Read more about your trip with Explora Latin America
Booking payment / Cancellation policy
A 500 USD down-payment of the total price is required to secure a spot on our Monarch Butterfly Tours. We will give you details for the bank transfer. Deposits for private tours are individually arranged.
Group size
We believe that travelling in a small group provides everyone with a better experience of the countries we visit. Our Monarch Butterfly Tours will have a maximum of 14 people.
Insurance
It is mandatory to have a travel health insurance for the duration of the trip. We recommend that the insurance you choose covers repatriation and emergency rescue as well as personal liability, cancellation and loss of luggage and personal effects. Bear in mind that you will not be able to join the trip if you do not hold a travel insurance. We will collect the details of your policy on arrival day.
Itinerary Disclaimer
We will be travelling in a part of the world where things sometimes function differently than back at home. Although our intention is to follow the itinerary as close as possible, unexpected incidents out of our control might force us to slightly change the itinerary. You can be assured that our main greatest concern is that you will have a wonderful experience that we will always do our bests to create you an amazing holiday.
Money
It is a good idea to bring some dollars in cash, although cash points are available in most places we visit and you can withdraw local currency. Your tour leader will inform you in advance when this option is not available.
Optional Activities
These are activities in the places we visit that are not included in the itinerary. We inform you about your options in each place and help you decide what to do and to book any of those activities. Majority of them are run by local operators.
Passport and visas
You need a passport valid for at least 6 more months after day of entering Mexico. In terms of visas, USA and Canada citizens and most western European nationalities do not need a visa, but contact the embassies of the countries we visit on our tours for an up to date visa requirement for your nationality. Having the valid documents to visit the 3 countries is your own responsibility.
Tourleaders
We will be there with you from day 1 of your trip until our departure day. We will be in charge of all the logistics and activities included in the itinerary. We will provide information on optional activities and basically assist you with whatever you might need. Our intention is to take all the hassle out of your holiday so you have time to enjoy every minute of it. We will be there for you 24 hours a day. As your tour leaders we will share all our knowledge about the countries we are visiting and local certified guides in archeological sites and butterfly reserves will provide you with more detailed information.
Tipping
It is customary to tip in Latin Amerika and people taking care of you will appreciate it in exchange of good service. A lot of employees have a low wage and rely on tips.
In restaurants 10 to 20 % is recommendable. For guides in the ruins 3 to 5 USD (50-100 MXN).
Private van driver a few dollars too (50-100 MXN/day).
Maids 1-2 USD per night (20-50 MXN).
When in doubt your Tour Leader will assist you.
Transport
In general, we use a mix of private and public transport. A combination of vans, buses, boats and taxis. This way you get to experience comfort and also get a touch of the way locals travel.
Unfortunately, in times of Covid-19 we don't feel comfortable to use public transport for our tours. We are trying to avoid crowds and unnessecary social contact, in order to keep everyone safe and healthy. Nevertheless, we hope that one day we can go back to our original ways and include the experience to travel like a local in our tours.
What to bring?
A brief list of important things to bring. Use this as a guideline since we have not included a detailed cloth list.
- USD or EU cash
- Credit and/or debit cards (inform your bank you will be leaving)
- Passport (with photocopies)
- Travel insurance (with photocopies)
- Camera and memory cards (if you still use one)
- Reading/writing material
- Head phones (so you can listen to your own choice of music or an audio book during travel hours)
- Money belt
- Adaptor for electronic devices according to your country (if you are coming from the US or Canada, you won't need one)
- Sunblock (preferably biodegradable)
- Fleece top
- Windproof/waterproof jacket
- light hiking or trail running shoes
- Small towel and swim wear
- Sun hat
- Headlamp
- Small padlock for bag
- Waterproof cover for backpack/duffel
- Insect repellent (we suggest natural as opposed to DEET based products)
- Refillable water bottle
- Personal medication
- First-aid kit (should contain lip salve, Aspirin, Band Aids, anti-histamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, re-hydration powder, extra prescription drugs you may be taking)
- Please, don't forget to bring your personal Covid-19 set, which should include face masks and hand-sanitizer gel
Extra days afterwards?
Haven‘t you had enough? Extend your stay for a couple more days or even a week in the Mayan Riviera. We will be happy to assist you arrange anything you might need for your extra time in the Caribbean.