Holiday tips for Zipolite Beach and Mexico

Note: In April/May 2009, Mexico was the epicentre of a global outbreak of a potentially deadly swine flu virus (H1N1) that has killed well over a hundred people and infected almost 9,000 in Mexico. Most schools have re-opened but several major hotels in the country have closed their doors due to tourist cancellations and thousands of eateries, most in the capital, have closed due to lack of trade. However, the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention in the US has lifted its recommendation that citizens avoid travel to Mexico and cruise ships have resumed services. In May, cities and tourist centres such as Cancun were compared to ghost towns, with millions staying at home rather than risking exposure. In mid to late May, various resorts were promoting "flu-free" travel packages with tourists offered a free future vacation if they contract the virus. Mexican health authorities say there are signs the swine flu is waning in that country. The World Health Organisation has declared swine flu a global influenza pandemic. People travelling to Mexico should monitor the media and government travel advisories, and should expect airport medical screening. However, swine flu has spread to about 113 different countries, killing 263 people, and Mexico is now considered as dangerous as elsewhere. For example, more than a million people are now believed to have been infected in America - about 50 times the number reported to health authorities (June 28).

Buy travel tickets to Mexico so you can lie back on a Pacific beach to enjoy romantic views such as below. The picture is a time exposure taken late at night from Zipolite Beach - a cheap haven for international backpackers who travel the south-west coast of Mexico.

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Zipolite Beach is about two kilometres from the coastal town of Puerto Angel which, in turn, is about 252 kilometres from the city of Oaxaca in Mexico.

This beach is excellent for swimming, surfing, snorkelling, strolling, sunbathing... in fact, just about anything starting with "s" which can be enjoyed by international backpackers seeking a seaside rest from their Mexico holiday travels.

Reasonably cheap holiday accommodation can be found at Zipolite Beach in about 20 thatched huts. This isn't a holiday hideaway with hotels.

Zipolite beach restaurants specialise in shellfish and other sea delicacies.

The cheap holiday crash pad of Zipolite in Mexico is also notable for the amount of nude sunbathing by tourists.

Mexico is a huge country offering a smorgasbord of holiday delights for international travelers, both rich and poor.

The country has arid deserts, snow-capped mountains, volcanoes, fantastic beaches, ancient ruins, a diverse selection of flora and fauna, and a choice between upmarket holiday resorts or cheap hotel rooms in sprawling cities.

The Mexican Riviera along the south west Pacific coast of Mexico is ranked 4th among the world's most popular cruise ship destinations. The capital city of Acapulco, swamped with luxury hotels, swinging nightclubs and Tex-Mex eateries, has enjoyed a resurgence in tourist popularity over recent years. As elsewhere in Mexico, it's still possible to buy an enjoyable meal with a drink in Acapulco for less than US$5.

Mexico is an easy country for cheap holiday travel on less than US$25 a day for food and accommodation, although costs are obviously greater if you want to stay in a hotel rather than a hostel or bed and breakfast.

Half-starved international backpackers can travel through Mexico for about US$10 per day, as long as they don't do much.

If you want some holiday comforts and better food, expect to spend between US$40-70 per day in Mexico.

Always ask to see the condition of cheap hotel rooms before handing over any cash and be aware that Mexico hotels often charge per room rather than per person. In other words, great holiday savings can be made if you travel in a group.

Mexico is cheap compared to most western countries, but don't expect dirt-cheap travel bargains similar to those in the rest of Central or South America.

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The Nuevo Peso comprises 100 centavos and bills come in denominations of $20, $50, $100, $200 and $500, with coins of 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, $1, $2, $5, $10 and $20.

Be aware that the Mexican peso is referred to with the dollar sign ($) and shouldn't be confused with American dollars. Banks mostly open from 9am till 4pm in Mexico.

Waiters expect a tip in upper class restaurants and you should bargain at markets or with unmetered taxi drivers for an agreed price. A 15% value added tax is included in all quoted prices in Mexico, including hotel fares.

Flying is sometimes a cost-effective way to travel around Mexico's two million square kilometres.

There is a very extensive network of cheap bus services but the road conditions can be poor in Mexico, the weather hot and the journey unpleasantly long.

Depending upon your luck or local knowledge, Mexican buses can be either comfortable, safe and efficient or uncomfortable, dilapidated and dangerous.

Trains are another cheap form of holiday travel but Mexico doesn't have a particularly extensive network of passenger train services and they are notoriously slow and unreliable.

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Mexico provides a continual stark contrast between the old and the new with nearly 60 indigenous tribes surviving away from the modern metropolis.

Travel tip ... tourists should be constantly wary and take all necessary measures to protect their holiday luggage and cash as crime is a problem. It's always advisable to leave your travel valuables such as passport and international airfares in a hotel safe.

Pickpockets and bag-snatchers are a constant hassle if you travel in Mexico, sometimes involving ATM robbery and credit card fraud. The level of violent crime has been increasing over the past decade, including kidnapping and sexual assaults against women. Crime hotspots are the capital of Mexico City and the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas. Cities and towns near the US border such as Tijuana and Nuevo Laredo are also crime-ridden.

There have also been frequent murders in the state of Michoacan. On Independence Day in 2008, two grenades were thrown into a crowd of revellers in the city of Morelia, killing seven people and injuring more than 100. Drug gangs are believed responsible.

