Mexico Family Holiday

Mexico's tropical climate can get really hot and humid. Wear loose clothing and always carry plenty of water with you and stay hydrated, especially on walking tours.

Try to learn as many Spanish words as you can. Locals are very friendly, but also shy, so you'll need to make plenty of effort to break the ice. Attempting to communicate in Spanish is a great way of showing you care.

1. Please note that these trips are for adults and children travelling together and there must be at least one child under 18 with you.
2. Minimum age: 5 years old. Please note that anyone aged under 18 must be accompanied by (and share accommodation with) a parent or legal guardian.
3. A discount of 10% applies on this trip to children 17 or younger at the time of travel.

WATER BOTTLE
Please bring your own water bottle to refill. Although it can be difficult to avoid bottled water when travelling, please use the water dispensers which are provided on some of our vehicles and at some of our accommodation. When unable to avoid bottled water, it is better to buy the largest available and distribute it into your smaller bottle for the day. Some travellers like to bring a bottle with its own filtration system or water purification tablets. If you are walking or trekking as part of your trip, you will need to carry at least 2 litres of water with you., Remember - the lighter you travel the better! A soft-sided duffel is the ideal form of luggage. A small or medium-sized backpack or dufel bag (45-50 litres) is another good option.

It can get chilly between October and March in the hills and a warm jacket is recommended.

When you pack your families clothing, consider the climate at the time of year you are travelling and any specific requirements for your trip as at certain times of the year some of the items suggested in the list that follow may not be necessary. Laundry facilities are available in most places we visit.

Below is a list of equipment and documentation that we suggest you take with you. Please use this checklist as a guide when packing for your holiday.

Travel documents: passport, visa (if required), travel insurance, air tickets or e-ticket receipts, Trip Notes
Photocopy of main passport pages, visa (if required), travel insurance and air tickets
Spare passport photos
Money: cash/credit card/EFTPOS card
Money belt
Small first-aid kit
Daypack for use on day or overnight excursions
Torch/flashlight (or your phone's light)
Electrical adapter plug
Toiletries/roll of toilet paper/travel wipes
Insect repellent
Sunscreen, lip balm, sunhat and sunglasses
Earplugs and eye mask (for light sleepers)
Extra pair of prescription glasses (if required)
2 strong plastic garbage bags (for laundry and in case of rain)
Refillable water bottle
Warm clothes - when travelling in cooler months (Oct-Mar)
Wind and waterproof jacket
Comfortable and sturdy walking shoes that you can cycle in
Camera and spare film (or recharge for digital cameras)

Phone and internet access

With the modern world you may want to bring along tablets of smartphones for the children to document their adventure - there are a wide variety of apps out there which we suggest downloading before you depart. There will be opportunities to charge ( just make sure you bring the correct adapter) and there will be wi-fi available on your trip, although it will probably not be at the speeds you are used to at home and it won't be available everywhere.

Hotel Hacienda Maria Bonita, Av.10 Norte No.215 entre calle 10y 12, Centro. Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, México. C.P. 77710, Playa del Carmen, MEXICO

Alternate Joining Point

10 Avenida Nte. 215, Gonzalo Guerrero, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Q.R., México

Hotel Hacienda Maria Bonita, Av.10 Norte No.215 entre calle 10y 12, Centro. Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, México. C.P. 77710, Playa del Carmen, MEXICO

Alternate Finish Point

Breakfasts included: 6

Lunches included: 2

Dinners included: 1

While travelling with us you and your family experience the vast array of wonderful food available in the world. Your group leader will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. Please ensure you tell them of any dietary requirements you and your family may have. We know children can be fussy eaters at times so we do recommend you bring any snacks from home to have throughout the trip.

To give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, generally not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule our groups tend to eat together to enable you and your family to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. There's no obligation to do this though.

WEATHER IN MEXICO
Mexico is generally most pleasant in the cool, dry season between September and June. July and August can be very hot and humid, but perfect for swimming, snorkelling and lazing on the beach. It is, however, the busiest months for travel as this is the time of the Northern Hemisphere school holidays. Highland areas such as Chiapas and Oaxaca tend to be cooler year-round, with cold nights.

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

Intrepid local operator: Available for phone call on +52 55 9990 6006

GENERAL ROOMING CONFIGURATIONS:
Family of two: All family groupings of two will be accommodated in a twin room.

Family of three: Wherever possible we will put you in a triple room. Please be aware that in some places triple rooms are in short supply. This means that a triple room will often be a twin room with a rollaway bed or mattress on the floor. Where triple rooms aren’t available it will be at your discretion which of your family takes the single room.

Family of four or more: You will most likely be accommodated in two twin rooms. Where possible, we will accommodate your family in a quadruple room.

While we do our very best to ensure that family groups are roomed close together (in some cases, we can arrange adjoining rooms), we can’t guarantee this. Most family holidays occur during peak season and we sometimes have little to no control over the exact placement of rooms within a hotel. Please be understanding if we are unable to room your family in immediate proximity of one another.