Travelers' reviews about Mexico

4.7
18 reviews
Emma
5
Mexico
Copper Canyon is astonishingly beautiful and, as planned by Ivana, makes a brilliant and well-shaped trip, uniquely Mexican but easy to navigate. Although I was travelling on my own, I was soon 'adopted' by various groups - some Mexican, some foreign - and ended up having quite a sociable time.
The best parts:
How helpful and flexible the travel agent Ivana was. The ASTONISHING views. The train.
The worst parts:
Because I booked late, the usual hotel was full and I stayed at one a little further up the line - which I knew beforehand. But that hotel was - I think - not used to guests who had trips included, and as I had given up the voucher which made it clear what I had already paid for, and their receptionist spoke zero English and so couldn't read my itinerary, which was all the evidence I had of what should have been included, it was tricky to sort out.
Sonia
Ivana’s agency
Hi Emma, Thank you very much for your kind feedback!! Feedbacks like your always help us to improve our services! Thank you very much for that! We are very happy that you liked the Copper Canyon and are very sorry at the same time that the receptionist at the hotel did not sort out the situation very well. Since the Copper Canyon is the deepest Mexican experience you can probalby have, sometimes some things need a litte bit more time and patience. :-) However, we are very happy that you had a great time and that you enjoyed the special trip. We hope to see you soon in Mexico! All the best, Ivana
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57 reviews
Smith's on Tour
4
Mexico
Good hotels , excellent guides and worthwhile excursions to the various sites
The best parts:
Historical sites and the information offered by the guides
The worst parts:
Being left on Holbox island and not collected as per contracted itinerary and sorting out our own transfers
sofi
4
Mexico
Mexico is a very interesting destination combining history, monuments,tradition, colours, good food. We particularly enjoyed Gouanahuato and the mummies, Sumidero and the Indian villages near San Cristobal where we saw religious rituals.
The best parts:
Collaboration on planning the trip was very good , paying secure and easy. Concerning the realisation of the trip we had a very good guide and driver in the north part of Mexico
The worst parts:
The included in our itinerary sightseeing In Oaxaca was not done,and so were the ones in San Cristobal and Merida. The local agencies said that they were not included and the agency replied , when i asked why,'I don't know Sofia, why don't you ask the guide, if he has time, to take you sightseeing?' The guide in the south part of the trip was nice and kind, trying to help in every case, but as far as knowledge is concerned he was ιnsufficient. The guide in Palenque completely insufficient.
Tim M
5
Mexico
Copper Canyon was enjoyable. We would recommend other travellers do not use the train to get from Chihuahua to Creel. The departure time of 6 a.m. is anti-social, too early to get breakfast in most hotels, and on the train the restaurant car doesn't open till 7 a.m.. The countryside seen from the train on this sector is not very exciting. Travel light as often we either boarded or alighted from the train onto the railway track. Hotel Divisadero needs to upgrade its food. The view is not enough! The Mayan sites were wonderful. Mexico City was not. We enjoyed everywhere we went in the Yucatan Peninsula, except Playa del Carmen.
The best parts:
Very good support from Sonia. All her arrangements worked. Good hotels - Hacienda Chichen Resort, Chichen Itza; Pousada de Hidalgo, El Fuerte; Casa de Balam, Merida; Hotel Castelmar, Campeche.
