| country: | Mexico |
| location: | Yucatan |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 26 Jul, 9 Aug, 8 Nov, 22 Nov, 6 Dec, 20 Dec 2009: 31 Jan, 14 Feb, 28 Feb, 14 Mar, 28 Mar, 8 Aug |
| price: | From £1399 - £1799 (16 days) including flights from the UK, from £699 - £939 excluding flights. Local payment US $300. |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Discover the mysterious Mayan civilisations.
Awesome Mayan Ruins
Marvel at the remains of the fascinating Mayan civilisation as you explore imposing Chichen Itza and delicate Palenque. A river journey through the jungle takes you to see the stunning frescoes of Bonampak before reaching the soaring jungleclad pyramids of Tikal. Monkeys and colourful toucans abound in the surrounding rainforest. Crossing into Honduras you reach the impressive Copan, famed for its intricately carved pillars.
Colonial towns & Exotic Culture
Merida - the white city - and Antigua with its vibrant colours, cobbled streets and imposing volcano backdrop offer you two beautiful and contrasting colonial towns. Explore the Guatemalan highlands around Lake Atitlan and hone your bargaining skills at the Chichicastenango market, alive with brightly-clothed Mayan Indians. Travelling by boat to Livingston, you can relax on the Caribbean coast and experience the unique Garifuna culture.
Semana Santa Festival Departure
Our Easter departure accommodates the sensational celebrations and pageants of holy week in Antigua. The streets are carpeted with intricate patterns of flowers and coloured sawdust. You’ll also experience the procession and re-enactment of the progress of Christ to the cross. An unmissable sight.
Awesome Mayan Ruins
Marvel at the remains of the fascinating Mayan civilisation as you explore imposing Chichen Itza and delicate Palenque. A river journey through the jungle takes you to see the stunning frescoes of Bonampak before reaching the soaring jungleclad pyramids of Tikal. Monkeys and colourful toucans abound in the surrounding rainforest. Crossing into Honduras you reach the impressive Copan, famed for its intricately carved pillars.
Colonial towns & Exotic Culture
Merida - the white city - and Antigua with its vibrant colours, cobbled streets and imposing volcano backdrop offer you two beautiful and contrasting colonial towns. Explore the Guatemalan highlands around Lake Atitlan and hone your bargaining skills at the Chichicastenango market, alive with brightly-clothed Mayan Indians. Travelling by boat to Livingston, you can relax on the Caribbean coast and experience the unique Garifuna culture.
Semana Santa Festival Departure
Our Easter departure accommodates the sensational celebrations and pageants of holy week in Antigua. The streets are carpeted with intricate patterns of flowers and coloured sawdust. You’ll also experience the procession and re-enactment of the progress of Christ to the cross. An unmissable sight.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Merida |
| Day 2: | Chichen Itza & colonial Merida |
| Day 3-4: | Drive to Palenque; visit ruins |
| Day 5: | Bonampak, Yachilan & jungle river journey; Flores |
| Day 6: | Tikal ruins |
| Day 7: | Bus & boat to Livingston, Garifuna culture |
| Day 8: | Free day |
| Day 9-10: | Boat & drive to Copan via Quirigua, visit ruins |
| Day 11-12: | Lake Atitlan |
| Day 13: | Chichicastenango Market; Colonial Antigua |
| Day 14: | Antigua |
| Day 15/16: | Overnight flight to London |
travellers' tales
Take the opportunity to relax on a beach excursion at Livingstone to restoke your energy levels for the second week. The freshly cooked BBQ on the beach can't be beaten! (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
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On this trip: Our policy of staying in locally owned accommodation, having local guides and group leaders, using transport owned and operated by local people wherever possible is continued in Mexico. Our small groups (maximum of 20 people) have a minimal impact on the fragile environment. All tour guides are responsible for ensuring that the guests understand the nature of the environment that they are in and minimise the impact that they may have.
Our stay employs the services of local people who depend on our visits for valuable income. Our local agent helps to support the Friends of the Sian Ka'an organisation through their eco-tourism projects. The organisation aims to protect the Sian Ka'an biosphere and provide technical assistance, training and education for indigenous communities living in the area. So far they have established seven protected areas covering over 780,000 acres. Our Responsible Travel Code: Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel. If you would like a copy in advance of travel please contact us. Charity Partnerships: We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems. Carbon Balancing: Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full. Our Foundation: We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you book. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |














