This is Part I in a Kimball Kensington Lifestyle series of posts to assist you with planning, preparing and enjoying a luxury holiday get away to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Truth be told, vacationing in Mexico has never been high on the bucket list. But when the opportunity presented itself for a Winter get-away with fabulous friends, warm weather, and seas breezes, yes yes yes was the only answer!
Cabo San Lucas, a resort city on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, is known for its beaches, water-based activities and nightlife. Playa El Médano is Cabo’s main beach, with outdoor restaurants and numerous bars.
So as soon as we said “yes to the vacation” the next step was to validate passports are current and required paperwork for international travel is complete. Please, please check your documents immediately. Passports can take 4-6 weeks on average from the time requested until received. This includes ordering new or renewing a passport. Adult passports are valid for 10 years, while children’s passports are only good for 5 years. More info here https://www.usa.gov/passport
Flights and accomodation’s
Flights book quickly, so determine your travel dates and book your tickets. It will save you dollars to plan in advance. Depending on your choice for arranging travel and accommodations, a luxury travel representative can organize everything for your trip; from your hacienda or villa, activities, dinner reservations, spa services, private chef and more.
Full disclosure – we booked very early and found wonderful fares on Southwest Airlines. Money saved, or so we thought. Several hours prior to our flight Southwest Airlines cancelled our flight (and many others). No flights from our departure location for 4 days! This required some fast changes late at night to get refunds and rebook on United Airlines. We secured the last 2 seats, therefore Mr. B and I did not get to sit together in route to Cabo.
Money, Money, Money
Time to plan the money! Mexico’s currency is the peso (M$). Mexico is largely a cash economy. ATMs and exchange offices are widely available. Credit cards are accepted in many mid high end hotels, restaurants and stores. Rule of thumb – It’s a good idea to carry cash. In tourist resorts and many Mexican cities along the US border, you can make some purchases in US dollars, though the exchange rate won’t be great. And be prepared- if you pay in US dollars, the change will mostly likely be in Mexican peso’s.
Most vendors in tourist areas actually prefer US dollars as they get the benefit of the exchange and get more for the money. In my experience, the established vendors will provide your bill in US dollars and Mexican Peso, then you select which currency to make the purchase. In this case, opt for the Mexican Pesos fo maximize your dollars. Check the currency rate, as this could vary based on exchange rates.
Change can be hard to come by in Mexico. Use larger bills when making purchases and hang on to your change so that you’ll have it on-hand for tips. Plan ahead and exchange your currency before traveling. Make arrangements with your local bank to exchange currency for peso’s. It is highly recommended to travel with $1’s and $5’s to use for tipping.
A tip (called a propina in Mexico) is the best way to show appreciation for good service. Tipping is customary in Mexico, and is expected in many situations. Do keep in mind that most of the people working in Mexico’s service industries earn very modest salaries and depend on tips to earn a living wage. So if you receive good service, it is a good idea to show your appreciation accordingly. Remember, it is always in good taste to tip generously.
Recommended tipping:
- Bellhop: 25 to 50 pesos for someone who assists you with your luggage and shows you to your room.
- Housekeeping staff: 20 to 50 pesos per night. If your room is particularly messy, tip more. It’s best to tip on a daily basis and not on the last day of your stay as it may not be the same person who cleans your room every day.
- Service Staff: 10%-20% of total bill
- Spa Services: 15-20% of total bill
- Bars / Cocktails: Equivalent to $1 per drink in pesos.
Start with planning the basics and think sunshine! More info to come in Part II of this series on Cabo San Lucas!
