 | 
Villa del Tepoz Fuego Travel TipsPacking:Pack mostly summer
or tropical clothes for warm weather. Pack a jacket and sweater for cool weather.
Also bring hats, sunscreen, hiking boots, good walking shoes, or sneakers, sandals,
flip flops and a couple of bathing suits. The dress here is very casual. It is
rare to see a tie. The best restaurants allow jeans and casual clothes. To visit
Churches most women wear a skirt or dress. Bring your camera. Bring a shopping
bag or back- pack and an extra suitcase or duffel if you plan to shop a lot. Leave
your good jewelry and valuables home. The ones you bring let us lock up for you.
Weather:Year round the weather is very pleasant, sunny, and dry at our
Villa. There is a rainy season where we experience rain in the nighttime from
June through August, and heavier rains are common in September. The October to
May is extremely dry so even in the hottest areas the weather is very pleasant.
We are located in the heart of Mexico and bad weather or hurricanes that
affect the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, or Pacific usually do not impact our weather.
You can experience while traveling outside of our area some changes in temperatures
due to the nature of the terrain. For example southern Cuernavaca, a forty- minute
ride southwest can be ten to fifteen degrees hotter then where we are. Four hours
from here in Acapulco it is always hot and in the nineties year round. If you
drive fifty minutes east the valley is five degrees hotter but the mountains can
be ten-fifteen degrees colder. The highest elevations of the volcanoes get snow.
At night at our Villa you may like to use a light sweater in the December January
period. During the day plan to use a hat, sunscreen, and clothes you can cover
up with. You can get a great tan year round but those that have sensitive skin
need to take precautions due to being exposed to a more direct strong sun. Hydration
here is very important so always travel with water bottles. Water bottles here
are safe and inexpensive and sold everywhere. Pick up one when you land before
you leave the airport.
Guide Books:Bring with you a good guide-book
and a compact Spanish/English dictionary.
Medicines/Eye Glasses:Local
Pharmacy stores have a large inventory of Medicines that are reasonably priced.
Some of the names may be different so check with your Physician for the Spanish
name for your medicine. We can help you with this with a referral to an English
speaking Doctor from this area. It is a good idea to bring a copy of your prescription
for your glasses in case you loose them.
Restroom Facilities:While
traveling in Mexico it can be hard to find clean bathrooms. Bring and always carry
toilet paper since some bathrooms do not supply it. You also frequently have to
pay two pesos to use a toilet, but they clean those bathrooms and supply you with
some toilet paper. Some toilets bowels in small towns in outlying areas do not
have lids on their toilets. Make sure you use the bathrooms at the airport when
you arrive. The buses have clean bathrooms but sometimes no toilet paper in them.
The best restaurants, large restaurant chains, and large stores also have the
best facilities.
Travel Insurance:Travel Insurance is a good idea.
Medical
Care:Medical care here is of a good quality with many of the Physicians being
trained in the USA. Dental care is also good and readily available for emergencies.
Medical service fees are reasonable compared to those in the USA.
Travel
Documents:It is now becoming important to have your passport with you to
enter Mexico. You can automatically receive a visitor's visa when you land that
lasts for the duration of your trip. They base it on your return reservation.
Visiting Sacred Sites:Mexico has a large number of ancient sacred sites.
When visiting these sites, do not disturb the site or remove anything from it.
It is also recommended to make an offering with a candle, chocolate, or tobacco
but never ask for anything. Simply ask for permission to be there and give gratitude.
It is best to go with a guide.
Exchanging Money:
It is best to
do this when you are in the Mexico airport but not in the main terminal where
non travelers can spot you receiving cash, at one of the many booths after you
land or in a large size town, to go to a bank or money exchange office. Exchange
rates vary each day. You can exchange dollars but it is very limted now to central banks, travelers checks are not a great idea due to commisions, or use an ATM
machine with your credit or debit card. There is usually an ATM machine charge
for this. US money and Traveler checks are not accepted at most places and when it is it is not at
a favorable rate.
Safety:
Mexican border towns are not safe places
so if your driving get gas before you go across the border, and only stop at the
official customs and immigration check points. You need to also stop when you
go over the boarder to register your car. Mexico city is one of the largest cities
in the world and like all large cities very dangerous. It is best to get tickets
prepaid for taxis at the train, bus, or airport stations. At hotels it is best
to be assigned one from the hotel staff.. Flagging down taxis in Mexico City can
be dangerous. In Tepoztlán and Cuernavaca it is safe to flag down a taxi.
We will call one for you upon request from our Villa. It is best not to travel
alone or talk to strangers in certain areas. It is best to stay in the nicer areas
of town and not to draw attention to your self or show your money in public places.
Woman should not travel along on the streets at night except here in Tepoztlan it is safe. We provide guides and chauffer
upon request and availability.
Water: Tap water is not safe to
drink in Mexico. At our Villa all of our tap water is filtered and run through
an ultraviolet light system and is safe for accidental consumption. We still offer
bottled water for all deliberate consumption. Our pool and Jacuzzi also have Ultraviolet
light systems to insure purity and to eliminate the need to use chlorine. The
best restaurants and hotels in Mexico offer bottled water and have pure water
systems to wash lettuce, fruits, and vegetables. The medium or low- end restaurants,
and the food in the markets may not be safe, cause food poisoning or parasite
contamination and we do not recommend your using them. Fruits and vegetables purchased
in the markets or grocery stores need to be disinfected before consuming. We will
do this for you at our Villa on request.
Driving in Mexico:
Rental
cars are very expensive here do to add ons and you frequently do not get what you ordered. Vans
and cars can get flat tires due to poor maintenance. Vehicles can break down more
often here for the same reason. You must get Mexican car insurance, which is very
expensive. US car insurance does not cover you here. Air conditioning is a must
for many beach areas. Road signs and directions often are incorrect due to roads
frequently being changed for constant construction in the Mexico City area. If
you rent a car make sure all of the dents are marked with the car rental place
before leaving because their cars are full of dents and they will charge you for
them when you return your vehicle. Police have been known to pull over foreign
drivers in rental cars or with US license plates and charge them large sums of
money for fictitious infractions in the Cancun and Mexico City areas. We do not
recommend renting cars unless you're a very experienced traveler and speak a high
level of Spanish. Bus travel is very safe and economical. Subways are safe during
business hours.
For Additional InformationPlease refer to the
following two websites for additional information on safety precautions and tips
for travel in Mexico.
A Safe Trip Abroad: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html
Tips
For Travelers To Mexico: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/regional/regional_1174.html |
|
Villa
del Tepoz Fuego Bed and Breakfast
Address: Prolongacion Netzahualcoyotl
# 43
Barrio de Santo Domingo
Tepoztlán, Morelos, México 62520
Call us from the USA or Canada:
1-443-451-4309
International
calling from the USA:
011-52-739-395-0806, Fax 011-52-739-395-2943
Call
us in Mexico:
01-739-395-0806, 01-739-395-2943
US Mailing address:
c/o Jan Frieman,
2490 Club Walk Trace
Alpharetta, Georgia 30022,
for all mail and payments by check |
| ©2005,
All Right Reserved by Villa del Tepoz Fuego Site Design by LWC |
| |
