BajaNomad - basics for a newtimer

basics for a newtimer

Dino - 7-11-2005 at 01:13 AM

Hi Nomads,
great forum. I am planing my first baja trip by the end of august.
The plan is to rent the cheapest possible car (with full insurance, of course) in Tijuana and drive down to la paz and surroundings in about 2 weeks, and fly back to LA. Was travelling light&cheap since ever, but with my partner I need to do it chap&comfy (no adrenaline camping on city beaches or sleeping in snow piles

I think that leaving the north early is a good idea. Is there a possibility to see for instance some part of Canon de Guadalupe, the Agua caliente springs,St Domingo, Catamajue, ... without a 4WD? Where would you suggest to spend a nice&romantic few days on a "cheap" spot without loads of tourists(center/south, I thought).
Is there anything you would recomend/not recommend?
I want to spend most of the time in cheaper traditional bed& breakfasts or campings. I would like to experience some traditional food& culture, music, dance, and so on. Is there a nice way to see that? Maybe Mulege?
Any tips for a one day sea kayaking in the sea of cortez?
Thanks a lot!!
the newbie
Dino

turtleandtoad - 7-11-2005 at 05:20 AM

"The plan is to rent the cheapest possible car"

Obviously you haven't seen some of the cars on the TJ rental lots! You'd be lucky to get out of TJ with some of those, let alone get all the way to La Paz! I've never rented one but I have seen them and they don't look good. Stick with the big name rental companies.

So the first thing is, if you're going to rent, get something that you can depend on, and get something with 4WD and good ground clearance so you can go see some of those places.

My biggest regret with my last trip is that I didn't have a good off-road vehicle. That will be corrected on my next trip.

Bruce R Leech - 7-11-2005 at 07:04 AM

Welcome Dino

there are plenty of places here in Mulege to rent Kayaks for tips for a one day sea kayaking in the sea of cortez and lots of other things to do also. you need to check with the rentel co. about renting in T.J. and leaving the car in La Paz. most wont alow this and if they do it will cost you a lot of money.

Osprey - 7-11-2005 at 08:00 AM

Dino, what about your car? Don't you have a car? Use your own car -- lots of people do that. Take a plugin compressor for the tires -- let the air out when it's appropriate and you can go down enough sandy/bumpy roads to last you a while. If you want to explore just remember the ranchers way back in the pucker brush just have 2 wheel drive rusty pickups and they live there.

David K - 7-11-2005 at 09:09 AM

Hi Dino, 2WD will get you to most places... a pickup will be better than an Impala because of ground clearance issues.

In my web site you can find photos of many of the places that interest you (try the Index page to find a photo fast, http://community-2.webtv.net/drdrip/index )

Have a blast!

wilderone - 7-11-2005 at 09:46 AM

There won't be a ton of tourists in August - it's off season - HOT. If you want to eventually get to La Paz and experience the sights in between, I would suggest you skip Guadalupe Canyon, as it is out of the way. It's not cheap anymore either. Agua Caliente hotsprings - 35 miles from Ensenada is doable though, on your first day. You can camp there or rent one of their rooms. It's about $10 per person for hot springs and additional for overnight accommodations. I would suggest you spend some time in Bahia de Los Angeles - doable in 2WD. You might get a Baja guide book and find plenty of places to go to, and not travel as far as La Paz. Also, there would be a high drop-off charge leaving a rental car in La Paz and flying back, so if you didn't go that far, you could drive back in 2 days. Check out San Fernando mission, Laguna Manuela - great hiking and coves along the coast; Conception Bay.

Newbies are worms....

yankeeirishman - 7-11-2005 at 11:03 AM

Welcome to the best Internet site for all your Baja interests! The gang here is **mostly** Oh' behaved. A good tip here is this: use the search mechanism here, for great data searches. You will discovery an ship load of awesome postings of Baja data there, ol Mate!

Moon Handbooks: Baja. This book is a must. Others here will give you other books they like, do look at all of them. For the cost of $50.00 for a few good travel guilds?you will save the money in lost time, gas, and bogus places you might stay at.

Rental car, cheap? Let me know how that works out! Don?t go cheap on your ONLY method of transportation?. a break down?and your out a few days of a little 14 day road cruising! Now your cheap car just cost your vacation budget to elevate and reduced number of travel days. Take your own car?insurance is cheap. I get mine for about $7.00 a day.

