patrick.net

Me and a friend were in Rosarito maybe 15 yrs ago. It's a real long story, but in short we were innocent and they knew it, but cops beat us up a bit anyway, then threw us in the back up a pickup truck and drove us out of the city. We were driving through a cornfield when they got a message on their cb radio, and then let us go. My friend was related to a former local police chief, and once they verified it they let us go....but I've always wondered to this day what would have happened to us otherwise.

Did a vacation a few years ago in Playa del Carmen area at an all inclusive. Quite a few beachfront resorts there. Lots of Europeans including Russians vacation there. Did the usual tours - Tulum, local caves. Mostly hung out at the beach and took advantage of the beach side bars. We also liked Puerto Rico. Really cool architecture, great food, great beaches.

Very safe area but speaking with the locals, you can hear about trends in crime in other parts of Mexico. A lot of the hotel workers had relocated from Acapulco due to crime.

Just think of it as a zombie apocalypse adventure. Millions of aggrieved, impoverished third worlders, chafing in a lawless land, eager to storm the thin walls of your cozy vacation compound for rape, plunder and murder.

When you look at it that way, you get an adrenaline rush that adds to the aristocratic luster of your sybaritic, Caligulan vacation.

Ceffer says

Just think of it as a zombie apocalypse adventure. Millions of aggrieved, impoverished third worlders, chafing in a lawless land, eager to storm the thin walls of your cozy vacation compound for rape, plunder and murder.

When you look at it that way, you get an adrenaline rush that adds to the aristocratic luster of your sybaritic, Caligulan vacation.

As long as I'm armed, that could be a life changing thrill ride

i just caught word last week that TripAdvisor was recently in hot water for censoring negative feedback of travelers commenting on their trip.

As someone that has been drugged at a resort in Puerto Vallarta, I feel for those people whose voices were being silenced.

Any scary stories about Costa Rica?

BayArea says

I love traveling south of the border for vacation

I've never understood why anyone would want to vacation in a filthy third world country.

KimJongUn says

Any scary stories about Costa Rica?

http://www.jpost.com/International/US-tourist-kills-mugger-with-bare-hands-in-Costa-Rica

There are always going to be risks in a third world country, just stay far from borders and keep your wits about you.

Go to Hawaii instead.

Booger says

I've never understood why anyone would want to vacation in a filthy third world country

its cheap and it can be spectacular. I always go in group tours or at least with somebody I know. There are some spectacular places int he world- Africa, Asia, S America. Too varied and too vast to not be traveling. Take precautions. A lot of those places are far safer than say S Chicago, Detroit or even seedy parts of Los Angeles or West Oakland or the Tenderloin of San Francisco.

The pyramids of Egypt, the vast Serengeti and masai mara ecosystem of Tanzania/Kenya, Mt Kilimanjaro , S Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and the Zambezi river and victoria Falls, Argentina, peru, brazil, India, China, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Rwanda, morroco, Malaysia, Madagascar-the world is so huge and wonderful Take precautions and go out there.

just_passing_through says

Go to Hawaii instead.

Or the Southern Caribbean.

Booger says

BayArea says

I love traveling south of the border for vacation

I've never understood why anyone would want to vacation in a filthy third world country.

When people vacation in mexico (like playas del carmen) , it's not as if they really are in mexico....It's like a korean family that flies into Orlando and shuttles to the disney hotel...stays 3 days/2 nights at disneyworld, shuttles back to the airport and flies home. Then say "I really like the usa".

rpanic01 says

There are always going to be risks in a third world country, just stay far from borders and keep your wits about you.

Are there any "safe countries?" Any moron that doesn't keep their wits about them are just asking to get fucked up.

BayArea says

I knew someone who was murdered in Mexico about a decade ago and I myself was drugged at a resort in Puerto Vallarta about 2.5yrs ago.

I haven't been back since. Safety seems to always be a concern south of the border, especially as a tourist.

I heard about some tourists that went to vegas to a concert where 60 people were killed and a few hundred more were shot up. BTW, why do you think you were drugged?

For some, it's a step up...

Booger says

I've never understood why anyone would want to vacation in a filthy third world country.

komputodo says

Are there any "safe countries?" Any moron that doesn't keep their wits about them are just asking to get fucked up.

So true. It doesn't take a lot of thinking to stay safe. If you are seeing grandma's and baby's around you at lunchtime it's a much better bet than seeing drug dealers and hookers at bar closing time. I always carry a fake wallet (expired cards and stuffed with very low value money like peso's and yen) and throwaway world passport just in case if I'm travelling in dodgy places. Like the south bronx.

komputodo says

When people vacation in mexico (like playas del carmen) , it's not as if they really are in mexico....It's like a korean family that flies into Orlando and shuttles to the disney hotel...stays 3 days/2 nights at disneyworld, shuttles back to the airport and flies home. Then say "I really like the usa".

I forgot to add, after they spent all their dollars at the mexican resort and tipped all the locals and bought souvenirs from them, they come back home and tell everyone "they really like americans there".

Go to Puerto Rico instead.