travelblog – Messy Suitcase Travel Blog

May 4, 2024May 4, 2024

Vidanta Resort’s Heart of the House Tour

We donned dorky paper chef hats when Christan from the Joy Squad took us on a 90-minute tour behind the scenes of the massive Vidanta Resort in Nuevo Nayarit/Vallarta, Mexico. From housekeeping, to food service, to wine, to excruciatingly delicious gourmet chocolates, we had a chance to see how a large luxury resort is run.

Vidanta has six resorts in Mexico, and Nuevo Vallarta, just north of Puerto Vallarta, is the flagship, with 5,000 employees trained to serve guests with an amazing attention to detail to make their experiences at Vidanta extraordinary.

We traveled through 1.7 kilometers of tunnels in an open-air van escorted by a staff member on a segway. In the huge bowels of the complex, we found administrative offices, carpentry, laundry, vehicle repair, electrical repair, spare parts, supplies management, bakery, ice cream factory, homemade jams, grocery store, trash and recycling (11 tons of recycling per day!). We saw one of the employee cafeterias, the staff gym, shuttle buses for employees, a hospitality training classroom, and a simulator in which staffers learn to serve meals, clean and prepare bedrooms, and more. We were treated to bread, jams, charcuterie, chocolate, and – the best surprise of all – discovered a wine cave for tasting!

*This is all chocolate, from plates to shoes*

The Heart of the House Tour runs once a week, on Wednesdays, and is limited to ten people. It’s worth a few hours in the morning if you’re curious about how Vidanta is run. And it’s worth it to see chocolate high-heeled shoes!

Info:

Vidanta
Vidanta Nuevo Nayarit/Vallarta
Map

May 2, 2024May 2, 2024

Sneak Preview of VidantaWorld Park

Vidanta Nueva Vallarta is giving tours as it soft opens its long-promised “VidantaWorld Park” — for a fee. Is it worth $100? Come along and see! Vidanta describes this theme park as “a space that defies all the rules of time, gravity, and even reality. A vacation taken to the limits of your imagination.” I don’t know if it’s all that, but we paid $100 for the opportunity to find out, which we could put toward food and drinks in the park.

We boarded the “SkyDream Parks Gondola” from Vidanta, which gave us a nice aerial view of the complex, including its new pickleball courts in the middle of nowhere. We were also treated to lovely views of Banderas Bay on the Pacific coast of Mexico, and the mountains beyond. Vidanta says the SkyDream is the first cable car system in the world in a beach development.

The park is opulent and lovely, with spectacular fountains, beautifully designed restaurants, shaded spaces for relaxation, fountain light-and-fire shows, music, and more. However, the park is not yet not fully operating, and was still in “tour” mode as opposed to “use” mode. There is not a lot of THERE there.

We rode the Vista Wheel (the only other ride was not working) – slow and a little boring, with literally no view — checked out the carnival games and enjoyed our pick of fantastic food.

Photos

In the future, Vidanta is promising a jungle park, “ruins” to explore, a water park, and all kinds of “thrilling attractions.” But this is Vidanta, so who knows when or if this will happen? As of now, there is no firm opening date, and a lot of staff members on hand to serve very few guests. But it looks good! Always a priority at Vidanta.

Info

Vidanta Resort
Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta
Vidanta World
Map

April 27, 2024April 27, 2024

Tasting Tacos and Tequilas in Puerto Vallarta

Vallarta Food Tours’ “Experience Mexology” Food and Drink tour was one of the absolute best tours we have ever taken in all of our travels. Over the course of 4 hours, we wandered around Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone with an incredibly knowledgeable, English-fluent guide named Luis Alba, experiencing 6 handcrafted cocktails and enjoying 6 scrumptious food tastings.

We met Luis in Lazaro Cardenas Park, also known as “The Mosaic Park” because of its incredible tile work. Luis promised – and delivered – on a comprehensive and scrumptious eating, learning, drinking experience, as he took us to a variety of places, from holes in the wall to fine restaurants. It was a fantastic way to get to know Puerto Vallarta, feel connected to the culture, and get some restaurant recommendations.

Luis Alba, our tour guide, pours a sample

Drinks

Food

Tour Details

The tour is described on the website this way:

Enjoy 6 handcrafted cocktails and 6 food tastings!

Drink And Eat Your Way Through Downtown Vallarta. Tacos and Tequila are at the top of everyone’s list when they come to PV. This tour gives you both in one fun and food-filled evening. This 4 hours walking, drinking and eating tour has no less than 6 cocktails including tequila, pulque, mezcal and local agave spirit: racilla. Eat tacos, drink tequila, learn about the differences in the spirits, laugh and just have an amazing afternoon with a group of like-minded travelers on this insider experience around the Romanic zone!

Info:

Vallarta Mexology Tours/Food Tours
Our Tour
Starting Point, Lazaro Cardenas Par

April 24, 2024April 24, 2024

Messy Suitcase New Intro

We are so proud of this awesome new intro for Messy Suitcase videos that we simply HAVE to share it! It’s a collaboration between Hamburg, Germany-based musician/composer Patrick Hamm and Champlain College Filmmaking student Gavin Greenawalt.

April 20, 2024April 20, 2024

Dental Tourism in Mexico: A Great Excuse to Go on Vacation

Bob needed major dental work done, so we took a Mexican vacation!

Getting crowns and eating tacos may not go together in your mind, but here’s the dirt: Dental work is way cheaper in Mexico than in the United States. The dentists are just as qualified, often US-educated, and it’s easy to find one that speaks English.

