Vacationing in Mexico can be a pleasant or unpleasant experience. It all depends on the precautions you take before going and while there. The places are visited were Guadalajara, Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta. I lived in Mexico for two years so this is some of the things I learned while living there. While working in Mexico for 2 years, I went to Puerto Vallart about 7 times. Where to stay: If you want to party and not have to rent a car, the best area to stay is in downtown Puerto Vallarta. There are several hotel there and most of them are pretty good, Yahoo has pretty good guides and reviews. I stayed at the Melia and it was a good experience overall. There are several hotels that offer all inclusive but I like to experience diffenent foods so I never took the all inclusive package. If you want to stay at better hotels with better beaches. I would definitely recommend staying in Nuevo Vallarta. It is a new resort town about 15 minutes from Vallarta but it has the best hotels. The one I stayed in was called Paradise Village and Expedia has pretty good deal on the price of the room. They also have these great villas on the top floor that can fit a large group. I went to Paradise Village again and again because the beach was much better than any beach in the city of Vallarta. The great thing about Paradise Village in Nueva Vallarta is that there is a mall about 2 minutes from the hotel. Outside of the mall there is a great sandwich shop that has the best bread I have ever tasted and freshly squeezed juices. This hotel also has a golf course and a marina so it is the perfect perfect to stay for about $100-$120 a night if you book it through Expedia. We always did and had no problems at all. I think anyone who stays in Vallarta will be greatly disappointed with the beaches, they are very rocky and most of them are dirty because they are in the city. Nuevo Vallarta is a little bit cleaner but nothing like Cancun with the transparent waters. Vallarta beaches are not much different from American beaches expect that they are warmer. One very important thing to remember about vacationing is Mexico is don't drink the water. Despite the fact that everyone says it, it is something to be taken seriously because one can get seriously ill there. The problem is that, in graphic details, there is sewage in the water, the bacteria that you are not accostumed to will enter your system and cause havoc. You will get diarrhea, the worst stomach cramps you ever felt and also weeks after you will get intestinal worms, plain and simple. There is a solution (the name escapes me right now, it is in a blue bottle, that you can buy in Mexico and if you soak fruits and vegetable in it as directed, they are safe to eat. Things to avoid: Always use bottle water Never use ice on drink unless it was made from bottled water Brushing your teeth with the water Eating fruit with skin, always peel it Don't out lettuce or tomatoes on hamburger unless they are disinfected If you have open cuts, they will get infected when you take a shower therefore always use a disinfecting on cuts after taking a shower or washing hands. Keep in mind that most hotels and establishment catering to American does taken precaution when preparing food and drinks. The smaller establishments don't because it is just not cost affective to do so. I grew up in Africa so I was immune to most of the bacteria. My husband who wasn't immune to the many types of bacteria got seriously ill about 3 times and just sick many other times. The medicine they will give you is cipro, the same thing they use to treat anthrax. So before going check with your doctor if you are allergic to it, it is available without a prescription at all drugstores there. Entertaining: There are many fun places to go in Puerto Vallarts, lots of clubs, the usual places like Carlos O'Brian and Senor Frogs and many other popular spots. The best club I went to was Christines on the main drag in Vallarta, it was suited for people in their 30's. For the place less formal and more fun, the Zoo was great. Mostly American customers, drunk girls acting wild and lots of dancing. I never went to Cancun but I heard it is the best place to go in Mexico. I went to the town of Manzanillo which was a total disappointment. The beaches were decent but the town was very small, not tourist attractions and catered mostly to the natives. There wasn't nothing fun to do like clubs. I also would not recommend going to Acapulco, even my Mexican friends told us to stay away from there. There is a high crime rate and also it is not the best place for a great vacation. Overall Mexico is a great place to go for vacation. The weather is just gorgeous, the people tolerate Americans and they are friendly for the most part. I'll be working a guide for Guadalajara next.