TammyWright

i saw this article and thought it might be helpful to some. Quote: by-Jason Blevins, Denver Post (02-04) 04:00 PST Sayulita , Mexico -- From the far southern longboard breaks of Punta Mita to the beach-breaking tubes at San Pancho to the boat-accessed reefs of Chacala, the state of Nayarit delivers consistent, warm-water surf for all levels. It is renowned as one of the best surf coasts on the planet. Sayulita offers a great right break for beginners and longboard riders, and a speedy left break for rippers. Nayarit's waves are smaller in the summer months -- the area's off season -- but even 3-foot waves can provide 20-second rides. The swells swell in the winter, when waves can reach triple overhead heights. The winter is when the humpback whales crest in Sayulita's small bay, delivering a buoyant experience for surfers waiting for that perfect wave. Sayulita abounds with surfboard rentals ranging from $15 to $25 a day, depending on the quality of board. Don Pedro's board rentals (Calle Marlin No. 2) on the beach, run by the diminutive surfer Davy, offers deals for week-long rentals of quality rides. Punta Mita offers six slowly peeling breaks perfect for lazy-day longboarding. The beach-pounding breaks at San Francisco -- known locally as San Pancho -- and Lo de Marco are much less crowded but demand a bit more skill (hint: Bail early or eat sand). Some surfers hire a panga boat in Sayulita ($45 for a quick session to $150 for all-day hunting) to ferry them to distant reef breaks and more remote waves along the Nayarit coast. Paddle softly around the Sayulita local surfers, and definitely don't drop in on them. Sayulita beginners are better off learning the art in the early-morning hours before the aggressive, talented and tourist-weary local surfers take over the break. For a show, watch the locals put on a display of surfing prowess. Some of those young rippers are international surf stars, and their skills are unrivaled. For lessons, check out: -- Duende Vista's Surf Dawgs on the beachfront provides two-hour lessons with board rental for about $25. -- Tigre Surf School, owned and operated by international surf champion and Sayulita local Tigre Cadena and his brothers Diego and Regis, provides top-ranked tutorials for similar prices. -- Bev Sander's Las Olas surf camps provides women-only surf instruction, promising to "turn women into girls" (lasolas.com). While Sayulita -- and most of Nayarit for that matter -- is primarily a surfing playground, there are many options for play beyond board-wrestling. Fidel Ponce's Blue Marlin Fishing Tours in Sayulita (Caracol and Manuel Navarrete, although his office is really his boat, so ask for him among the pangas on the beach) is renowned for ferrying pole-wielding vacationers to the sweetest fishing spots in the region. Fidel charges roughly $30 an hour and offers snorkeling and surf-break tours, as well. Snorkeling can be a challenge along the coast of Nayarit, and especially in Sayulita, because of the relentless waves. But a short stroll south and west of Sayulita's square to the Playa de los Muertos can provide some exceptional snorkeling. The tiny cove is protected from the waves, and a series of large, pelican-painted rocks in the cove provide refuge for an array of multihued ocean critters, including lazy blowfish and darting dorado. Best to bring your own gear if you plan to snorkel. The Playa de los Muertos -- there's a cemetery next to the beach, hence the name -- is a popular escape from the often zany Sayulita beach scene. Horseback galloping along white sand, harnessed zip-lining through dense jungle canopy and monkey-spotting mountain tours are offered by Rancho Mi Chaparrita. The horse-tending crew at Rancho provides well-salted and -sanded visitors some respite with steamy excursions into Nayarit's forbidding jungle. Stop by their offices across from the baseball field in Sayulita.

great post sarah! i am so glad it worked out for you. i did not hear the freeway at all when i was there...weird. isn't mariana great! i wa able to pick a beef and fish for my reception and they even threw in some pasta dishes for the few vegetarians. you may just want to stick to the cake they give you because we ordered this big cake but NO ONE ate it because they were so stuffed. it is a 4 course sit down meal AFTER a cocktail hour with hors d'oevres so it is sooo muh food.

well, it seems like there has been alot of beach erosion in riviera maya, especially PDC so unless they can come up with another solution, that may be it...

i think the pics look great. if it is within your budget you should do it.

it really depends on the resort and where you are having the reception. usually the staff will leave around 10:30-11:00...if you wanted to continue and party you would have to ok that with the resort...also the location you choose will be a determining factor and if you book most of the resort or not. ex. if you have reception at a pool terrace surrounded by hotel rooms, they would most likely make you cut off dj by 11pm. if it were on a beach away from hotel, then you may be able to negotiate longer.

welcome to the forum jennette...there is a ton of info on RM so read away!

