Favorite Jungle Places?

Nothing throws salt in the eye of minus temperatures more than a week long furlough to some remote jungle destination. Are there any favorite south of the border places sans condos you’ve discovered? I know a Duluth native who drove through Mexico once and discovered a cooler full of beer and ice on the road in the middle of nowhere, they grabbed it and drove off. Stories/Favorite Unknown Palapas?!?! I was partial to Barra De Navidad in the the State of Colima, and heard nice things about Ecuador.

16 Comments

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago



Howler monkeys and Mayan ruins popping out of the jungle make Palenque a favorite.

Vicarious

about 13 years ago

There are a couple of villages north and south of the bay of banderas in Mexico that are "almost free" to visit and stay, but I would break a code if I gave the names. I gave you hints, so commence your research.

I will be there in 11 days.

brautigan

about 13 years ago

That was some tasty cerveza, indeed! 

A side note on Paul's comment: this super far out lady in Mexico City told me and a friend to go to El Panchan, which, I guess is practically the same place as Palenque?! Incidentally, she was also a total 2012er (way back in 2001!). Go there!

Vicarious

about 13 years ago

2012 equates to Y2k! The end of nothing...except hysteria and paranoia. 

Back to the topic at hand: next hint.

Surf town north of Vallarta is OK. But much much better is the dusty village named for Saint Mark.

Tamara

about 13 years ago

Puerto Morelos is a cute little town a 20-minute taxi ride south of Cancun. It's got affordable, nice little hotels away from the touristy mega-hotels, and it's got the touristy mega-hotels. It's also a reasonable bus ride away from ruins at Tulum, ferry ride to Cozumel from Playa del Carmen, snorkeling at Xcaret.

Herzog

about 13 years ago

But do any of these places have 30 foot Crocodile?  On the beach in La Manzanilla, a popular Snorkel spot, next to the Pepsi stands, they use yellow caution tape to separate you from the beasts, who can run about as fast as you, if you're fast. And they're ambihydrous (Salt and Fresh).  Muy peligroso! Swimming with the dolphins under waterfalls sounds pretty nice though.

We know this guy 'Mosquito Jim' who used to spend a lot of time near Yalapa and Tenacatita in the 70's.."You ever been stung by a Scorpion on the groin? You don't want that kind of pain..." Jim says to always shake out your shorts before you put them back on!

"During the Mayan period, it was believed to be one of the most important cities of its day. The name Palenque was given to it by the Spanish; its original name, like so much of Mayan history, is shrouded in mystery."

Paul, there was Peyote involved wasn't there? 

I must have a Burl Ives Does Mexico album around here somewhere. Or... Burl does 2012 Up Right, and recommends for society to stop treating the Brain (mental disorders)  like an Appendix.

F@#$% the War on Drugs & The Media, Support Mexico by Going There

davids

about 13 years ago

I travel annually to do fieldwork in Ecuador. there is jungle there. There is beach. I've been to both and there is much to recommend them.

But I spend my time in the Highlands. If you want an awesome city to visit with a lot of great art, a nice climate, great mountain parks in the vicinity for hiking/horseback riding, and a funky atmosphere that is a combination of European and indigenous cultures, I nominate the city of Cuenca. Cuenca was once the northern capital of the Incan empire.

I have stayed there several times for several weeks to take intensive language classes and have loved every minute of being there. Some good hostals are as cheap as $15 a night. Food is reasonable, etc.

If you go, be sure to plan for a couple of days to visit Saraguro (about a 3-hour bus ride south of Cuenca), which is a distinctive community with a strong indigenous identity (it's where I do fieldwork). They would love to host you and collect some of the discretionary spending you have available in order to support their economic opportunities.

TimK

about 13 years ago

My wife's cousins run this program in Quito http://www.andeanstudy.com/  Check out the links within the site for additional ideas. They also own a small hotel that's pretty posh, but cheap.

Bret

about 13 years ago

If you want to think the other side of the world, think Sri Lanka.  Great scenery, great food (all sorts of varieties - Colombo is a foodie paradise) and Geoffrey Bawa architecture (including hotels on the coast and built into the jungle - yes, incorporating the jungle into the architecture). Oh, and dirt cheap and off the beaten path.

My Sri Lankan "office" http://www.paradiseroadsl.com/cafe/Introduction.html (the music is not so repetitive when you're actually there).

hunter

about 13 years ago

Thailand ... the dollar goes far.

wildgoose

about 13 years ago

I'm going to ditto Davids on the Highlands, except I'm going with the Guatemalan Highlands.  Especially up north Quetzaltenango and HueHueTenango for your purposes.  There are language and culture schools there for people who want to learn Mayan.  And my favorite poet, Humberto Akabal (http://akabal.com/) is from that neighborhood.  This is not exactly jungle, but you could get there from there.  Palenqueand even Tikal are not far as the crow flies through the jungle.  

In Mexico's southern border region you also have Chiapas which could be sketchy in a US State Department Travel advisory sort of way but it is also awesome.  

Next another road-less-traveled area I would consider the Pacific Coast of Central America.  Great surfing and ambience in El Salvador but bring some great flip flops because those gorgeous black volcanic sand beaches will scald your feet.  

I appreciate Vicarious comment about not telling too much about places.  The last thing most places in the world need is more Americans.  Then again, PDDers aren't exactly Americans, are they?  

Finally, I have no idea what I am talking about.  It has been 15 years since I was south of the US Border and for all I know these places are all ruined and overrun with tourists, bottled soda, and patchouli-drenched, dreadlocked American ex-pats by now.

Terry G.

about 13 years ago

I've heard Nicaragua is VERY affordable, interesting, and quite comfy on the coast.

I have to concur about Ecuador - especially Cuenca. It's a gorgeous old colonial town. Travel to and within Ecuador is very affordable, people are like the midwesterners of South America (a bit quiet but very polite), and loaded with things to do and drop-dead views.

chris anderson

about 13 years ago

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. The best.

in.dog.neato

about 13 years ago

Haven't been there in over a decade, but Chiang Mai is a pretty amazing spot.

Herzog

about 13 years ago

Appreciated all of your spins guys. I'm looking up Akabal right now Wildgoose. And my uncle just emailed me from Chiang Mai indog, getting hour massages for 150 baht! Oh my...

zra

about 13 years ago

I dunno about the massages, but I've heard stories.  I liked the dirty streets, questionable cuisine from cart vendors and dirty barefoot soccer with the local kids and endless eating at open air cafes.

Oh, and the temples.

Gotta love the wats.

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