Cabo San Lucas Mexico Travel - Common Myths about Travel Mexico

Cabo San Lucas Mexico Travel - Three Myths about Traveling to Mexico

Cabo San Lucas Mexico Travel - my family and I have been vacationing in Cabo for twenty years, so we know our way around the Baja Peninsula. In this article, we'll examine and dispel three common myths about traveling to Mexico, so you can make your trip as worry-free and enjoyable as possible.

One common myth about traveling to Mexico is that it is unsafe. Cabo is a safe place with clean water and skilled medical care. Many vacation resorts have on-site doctors on call. In terms of the water, most of the bigger hotels have desalinization plants that remove the salt and bacteria from ocean water and produce clean drinking water from the tap. Americans get sick from the water when they go to Mexico not because it is bad or dirty, but because it has different bacteria than the water in the U.S. and their system just isn't used to it. Case in point: when Mexicans visit the U.S., they get sick from the water.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico travel tip: take along a personal filtration system to filter out bacteria from tap water if it will make you feel more secure.

Another myth about Mexico is that people don't understand English. Although you don't need to speak spanish to get along in Mexico, it helps. Most of the people, even the poor people selling trinkets along the beach, understand English to some extent.

Despite this, I recommend you learn spanish online well before you embark on your trip. It's fun to learn to speak a different language and will serve you well in the United States.

One caveat: when you travel to Mexico, be honest with yourself about how well you speak the language. Don't get yourself into a situation where you're agreeing to something you don't understand. If this happens, ask the speaker to speak slowly and repeat what they said. If you still don't understand, see if you can find someone nearby to translate. If there is still a problem, try again in English. Make sure to bring along a pocket Spanish-English dictionary.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico travel tip: learn spanish before you leave on your trip. Bring along a dictionary for those moments when you don't recognize a number, word or phrase.

Even kids haggle with merchants on the beach.
In general, Mexican people are hard-working and honest.

mexican people in Cabo San Lucas

Bici taxi driver in Cabo San Lucas

Another big misconception about Mexican people is that the people are lazy and dishonest. Mexican people are hard-working, family-oriented and honest in general. In all our years vacationing in Mexico, we have only experienced a few instances of being cheated. On our most recent trip, a taxi cab driver tried to charge us twice the current fare, but we were wise to him. Later that day, we met a couple who were charged an outrageous taxi fare. Always be sure to check things out.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico travel tip

Make sure you understand the dollars-to-pesos conversion rate (which for the past twenty years has been about 10 to 1) and are informed about what things cost. Taxi fares (which can be quite expensive) are standard and the taxis are unionized, so the fares should be the same. Before you pay for a taxi from the airport to your hotel or vacation rental, ask around for prices to make sure you are getting a decent fare. Better yet, call your hotel before you leave on your trip and ask them what the fare should cost. Some hotels even include the taxi to and from the airport in their package. (Don't try to haggle with taxi drivers�you'll only make them mad.)

Mexican pesos

If you go out at night and drink alcohol, make sure that one person in your party stays sober in order to direct the taxi driver to your hotel, talk reason if there is a problem and keep an eye out for any funny business.

Unsure when and what to tip? Read our guide about tipping in Mexico

If you consider our Cabo San Lucas travel tips and use the information on this page to dispel your myths about traveling south, you will be more open to the beauty of Mexico and the warmth and hospitality of the people.

Ready to make your travel plans? Here's the online comparison shopping site we use to get the best prices on airline tickets - Priceline.com Airfare - save up to 40%

Every year, my boys meet up with their friends
who also vacation in Mexico at the same time every year.
It's a lot of fun watching these young men mature.

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