Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico

We had a fantastic vacation! Nuevo Vallarta is a beautiful place about twenty minutes from Puerta Vallarta with beautiful people. They are laid back and quite friendly. The city is extremely big on keeping the area very eco friendly. It is a majestic place with a laid back vibe. The city is not a rich one but the people seem happy nonetheless.

We stayed at a Dreams Resort which was all inclusive. If you are looking for a nice hotel to relax and have a chill vacation, check out Dreams Villamagna. You will enjoy the experience.  The best way to describe the trip would be as a cruise that never left the port. There were daily activities, a daily drink, and nightly live performances. The hotel prided itself on customer service and I must say that they did a wonderful job meeting our expectations. We celebrated DJ's 9th birthday while there and they were gracious enough to accommodate our request to have a birthday cake in his honor. What they did was set up a small birthday party at the Explorer's Club, the hotel's kid place where adults were not allowed, complete with a pinata. Too say he was pleased would be an understatement.

And pleased he should've been. We started that day with a family dolphin encounter. The dolphin encounter was an phenomenal experience. We got into the water with another family and then we each had an opportunity to feed, kiss, pet, and dance with a dolphin. Now how cool is that?  If you are in Nuevo or Puerto Vallarta, I strongly recommend that you check out Vallarta Adventures to book your excursions or adventures. That company is absolutely fantastic! Not only do they provide the dolphin encounter but for more money you can swim with or train the dolphins for a day.
We also did two other activities with Vallarta Adventures. On Monday, after being served breakfast, we took a catamaran to a private island called Las Caletas. It was beautiful and situated on and around a mountain. While there, one could scuba or snorkel. I got a really good massage. I also learned how to make paella. YUM! We had an opportunity to encounter both a monkey and parrot with photo ops for both. DJ also got experience a series of zip lines. They served a fantastic lunch. We were entertained by a great staff on the boat. On Friday, we did a tour of a small fishing village called Yelapa(pictured above). Yelapa is just now getting electricity. The kids took a horse back ride up the mountains to the waterfall. The waterfall was really a trickle because it has not been a productive rainy season in Mexico so far this year. We did some kayaking and snorkeling there too. The jellyfish were very prevalent that day so the touring company was extremely cautious scouting out where the snorkeling would happen. Of all the activities we did with Vallarta Adventures, I would have to say that the crew we went out with on Friday was the best in terms of interacting with the guests and making the whole catamaran ride the best. I have to give a shout out to Giovanni and his crew.  They were so much fun and extremely personable. Not a person on the boat had a complaint in the world.

We took a taxi to Busceria on Thursday and spent a couple hours at a Mexican flea market. We made sure we did this on a day that the cruise lines were not in port because prices tend to be higher then. Chante learned the fine art of haggling. Both she and DJ got to see first hand life in a Mexican village. They were constantly reminded that they live blessed lives. In both Yelapa and Busceria(on the beach too), they saw first hand how young children are out trying to help to support their families. The children sell small souvenirs, pies, and even meat on a stick to aid their families survival. We talked to various staff members too. While the cost of living is very cheap in comparison to our own, the people there struggle to maintain their daily necessities and they live a much simpler life than we do.

As for the food, it was good. Some things worked better than others. There were several restaurants on the resort to choose from, offering a range of things to eat.  There was a Mexican place, an Italian place which was more upscale, and a seafood restaurant. There was a daily buffet and a casual grill like place. Of course there was 24 hour room service. There was also a roof top sky bar which had a sushi bar to boot. We could eat as much as we wanted, pretty much whenever we wanted. The nightly shows were also nice. They were colorful and entertaining. I give it to the performers because they were enthusiastic whether the show was well attended or not, and you could tell they gave their all for the audiences enjoyment.

In all, we had a great time as a family. My kids would complain that we made them get up early to attend the excursions but seriously, they had a ball. We felt safe and met some wonderful people. Vacations are for memories and we have plenty of those. We are already thinking about our next trip. Wherever we go, we know we will make the most of meeting the people and immersing ourselves in the culture. Whether you travel far or near, a vacation also gives you a new focus ad renews your spirits. If a vacation is in your plan, check out www.dreamydestinations.net there are some superb deals out there. Till next time, God bless!


Copyright July 26, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe