Is This Trip for Me?

All of our trips are active, immersive journeys. Our travelers are exposed to sights, sounds, smells and scenes very different from home. Our goal is not just to expose you to other cultures, but to give you an insider's access allowing you to participate in the living traditions that make each place so unique.

However, these trips are not for everyone. It is important to understand that some culture shock is to be expected. We do not shelter our travelers from the realities of the places we visit.

We also maintain an active pace throughout the trip, with lots of walking and sometimes early mornings (or late evenings) if this means the chance to experience something truly special.

Please carefully review the following information before booking a trip. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Culture Xplorers' customer service at 866.877.2507 or via email at info@culturexplorers.com

Culture Shock

* Community Visits: expect modest living conditions and occasional lack of public facilities (i.e. our visits to San Juan Chamula, Zinacantan and/or Tenejapa in Chiapas).

* Festivals: in addition to the wonderful costumes, music and dance at the heart of most festivals, also expect crowds, lots of noise &/or fireworks, exotic smells and sounds, occasional drunks, few if any benches or chairs on which to sit, and mostly street vendor food as well as a scarcity of/and/or crowded public restrooms.

* Host families (for those clients that choose this option): expect warm, welcoming hosts, but often little English is spoken within the home. Although always clean, safe and comfortable, most host family homes are more modest than what we are used to in the US and Europe.

* Local markets: markets can be wonderfully evocative places to get an insight into the hustle and bustle of daily life. They can also be over-crowded, have strong odors, and seem a bit shocking if you're not used to seeing live animals for sale, exotic traditional remedies or home-made food and drinks served from questionable containers.

Local Food

For most meals, we will take you to a range of safe, healthy establishments that specialize in delicious local fare.

Often during a trip, we'll be invited to eat at the home of a local friend. This is a wonderful way to experience the culture from an insider's perspective. However, our travelers should understand that we will be served the same types of food and drink that local friends would have.

We'll also have the option to try some adventurous food, drinks and/or fruits from street vendors and in local markets. Pass the grasshoppers, please!

Note: you'll have the opportunity to eat roughly one meal a day of your own choosing. Also, requests for vegetarian plates and/or non-spicy food will be honored whenever possible.

Physical Rating

We will spend most of our time at altitudes of 5,000 feet (Oaxaca) to 7,000 feet (San Cristobal) above sea level. While these are not extreme altitudes, some travelers may notice the thinner air while walking.

Our pace will be active and every traveler should be able to walk comfortably for 2 to 4 hours a day on average.

Trip Pace

Our journeys are active. We will do and see a lot over the course of the trip, with only two completely free afternoons on our 10 day Mexico trip. At the same time, our trips offer the benefit of using Oaxaca and San Cristobal as our two hub cities to avoid the fatigue of constant city-to-city travel.

Of course, clients who find themselves tired or just wanting a break from the organized activities may always opt-out and spend a free day on their own. Our trip leader will have plenty of suggestions for how to spend your free time.

Transport/Road Conditions

We use modern, air conditioned and well maintained private vehicles with professional drivers for our road travel within Mexico.

Travelers should understand and be comfortable with the fact that there will be two days of 5 hour drives during our Mexico adventure, first from Oaxaca to Juchitan, then from Juchitan to San Cristobal.

Of course weíll take plenty of breaks during these two road trips, including an invigorating boat ride inside the stunningly beautiful Sumidero Canyon.

Mexico City Extension

For those clients that opt for our Mexico City extension, we will expose you to the best of this enormous metropolis: its marvelous murals, world class museums, Saturday open air art market, bohemian neighborhoods, the tranquil canals of Xochimilco and some of its great food.

However, travelers should expect and be comfortable with the heavy traffic, crowds, pollution and noise that come with being one of the world's largest and densest cities (roughly 20 million inhabitants).

Palenque Extension

Palenque is one of Mexico's most dramatic Mayan ruins, set amid a lush jungle scenery in the lowlands of Chiapas. This makes a marvelous extension for archaeology buffs if you expect and are comfortable with the heat and high humidity that go hand-in-hand with the visit.

Of course, no visit to jungle ruins would be complete without a few mosquitoes! Bring insect repellent with at least 20% DEET.