Mimi

Just heard about a company called Caravan Tours which offers several 9-12 days tours of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, US and Canada at very reasonable rates. Got their catalog, sounds great, but would love to get some feedback from Fodorites. Yes, I know there are reports on the Costa Rica trip posted here, but we're interested in Guatemala and Mexico. Also possibly Canadian Maritimes. Anything....anyone?

FainaAgain

Yes, I went with them to Copper Canyons after positive reports on Fodor's. Give me a minute, if I find my report, I'll post the link here.

FainaAgain

Here is the link:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34990029

LEANNA

Yes I just finished the Colonial Mexico trip and it was fabulous. I was very impressed with everything.

I have toured w/ Maupintour, Insight, Cosmos, Globus, Pacific Delight, etc etc...and Caravan is one of the best.

Everything was as promised and when I fell at Palenque..the guide Jose "Pepe" Adams stayed w/ me the entire day through all the drs on his free time and helped me translate.

I intend to eventually do all their tours....as soon as my foot heals!

Mimi

Thanks FainaAgain for your comments. Enjoyed your trip report and I have put Copper Canyon on my to-do list, but not at mosquito season!! (Nobody else has to worry about being bitten if I'm around).

LEANNA, I'd really love to get some details on the Colonial Mexican trip. How long were the bus rides, how were the hotels and food. Were the tours comprehensive? Did you spend enough time at the sites? I owe my DH a trip to Chichen Itza and Tikal, so we're also looking into Caravan's Guatemala trip. What time of the year did you go? Any other info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

LEANNA

I have been meaning to post a trip report....but you know how that goes!! Too busy planning for the next trip.

Ok...there were some long bus rides, but I was ok as I enjoy watching the scenery go by, brought my Travelers TAles of Mexico book, and had wonderful Mexican music on my IPOD! Plus our guide gave great talks of all sorts of things...but still let us have time for naps and silence. Also you do stop every 2 hrs or so for a walk about.

The hotels were quite nice, and the food was excellent. The hotel in Merida was wonderful and all furnished in Colonial style....as a single I felt like I was in a home w/ my very own room!

We went in mid feb and they were having a heat wave. I hate humidity as was miserable some of the time. But all hotels were AC and I was able to get nice showers and be comfy each nite.

The sites were just stunning, and each set of ruins is different. I went on to Playa Del Carmen for a week on my own and saw more: Tulum, Ek Balam, etc etc. But on the tour you had plenty of time at Uxmal, Palenque, and CI....and I felt I saw all I needed to.

Just be careful climbing those dratted steps...its not the going up ...its the coming down...they are steep and small and that is where I fell.

The day guides were excellent esp Joaquin in Mexico City. This was my 3rd trip to those pyramids and I learned all sorts of new stuff from him.

Anything else??? Guatamala is also on my list...and I have pals going in JUly. If they survive the heat I can let you know then how the trip was.

Mimi

Thanks LEANNA!!!!! That was everything I needed to know. Sounds as fantastic as I was expecting. Will do some research re: weather conditions during the year. (I'm not crazy about humidity either.)

Took a two-week bus tour of US National Parks with Trafalgar. It was great, but covered 3500 miles roundtrip. Only one or two really long travel days, so it wasn't too bad, especially if you can sleep on buses (which I can't do). And they stopped frequently to stretch your legs.

On a recent cruise, we visited Altun Ha in Belize and I refused to climb anything without handrails. Those who did were forced to return to earth backwards, which made for some interesting photos!!!

Please post anything your friends report about Guatemala as we are really anxious to see Tikal and the Caravan trip itinerary looks pretty good.

pat

Leanna, I have just become interested in this trip too! We were trying for Costa Rica, but the flights there just do not match up for us. Do you know if any months are better to go than others? We were thinking Nov. Do they have spicy Mexican food on this trip? I love that.

