I know I am biased, but I truly believe that I had the most beautiful and effortless wedding in history! We were married on Saturday, January 3, 2009. Our ceremony was at Le Kliff, where the view is nothing short of spectacular. I am an older and very practical bride, so I didn't want to spend a lot of time planning a wedding, nor did I want to spend a lot of money. Thanks to Carlos and wonderful staff at LeKliff, I was able to achieve both of those goals and still have a beautiful wedding. Plus, we didn't have to use a wedding planner. All I had to do was pick the flowers, table set-ups, etc... from some pictures on their website and share menu choices for my guests. Carlos can also provide good recommendations for salons, photographers and will hire the minister and musicians for you. We hired a Spanish guitarist, which really added to ambience of both the wedding and our dinner. Previous reviews of Le Kliff have stated that the food was not that great for the price. My experience was the opposite. Both the food and the service were excellent, and the wedding price included an open bar as well as a full course meal. I believe they have a new chef. The atmosphere also can't be beat. The staff at the restaurant goes out of their way to create a smooth-flowing and festive experience for you.
I went to Franc Gole's Salon for my hair and make-up thanks to the advice of Carlos and others. Franc did a wonderful job on my hair as well as that of my mother, sister and daughter. And he didn't mat my hair down with product other than hairspray. (I can't stand a lot of gel or other product in my hair.) Jesus did wonders with our make-up! However be sure to let him know to take it easy on the eyeliner if you, like me, are not a fan of eyeliner slanting out beyond the eye.
Erika from Roberto Aceves' photography studio was our official photographer. The pictures are beautiful, and the price was very reasonable.
We stayed at Villa del Palmar, which is a very good value for the dollar. If money is not an object, you should probably pick one of the higher end resorts where the service and food may be slightly better. However for those of us who are on a budget the property at Villa del Palmar is quite nice at anywhere from 1/2 to 1/3 of the price of facilities like Dreams, the Westin, etc.... It has two large pools, hot tubs, a nice oceanfront area and the views are nice. The rooms are very comfortable and the service and food are good enough. The biggest downside is that you are not guaranteed an ocean/pool view, but we were able to get a great view after the first day.
If you are adventurous, like me, I recommend that you do not go with the all-inclusive plan at your resort. One of our best experiences from our week in PV was eating out at the many wonderful restaurants. Here are some great choices:
* Barcelona Tapas - you have to climb some steep stairs to get to the restaurant on top, but it is well worth it! The food at this restaurant is excellent, and it is a lot of fun to experiment with the many different tapas (appetizer/small entrees) rather than just go with one entree. The view of the city is also nice. The only downside is that due to its popularity the restaurant is a little on the loud side.
* La Playita de Lindo Mar - the seafood was very good, but the view and ambience was even better! We were seated just above the beach, with a wonderful view of waves crashing onto rocks. The restaurant is not well advertised, so look for the Lindo Mar Hotel in Conchas Chinas.
* El Arrayan - this restaurant does not have a view, but the ambience is very nice and the food is excellent. This is a great choice if you are looking for regional Mexican food. Their pork entree is very tasty.
* Daiquiri Dick's - the seafood was some of the best we experienced in Puerto Vallara, and the restaurant is located right on the Malecon. Just be advised that you will be approached by many vendors if you are seated right next to the boardwalk.
* Vitea - the chef is a master at blending different tastes, such as sweet and sour. The food here is as about as good as it gets, and it is located right on the Malecon.
* Kaiser Maximilian - the service was very good, but I was honestly a little disappointed with the food. I have had much better German food elsewhere.
All of the restaurants listed above were recommended in Fodor's Puerto Vallarta Travel Guide, so I recommend picking up a copy.
Tours are a lot of fun, but it is also fun to walk around the city, so I recommend leaving time for both. Massages on the beach are pretty nice too! Thanks to the advice of others we chose Ecotours for our whale-watching trip. The guide, Fernando, is a marine biologist. Not only was he very knowledgeable, but he was also a lot of fun! We also took an ATV tour with Wild Vallarta. The tour is fun, and you get to see another side of both the PV area and the mountains. Just be prepared to get very dirty!
