What is a good place to visit in Algeria?

Where is a good place to visit in Mexico?

• I'm looking for a place to visit that is safe and attractive. I've been to Tijuana three times, and I will never go there again. Not only was that place unsafe, but it was nasty. It smelled like urine everywhere I went. Where is a nice clean and safe place to visit in Mexico. Where is a place I can go where I won't have to hold my nose or worry about being kidnapped or robbed by the federales? Where is a place I can go where I can meet some nice senoritas? I'm skeptical about Mexico City. What about Monterrey, Guadalajara, Acapulco, or Cancun? Are any of those places nice? Where is a place in Mexico I can visit for a reasonable price that meets all those criteria?

• Answer:

  Border towns like Tijuana are among the worse places in Mexico. It depends on what your looking for. You list both beach resorts and cities. There are a lot of good places to visit in Mexico. I have been to 19 states and Districto Federal. The places you list are those whose names are best known outside of Mexico, not necessarily the best. Even though I am an experienced traveler, I too was apprehensive about Mexico City. Earlier this year I saw apartments in a good neighborhood of Mexico City listed online fora very good price. I decided to plunge in and rented a place for the month of August. Before that I spent 8 days exploring monasteries in the state of Hidalgo. I found Mexico City safe, but I knew what areas to avoid and there is no reason for tourists to go into those areas with one exception. However, there is a lot for you to se in Mexico without seeing Mexico City, Since you're skeptical, save it for another time when you have some experience. I am not a beach person. Others can help you with that. I can tell you that Puerto Vallarta fits in nicely if you want to combine the beach with the charm and cultural available in central Mexico. I good itinerary that saves bus time between locations is Queretaro, San Miguel de Allende and Guanajauto. No where else in Mexico are three of the top locations so close to each other. Queretaro is very clean and well organized. Not that other paces aren't, but in those categories it is at the top. It and Guanajuato are among my three favorite places to be at night in Mexico. San Miguel has a large expat population for a reason: It's a very nice town. There are many others, but start you research with those three. Get yourself a couple of guidebooks and see what appeals to you. The best book on sights is Michelin the Green Guide Mexico, Guatemala and Belize (905 0f the book is on Mexico,): http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMichelin-Green-Mexico-Guatemala-Belize%2Fdp%2F1906261008%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1229204229%26sr%3D1-1&tag=larpmasguidet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325 For practical info like hotels, restaurants, transportation get the newly revised Lonely Planet Mexico: http://www.amazon.com/Mexico-Country-Guide-John-Noble/dp/1741048044/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229204349&sr=1-1 Lonely Planet includes info on sites, but Michelin concentrates on sights and does a better job. The bus system in Mexico is excellent, far better than in the US and Canada. For info on busing, check my website: http://www.larpman.com/transportpages/buspages/buswi.html By the way, kidnappers do not target Americans, they target the rich. All of the hassles with cops that I have heard about came from people who were driving. While it has decreased it's still exists. I know people who have traveled extensively by car in Mexico for years and have not had problems. For some of my photos of Mexico, go to http://www.pbase.com/larpman