Hello,

We are loooking for an all-inclusive spot to travel that has wildlife and archaeology viewing opportunities in Mexico. We are veterans of US road-trips, and usually travel budget, but are looking for a more exotic experience with our kids before they are off to college. All-inclusive seems like the way to go as we are nervous about driving in Mexico, and thus wondering how we'd track down food. Any advice would be much appreciated!

The area south of Cancun is probably your best bet for budget all-inclusive stays.
www.kidscantravel.com

You said Mexico but I'd also suggest that you look at Belize. It offers what you are wanting.

I second looking at Belize. It's English speaking, so there aren't language hassles. It's small, so distances aren't that great. I don't think there is much in the way of wildlife sightings in the Yucatan, at least not mammals.

On our tour to the Mayan ruins at Lamanai, we saw huge crocodiles, numerous birds, including the jaribu, a type of stork, toucans, lots of monkeys. On another trip in southern Belize, we saw more crocs and monkeys, also fresh jaguar tracks.

Debbi - Have visited Mexico (various areas) many times and I too would be nervous about driving down there. Car rentals are expensive (with the required insurance) and the police are notorious (especially in the Cancun area) for "shaking down" tourists who drive. Check out Tulum or Akumal (we stayed at the "all-inclusive" Akumal Beach Resort). This will put you close to several ruins and cenotes. If you snorkel, this area is far superior to the Cancun area. Buenas Suerte!

Thanks for the tips so far! We never would have thought of Belize and are busily researching that option. My kids are very good travelers and really enjoy new experiences, especially new foods and getting to see the local flora and fauna. This would be a very different trip for us as we are used to driving to out of the way places on our own, eating out of a cooler! Thanks again!