We discovered this when we were living in Guanajuato, Mexico, in 2019 and the whole family needed our teeth cleaned. We went to an ex-pats’ Facebook page and discovered that Mexico has a thriving cottage industry of dental tourism. The cost for dental care is so much less than in the States, that you can use the money you save to enjoy a lovely holiday. If you’re going to endure the pain and stress of dental care, wouldn’t you prefer to spend the rest of the day lying on a beach or drinking tequila?

You can get your dental work done anywhere in Mexico. All it takes is a Google search to find a facility. There are countless choices. We chose Puerto Vallarta because it’s one of our favorite Mexican cities. Bob found PV Smile in a convenient residential neighborhood, on the route to the Romantic Zone from our resort. Over the course of four visits, he had four fillings, two crowns, and an inlay replaced. He was very pleased with the quality of the work and the professionalism of the office. Total cost was $1,856, plus a few taxi rides. Bob just used a credit card to pay, though if you are able to pay in Mexican pesos, you get a 10% discount.

The estimate to have the same work done at Allen Pond Dental in Rutland, VT, was $3,400. With almost 50% savings, we could spend a week in Mexico! Obviously, Lisa enjoyed it a little more than Bob, because she had more time free. But Bob still enjoyed himself, and we took advantage of the trips to the dentist to explore some new neighborhoods of the city. We spent the time Bob wasn’t lying back in a dental chair doing a food and drink tour of Puerto Vallarta, enjoying the resort where we stayed, and exploring the region.

INFO

PV Smile, Dr. Noel Rivas
Facts About Dental Tourism
Map

April 18, 2024April 18, 2024

A Day in Boston: Swan Boats and Flying Tea

On our way to Mexico last summer, we had a few hours to kill and spent them exploring Boston. Join us as Bob attempts to annoy everyone in Beantown with his observations about Sam Adams, Faneuil Hall, the original State House, Quincy Market, and even the Boston Tea Party. We’ll also take a stroll through Boston Public Garden, and Lisa finally gets to ride in a Swan Boat!

This video debuts our awesome new original theme music, The Messy Suitcase Theme, composed by Patrick Hamm, a guitar player/singer/composer based in Hamburg, Germany. Thank you, Pat! Check out his YouTube channel.

The new introduction was created by Gavin Greenawalt.

Photos

Info

Boston Tourism
Map

April 16, 2024April 16, 2024

La Playita: A Local Beach, a Hidden Gem

Looking for serenity? Or a party? Depending on the day, you can find either at La Playita, one of our favorite local beaches. La Playita, found at the end of a dirt road tucked among the mangroves near Puerto Real, is just a mile or two from our home in Cabo Rojo.

The beach can be completely deserted, offering a serenity that’s hard to find anywhere else. But a holiday weekend can bring entire families partying for the day, and even overnight campers, though there are no facilities.

This picturesque stretch of white sand offers shallow waters, palm trees, and mangroves. You’ll see fish and even rays jumping out of the water, pelicans flying by, and sand crabs scurrying around. Unfortunately, you will also encounter some trash, and maybe meet a stray dog or two. People park their cars right on the beach, so it’s not a bad place for people with accessibility issues. The water is calm, warm, and fairly shallow – perfect for swimming, splashing, lounging in the water sipping a drink, fishing, or kayaking.

Photos

So grab your beach chairs, pack a cooler with drinks and some frozen Gasolinas (party in a pouch!), stop into Mercado’s Bakery to get sandwiches and chips and use the bathroom– remember, no facilities – and settle on in under a sea grape tree with a good book. Enjoy!

Info

Map

Mercado’sBakery

April 11, 2024April 11, 2024

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Playa Corcega in Rincon

We spent a sweet morning at a beach in south Rincon that is popular with local swimmers and snorkelers. It’s a quiet beach with soft golden sand, but not a lot of shade. A reef can be found about 50 meters from the coastline. Unfortunately, the water kicked up a bit and kept us out of the water. Next time!

There are no amenities and no services, but the village of Rincon is a couple of miles away. Bring a cooler and your lunch.

Info
Map

March 30, 2024March 30, 2024

Sweet Orange Festival in Las Marias

The mountain village of Las Marias, Puerto Rico, throws a huge block party every March, the Festival de las Chinas Dulces, to celebrate the abundant variety of sweet oranges that grow on the island.

They call oranges “chinas” (pronounced CHEE-nahs) in Puerto Rico, though the Spanish word for “orange” is “naranja” (pronounced nah-RAHN-hah).

We spent a sweet afternoon drinking china coladas and orange juice, eating china bread and other Puerto Rican delicacies, sipping Puerto Rican coffee, learning about island agriculture, and perusing the products of myriad artisans. The music was traditional, colorful, and energetic, coming from two main bandstands, and the crowds extended for blocks in several directions. We even took home an orange tree to plant in our Cabo Rojo yard!

Info
Map

March 21, 2024March 21, 2024

Birdwatching at Laguna Cartagena

The Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge bursts with birds year-round, but also offers hiking and mountain biking trails and some pretty spectacular scenery. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this wetland is one of the most important freshwater habitats for migrating and resident aquatic birds in Puerto Rico.

Almost half the birds recorded in Puerto Rico have been observed in the lagoon and its nearby hills. Visitors have a good chance of seeing a Magnificent Frigatebird, several species of herons, smooth-billed ani, the common moorhen, and occasionally the yellow-shouldered blackbird. I even saw white egrets and an osprey.

So if you’re anywhere near the southwest coast of the island, you should put on your hiking shoes, grab a pair of binoculars, a bottle of water, and a good camera, and spend a morning watching the avian activity and enjoying the birdsongs.

The trails are closed during nesting season – early March to late August – so time your visit well.