The worst parts:
- Copper Canyon Element - Climbing on and off El Chepe (train) with suitcases. Inadequate stations. Chaos and suspected pickpockets at Creel Station. Inaccuracy in describing included activities ('3 hour hike' from Cerocahui was actually a bus trip: '2 hour hiking tour through the steep canyon' from Divisadero turned out to be a half hour walk which didn't take us more than 300 metres from the hotel) Food at Hotel Divisadero, Divisadero Accommodation at Villa Mexicana, Creel - Other Elements - Mahekal Beach Resort - Not up to reputation; over-priced food and drink, and proposed excessive tipping; sewage smell (from neighbouring properties, but disturbing)
London travellers
5
Mexico
We loved Mexico. Its vibrancy, light and colours will stay long in our memories. Its a hugely diverse and fascinating country in terms of its history, culture, geography and environments and its people. All the Mexican people we met were so friendly, welcoming and helpful. From Mexico City, to Oaxaca, Chiapas and into the Yucatan Peninsula, we combined experiencing the life, art and culture of lively, bustling towns and cities, visiting fascinating ancient Mayan sites, wonderful natural environments with so much wildlife, relaxing on beautiful beaches and eating great food wherever we went. There are so many highlights from our trip. The day we spent with Suri, a young Mexican woman and gastronomist tasting food and shopping in the markets in Merida and then cooking and eating a wonderful Mexican meal at her mums house was definitely one of them. Also up there was swimming with dolphins on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, hearing the mysterious calls of howler monkeys booming out across the Lacandon jungle and our learning so much from our wonderful guide Professor Gilberto at the ancient Mayan sites in Palenque, Yaxchillan and Bonampak.
The best parts:
The destination - place and people. How stress free and relaxed the whole trip was due to the pre-planning and great organisation and care taken by the local agency. Everything worked so well and so reliably - the pick-ups and transfers, the tours, our guides, the location and style of the hotels and cabanas we stayed in. We were just able to completely relax and enjoy every moment.
The worst parts:
Turning up at the coach station in Campeche to find the coach we had a ticket booked for didn't exist and no-one in the coach station able to speak any English. Luckily a very kind local woman came to, our rescue, contacted our agency and got the ticket reassigned to the next coach going g to our destination. A hairy 30 minutes and the only glitch we encountered. Not being able to speak any Spanish beyond ordering a beer! In some of the places we visited it would have been so good to have spoken more. We'd love to return to central America but will definitely learn some basic Spanish before we do. Maybe trying to do too much. We covered a lot of miles and a lot of different experiences in 3 weeks but still only touched the surface of the country.
Andrew
5
Mexico
12 day itinerary from Cancun incorporating 7 varied Mayan sites, an outstanding 2-hour boat journey at Rio Lagartos viewing a wide range of bird life, local villages tour, hacienda visit, city tours in Merida, Campeche & San Cristobal de las Casas, waterfalls and Sumidero Canyon boat trip. Surprises included a Mayan cemetery, Indian village churches and an unplanned invitation into a Mayan household. With the exception of a poor 5* hotel in Villahermosa, all other mostly boutique accommodation was varied and of high quality. Our guide was local, knew his stuff and was a safe driver. After a privately arranged stay on Isla Mujeres, Our last 3 days were at a small hotel in Tulum with an excellent guide for a day visit to local Mayan sites.
The best parts:
We enjoyed the range and variety of our itinerary and the smooth operation of the tour and transfers.
The worst parts:
There was one transfer from Cancun to Tulum when we had to report the driver to the local agent as we felt unsafe with his driving.
Sonia
Ivana’s agency
Hi Andrew & Gillian, I´m so pleased that had a wonderful vacation here in Mexico. The benefits of travelling with a private guide are those extra perks like being invited into a Mayan household and getting to see off the beaten path locations which Mexico is full of! Thanks again for your comments, it really helps to consistently improve our services. Saludos!!!
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57 reviews
Arthur
5
Mexico
The hotels were varied but all to a good standard. The travel arrangements (apart from the trip to Taxco) were efficient and the guides very good. This has been my second visit to Mexico and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself on both occasions but this time met more of the locals which made the trip more memorable. I am afraid I don't do photographs, sorry!
The best parts:
Mexico is a wonderful country which is full of architectural and cultural surprises and always feels safe and friendly, the main highlight being Las Pozas.
The worst parts:
I had specifically asked that Taxco be included in our itinerary and was extremely disappointed to find oneself on a minibus tour which spent just one hour in Taxco!
Sonia
Ivana’s agency
Hi Arthur, It was so nice to meet you and Barbara and I´m glad you had a wonderful time here in Mexico. I´m sorry about the Taxco tour and thank you for your comments, it really helps to be able to improve the tours. On your next visit you can stay overnight in Taxco ;)!!! Saludos!
