Reviewed 29 Jan 2007 by Susie Everest
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I have just had an absolutely fabulous holiday in Mexico and cannot rate this trip highly enough. Everything about it was perfect for the type of trip I was looking for. It was a week kayaking in the most fantastic environment that’s visually incredible. It manages to incorporate the elements of an active trip whilst also being wonderfully relaxing because of the fantastic location. The water was the most turquoise and the most clear I’ve ever seen – pictures you see of Baja don’t do it justice – and we got to wake up to it every day and see the most amazing sunsets over it every evening.
The itinerary was organized so we spent either 1 or 2 nights on each beach before moving camp so you get to see numerous locations on different islands. The days you move camp you kayak in the mornings, normally for a couple of hours, then after setting up the tents and having lunch you’re free to snorkel, hike, kayak some more or just relax on the beach. The guides are very flexible and are happy to accommodate whatever ever anyone wants to do – a couple of us spent one afternoon learning how to roll the kayak! The other days we kayaked to different beaches and spent the time there snorkelling etc before paddling back in the afternoon. There is an abundance of wildlife that you can see. The highlights on my trip included seeing blue and fin whales, dolphins, sea lions and turtles. The added benefit is that there are no mosquitoes or sand flies!
The guides Marcos and Sergio were exceptional, both went out of their way to ensure everyone in the group had an excellent time and everyone got what they wanted to from the trip. Along with their kayaking expertise they were happy to share their extensive knowledge of the area and the wildlife and gladly gave Spanish lessons to anyone wanting to learn. I was truly impressed by the meals we were served, the quality was outstanding - especially considering the facilities available – some typical Mexican dishes, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and they even baked cakes! They also made the best margaritas!
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The whole week was memorable and exciting!
The most memorable part was sleeping outside on the beach of a deserted island, under an amazing sky of so many stars and a stunning full moon, with only the sounds of the waves – an experience I won’t ever forget!
The most exciting was rolling the kayak.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure it’s the right trip for you. You spend a week camping on beaches of uninhabited islands with only what you bring in your kayaks and can go the whole week without seeing anyone apart from the people in your group. Be careful about dismissing the trip solely for this reason though, because it’s a big part of what makes it such a great experience. You are spending your time in an area that is totally unspoilt and has no evidence of any other people having been there before you – it makes it very special.
Be warned that after you’ve spent a week living on your own private beaches no others will match up and you’ll continually be disappointed when you return home – I’ve been completely spoilt now and my friends have to put up with constant “it’s not as good as in Baja” comments!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I think the trip as a whole caused an almost negligible impact on the environment. We were kayaking and hiking all the time so there was no pollution. Whilst on the islands the guides went to considerable lengths to avoid any negative impact. We took everything off the islands with us that wasn’t there when we arrived – literally!! We saved all organic waste from the meals separately to give to the pigs when we arrived back home and we even went to pee in an area below the tide line to avoid it being soaked in the ground and not being washed away due to the lack of rain.
Food is all bought locally and the days we were on the mainland we stayed at locally run hotels and ate at locally run restaurants. Our guides were also local Mexicans.
4. Any other comments?
It was the best holiday I have been on and I can’t think of a single negative thing about the trip, which is why I’ve given it 5 stars – I would definitely recommend it to everyone, it really is the perfect winter getaway!
