From October 7 to October 29 my wife, Jodi, and I spent in Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.  Don't believe the hype; Mexico is safe in tourist areas, such as the state of Quintana Roo, where the Riviera Maya and Cancun attract people worldwide.  It is safer in Quintana Roo, Mexico, than any state in the USA.  THAT's reality!  This is a trip we take annually.  We have been doing so since 2005.  We know how to vacation and nobody I know vacations how we do.  We stayed first for four nights at a condo in Akumal, at Vista del Mar, on what is called Half Moon Bay.  We then stayed fourteen nights at a great, all-inclusive resort at Gran Bahia Principe.  The last four nights we spent at an even greater all-inclusive resort, the Grand Sirenis. 

We swam with turtles, and visited private beaches in Akumal and in the renowned Sian Kaan Biosphere.  We treat the people well who work and live in this area.  We tip well, we converse, we don't just talk about ourselves.  We ask where our waiter is from.  It's amazing how people like you when you let them talk about themselves.  It's not really about any of us, ourselves, is it?  We notice other tables have one waiter, while we get five waiters!  It's hysterical!