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57 reviews
caroline oxford
5
Mexico
Mexico is a wonderful country, and I loved it all. Eight months before travelling I had sent Sonia an outline of the sorts of places and sites I wanted to visit, and which were my priorities. She arranged it all: in-country flights, hotels, tours and guides, collection to/from airports etc, covering Mexico City, Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Merida, Chichen Itsa and Tulum. And everything went to plan meaning I could just relax and enjoy it. I'm already thinking I'll revisit in a year or so's time.
The best parts:
All of it! The excellent organisation of my tour by Sonia and her team made it stress free and meant I could just enjoy it all. I particularly enjoyed the Frida Kahlo and Trotsky's House museums, and the Diego Rivera murals in Mexico City, but other sites were also amazing and fascinating
The worst parts:
Nothing to add.
Sonia
Ivana’s agency
Hi Caroline, Thank you so much for your kind comments and it was a pleasure planning your trip! Whenever you are ready to come back I am happy to help. Mexico is such a diverse country and has so many places to discover. Saludos!!!
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57 reviews
LaurieC
4
Mexico
We thought Mexico a very interesting country, we didn't realise that it had so much history. We hadn't anticipated travelling so many kilometres (our fault) so long periods were spent in the car. Our guide was excellent, very helpful and informative. The Mexican people we came into contact with were lovely.
The best parts:
Local knowledge of operator. Ease of contact including out of hours. Very good personal guide and driver. We enjoyed seeing the archaeological sites in Mexico as well as geological features and a short beach stay.
The worst parts:
Occasional things 'slipped through the cracks' so that we didn't know exactly how we would get to the airport for our return flight until a few hours before and our guide didn't know that our ferry to Holbox . We might have been made aware just how many kilometres we would be covering but we take responsibility for our naivety and lack of enquiry.
Sonia
Ivana’s agency
Dear Laurie, thank you for your feedback, I am glad you had a great time in this beautiful country. You are right, it is amazing how diverse Mexico is. I am happy you liked your private guide who accompanied you throughout you adventure. Your transfer from Holbox was using a different local operador and the pick up time and necessary information was in voucher. I am sorry for the confuison but as you experienced, we were able to help any time on our emergency cell phone and happy that everything worked out. Don´t worry for the jacket you forgot In Merida, we will send it to you as soon as possible. Sunny regards, Céline
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57 reviews
Sue H
5
Mexico
The 3 hotels (in Tulum, Merida and Holbox), were all lovely and the drivers who did the transfers and one guided tour were all prompt and polite. It was the perfect holiday for easy independence so we could enjoy everything we wanted at our own pace. Sonia, the local travel agent is one of the best holiday agents I've experienced - she was very patient and flexed the itinerary to suit us when we were planning it. During the holiday there were a couple of local issues e.g. a group tour planned from Merida didn't turn up for us.....and she very quickly arranged a private tour. The driver picked us up within 30 minutes we very much enjoyed it. I would recommend her!
The best parts:
The blend of Mexican beaches (relaxation!) and Mayan ruins (history and interest).
The worst parts:
Only minor irritation was on the last transfer to the airport for our flight home, the driver gave us the choice of the quicker toll road (which we had to pay for) and the slower free road. Previously all the drivers chose and paid for the toll roads. We felt in a difficult position and also had very few local currency left. It would be better if all the tolls were included consistently.
Sonia
Ivana’s agency
Thank you so much for your comments Sue, what a great way to start 2017!!! It was a pleasure planning this trip with you and helping to create wonderful memories for such a milestone birthday. Muchos saludos and all the best!
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57 reviews
Kika
5
Mexico
Travelling around the Yucatan peninsula, lots of ruins, wildlife habitats, jungles.
The best parts:
Really great service from Sonia, the local tour operator - she took the time to understand what we wanted, was available to talk through details and helped us out when we needed her while we were away.
The worst parts:
Our time in the jungle wasn't quite what we had hoped for- difficult to get by without speaking Spanish and not much to do, couldn't go too far in the jungle alone, so ended up hanging around our room a bit more than we would have like.
