Tips for GP Riviera Maya

These are from one of our Facebook members, thank you Sandra Fehler

• Here are the tips I have on a different travel group (not palladium, but still Mexico). You’re welcome to consider using any of this:
  Preparations for before you leave home
  • You will be able to use a credit card or USA currency in most touristy areas, but you will generally get a better deal if you purchase in the local currency, Pesos. If you are travelling from anywhere other than the USA, don’t convert your money to US, convert to Pesos. It may very well be easiest to do before you leave home, ordering some large and lots of small denominations (like 20 &50 peso notes for tips) from your own bank (unless your bank charges you a fee). You can convert at the airport and at the hotel as well, and the exchange rate wont be bad (might even be just as good as at home).
• Bring sunscreen. At least one bottle/can more than you think you need. Make sure it hasn’t expired. If you plan to go in the ocean, consider a bio-degradable coral/ocean-life-friendly brand. If you burn easily (heck even if you don’t), bring some aloe or solarcaine just in case. If you havent been in the sun much prior to the trip, bring a chapstick / lip balm with sunblock.
• Bring a sun hat. Or plan to buy one (there is a great selection in local towns).
• Pack essentials in your carry-on (like a swimsuit and any medications). If you are travelling with someone, pack some of each of your things in each of your bags so that if one bag goes missing (it probably wont!), you both have at least a few things when you arrive.
• Keep prescription medications in their original prescription bottle (which has your name and the name of the medication) and have it in your carry-on. If you have a lot of medications that have “street value” like opioids, consider having a note from your doctor (written on prescription pad or similar official document) as well. Bring a few days more than you need for the duration of the trip, just incase there is a delay in getting home.
• Pack more than one bathing suit. Wet bathing suits feel nasty when you put them on.
• Don’t bring brand new shoes – bring shoes you’ve already broken in as you want to be comfy without blisters!
• Winter can be cool at night so bring a light cardigan sweater, jacket or a shawl in case you need it If you travel in summer you might still need this on the plane and when you arrive back home (depending where you live). A colourful sarong can work as impromptu skirt, swimsuit cover-up, or shawl.
• Bring a small flashlight. One with red light is useful for turtle season. Little glow sticks are helpful if your kids are anxious at night in a strange room. You might also put one in the bathroom.
• Consider with your doctor if you think you need any vaccinations or medications. Hep A & B is recommended for travel anywhere. Tetanus (usually is combined with diphtheria and pertussis) is good to have up-to-date regardless of travel. Typhoid and Rabies might be a consideration if you’re going to leave the resort or see wild animals. Depending on time of year and your personal level of wellness, you may want the current flu shot.
  Some people take Dukoral. The resort food and drink is safe but it doesn’t hurt to pack a stomach upset remedy anyways (chewable Pepto Bismol tablets, Immodium ). You will be eating differently (possibly richer and more of it than usual), potentially drinking more alcohol than usual, likely not drinking enough water (people don’t realize how ill dehydration makes you or what the effects of too much coconut and pineapple are), and you will be around a bunch of people (their germs) both on the plane, in the airport and at the resort.
• Bring bug repellent (that contains Deet) especially if travelling in the wet (summer) season or if leaving the resort (away from the ocean breeze). Mosquito born illnesses such as Malaria, Dengue, and Zika are all possible (if unlikely).
• Bring a few Band-Aids, a few Aspirin/Tylenol, couple safety pins, nail file, and ear-plugs.
• If you have kids, bring a package of wet wipes.
• Bring a safety flotation device for those who are not good swimmers. There are lifeguards, but better safe than sorry. Reduce anxiety and enjoy the ocean!
• A few zip-lock type storage bags (useful for many reasons, including taking a few pieces of fruit or cookies from the buffet for a snack on a long beach walk etc)
• Some people bring insulated mugs from home so their drinks stay cool longer. If you do this, consider also buying a dish sponge, squishing dish soap into it, letting it dry then cutting into two pieces and putting those in a baggy. You’ll be able to use this and hot water in your sink to clean it.
• Pack a small amount of laundry detergent powder to swish out your swim suit or in case of a spill on your favorite shorts.
• A trash bag to put your dirty laundry and wet swim suit in for the trip home.
• Bring a blue or black ink pen in your carry-on, so that you can complete your FMM security /customs /immigration /tourist cards on the plane or immediately after you get off the plane (they will give these cards to you). Bring the hotel address, as you have to put that on the card.
• Make a photo copy of your passport information page and carry that separately from your real ID. If you lose your passport, having a photo copy of the info will assist you when replacing it. Give a friend at home a second copy of your passport plus a copy of your itinerary. Some people prefer to scan and email copies to themselves or some easily accessed online or secure flash drive storage.
• Telephone your credit card company and bank to inform them you’ll be in Mexico, so that they don’t put a hold on or cancel your card due to “suspicious activity”
• Bring a small back-pack or canvas/cloth shopping bag to make carrying things easier if you are going serious shopping.
• Leave your wedding rings /any sentimental jewelry at home and put on an inexpensive replacement (or plan to buy souvenirs). Many people lose their rings in the ocean because fingers swell in the heat then shrink in the water.
• Always be aware of roaming fees and surcharges of your cell phone service. Make an inquiry prior to travel to find out what rates will be, if you can add an upgrade to your plan for your time there, and other important information regarding your cell phone service while out of your home range.
• Bring a power bar / strip if you are going to be charging devices – there are limited outlets (north american standard type A/B) in the rooms.
  Airport Arrival
• Complete your FMM immigration/tourist card (there is a family one plus the individual one) while on the plane or shortly thereafter while in line. Do not lose the part they give back to you, as you need this when you leave; keep it safe with your passport.
• After you pick up your luggage, customs security uses a random “traffic light” system. You press a button, and if the light is green you move along. If the light goes red, your bags are searched. Red light is no big deal except your nicely folded stuff gets messed up.
• Near the airport building exit are time share and tour excursion reps who will be super friendly, possibly pushy, and who will try to entice you to listen to their pressured sales-pitch, possibly even pretending to be with whatever company is providing your transport to the hotel or even suggesting to be your hotel guide. Ignore them – walk right passed them. If you feel the need to be polite, just say “no gracias” but avoid making eye contact. Wait until you are right outside of the airport building before looking for your transport.