The Federal Republic of Mexico covers 1,958,200 square kilometres and has a population of almost 101 million. Twenty two million of these people live in Mexico City... the third largest city in the world.

About 60% of Mexicans are of mixed European or Amerindian descent and 30% are pure Amerindians. Spanish is the official language in Mexico but there are 59 indigenous tongues and Mexican Spanish is a little different from Castilian Spanish.

Citizens of most western countries don't need a visa but a 90 or 180 day tourist card (dependent upon nationality) must be purchased at a Mexico embassy or border crossing by international tourists planning to stay longer than 72 hours.

You should closely protect and always carry your blue copy of the tourist card. If you lose it, expect headaches when your holiday finishes and you try to catch a plane out of Mexico.

The northern border of Mexico with the US is effectively a duty-free zone in which a tourist card isn't necessary for visits up to three days.

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Vaccinations should be considered if you plan travel to areas in Mexico where there is a risk of diseases such as malaria, typhoid, cholera or rabies.

Mexico City has a history of air pollution, with smog a particular problem between November and February. The Mexico City metropolis was ranked the world's most polluted in a 1992 United Nations report but has since slashed many of its emissions. For example, lead levels in the air dropped 95% from 1990 to 2008, while sulfur dioxide fell 86% and carbon monoxide 74%. Tap water should be boiled or purified. Bottled water is a tastier, safer alternative.

Mexico City is littered with pre-Hispanic ruins. In October 2006, archeologists unearthed a 15th century Aztec altar and a 12 tonne idol just metres from traffic in central Zocalo square, and in June 2007 they found what are believed to be the ruins of an Aztec pyramid destroyed by Spanish conquerors in the Iztapalapa district. In December 2007, archeologists announced the discovery of an 800 year old Aztec pyramid, about 11 metres tall, in the Tlatelocto area near the centre of Mexico City - suggesting the Aztec civilization began to settle the mountains of central Mexico more than 100 years earlier than believed.

Iztapalapa itself is a very poor district in the Mexican capital, infamous for violent crime and drug dealing. Tourists should be alert while in the district.

Mexico's electricity current is 110 volts and the measurement system is metric.

Mexico has great weather most of the year and the climate varies, dependent upon the altitude of the area through which you travel.

Hot, humid weather is common from June to September, particularly in the south.

Bring some warm clothing if you plan holiday travel through inland Mexico during the winter months.

Mexico's climate is mostly hot and humid near the coast but more temperate and dry at higher altitudes.

Most international tourists visit at the height of summer but a more pleasant holiday travel climate can be enjoyed from October to May.

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Mexico is a mountainous country with a vast number of regional climates and microclimates, varying from the temperate, semi-desert, high-altitude plateaux in central Mexico to the steamy tropical and subtropical jungles of the south and east.

The Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range runs down the west coast and the Sierra Madre Oriental is in the east, with volcanic highlands near the middle and only the eastern Yucatan peninsula having a consistently low, flat landscape.

Only about a fifth of Mexico hasn't been cleared for farming and grazing animals.

Mexico boasts a never-ending choice of fiestas, fairs and other festive events that attract hordes of international tourists, often celebrated during the country's frequent national holidays. An example is the Festival International Cervantino held for 20 days during October each year in the regional university city of Guanajuato, featuring music, dance, opera and most art forms from around the world. Guanajuato is a romantic, World Heritage listed destination of about 120,000 residents that thrived on silver mining since the 16th century and which allows few vehicles on its cobbled streets.

The local Mexican telephone system is very cheap, although many households don't have a telephone connected. However, international call connection rates out of Mexico are very expensive.

There are plenty of internet cafes in all major cities and towns in Mexico, and increasingly in small towns and villages.

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Mexico has a long history of foreign invasion, occupation, bloody revolutions, military rule, corruption, economic stagnation, earthquakes and hurricanes.

Rebel activity still festers in some areas in Mexico with widespread civil discontent over massive economic and financial reforms since the early 1990s which have increased the gap between rich and poor.

Most Mexicans retain their famous laid-back attitude and it's true that timetables are often irrelevant to the reality of Mexican life.

About 90% of the population is Roman Catholic but many people also worship ancient pagan beliefs.

Mexico is among the fastest-growing industrial powers in the world. The economy is reasonably strong but inflation is an ongoing problem.

Holiday travel adventures you can enjoy in Mexico include exploration of the archeaoligical ruins to be found throughout the country. For example, in the jungles of Quintana Roo, inland from the popular beach resort of Cancun, you can see the remanants of Mayan culture dating back 3000 years in places such as Coba and Tulum.

About 20,000 structures once stood in Coba, which is the largest archealogical site in the Yucatan Peninsula, and many have not been excavated.

Tulum is about 30 minutes south-east of Coba and is more accessible. Bird and animal wildlife is verdant at both archaelogical ruins and mosquitoes are a problem. Cancun itself also has some small archaelogical sites.

In 2006, about 3 million tourists visited the massive Teotihuacan archeological complex about 48 kilometres north-east of Mexico City. Teotihuacan was built in the 4th Century, abandoned in the 8th Century and in the 14th Century was rediscovered by the Aztecs, who renamed it the City of the Gods. A central feature at Teotihuacan is the imposing Pyramid of the Sun, the third highest pyramid in the world.

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