Quote: Originally Posted by MrsV-to-be Hi! I'm just starting to plan for our destination wedding to MR (so forgive my "basic" questions!) I am curious about the options for receptions at EDR. I want a private reception, and I noticed that 1 of the wedding packages includes dinner for up to 40 people at one of their restaurants. How private is this? Would it allow for speeches from the wedding parties, or would everyone in the restaurant also have to hear it? Are their other options for a private reception? Thanks! the dinner they provide in the package is not private and you may not be able to give speeches. they do have the option for a private event on one of their terraces or beach for an additional fee.

welcome kat!! there are a bunch of dreams cancun birdes on here so you are in good company. jilly is great and has alot of info.. here is a thread that may help you. http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t12 tammy

you can always request to be the only wedding of the day. i got married in cabo on a sat. in memorial day weekend and asked to be the only wedding of the day and they said yes...it doesn't hurt to ask.

Quote: Originally Posted by BayBug Am I the only Central America (Costa Rica) Bride? I know that Jules is a Cuba bride. Is there a catagory for us? Maybe........... in the future we will not be doing forum/areas...

this will be very helpful to future dreams brides.

welcome melissa, there are a few Dreams PV brides on here...ann is having ehr welcome dinner reception there...let us know how we can help. ps. dreams PV is having a sale right now

welcome tot he forum! there are a bunch of EDR as well as GP brides here. those resorts are soooo different...the most obvious one is GP is a very family resort and HUGE while EDR is adults only and not so big. let us know how we can help. t

if the witnesses need to be there during the legal ceremony with the judge. alot of times, if they cannot, the WC will be the witness.

i know someone getting married there in march. it is a beautiful resort BUT some things to think about: no kids allowed and if you have older folks there it will be harder for them to navigate.

Quote: Originally Posted by MSBRANDI I am planning a wedding in June of 2008. I pretty much have narrowed my site down to Dreams Cancun. Right now my biggest question that is really stressing me is: Should I book my wedding directly with the resort or would it be better if I went through a travel agent? What is everyone else doing? I am looking forward to hearing from you. it really depends on how many people you have going to your wedding...if it is small you should be able to book online no problem, but if it is bigger, you may want to make other arrangements. there are many perks associated with group blocks (free upgrades, site visits, etc.) that you would not get if just booking online.

if you are in sf or most of your guests, i say go cabo...i am in sf as well...the flights are short (3.5 hours vs. 6 hours).

EDR is a great place to get married...one of our members just got back from her site visit...here is the post. http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t2522 here's some info on edr: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t1243

i think she is ok...if those are her "money shots", none of them give me the chills that i get when i see some great photos which is not a good sign because she is putting her best on her site...what do her average pics look like. also, i know ALOT of great photographers all had to start somewhere and charge alot less to get established. they paid their dues so now can charge what they want. i think it is possible to find that hidden gem that hasn't broken out yet, but just do not think this one is it.

what do you think?

Quote: Originally Posted by mexico15 Africa! Awesome! I have always wanted to go there! Do you know when she is expected back? Before my wedding in 2 1/2 months hopefully?? she is actually there for a month... she is there for a missionary type trip. http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t1995

Quote: Originally Posted by mexico15 Tammy, Do you have contact with Tara anymore? I want her alter decoration really bad!!! Do you know if the hotel had that stuff? Or did she bring down the circle shell strands and material to drape? If she brought down the shells...I want to know where I could find those! Thanks for any help you can give, if not, no problem. I will keep searching! i do keep in touch with tara...she is on my myspace and we email. we became pretty close since our weddings were about a week apart at dreams. she is in africa so will be out of touch for awhile. her uncle, who is a florist in the US, did her flowers and they actually had some probs with them. i think her husband made the chuppah hth

I have received a few PM's from members that they are being solicited by vendors and it makes them uncomfortable. This is against forum rules: Quote: Vendors are welcome to participate on this forum but must abide by the following rules: 1. Please be honest about who you are and state that you are a "Vendor" in your profile. 2. You are allowed 1 thread (in the "Newbies" Forum) to introduce yourself and post your information advertising your business. Do not post your info in multiple threads. 3. If you would like to advertise in the "Vendors Marketplace" please contact the Host. 4. Please do not actively or aggressively solicit our members. If they would like information from you, they will contact you. 5. Although it is ok to put your company information in your signature and profile, SPAMMING is PROHIBITTED. You will get one warning about spamming. Thanks for joining us and we look forward to hearing from all of you. this is a warning to all vendors. Please let members contact you for your services first. Do NOT solicit them about your services because if they have no intention to use you (too expensive, whatever), it puts them on the spot. This is your warning. If it happens again, you will automatically be banned.

great info nicole! also, ann, i am with you...the WC at Dreams PV is the worse one of have worked with so far...

we have a bunch of great photogs on the forum that are members: check out the http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/f98/ or http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t861