LEANNA

It all depends how much heat and humidity you like I think. I hate it so we went mid Feb....and even then had some really hot awful days!!! So now next time I will go in Jan!!! I spose there is a rainy season or what not and maybe some one else can chime in w/ more knowledge than I have

The tour's food was very continental and not that hot or spicey....more european in style. Buffet breakfasts etc. But the week on our own....well....we ate in many of the local restaurants in Playa and had some great food. Really liked a place called La Quinta Passion. But even so I had to add hot sauce.....and lime to things.

pat

thanks Leanna, I think we will stick with Nov or Dec. Now we are thinking of doing a priceline 4 star hotel in Cancun, since that`s where we fly out to come home.

LEANNA

I think a few days rest after the Caravan tour is a very good idea. The pace of the tour is fast and every one was tired at the end of the week. Most people were going on to somewhere or else staying in Cancun.

From Cancun you can also do day tours to some of the other ruins..Tulum etc.

The tour company will drop you off at Cancun hotels and/or the airport...at least our guide did and it was appreciated by many people!!!!

clarasong

Yes, did the Copper Canyon tour with Caravan...they were really good. No complaints what so ever, and we have been with others, notably Grand Circle, that were not so hot.

LEANNA

Glad to hear you liked your tour Clarasong.

Next year I want to do Afrika and then the Antartica. After that I will be so broke, I just plan on doing Caravan tours for a couple of years to catch up!!!

clarasong

WE took a tour of Mexico with Grand Circle, then one with Caravan, and had lots of time, in retrospect, to compare the two. First, I think Caravan is very up front, and no frills, no hidden charges, fees, and best of all, the meals were all included...Our guide was super and never left us, looked after the stragglers, took us some places that tours don't ofen go, etc. In other words, you paid for what you got,and got for what you paid for...with GCT, it is often a blurr. They have had a lot of negative publicity, much of which is roundly deserved. Caravan (correct me if I am wrong) confines themselves to places the know (Costa Rica,Mexico, etc.) and there are no surprises when dealing (or not, as is the case with gCT) the local people. Anyway we loved the Copper Canyon tour and are still talking about it.

LEANNA

I've not traveled w/ GC. AFter 9/11 they had so much bad press it kinda put me off.

I have looked into OAT but I hear they often cancel singles at the last moment so they can take a double...so that rather puts me off as well.

I must admit I was cautious about Caravan, but took the plunge, and sure glad I did.

The Copper CAnyon is on my list, as is Costa Rica, and ..and ...and!

halfpint

Just as a postnote and the negativity of Grand Circle. I will be taking my 18th Grand Circle trip this fall and never had had a bad one.
and for the most part, everyone seems to be having a great time. But to each his own but I LOVE Grand Circle tours. Halfpint.

thursdaysd

Seems that people either love or hate OAT and GC. I did one trip with OAT and will never travel with either company again, but YMMV.

marionkp

I went with Caravan to Guatemala from late December into January. Can't say enough good things about it. The company covers all contingencies, the tour guide was excellent (A+), the hotels were very nice, ditto for the food. My only complaint was a couple of days of very long bus rides but there were frequent stops so even that was tolerable. I'm planning to go on their Colonial Mexico tour next February. If you take the Guatemala tour (which I fully recommend), try to get Jorge Fuentes as your guide....he's terrific!

pat

Went with Caravan to the Colonial cities/Mexico trip and it was way too much bus riding for us! We were on the road early and most days, we were still on the road after dark! Our guide Pepe, was excellent, but I know now to check how much time is spent on the bus, and skip any trip that is excessive. Some people didn`t seem to mind, but we sure got tired of it. Maybe we should just stay away from tours.

LEANNA

When you book a "tour"....you need to get a map and look at the distances between cities....that will help figure out how many miles you will be driving each day.

Also what do you "see" and what do you "visit"....those words are important too.

And how many nites in a hotel.....I dont mind a one niter here and there....but not as a constant thing.

But I've "toured" a lot so Im use to the pace and dont mind it. I'd rather get up and get to moving and then have a bit of free time before dinner to just rest.

Find what makes you happy...but no matter what....KEEP TRAVELING!!!

Glad to hear Pepe is still doing a good job!