Oh...and asked one hell of alot of questions here at the forum....it'll make your vacation 100 % better and safer.

clarifications :)

Dino - 7-11-2005 at 05:12 PM

Hi Nomads!
Great, I didn't expect som many great replies.
The clarify - I am from Australia (well, currently, but not originally

) so bringing my car over would cost me car+shiping costs

So I guess renting is better.
As I said, we do not want to do 4WD stuff, I do not dare to do it on my first trip there. So rather low budget tourist stuff. A friend rented a normal 2WD in Tijuana few years ago and was perfectly happy, is it so difficult when you are rentiong from a worldwide provider?
OK, may skip guadalupe, will include agua caliente, Bahia de Los Angeles and so. According to the website, it should be possible to rent a car and drop it of in La Paz... And saving time is more important for me than say 100bucks (well, if you include petrol to drive back...).
So, how is the south, arround Los cabos, la paz??
Thanks
Dino

Osprey - 7-11-2005 at 05:30 PM

Dino, I did not know you were traveling from Austrailia. You will love the southland. The Cabo area is just the place to be in August. Try to learn to say "Buen dia" (that's Ga-die down here) before you get here because you may spontaneously combust, burst into flames the very minute you step out of your car in downtown Cabo. For me, no matter what plans I made about my travels from Las Vegas to Baja every summer vacation I always found a way to spend a few days camped at Bahia Concepcion -- you'll find it in the guide books. You have more options -- hammock in San Bartolo bamboo forest?

bajajudy - 7-11-2005 at 05:33 PM

There is always the chance of a hurricane during August at which point you could be stuck where ever you are when one hits, so travel insurance might be a wise move. It will be hot and humid so a/c in the car would be nice.
The drive down is a wonderful adventure. There is a thread called "The List" It is rather long but read through it as it will give you an idea what people who have done the drive think is important. Although unless you rent a semi you will not be able to include everything on "the list"
Stay in touch and please write us a trip report as we would all be interested in seeing the peninsula through aussie eyes.

We have books on Baja, maps too.

Debra - 7-11-2005 at 05:36 PM

There is so much to see between TJ and Bahia...for a 2 wk. trip I wouldn't go all the way to La Paz (I'm thinking you will spend most of your time driving)....it is up to you, but, I would want to spend my time exploring and not just driving Mex 1.

Itinerary

Dino - 7-11-2005 at 06:37 PM

Hi,
great, thanks for feedback. My plan is to drive down and fly back because I do not want to spend the whole time driving. I do not see any other option. Even driving halfway and back is the same distnace - s oI do not save much, and cut on what I have seen. I guess that within the first day I will want to get away from the TJ-Ensenada region, so about 300km, away from the massess. Than a week in the centre and a week in the south should be ok.
What is that bamboo forest? never hear about!
I will stick to 2WD roads, somethiong doable on a rental car. I think that I will not want to drive more than 300km in a day (that's like going for a lunch in Australia) and try to spend 2 days on one spot, usually. Does it sound reasonable?
Dino

bajajudy - 7-11-2005 at 07:15 PM

Just dont drive those 300k at night.

Debra - 7-11-2005 at 07:46 PM

300k.....well, that is up to you my friend, I have spent time in your country and I surely didn't want to fly by that quickly....I regret that I couldn't slow down some (my company wouldn't allow me to be out of the office for more than 2 weeks.....(that sucked!) so I do understand your hurry to see as much as possible.......knowing what I know now, I would spend much more time in Townsville, MAGNET ISLAND! Cains, Port Douglas and A huge suprize for me, Sidney! Loved your Explorier Bus!

yankeeirishman - 7-11-2005 at 07:57 PM

Kilometers changed to Miles
1.00 -0.62
10.00 -6.21
20.00 -12.43
30.00 -18.64
40.00 -24.85
50.00 -31.07
60.00 -37.28
70.00 -43.50
80.00 -49.71
90.00 -55.92
100.00 -62.14

180 miles per day.

Make sure your seatbelt is on tight to hold you in that land rush :lol:

I agree...with 2 weeks of time...I'd go slower.

Dino,i have a volkswagon bug for sale...

eetdrt88 - 7-11-2005 at 08:11 PM

and i live about 1.5 hours from the border...i'm sure i could sell it to you for about the same cost as what you're going to rent a car for in TJ...maybe you could resell it down in cabo or la paz...anyway, if youre interested let me know....oh and it runs great we just put in a new clutch and new brakes

yankeeirishman - 7-11-2005 at 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by eetdrt88
and i live about 1.5 hours from the border...i'm sure i could sell it to you for about the same cost as what you're going to rent a car for in TJ...maybe you could resell it down in cabo or la paz...anyway, if youre interested let me know....oh and it runs great we just put in a new clutch and new brakes

how much?!

Plan changes

Dino - 7-12-2005 at 01:11 AM

OK, after some extensive searching, we found out that dropping of the car elsewhere than at the pic up point is really expensive, and will do a loop.
Starting at tijuana. If we do not make it up to La paz, what is an absolute NO MISS before. Personal opinions, of course, but I have frequnetly had tyhe experience that wonderful places are not always those with big names and UNESCO listing. Usually places that did not make it to Lonely planet are a good idea, as toursits tend to go only for those

Dino

bajajudy - 7-12-2005 at 07:48 AM

Then I would plan to spend some time in Bahia de Los Angeles. There is a lot to do there and you can spend less time driving and more time enjoying.

