Creating a guest list for your wedding should be easy, but more often than not, it becomes an overwhelming and daunting task. This can get even more magnified if you are doing a destination wedding. So what do you do? Turn to infographics to rescue you from this stress, of course.
Below are a few infographic flow charts that can help you trim the list and ensure you did not miss anyone.
(Click on image to enlarge)
One of the great things about Sayulita is there is always something fun, exciting and memorable to do.
In a post on their site, Farmboy & Citygirl, Chris and Virginie shared with us their top 10 things to do in Sayulita, and we wanted to share them with you.
Directly from their page http://farmboyandcitygirl.com (make sure to go visit for more fun travel adventures)
1. RELAX ON THE BEACH
The main attraction of Sayulita isn’t hard to find: it’s its beach. Calm in the morning while the fishermen are out and more crowded in the afternoon when the sun warms it up, it’s the perfect place to relax. Whether you want to swim or tan, don’t forget your suntan lotion or you’ll probably end up looking like a lobster.
In the winter, the waves are usually fine to swim in. If you think the beach in town is too crowded, head north! There’s a beach there where you’ll find a lot fewer people. That’s where we always went since it also happened to be closer to our house, but we were a lot happier over there.
2. EXPLORE THE PLAYA DE LOS MUERTOS
If you well like going to an almost deserted beach, you can head down south to the Playa de Los Muertos, which literally means Beach of the Dead. The reason for the name? The beach happens to be right next to a cemetery. Just follow the instructions down the road and you’ll quickly find it. If you don’t find any graveyards, turn around! The beach is in between two rocky walls. If you feel like climbing, you can also see lots of crabs and other marine creatures that hang out on the rocks around the beach.
3. LEARN HOW TO SURF/SUP
Depending on if you’re there during calm days or wavy days, you might want to try either surfing or paddleboarding. I fell in love with paddleboarding, so I definitely suggest you try it out too! There’s plenty of people on the beach that are there to rent boards. You can check out places like WildMex and Lunazul. Once you find a good board for you, it’s time to hit the water and have fun!
4. SNORKEL AROUND THE BAY
Sayulita doesn’t have the crystal clear blue water of Cancun, but you can always snorkel on the calm days and enjoy the company of fish. You probably won’t see any amazing creature, but you can have a fun time swimming around and looking at the puffer fish that try to hide in the sand!
5. GO FISHING
Whether it’s to catch your dinner or just enjoy some time on the Pacific Ocean, you can go fishing with locals. There’s definitely plenty of fish in the Sayulita bay; you shouldn’t have any problems catching some. Just walk south on the beach and you’ll find where the fishermen leave their boats. You might also want to check out Captain Pablo’s Adventures, which offers fishing tours.
6. HORSEBACK RIDE ON THE BEACH
Isn’t there anything more romantic than a horseback ride on the beach? If you’re lucky enough to not be allergic to them (like Chris is), you can take a walk with them on the sandy beach and into the jungle. Go see the people are Rancho Mi Chaparrita, who can take you. There’s also people close to the river that can take you too.
7. HIKE IN THE JUNGLE
If you want to hike in the jungle around Sayulita, you have two choices. You can either go by yourself and discover the surroundings (which are beautiful), or you can get someone to take you. If you’d rather do it with someone, MexiTrecks can get you to the top of the Monkey Mountain. You’ll get a gorgeous view of the Sayulita bay from there.
8. VISIT THE MERCADO DEL PUEBLO
From November through May, you’ll find the Farmers’ Market on the main street, north on the bridge, on Fridays. It’s open from 10am to 2pm. There’s plenty of vendors to buy souvenirs from, but also some fruits and veggies, as well as organics products. You’ll usually find a band playing and people to buy lunch from if you’re craving some local food. It’s definitely a must-see in Sayulita! Or even if you don’t really care about the market, there’s also an awesome mango tree in the middle of the market that is worth the stop!
9. PARTY AT CAMARON
Sayulita is known for its family-friendly vibe, not for its nightlife. If you do want to go out one night, you might have a hard time finding a good party in town. After asking around a bit, we discovered that the best party is that Camaron on Friday nights. Right on the beach, it has exactly the summer party vibe we were looking for! You’ll find Camaron on the north beach, right next to La Terrazola.
10. VISIT LAS MARIETAS ISLAND
The last one, but also the most important one is Las Marietas Island! Our trip there withAlly Cat was so awesome that it even deserved its own post. It’s a day trip on the ocean that is well worth it. You’ll get to see the popular cave, as well as the islands around. If there were only one thing you had the time to do, I would definitely recommend the cruise. It was our favorite activity out of all the things we did in town.
All Quoted text property of farmboyandcitygirl.com
Sayulita is a special place, full of great people, great food and great times. When looking for a vacation in Mexico, often Puerto Vallarta makes the list, but more recently Sayulita is become the place to be for people who want more of an experience.
Below is a list of 22 reasons (all text and image credit to LiveDoGrow.com) that Sayulita is the place to be!
“1. Learn to surf at Sayulita’s Surf School. Lessons for young and old are offered every day. For veteran surfers, theSayulita Festival brings some of the best surfers from around the world to the village for an epic competition.
2. It does not matter how old you are. Just watching these children in surf school, I knew that if I was going to ever find the perfect spot to learn to surf – Sayulita was it.
3. Relax at the beach. Tranquil – with just enough amenities to keep you happy – this small beach is a haven for sun lovers.