Sonia
Ivana’s agency
Hi girls!!! I´m glad you had a great trip and were able to see some beautiful sites and get in touch with nature! Muchos saludos!!!
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57 reviews
MBUZZ
5
Mexico
This was an excellent well planned holiday with lots of variation, the agency provided an excellent guide. Swimming with Turtles was a definite highlight, as were the Myan sites.
The best parts:
Excelent variety of sites, with interesting and varied accommodation.
The worst parts:
Navigation was challenging in places, to improve I suggest: 1) GPS coordinates of recommended sites and all hotels. 2) Recommendation of a good road atlas.
Sonia
Ivana’s agency
I´m so glad you and your family had such a wonderful vacation!!! Swimming with the sea turtles is a really incredible experience. You were there during the hatching season, did you get to see any babies??? Thank you for the GPS suggestion! We´re working on making the navigation easier and using coordinates is a great idea. Saludos!!!
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57 reviews
AndyB
5
Mexico
We wanted a 7 day trip in Yucatan focusing on the Mayan archaeological sites and other local attractions. We had a 7 day itinerary that balanced the amount of traveling and sightseeing with leisure time for my wife and I with our University age children. (We spent the following 7 days in a beach resort hotel). Our tour included the Mayan sites at Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Calakmul which range from very touristy, easy to get to and good through to very remote, hard to get to but excellent. We all thought Calakmul was the highlight of the tour. We also visited the towns of Valladolid, Merida, Campeche, Bacalar and Tullum with several cenotes on the way. We felt we got an excellent feel for this part of Mexico, the good, the bad and the ugly and, excepting the police scam on our first day, our experiences were pretty positive. The advice and recommendations for the trip and local conditions we got from Sonia were excellent - we didn't appreciate how good until we until we inadvertently didn't follow them and ended up in a road construction which was interesting.
The best parts:
The confidence that the local company had recommended a good, achievable itinerary and reliable hotels for each day.
The worst parts:
Being stopped by the Cancun police on a made up speeding charge and having to pay a bribe to continue our journey.
Sonia
Ivana’s agency
What a fantastic adventure you had with your family!!!! It was my pleasure helping to plan it and I´m glad to hear you had such a good time with only some minor hiccups. The photos are amazing, thank you for sharing!
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57 reviews
John
5
Mexico
Two week trip from Mexico City to Oaxaca and Peurto Escondido. Very well organized with private driver. accommadation was excellent. We had nothing to complain about and will definately use service again and have allready reccommended to friends.
The best parts:
Wonderfully organised with perfect beach accommadation.
The worst parts:
One of the drives was a little to long but unavoidable as needed to be done so just put up with it.
Sonia
Ivana’s agency
Thank you so much John for your fantastic feedback! I´m glad you enjoyed yourself and got to enjoy the authentic Mexican culture and even some surfing. Muchos saludos and I look forward to welcoming you back on another Mexican adventure!
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57 reviews
Evaneos
We are very pleased that you had such a great holiday!
cariad
4
Mexico
We travelled on our own and started off in Mexico city ,visited the colonial towns of Guanajato,San Miguel and Queretaro and travelled by bus .We spent a few days in Mexico city and then flew and to Oaxaca and then Campeche. where we picked up a car and stayed in Merida,Chichen Itsa ,Tulum and isla Holbox.
The best parts:
All the travel arrangements were very good., buses ,taxis and accommodation . We visited some lovely places. The museums and ancient sites are brilliant .
The worst parts:
The trips arranged for Mexico city were poor,badly organised and trying to do too much and with stops at Craft markets and workshops that went on too long The buffet meal that was included in one trip took ages and as a result we arrived late at our final destination (which was the highlight) f 20 minutes before it shut .
Sonia
Ivana’s agency
Hi Gaynor and Andy, It was so nice to meet you and be able to welcome you here in Queretaro! I´m glad to hear you enjoyed your stay and found the ancient sites and Mexican culture as fascinating as I do. I´m sorry to hear about the tour in Mexico City and will talk to Gabriel about how it can be improved. Thanks again for your feedback and it was a pleasure helping to plan your trip!
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57 reviews