Oh if you do buy a guide book, do not buy Lonely Planet. The Moon Guide book is written by a guy who lives here part of the year and is much better!

[Edited on 7-12-2005 by bajajudy]

let us (Nomads) be your travel agent

yankeeirishman - 7-12-2005 at 08:14 AM

Why dont you do this: tell us you budget, your starting location, type of accommodations (camps /hotel) and so forth. Then I bet....many of us here can give you great directs to a good Bajian trip.

vandenberg - 7-12-2005 at 02:08 PM

Why don't you make Loreto the center of your trip. Easy to rent a car here and lots of destinations to visit. Like, Santa Rosalia, Mulege, Concepcion Bay, San Javier, San Carlos on Magdalena Bay, La Paz and even Los Cabos and the southern loop are in easy driving distance. And above all, the Soutern Satae is by far the better one. :spingrin:

SUplies in TJ

Dino - 7-12-2005 at 05:13 PM

Thanks for all the replies!!
I have an additional question - after getting the car in TIJ, I need to do some basic shopping and resuply, maybe buy a water & petrol canister, camping gaz bomb and so on.
Is there any big supermarket on the outskirts, or somewhere handy? And maybe a small outdoor stuff hsop, with gaz bombs etc.
I do not want to spend too much time searching for stuff in TIJ.
Thanks
Dino

ad travel agent idea

Dino - 7-12-2005 at 05:17 PM

thanks yankeeirishman , but sorry, no.
The trip is already overorganised for my liking.
Remember my best trip ever, where I had a 1:1000000 map of Turkey and hitchhiked through, nowing nothing. Wonderful. So many surprises, so many wonderful places...
Heaps of them did not make it to a guide book yet

I just want some quality time discovering the place with my partner, that's all.
Making Loreto the base sounds good, but I would need to get a greyhound down... Which makes planning the return bit more difficult. I will see.
Dino

David K - 7-12-2005 at 05:18 PM

Go to Gigante in Ensenada, as you drive right past it heading south... Shopping in Tijuana may freak you out too soon on your vacation!

Debra - 7-12-2005 at 05:35 PM

I understand not wanting a "Travel Agent" (and I am one) but, Yankee has a good point.....if you don't know what's there you may drive right by and miss some great stuff! May I suggest you grab a copy of "The Baja Adventure Book"

Loreto would make a good starting point

flyfishinPam - 7-12-2005 at 05:41 PM

You can either buy that VW bus and then sell it down here somewhere, or take the bus straight here and rent a car from here.

I have a 1971 VW bus in poor condition and people ask if I will sell it to them all the time. You would have no problem reselling it. If you do just paint a " $ " sign on the back and folks will ask you how much you want for it. Should be easy.

The other option is take the bus Aguila or ABC run here from TJ three or four times a day. The cost is about $100 US one way and its a 16-18 hour ride, mostly in the dark. You'll arrive in Loreto early morning then will be able to enjoy the town and rent from one of our two car agents in town, Hertz or Budget. You can drive around and return it to Loreto or leave it in La Paz.

Here's a link to getting to Loreto:

http://www.bajabigfish.com/gettinghere.html

Have fun!

[Edited on 7-13-2005 by flyfishinPam]

Debra - 7-12-2005 at 05:43 PM

Pam, I've always wondered about how the food thing goes on the busses, do they stop (I've never seen a bus at a restuarant) or do you just pack your own?

The food thing o the bus...

flyfishinPam - 7-12-2005 at 05:49 PM

The bus makes a stop for dinner on the TJ-Loreto run. I believe its in El Rosario where they stop to dine. All get out and the driver tells you how much time you have. Usually the food is pretty good too. You can also take out to eat on the bus too. Or of course bring your own chow.

you said it better than I could!

yankeeirishman - 7-12-2005 at 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Debra
I understand not wanting a "Travel Agent" (and I am one) but, Yankee has a good point.....if you don't know what's there you may drive right by and miss some great stuff! May I suggest you grab a copy of "The Baja Adventure Book"