4. Have I mentioned that everything in Sayulita revolves around surfing?
5. Sayulita will make you dream of living in a waterfront home like this.
6. The colors of Sayulita will reawaken all of your senses.
7. Walking through Sayulita makes you feel like you are walking in a painting.
8. Visit Revolucion del Sueno – a boutique and art gallery that will have you reimagining what is possible.
9. The art scene in Sayulita will make you wish you had extra room in your suitcase.
10. Meet Roberto – the artist behind El Mezcalito – to meet a true chaser of dreams.
11. Inspiration is everywhere in Sayulita. Even outside of boutiques.
12. It is impossible to leave Sayulita without feeling empowered.
13. Whether you are a dog lover or not, the dogs of Sayulita will make you wish you had your own dog. According to Roberto – the artist of El Mezcalito – every foreigner living in Sayulita has at least two dogs.
14. Even the restaurants are inspiring in Sayulita.
15. The fish tacos are incredible in Sayulita. Naty’s Cocina offers the perfect spot to sit on a bench with local workers, shopkeepers and ex-pats, messily eating tacos with mahi mahi and squash.
16. And the salsa? There are no jars….everything is fresh and made by the women behind the counter at Naty’s. Yum.
17. The dress code in Sayulita is easy: swim gear and a surf board.
18. The guest rooms and hotels on the beach will make you dream of retiring.
19. It is easy to feel at home in Sayulita. The community is a mix of ex-pats, locals and wanderers. You will hear not just Spanish, but English, French and German spilling out from restaurants and on surf boards at the beach.
20. Sayulita is a reminder of the importance of following your dreams.
21. Whether you are a surfer or not, the surf fuels life in Sayulita – offering the perfect location for adventurous souls wanting to find their balance.
22. Visit Sayulita – because you cannot NOT experience this beach village.”
The all important carry-on luggage. The one piece of luggage that stays with you, or for a weekend warrior, it may be the only piece of luggage you pack. Wether you are packing for a long vacation, or a weekend getaway, let’s try to make packing the carry-on less stressful. In an article from One Great Thing we found a myriad of tips to make that carry-on packing go extremely smooth.
Check out the article HERE and relieve your carry-on luggage woes!
If you’re headed to Mexico, here are money matters to know when you get here:
1. Don’t be confused by the currency: Both the U.S. dollar and the Mexican peso use the “$” symbol, which can lead to major confusion. I saw a message once from a European tourist wondering why the famous Copper Canyon train trip one way cost a whopping $1,200 dollars – when it really only cost $100. Just use common sense. If it seems way too expensive, then you’re likely seeing the price in pesos.
2. Stay local: Look for smaller guesthouses. Yes, there are big chain hotels there, both American- and Mexican-owned, but I don’t go to Mexico to experience corporate culture. You’ll save money and support the local economy, too, by staying local.
3. Know the cab fare: Before getting into a taxi-cab, always negotiate the price in advance. Most don’t have meters. Don’t forget this. Taxis are affordable in Mexico, but if you don’t ask the price, there’s a decent chance you’ll get gouged at the end of the ride. Most airports avoid this by having you buy a taxi ticket into town for a set fare.
4. Hire a driver: If I don’t know the area, I prefer this to renting a car and getting lost, due to generally poor signage on the roads. You can go to a taxi stand and talk to drivers there about what you need and where you want to go. Sometimes they can be a real blessing, like the driver we had in Oaxaca who knew where we could get a wooden crate built on the spot to bring our ceramic purchases back home safely.
5. Take a bus: Mexican buses are government subsidized, surprisingly cheap and enjoyable, especially the executive and first-class lines. I don’t recommend the local buses for any distance unless you want a chicken on your lap. But long-distance luxury travel lets you see the country and avoid the airport and is quite comfortable. Some seats even spread out nearly flat to help you sleep. If you’re on a double-decker bus, go upstairs and have a better view of the countryside. I’ve been on buses that even had hostesses who served snacks and Pepsi in little cups. Many have videos and coffee machines.
Note that smaller towns have a different depot for each type of bus, though they are more centralized in larger cities. Also note that bus routes sell out over the Christmas holidays and Semana Santa – before and after Easter – so reserve in advance.
6. Don’t be afraid to haggle with vendors. Bargain for your purchases. Vendors are going to take one look at you, think, “Americano,” and double their prices. Now, there’s a valid argument that people are already operating on such low margins that if you haggle them down, you’re taking food out of their kids’ mouths. Whenever But Mexicans themselves bargain when they buy.
The key to haggling is to be friendly and lighthearted. Don’t be like the Ugly American I saw once in Rosarito who just barked out prices at the shopkeeper. I could see she hated him, and she refused to lower her price, even though she’d just given me a big discount on the same lamp.
If you speak any Spanish, now’s the time to use it. Greet the vendor politely, smile and nod before you begin your transaction. “Buenos dias, señora,” goes a long way in a country where pleasantries are still important.
Note: A shop that has fixed price tags probably won’t bargain.
7. Get out of the tourist zone. If you’re vacationing in a major tourist destination such as Cancun or Cabo San Lucas, be aware that you’re paying greatly marked-up prices for everything compared to what Mexicans spend. Sometimes, if you just walk a few blocks away from the tourist zone, you can find where the Mexicans themselves shop and save yourself some significant coin on groceries, sunscreen, bottled water and such for your condo or hotel. You can also ask a cab driver to take you to the local shopping area, which probably includes a Wal-Mart.
Note: There are also Costco stores in Mexico.
8. Use pesos. Most tourist destinations in Mexico will accept your U.S. dollars, but be aware you’re paying a premium for that service. If you change your money into pesos, you can get a better deal – the value depends on whom you’re buying from. Ask restaurants to calculate your bill in pesos. “La cuenta en pesos, por favor.”
(Adapted from Marla Jo Fisher’s article “Headed to Mexico? 8 Money Tips” http://www.ocregister.com/articles/don-680912-mexico-ask.html)
