hiyo

I'm trying to figure out why you even asked this?

Really?

I am in that area frequently. Is there something going on of which I am unaware? My wife and I ride local buses, use taxis, rent cars and even gasp, walk around. We stay in B&Bs and small hotels rather than resorts. Are we taking risks without knowing it?

To be clear, I'm talking about Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Cozumel, not deplorable Cancun.

Ancien Maestro

I did allude to taking tours.. and staying on the resort, perhaps I could have clarified staying within resort areas.

My wife is nervous about the ongoings in Mexico.. To clarify we have a couple small kids, so our comfort level is sticking with resort areas, perhaps taking tours, strolling the streets of Cancun.. we strolled the streets of Playa del Carmen last time out during the day time, visited Chitzen Itza, Xelha, Isles da Majueres, Wet and Wild, strolled the streets of Cancun, and went to the Mexican Them Park.. XCaret IIRC

gailwynand

Street crime in the middle of the day isn't really all that common in the "nice" areas of DC you mentioned. At night, it's a little more dicey of course but generally the main streets are safe. If you're not obviously drunk or talking on a cell phone you're unlikely to be a target.

Need

Last year when I told my coworkers that my wife and I are going to Mexico for vacation, they all started to tell me that it is not safe and are you sure...

We went and had a great time at Cabo. I think I just convinced a few of them it is okay to go to Cabo for vacation, but then the news came out with the clown assassins. I don't think any of my coworkers will be going to Cabo anytime soon. Now my wife is worried and we probably won't go back for a while. I guess we will be heading back to Hawaii again....

VidaNaPraia

Some US police tend to see and treat everyone as "a perp", even residents who've never been in trouble; people who work in the security industry (like poster secfor) may tend to see eveyone/thing in terms of risk.
As for me, a normal (now a repeat) tourist in the Yucatan who likes to get away from other tourists and among the Maya residents as much as possible, there seems to be few safety reasons to stay away from this area of Mexico, even driving. We were just there again a week ago.
Caught in a cross-fire? Yeah, and I could get hit by a truck or break a leg too. At 6 in the morning, I'm not likely to be out of bed on my vacation. :-) More likely to happen when driving in certain areas of my own U.S. home city, IMO.
Some people should just stay under their beds at home in some "safe" suburb in the U.S. or vacation by their pool. Of course, statistics on pool deaths now.........

JDiver

Are you a drug lord? Then, you should fear for your life - anywhere. This was a specifically targeted assassination (probably by one narcogang) on a notorious drug lord. They busted the party and shot Arellano Felix (good riddance to really bad rubbish) up close, personal.

If you aren't a drug lord or gang employee and don't hang around drug lords, you probably have very little worry in Cabo San Lucas. If you are, stay out of Los Angeles and a number of other places...

link

SJOGuy

Here's my take on this issue: Travel is costly and vacation time is precious. There are dozens, no, hundreds of destinations competing for our travel dollar. We should each spend our vacation time in a place where we will be comfortable. If someone feels better about going to Hawaii than about going to Mexico, so be it. That's the right destination for them. What you and I think about their vacation choice is not the point. I travel to Mexico regularly, taking the precautions that JDiver outlines above. That's what works for me. If it's not right for somebody else, that's cool.

I write for a major guidebook publisher. I do my best to put safety issues into perspective about each destination that I cover. What the reader does with that information is their choice. If they're uneasy about a place, they shouldn't go. That's the right decision for them.

Ancien Maestro

We've been to Mexico twice, and Hawaii 10 times in the past 10 years. We'll visit Mexico again, but with the ongoings, Hawaii is a safe bet..

Definitely at the end of the day, comfort and preference for those who travel is important. Multiple destinations, and a whole array of reasons, why people do what they do. All justified, and hopefully, enjoyment is achieved.

SJOGuy

That's all that matters. ^

VidaNaPraia

That's one way to look at it.
Another is that there are many interesting and exciting cultures in the world to explore and try to immerse yourself in to understand better. Many new local friends in those places waiting to be met. Do you allow yourself to be deterred from exploring them in your limited lifetime because of someone else's perception of relative danger?
Bear in mind that I am a woman and MY perception is that I am vulnerable and at risk every time I leave my home, and even IN my own home. A parking garage in the U.S. could be more risky than the possibility of a shootout in Playa del Carmen IMO.
I am also a woman in a profession that even now is mostly male. I did not get where I am through being deterred from what I aspire to do, and would not act differently regarding my "leisure" time pursuits.

And enjoyment was recently achieved for us traveling independently and safely once again in the Yucatan among our old and new friends.

SJOGuy

I'm with you, Vida. I don't let someone else's worries keep me from going where I want to go and exploring and enjoying myself. My point is that if someone is cautious in their choice of vacation destination, I don't judge them. I wish them a Bon Voyage.

In the guidebook work I do, I cover some popular, routine places to travel mixed with some destinations that are kind of out there. No question that I enjoy writing a little more about the places where only intrepid travelers go.

fozziedoggie

Viva Mexico! You've sparked my interest in Mexico again. It's been a long while since I last visited, so I'm booking a long weekend trip to Mexico City early next year. Beautiful city from what I recall, and very progressive in social issues these days. ^

VidaNaPraia

All well and good, unless their "cautious" decision is based on the opinions of timid people, which may cause the decision maker to miss something/someplace wonderful because someone else posting has a more fearful nature. Few "scare" posts document the personal experience of the poster; most are based on third hand gossip, hearsay, or bad-news-sells reportage.

Ancien Maestro

I would like to say that travel safety issues isn't a concern.. but in my heart it is some concern.. as we would love to visit Egypt, but the political situation there has us avoiding the region for now.

I think I'm confident travelling to Mexico in the usual places we've been to before. We certainly would have missed out on a lot, if we avoided Mexico last time out. A world class resort in Fairmont Mayakoba. Tours to Chitzen Itza, Tulum, Isla Mejeures, XCaret, even just going to Wet and Wild in Cancun was a nice fun activity for the kids. We visited the actual town of Playa del Carmen, and it was nice to take in local life.

VidaNaPraia

Two entirely different situations IMO, apples and oranges.