I thought we could have a little fun sharing our favorite travel tips.

One of mine is to pack those dry facial cleansing clothes vs a liquid. They are light weight and work well.

Have a fantastic Travel Tip Tuesday !

For the full post see our FB Group:

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/109354655764349/permalink/1447598818606586/

Manuel Ferrer :

A) I scan my passport, my credit cards, ID, job ID’s, driving license and I send them to my mail. So if I lost anything and I need issue o cancel anything I have all the information in one place.
B) I look for information about writers of the country I’m going to visit and try to read novels whose action takes places in the country or city I’m about to visit .
C) I do a little research about the country. I like to know facts about their history , traditions , food and language.
E) I make a “clothing schedule” of the whole trip so I can plan more efficiently the amount of clothing I have to pack.

Karen Horwood:

 My favourite thing is to bring Ziploc bags for anything you want kept dry or free of sand!

Lori Prendergast :

If you bring your own insulated mug I have a cleaning tip. Before I travel I wet a sponge and put dishwashing liquid on it. Let it dry, cut into pieces. When you want to wash your mug, wet a sponge piece to wash easily!

Anne Adams:

Always bring a power strip with extra outlets. Also bring some non-perishable containers of half n half for my coffee.

 

Donna Wassing:

We always used to take a small container of Coffeemate.

I know a lady who packs all her outfits in giant ziploc bags – jewelry and shoes included. That’s more for business but it works!

I always take documents related to the trip in one ziploc bag that way you have everything easy to find and it saves problems if something isn’t correct.

Sharyn Muirhead :

I always take a few wire hangers from dry cleaners. I don’t particularly like the hangers in the closets at the GPRM, because they are awkward to use and I like to hang most of my clothes. I leave the ones I brought behind, because maybe the staff could use them or the next guests in our room.