wilderone - 7-13-2005 at 04:36 PM

To backtrack just a bit, all of the major rental car companies have offices in TJ - so no problem. I assume you'll be crossing the border from San Diego on foot. Before you cross the border for your trip, buy your Gaz backpacking stove and other vital gear at any one of several gear stores in San Diego. There is no problem with walking this across, along with additional gas cannisters for them. Take a taxi to the rental car place where you have made your RESERVATION, and then hit the road (with a MAP). Like David said, I wouldn't spend any time in TJ looking for stores to buy gear - lots of traffic and no parking- get it in Ensenada. and you can stop and load up on groceries, including styrofoam ice chest, beer, ice, tortillas, sweet rolls, eggs, instant coffee, etc. In the same area just down the street - keep an eye out - is a 99 cent store where you can pick up other stuff if need be - All real cheap - so when you ditch it on the way home, no big loss. Before you get to Ensenada have fish tacos or El Pastor tacos at an outdoor stand, stop at Mirador to take in the view. Other small stores all along the way have water, fruit, canned goods, eggs, etc. so you can replenish your supplies as you go, along with restaurants too. Be aware that there is a fruit and vegetable check at the Guerrero Negro Baja CA Sur border, where they might confiscate your fruit. And be sure to buy some tamales at the gas station on Hwy. 1 near Jesus Maria (before you get to Guerrero Negro). You might think about buying some cheap wine while in San Diego too - some Charles Shaw is $2 bottle and decent - buy it at Trader Joes.

turtleandtoad - 7-13-2005 at 05:06 PM

Since you're doing a round trip, you may want to do an "unbalanced" trip, leave more time for your return than for the time to get to your turn-around point. That way you can scope out the areas on the way down and figure out where to devote more time on your return trip.

I recommend that you include Mulege and Loreto on your list. And if you can, stop at one of the many beaches along the Bahia Concepcion, my favorite is Playa Requesion, but since it's a camping beach, make it a day trip. Since I'm an RV'er I can't recommend places to stay but I'm sure that plenty of Nomads will give you advice there.

Now that I've done the "Loop" around the cape from La Paz once, I would skip Cabo altogether, it's just like every other tourist trap (like "the rocks" in Sidney, only not as many pubs) but the East Cape has some real interesting scenery. The Hotel California in Todos Santos is a good spot for lunch.

On your way down, be aware of the "gas gap" between El Rosario and Villa Jesus Maria, about 315 km with no gas stations. The turn off to LA Bay (Bahia de Los Angeles) is a little over half way between these spots and sometimes there is a local selling gas out of 55 gal drums from a defunct Pemex station at the intersection, but don't rely on it. I understand that there is a new gas station in LA Bay now. Also in this section is Catavina, a small village in the middle of some of the most unusual landscape I've seen. If you're into taking pictures, plan on spending a couple of hours here.

That time of year, since the whales aren't there, Guererro Negro is a waste of time. Gas up and keep going. If you like quaint oasis', stop in at San Ignacio for a look.

There is so much to see, you really need to pick up some of the guide books. My favorite is Mike and Terry Church's "Travelers Guide to Camping Mexico's Baja". It is geared to camping and RV'ing but has great travel tips, places to visit, etc. Check out their website, www.rollinghomes.com

You can also check out my TravelBlog for reports and photos on my first trip to Baja Sur.

fantastic hints!

Dino - 7-13-2005 at 06:25 PM

Thanks a lot! these are really usefull ideas. I will not cross by feet, I am taking a greyhound from LA to TIJ directly, and I have to check yet where the stop is - I guess there is one at the airport. So I thought about renting a car at the airport, get some maps, and head out of TIJ. COncerning all those guides you are mentionning - is it possible to buy them in Mexico somewhere? ordering from AU is the worst thing ever, doubles the price of books, we even don't have our own amazon!!
What would you suggest with money - can I rely to some extent on ATMs, or get US$ cash and change somewhere (suggestions?), or use traveler's checks(in my previous travels in europe/africa and orient, I never used them. but some people love them...)?

David K - 7-13-2005 at 06:44 PM

If you are in San Diego for anytime at all, all the books and maps are available at Discover Baja Travel Club (no, you don't have to be a member to buy there, but members get a discount). Another place in San Diego that may have many or most of the same is Map Centre (and MapWorld.com), a map store.

Web sites: http://www.discoverbaja.com and http://www.mapworld.com

[Edited on 7-14-2005 by David K]

San diego

Dino - 7-13-2005 at 06:55 PM

I am afraid I will not make a stop in San Diego...

turtleandtoad - 7-13-2005 at 06:58 PM

Re: Money in Baja
If you have an ATM card with the international pin (4 digit), you can use almost any ATM in Baja for cash. Of course it will be in pesos but you're better off using pesos than US anyway. The exchange rates are better also. There are ATM's in just about every small town on Hwy 1. Just tuck away a few US $20's so you'll have some when you cross back into the US. Oh, and most gas stations will NOT take credit cards so carry enough pesos to fill your tank.

A couple of tips on driving and gas stations, DON'T drive at night (animals on the road and a lot of high speed truckers); Don't Speed! They use radar (laser) guns! Learn the road signs (I taped a "cheat sheet" on my dash until I learned them).

When you gas up, make sure you see the attendent zero the pump, and when you pay, count the money out to the attendant, some of them will turn their back on you and then turn back around and tell you you gave them a 10 peso note instead of a hundred!