Is Cancun safe for travelers? Short
answer: yes. Long answer: definitely yes! It is one of the safest
places on the North American continent, with an overall murder rate
of about 4.5%, and a tourist murder rate almost too small to measure.
We get around three million visitors a year in Cancun itself, but
less than 500 crimes are reported annually in the Hotel Zone police
station. Not all of them involve tourists. Americans, Canadians and
other foreign residents universally agree that Cancun is a safe place
to live.
Five must-see places in Cancun Mexico - Cancun and Riviera Maya
By Jules Siegel
Parque Kabah in downtown Cancun is a taste of what the local flora and
fauna looked like before development took its toll on the city. Paths
wind through acres offering views of many different birds, butterflies
and a representative Maya dwelling. A museum offers photographic
displays, occasional exhibitions and programs. This building was
transported here from the hotel zone. It was the first dwelling on the
island. A shady play area for children is nearby. Open daily from six
a.m. until five p.m. (Afternoon closings vary according to season.)
Hotel Zone bus #27 goes to a side entrance. Easily reachable also by taxi.
Author; Robert H. Page, MD and Curtis P. Page, MD are authors of the MEXICO: Health and Safety Travel Guide and the Healthy Traveler Regional Series. For more information visit medtogo.com
Malaria is caused by a parasitic infection transmitted to humans by a bite from the Anopheles mosquito, which unlike the Aedes aegypti mosquito, prefers to hunt at night. Malaria is common in the following states in Mexico: Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Michoacan, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, and Tabasco. In addition, risk exists in the northern mountainous areas of Jalisco State. Fortunately, there is very little risk in major resort areas and along the United States-Mexico border. The vast majority of malaria cases in Mexico are due to infection by the P. vivax parasite. A bite rarely results in life-threatening Malaria. Malaria season is most common during or shortly after the rainy season.
Symptoms: Those ill with malaria experience symptoms when parasites, which have infected the liver, are intermittently released into the blood. This explains the on again/off again nature of symptoms, which include fevers (as high as 104° F), chills, headache, muscle aches and weakness, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. A patient may experience a drenching sweat as the fever breaks. Symptoms often repeat every 48–72 hours or sooner. With rare exception, the pre-symptom, incubation period for malaria is typically seven days after being bitten. So, if you develop high fevers and you weren’t in a high-risk area for at least the previous week, you likely don’t have malaria.
With
its extensive serene coastline, superb climate, distinguished
culinary heritage, art and architectural history, pyramids and modern
cities it is no wonder that Mexico ranks at the 7th
most visited destination for foreign visitors in the world. With so
much to see and do in this wondrous land, simply staying at your
resort or complex would be criminal, hence the reason why car hire is
so prevalent among holidaymakers. With innumerable car hire
companies and various policies available, this short guide talks you
through what you need to know before hiring a car.
Authors: Robert H. Page,
MD and Curtis P. Page, MD are authors of the MEXICO: Health and Safety Travel
Guide and the Healthy Traveler Regional Series. For more information visit
medtogo.com
With 26 named tropical storms, of which three developed into Category-5
hurricanes (Katrina, Rita, and Wilma), the 2005 hurricane season was
the most active in the Atlantic’s recorded history. The hurricanes causing human casualties and economic devastation in
Mexico in this period were Emily (battering Cozumel with 135 mph winds
and flooding), Stan (causing torrential rains and mudslides in southern
Chiapas and much of Central America) and Wilma (shredding Cancún and
Cozumel’s beaches for 53 hours). This last was a Category-5 hurricane,
declared by officials the most destructive in Mexican history. It will
leave its mark on the region for years to come.