Mexico — open for US travelers

Four Seasons Punta Mita — reopens July 1 (c) 2020 by David Ourisman, all right reserved

Yes, you can fly to Mexico! There has been confusion about the border closure between the US and Mexico; it applies to the land border only. While you cannot DRIVE to Mexico today, you can definitely FLY! Here are the facts:

• U.S. travelers can fly to Mexico without any issues.
• Cabo and the Riviera Maya are open, and airlines are adding flights.
• Visitors do not need to quarantine.

Take a look at this handy website from Classic Vacations for information about popular domestic and international vacation destinations. What's open? What's still closed? When will your favorite resort reopen? What travel restrictions exist, if any?

Some highlighted openings... Each resort listed below is open today and offers Virtuoso amenities: free breakfasts, resort credits, and more. As an added value, Classic Vacations offers cancel-for-any-reason insurance at no extra cost, giving you the flexibility to cancel for a full refund up to 8 days before arrival.

Mexico - Riviera Maya
   Andaz Mayakoba
   Banyan Tree Mayakoba
   Grand Velas Riviera Maya - all inclusive
   Hotel Esencia
   Rosewood Mayakoba

Mexico - Los Cabos
   Montage Los Cabos
   Chileno Bay
   Esperanza
   Grand Velas Los Cabos - all inclusive

United States
   Andaz Scottsdale
   Calistoga Ranch, Napa Valley
   Farmhouse Inn, Sonoma County
   Park Hyatt Beaver Creek
   Solage, Napa County

copyright (c) 2020 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

beach vacation in Mexico

sunset at Casa Majani (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Punta Mita is an exclusive Mexican beach resort area just 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. An easy non-stop flight from many US airports including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta, Punta Mita has beautiful white sand beaches and five star resorts, including the Four Seasons Punta Mita and the St. Regis Punta Mita.

Want something even more exclusive for a multi-generational family vacation (or even couples traveling together)? Consider a beachfront villa rental. On a Brownell Travel educational trip, we spent our first two nights at Palmasola, a 9 bedroom private estate directly on the beach. The beach was wide, sandy,  and completely empty, yet only a 10 minute walk in the sand to the Four Seasons's "quiet beach." We literally had our own private luxury resort for our stay — beautiful rooms, exceptional meals, and attentive service.

We can provide you with private beachfront villas all over Mexico ranging in size from 3 - 11 bedrooms. Casa Majani (pictured above) is a five bedroom villa (with a small sixth bedroom suitable for a nanny) just down from the St. Regis. The sunset view was incredible.

Whether you'd rather stay in a world-class resort or your own personal retreat, we can help you find the perfect spot for a beach vacation in Mexico — whether on the Riviera Maya, Punta Mita, Los Cabos, or elsewhere.

#1887ClubPuntaMita

copyright  (c)  2016 by David Ourisman LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Chichen Itza, a wonder of Mayan Mexico

Chichén Itzá is one of the seven wonders of the modern world as selected by the New7Wonders Foundation. The other six are the Great Wall of China, Petra (Jordan), Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Picchu (Peru), the Roman Colosseum, and the Taj Mahal (India). Having visited Chichen Itza yesterday, I can't imagine staying in Cancun or on the Riviera Maya and passing up this experience.

The remarkable step pyramid built by the Mayans in the tenth century dominates the center of the complex. The pyramid is not quite square, although this fact is not readily perceptible to the observer. Intentionally skewed, the four faces and diagonal edges of the pyramid align with the angle of the sun on the two equinoxes and the two solstices. See this picture to appreciate the effect created at sunset on the equinox - the sun shining directly onto the western face and just peeking past the edges to illuminate the north steps with a series of triangular shaped patches of light, the symbol of a serpent in Mayan iconography.

There are countless fascinating stories to hear, and other marvels to see, while at Chichen Itza. The Ball Court is a playing field upon which two men played a sudden-death version of basketball (literally). Using only his elbows, knees and hips in an elaborately choreographed game, the first player to get his ball through a stone ring 22 feet above the ground won the honor to be sacrificed to the gods. The loser would cut off the winner's head and present it to the King who presided over the event. But perhaps the biggest mystery is the presence of thousand-year old carvings depicting figures who resemble a Roman soldier, American Indians in full headdress, and a bearded warrior. No theory exists to explain this apparent anachronism.

A private guide can make your visit something special, whether at Chichen Itza or anywhere else in the world, and Virtuoso onsite Journey Mexico provided us with the very best. Fernando (pictured in front of the pyramid) is an excellent guide who is himself part Mayan. More than a job, Mayan culture, architecture, and iconography are his passion, and he conveyed his love and enthusiasm of Mayan culture to us. Though considerably more expensive than signing up for a bus tour with 40 other tourists, the three hours we shared with Fernando at Chichen Itza, followed by another hour at Ek Balam (where we got to climb a pyramid to see some incredibly well-preserved carvings on the temple at the top), made yesterday an experience we will never forget.


Chichen Itza (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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Riviera Maya vacation

I'll be leaving in three weeks for a Riviera Maya vacation and site inspection. Located in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, the Riviera Maya is a vacation area that has become very popular with upscale tourists. I will be staying at two properties during my week in this western Caribbean beach destination — four days at Orient Express's Maroma Resort (pictured above), a beachfront property that boasts some of the best snorkeling in the world — and three days at Rosewood Mayakoba, a serene resort near Playa del Carmen. I'll be making site inspections of a total of nine Riviera Maya luxury resorts and posting my reviews right here.

More than just a beach resort, the Riviera Maya boasts a number of outstanding archeological sites including the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza (pictured to the left) and Tulum. Travel provides a priceless opportunity to experience different places and to learn about ancient cultures. It's a chance to learn, expand our horizons, and - for me - to gain invaluable first-hand impressions that helps me serve my clients as a travel consultant.

Riviera Maya vacation (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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