Top Travel Deals in Mexico

The trip was as described in the brochure and was an excellent introduction to the food of Mexico and some of the archaeological sites. The guide Yves was extremely knowledgeable and a great story teller. His local knowledge was invaluable in spotting opportunities as they arose, and also in solving any difficulties. We were a group of 15 with a driver and a guide and were originally put in an 18 seater minibus. As some of the driving days were many hours long, we requested a larger and more comfortable bus and this was arranged. As some of the trips turned out to be even longer than planned, due to roadworks and unavoidable detours, this was an essential upgrade. One of the hotels, rated as premium, had, unbeknownst to either Explore or the local tour operator, had moved us to a much more basic accommodation. It was disappointing but Explore dealt with it in a very timely manner by refunding the cost of the two nights. Mistakes do happen but dealing with them is the mark of a good company. The group was mixed with some couples and some singles. I travelled on my own but there was always company for meals if I wanted it.

We thoroughly enjoyed this trip but we were SO glad that we chose to go at this time of year so that we could see the Day of The Dead celebrations! I cannot imagine having missed out on this most significant part of our trip. We dressed up and had our faces painted so that we could join in to the maximum. Everyone was jovial and kind hearted and good spirited. The visit to the cemetary to see the relatives celebrating was a highlight and certainly sheds a new light on death. Apart from this, the trip involved seeing many of the Mayan ruins through Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, all so different and each offering its own special attraction. The wildlife we saw around these ruins and along the river cruise was certainly unexpected and a real bonus. Take binnoculars!! Luis, our guide, was very knowledgeable and passionate about his country and the history, cultures and traditions and we felt we learned a lot about each of the three countries involved. There was a lot of travelling involved and most long days were interspersed with stopping off at sites to visit, but there were a couple of days when it seemed as if we were just going from A to B. Take lots of good books!! We were only a group of eight, so were able to spread out on the minibusses but space was tight for leg room in the Mexican minibus and it would have been a very uncomfortable ride if we had had to sit more closely together. The drivers were all very safe. The hotels were mainly good, standard accommodation, clean and comfortable and some exceeded our expectations, especially the one in Guatemala. However, one was below standard and this was the one in Palenque, The Hotel Villas Kin- Ha. The rooms were dirty and tired and the food wasn't great. It was also a way from the centre of town making it difficult to eat elsewhere. There did seem to be better rooms on offer, but we were given the older ones at the back of the hotel. We didn't do the extension and were sorry not to see Chichen Itza but we felt that many of the other Mayan Ruins we did see had lots to offer and were less crowded and more remote. Alll in all, a great holiday!

The trip exceeded all expectations. The planned / optional itineraries were so, so good; and the CEO went above and beyond to ensure I (and the rest of the group) maximised every opportunity to have great experiences.

Sometimes it felt of beeing on an 18 to 30 ish journey not a classic one I used to book. Maybe I did not read the small print close enough but in the end it was fine and also the nice people in our group made the journey easier and very pleasant at some times especially in the first part of the trip and as well Christian as our leader.

Overall I had the best time and this is definitely one of my favourite trips I have done. Each country was special in its own way and the people are so great. Being able to snorkel and swim with sharks was a real bucket list moment in Belize and then hiking up Acatenango in Guatemala was an experience I will never forget and truly magical considering it was also the most difficult thing I have ever done.

This was our first time visiting Mexico and the itinerary gave a good overview of the region, with mixture of mountain and coast, natural beauty, local culture and history.