as shopping and the largest aquarium in Latin America. Unlike most Port facilities, the new terminal will be open to both the public and cruise passengers. All the major cruise lines stop in Puerto Vallarta as part of an itinerary that usually includes Mazatlán and Cabo san Lucas and according to Port Agent, Carlos Gerard, the number of cruise ships visiting Puerto Vallarta has increased steadily since 2013. In 2017 145-150 cruise ships will dock for the usual 12-hour visit.
4. Take a Walk in My Shoes
Puerto Vallarta is a very walkable destination. We stayed at the Villa Premiere, which was roughly 20 minutes from the Malecon, the downtown ocean-side boardwalk that’s a hive of activity both day and night. And once in the city, many of the streets are lined with shops, side-walk restaurants, bars and hotels. The Romantic Zone or Old Town, near the pier at Los Muertos has a beach, popular with ex-pats, tourists and pelicans. And “walking in my shoes” implies the friendly reception that visitors receive and the conversations that ensue, whether it’s an explanation of native Huichol beading techniques at Colectiva, an indigenous gallery, or the server at La Cerveceria Union explaining the ingredients of Aguachile, one of their star ceviche dishes, or the bartender at Los Muertos Brewing advising that the seven four-ounce glasses in the artisanal beer sampler may be a bit much to quaff without ordering food to absorb the alcohol.
5. Garden of Delight
Puerto Vallarta is chock-full of special (niche) travel interests. I spent a morning at the Botanical Gardens along with the Vallarta Birders who gather every Thursday morning to spot golden-cheeked woodpeckers, black-chinned hummingbirds, yellow-winged caciques and about 200 other species. The Gardens themselves include Orchids, Cypress, Bursara, Gondo Berries and more. It’s both a gardener’s and a photographer’s dream! Other special interests in the area include snorkeling, scuba, beach activities, zip line, horseback riding, motorcycling, Jeep safari, hiking, trekking, history, culture, architecture, art, and more.
6. Food Electricity
Award-winning chef Mikel Alonso explained that enjoyment of food stimulates an electrical charge in the brain that produces endorphins that are “the drugs of happiness.” Visitors to Puerto Vallarta tend to be pretty happy and star chefs such as Tintoque’s Joel Ornelas reinforce a searing passion for creative dishes made with the freshest ingredients. Even at Mike’s Beach Club on Playa Las Animas, we are told that we will “feel the flavor” of the dishes before we taste them. And they are right!
7. Smiling and Speaking English
Puerto Vallarta was not created to be a tourism hub. In fact some say that the customer service ethos of the city is in the blood of generations of Vallartenese who traditionally looked after the needs of the area’s industries: fishing, mining and agriculture. When the Mayor, Arturo Davalos Pena told me that ‘people smile in your face,” he was serious about the welcoming nature of the city. And North Americans can relax in a destination where most of the people they meet will be able to communicate with them in English.
Puerto Vallarta is a comfortable destination. There’s lots of connectivity with major centres in both the United States and Canada, there’s a great variety of accommodation in the city’s 22,000 rooms from luxury to budget, and it’s a destination where visitors can be as busy or as relaxed as they wish. It’s a place where clients can get the most out of their holiday, on their own terms.
A weekend city break, a big family holiday, or a last minute business trip: whatever the reason you find yourself stressed out at the airport, here are a few insider tips. From secrets on how to jump the check-in queue to how to get an upgrade.
Figure out where the airport is
and how you get to it in advance. I find Google Maps travel planner useful but
it’s always best to check directly with public transport sites for timetables.
Chris Sharp, Business Intelligence Administrator
If you’re using a boarding pass
on your mobile phone, take a screenshot of it and save it in your pictures
folder on your phone (rather than relying on the airline’s app or on a good
internet connection at the airport).
Jon Thorne, User Satisfaction Manager
Or:
Although we live in an age where
you can check in with your smartphone and email, you never know when your phone
may just run out of battery or pack in.
Sam Ayles, PR Executive
Certain credit cards targeting travellers offer perks like free access to airport lounges. For example, I hold a card which gets me a priority lounge pass for two entries each year at Singapore (no minimum spending on the card required).
