Puerto Vallarta, My Hearta!

The sunsets!! Oh, the sunsets in Puerto Vallarta will only enhance your romanticism on your trip. At the end of the perfect sunny day in PV, sit on the beach and watch the sun set in a lavish sea of colors. Shopping in PV is inevitable. It’s everywhere, even as you walk on the beach! My favorite is the Malecon, a boardwalk, along the beach full of great little shops, bistros, and restaurants. Also, I loved taking photos of all the local children. They love to have their pictures taken and they photograph beautifully! Need to check your email while you’re on vacation?? There is even a little internet café right in the heart of town where you can check your email and send email to your family and friends for only 15 pesos an hour. That's only about 1.50 our money, for an hour!!

Quick Tips:

You'll be amazed at all the local children who will hound you for money. Give if you want, but just so you know, they are hired by older locals to bring them money. Also lots of vendors on the beach try to sell you necklaces and stuff. Buy if you want, the stuff is good, but make sure and bargain with them. They will come down in price! And there are lots of timeshare salesman that will hound you in the shopping areas, just tell them you are not married, that seemed to work for us. They wanted married couples.

Best Way To Get Around:

The taxis have kamikaze drivers! They are crazy, so it's an adventure in and of itself just to ride with one. Walking is the best way if you like to walk. I love walking and seeing all the sights, and everything is really easy to get to. Staying at the Premeire Hotel and Spa was easy walking distance to great shopping, restaurants, and many tourist attractions.

This hotel is set directly on a small stretch of your own beach, where you will be able to relax and do yoga with one of the on-site yoga instructors, play beach volleyball, or pose for pictures on the rock jutes. The rooms are all ocean-view—all of them! Yes, folks, it’s an oceanfront and ocean-view hotel with an affordable price tag. This hotel is also ADULTS ONLY. No, there are no loud, obnoxious youngsters to spoil the complete relaxation you will feel here—and I mean complete relaxation. This is an all-inclusive hotel. You pay one price on Funjet.com, like we did, and when you get there, all you worry about is what bathing suit to wear! Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, room service, and drinks are all included, 24 hours a day!

The rooms are tropical, clean, open, and inviting, with an attentive staff. I told them over the phone before we got there that we would be celebrating our first anniversary, and when we arrived, there was a huge fruit and champagne basket with a sign that said "Happy Anniversary!" There’s a great fitness center and an excellent spa, too—so nice! Take a cooking class by the pool. Eat at the open-air restaurants set alongside a beautiful, exotic sunset every evening. Relax in your own tiki hut by the pool, or swim up to the tiki bar in the pool, set on the beach. Get a pedicure by the pool or a massage in your room. I have never in my life been more relaxed than I was during my stay at this hotel. It was 100% pure heaven. Another thing to note: the poolside chairs are not your average lounge chairs. Sinking into one of these immensely padded lounge chairs will have you sleeping in the Puerto Vallarta sun in no time. So soft and luxurious with waiters attending to your every need. Yes, the Premiere Hotel and Spa is just like the name says, the Premiere place to stay. Definitely, we will be going again.

Like any good Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant, this one is great, too! Only this one really is in paradise! Just a short stroll down the Malecon, a sweet little boardwalk full of shops and restaurants, and you'll come to Cheesburger in Paradise. Great balconies to people watch from or watch the sun fall into the sea. Party with the live bands or just have an intimate moment with the one you love. And when they say, best cheeseburgers in paradise, they aren't kidding!! Try the nachos, too!

Take a small boat across from the mainland of Puerto Vallarta to a small island called Jelapa accessible only by boat, where you will depart and meet many of the locals (population 80). We were greeted by a local who brings along his pet iguana, which is about 3 feet long! I saw some young children playing along the trail and they saw my big camera and wanted me to take their pictures. They were so cute and so sweet and the pictures came out so beautifully. You next hike up to a huge waterfall. There you can swim, explore, relax, and see all the exotic wildlife. Next you are taken to an even more remote beach on Jelapa, where you can boogie board, snorkel, and relax on the beach while a group of locals prepare a traditional Mexican lunch is for you. The food is excellent, the locals are so friendly, and the exotic wildlife of parrots and beautiful fish are at your fingertips. It's the trip of a lifetime.

I really think that the best time to visit Puerto Vallarta is the end of August. That is when we went, and through funjet.com, we were able to get an all-inclusive price per person, with airfare, hotel, food, and activities for less than $900 per person. I think that is a great deal, considering we flew out of the middle of the country. The end of August is usually when everyone's kids are going back to school, so the area is not crowded. If you ask me, August is the perfect time. But if you haven't been to Puerto Vallarta, pretty much any time is a good time to go because you just have to go!