Minnie McDonald:

I take hangers and leave them too, also a power strip for all the extra plugs you use as there are not many sockets, I also take a cool bag to use as a beach bag keeps all my suntan lotions ect cool and our soda x

Deb Friman Masters:

cut up sponges with a little dish soap on them to wash bubbas out at the end of the day  🙂

Lynn Shallenberger:

I take small citronella candles to put on Porch/balcony of the Mayan Suites while we sit there in the morning and evenings to ward off the mosquitos….

Claire Ross :

I like taking soft face cloths from home, then pouring cold water on them & using as a compress to keep cool whilst sun bathing  👍🏼
Foaming hand sanitiser for in the pool bag for before pool side snacks  👐🏼
Pack of baby wipes for my hands after sun cream application so I don’t get a streaky kindle!  🤓

Robert Underwood :

Zip lock bags, and duct tape….

Anne AdamsGroup Admin” What do you do with duct tape?

Lynn Shallenberger “You sound like my,husband never travel without duct tape…lol for emergencies,from broken suit case zippers, and broken straps on luggage… He fixed a broken latch on a window when we skied Breckenridge. The latch broke during a blizzard one night and dumped a large amount of snow on our bed below the window… Duct tape sealed that window in a few minutes…

Robert Underwood “Exactly, it’s come in handy on many occasions…as a matter of fact I need to replace the roll in my suitcase.

Annette Corkum MacKay:

Someone had suggested to me before I went last time to bring a bright colour t-shirt to put over the top of the lounger to make it easy to spot you chairs (as they all kind of look alike). Worked awesome!

Keri Fitzpatrick:

I always bring a few hangers along too, the plastic department store kind with the clips on each side. They’re great to hang things like swim suits, water shoes, undies etc. up in the shower or on the balcony, and you can always use the clips to close snack bags or curtains.  🙂 Also, since we always leave home at 1 or 2 AM to get to the airport, I freeze a couple of sandwiches, pieces of cake, brownies etc. and put them in a little lunch bag cooler along with grapes, cheese or whatever. Things stay cold until we eat them on the plane or at the airport and no ice or liquids to cause problems going through security, lol. At the resort the lunch bag cooler goes into our beach bag to keep a couple of beverages cold while we’re out and about.
As a really bad over-packer, this year with hopes of not going over the luggage weight limit on the trip home (there’s nothing like trying to redo suitcases on the floor of the airport while a line of impatient people are waiting to check their bags, lol) I brought some clothes that I could leave behind or throw away, like faded tee shirts and too big shorts to sleep in, a sweater, skirt and a couple of blouses that I never wear any other time…….it worked!  😀

Lynn Shallenberger :

I forgot to add supplements to my list… Just in case of” tummy trouble” and you get dehydrated…. These are easy to pack and have electrolytes to get you back on track….lucky to say I haven’t had the need for them , ready just in case….

 

Anne Adams:

When we were n PC many people had towel clips.Keep towels in place and also helps to find your spot.https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/…/boca-clips…/224592…

I use probiotics before I go for sensitive tummy. I also take some Pepto Bismal in case I feel queazy from combo of hot sun and new foods.

Geoffrey Sanders:

to stop getting tummy problems always try to have a little “spirit” i.e. Gin, Rum, Whiskey etc, in the stomach to help calm it, this can be administered at various bars throughout the resorts, so no excuse for a queasy tummy!!! as an after thought will be in PC next Tuesday!!!!!

Holger Rosenfeld:

What about the most important travel tip: travel to Palladium only ?

Brenda Wegert:

Pack less .. you can always send your laundry out if you need to.

Anne Adams:

Don’t forget to pack a turtle safe light http://www.turtlesafeonline.com

Robyn Geist:

Take comfortable shoes. I don’t take any heels, marble floors and boardwalks…not good. Take fancy glittery sandals instead.

Shelley Lacroix-Goulet:

Bring lots of ones!