Another card I’ve got gives me
free airport limousine transfer from my home to the airport as long as I’ve
booked my travel on the card and I spend the minimum set amount.
Hollie Tan, Accounts Executive
During holiday times airports like London Gatwick can get EXTREMELY busy. You could be standing the check-in queue for ages.
The trick in that case is not to
join the queue but to go and sit in a café and read a book. When the airport is
that busy they call out the flights that are due to depart first and let their
passengers through as a priority. You can therefore sit and relax while you
wait for your flight to be called. When it is you can go straight to the front
of the queue.
Sam Heyman, Test Engineer
If you’re really cutting it fine
for time, a polite word to an airport employee almost always results in a queue
jump at security. Failing that, a plea to fellow passengers in the queue is
your next best option.
Lisa Imlach, PR Executive
At security, if you don't want to
set off the alarms after waving goodbye to your hand luggage, keys, mobile
phone, laptop etc, make sure you remove all the Crown Jewels you are wearing.
Apparently, my watch, earrings, necklace and ring MIGHT set off the alarms. On
a recent visit to the airport, I was subjected to the most intimate body search
of my 50 year-old life (bearing in mind I travelled back and forth to the Far
East from the age of 10). And I was only travelling to the Shetlands!
Alison Stimpson, Executive PA
Take a spare ziplock bag or two
to get your toiletries through security checks – it’s ridiculous and annoying
that some airports will charge you a few quid if you forget one!
Rachel Evatt, Product Director
Go for the one with the ‘suits’.
It will move much quicker.
Alistair Hann, Skyscanner Chief Technology Officer
I make sure I wear socks of the
same colour and don´t look to old! Just in case I have to take off my shoes.
Angel Guirado, Market Development Manager, Spain
Try to fly at a time which means
it’s socially acceptable to taste the whisky samples at duty free - i.e. not
6am.
Chris Sharp
Set an alarm on your phone to go
off at boarding time, it’s easy to get distracted in the departure lounge.
Chris Sharp
If travelling with kids, ensure
you have their game consoles handy (and FULLY CHARGED) to allow you to have as
stress-free a time while waiting to depart. Having three kids myself, it’s
definitely on my MUST DO list for the airport. Each of the kids has a small
backpack containing game consoles, pens, pencils and a pad of paper so they can
draw etc. Plus it saves on the wallet if the kids happen to spy those $1-a-go
arcade machines. I’m now a master at noughts & crosses, hangman etc…
Ronnie Walker, Senior Engineer
Connect to WiFi and get some work
done.
Or:
- read the economist from cover to cover. It's something to look forward to.
- Get your shoes shined
- Buy clothes, and do other things you would have to do anyway, so use the dead
time.
Gareth Williams, Skyscanner CEO
Sit comfortably in departures
where you can see the boarding desk and (assuming you have a pre-allocated
seat) read your book until the last possible minute. When the queue is down to
one person, get up and casually stroll through the departure gate onto the
plane. The plane won’t leave without you until they have at least called out
your name.
Dom Porter, Software Engineer
Always wait until the ‘flight
closing’ announcement before boarding the plane. Then, if you see any empty
seats in Business Class, as you work your way through to Economy, sit in one of
them, on the basis that it must be available, given that the flight was
closing. Hope that the flight attendants won’t question it. Sometimes it works,
sometimes it doesn’t!
Mark Logan, Chief Operating Officer (Mark says this is a tip from a ‘friend’.
He would never do this!)
I’ve had some very varied
experiences arriving at immigration, particularly in the USA, ranging from
being processed quickly in a few minutes to being asked to go off to the
interview room for a secondary interview (that was a fun start to my
honeymoon). Be smartly dressed, polite and well spoken, make good eye contact
with the immigration official and have a clear idea of where you are going next
(name of hotel, car hire). Never ever make jokes and do not use your mobile
phone. Also make sure you have a credit card to hand and if possible local
currency as you may be asked to prove you are able to pay your way If you are
travelling on business, never say “I am here to work” as they will be concerned
that you are going to be working illegally; a better phrase is: “I am here to
have some meetings with business colleagues”.
Robert
Smith, Technical Manager
Whenever you get up to leave
somewhere at the airport - in a café, a bar or at the gate - always turn round
and make sure you haven’t left anything behind - like your tickets.
Suzanne Morrison, Skyscanner Project Manager
That way you’ll gain access to
the lounge as their guest, where you can stockpile glossy magazines, packets of
biscuits and condescending looks.
Lisa Imlach
Either get there
early or know how to get through the airport better than George Clooney in Up in the Air. When you add people
who are unpredictable to a controlled environment, it’s organised chaos.
Matt Smith, Content Partnerships Executive
It is the month of February and love is in the air. Cupid is soaring in the Puerto Peñasco winds, with his shiny bow and arrow ready to pull the arrow tight and let it fly. Who knows where it will strike or when or whom? Usually when love strikes, it happens fast, in a blink of an eye. Bam, you're hit. And as some may know, especially if you're in love, trying to be in love or looking for love, the right atmosphere or activity can make a difference. So, peruse this list and try one or all of the ideas with that special someone and just see if the arrows don’t come flying!
1. Buy a Love Song from a Mariachi for your sweetheart. This one can really work well if you plan ahead. In the majority of the restaurants in town and in Old Port area they have various groups of traveling mariachis’. Excuse yourself, go to the banos and ask one to come over and play a love song when you get back to the table. I recommend “Besame Mucho.”
2. Romantic Picnic for Two. Take a Mexican blanket, a picnic basket, some beverages and go sit on the beach. Surprise is a romantic factor. Just pick them up and leave the activity and destination a secret.
3. Get a special getaway. Just cozy up to your sweetheart in a hot tub looking at the ocean and make it a special night or weekend. Believe it or not, with SQN Getaways you can enjoy a private terrace with plunge pool, one bedroom with a king-size bed, and one bathroom with Jacuzzi tub, check our getaway deals in www.sqngetaways.com or call 877-278-2142
4. Go Horseback riding on the beach. There are several local businesses that have horses for rent. It is very romantic to take a horseback ride on the beach with the one you love.
5. Go to Happy Hour at La Casa Del Capitan restaurant at Sunset. El Capitan is on the high peak overlooking the Malecon, Old Port and the Sea of Cortez. The views are beautiful and very romantic; you can also spend time next door at the Lighthouse Restaurant where they have live jazz music and spectacular views.
6. Be on the water at sunset. Rent a kayak, boat or take a Sunset Cruise. Puerto Peñasco offers both kayak rentals and boat rentals. If you are looking for the private tour and know how to drive a boat or use a kayak that is a good option and can be quite romantic. However, if you would rather sit back and let someone else drive try one of the various Sunset Cruises.
7. Couple massage for two. There are several massage therapists in Puerto Peñasco who can arrange to come to your room for a more private setting.
8. Sunrise Special in Cholla Bay. Make an early date to wake up one morning 30 minutes before sunrise. Wrapped in a big oversized blanket together is a great way to make a day romantic. A remarkable place is over in Cholla Bay where you can actually see the sunrise from the water. Depending on the tide, you can also walk out on the sand and look for washed up sand dollars. Afterwards, you can stroll to Xochitl’s Café and have an impressive Mexican breakfast.
9. Go Parking on a deserted beach. Puerto Peñasco is fortunate to have deserted beaches within a short drive. Many you can walk for miles with no one around and also pick up some good shells. The rest is up to you.
10. Go to the Malecon on a Sunday night and sit on a bench in front of the Colossal Shrimp Statue. Sunday night in Mexico is family night. It is a wonderful evening that friends and family use to spend time with each other and their significant others. When the fiery red ball drops into the ocean and a red glow is everywhere, somehow all seems warm and right with the world, love is abundant.
You’ve heard “Virginia is for Lovers”? Well, “Puerto Peñasco is for Lovers,” and this is just a few of the romantic things to do in Peñasco. Mucho Amore.
