Smart Traveler’s Guide To The Olmec Heads

Clothing Tips

This is a casual tour. Casual wear is suggested for sightseeing and daytime travelling. Dress code for evenings is casual. Suit jackets for men and dresses for women are not required. During the middle of the day, the sun is hot and bright. Caravan recommends shorts or light pants, a light shirt, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Also essential are comfortable, sturdy walking shoes with good treads.

This is a casual tour. Casual wear is suggested for sightseeing and daytime travelling. Dress code for evenings is casual. Suit jackets for men and dresses for women are not required. During the middle of the day, the sun is hot and bright. Caravan recommends shorts or light pants, a light shirt, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Also essential are comfortable, sturdy walking shoes with good treads.

Preparing for the Tropics

It is recommended to bring at least one pair of quick-dry pants and one quick-dry shirt. The quick-dry pants that zip at the knee to convert into shorts are particularly popular. Be sure to also bring a sweater or jacket for the cooler night temperatures. Caravan does not make product endorsements, but many feel that Avon Skin So Soft oil (not cream), or Avon's Expedition anti-mosquito spray is effective protection against mosquito bites in the jungle. Caravan does not endorse any vitamin, but please note that Central American pharmacies sell 500 milligram Vitamin B-1 tablets, a non-prescription vitamin, as "anti-mosquito" pills. Many people take Vitamin B-1 pills and eat garlic for about two weeks prior to and during their visits to the jungle because they believe that the smell of Vitamin B-1 and garlic repels mosquitoes. If you believe this may be of value, consult your doctor for further information on Vitamin B-1 and garlic. Many also avoid eating bananas in the rainforest, as it is believed that this smell attracts mosquitoes. Also, it is wise to wear light-weight quick-dry long-sleeved pants and shirts in these tropical areas.

Are meals included?

Included meals for each tour are listed at the end of each day. Meals are shown by B (breakfast), L (lunch) and D (dinner). Full, buffet, or deluxe continental breakfasts are included everywhere. Free bottled water is provided on the motorcoach. Alcoholic beverages are not included unless specified.

My Tour Price Includes

Virtually everything! Hotels, most meals, all of the activities described in the itinerary, airport departure transfers, gratuities to hotel porters and restaurant staff. Caravan’s professional Tour Directors and local guides will be with you every step of the way, ensuring a worry free vacation. They are fluent in English, experienced and fun, ensuring a worry-free vacation.

My Tour Price Does Not Include

Prices do not include air travel, country entry or departure fees, airport porters, visas, phone calls, valet, laundry, all items of a personal nature, extra food and beverages not on the regular menu, and tips to the Caravan Tour Director, driver, and local guides.

Age of Travelers on a Caravan Tour

Usually, you find a mix of different age adult travelers on a Caravan Tour. Children age five (5) and older are welcome, and children usually join tours offered during Christmas holidays, summer vacation and spring break vacation.

A Well-Paced Itinerary

A well-paced and unhurried itinerary is our goal, after all, you are on vacation! Touring days begin and end at reasonable hours and include frequent stops. While the occasional early morning departure is necessary, we do our best to ensure a leisurely vacation.

Size of Tour Group

Group sizes will vary depending on the reserved rooms at the hotels and the capacity of the boats and motorcoaches used. Usually, group sizes range from 30 to 44 passengers.

Fully Guided Tours Since 1952

Caravan has been offering fully guided tours worldwide under the same family ownership and management since 1952. Caravan understands and truly cares about your great expectations.

Many Tours Sell Out Each Year

The farther in advance that you book, the more likely it is that your preferred tour will be open. Late bookings are welcome if the space is still available.

Family Trips

Families are always welcome on any of our tours, but we do not have any programs specifically for or limited to families. Families can make specific requests for connecting, adjacent, triple or quad rooms, when available. Children must be at least 5 years old.

Forms of Payment

Caravan accepts payment (in U.S. funds only) via MasterCard, Visa, or Discover.

Caravan’s $129 Travel Protection

Caravan Travel Protection offers peace of mind if you cancel for any reason whatsoever prior to the departure of the tour. The travel protection plan also includes air, baggage, evacuation, medical, and quarantine coverage. The cost is $129.

Children on Tour

Children age five (5) and older are welcome on tour when accompanied by an adult. Usually, children travel during the school vacation months of June, July and August, and also during spring and winter school breaks.

International Travel with Minors

If you are travelling with children under 18 years old without both parents or legal guardians, carry a notarized letter of authorization signed by the missing parent(s) or guardian(s). A notarized birth certificate showing only one parent, a parent’s death certificate, or a court order of child custody may also be permissible. Failure to have proper documentation could result in denial of boarding by the airline, due to international child protection laws.

Drinking Water in Mexico

Caravan provides unlimited bottled water on the motorcoach. Clients are welcome to take bottled water with them to their rooms or with meals (no need to take more than you need in the moment, your Tour Director & Driver will ensure an adequate supply for the whole tour). Purified water may be offered in some locations, however Caravan cannot guarantee the safety or rigorousness of the purification process. Please limit yourself to bottled water. Caravan recommends using bottled water to brush your teeth, avoiding ice in your drinks, and avoiding street food vendors. Caravan has chosen the restaurants and menus carefully in Mexico. Most meals will not include an appetizer of soup or salad because of food safety concerns.

"The tour director was top notch. On the ball. Organized. Funny. Knowledgeable about both the civilization sites, the communities we visited and Mexican history and how they all tied together."

"Tour director was great. Made the tour so much better. His enthusiasm was evident and his knowledge was extensive. His love of his country was always comming through his spoken words. All hotels were great, not a single complaint. Thanks Caravan for my first escorted tour, and not my last. What a wonderful and amazing trip."

"This was one of the best trips of my life - I am 29 and was traveling solo for the first time and did not know what to expect. I learned so much on this trip and met people that I will stay connected with for a long time. The food, accommodations, tours, and everything else was organized and well planned and I did not have to worry at all."

"I loved the tour. It was filled with interesting things to do or see each day. The lectures on the bus were very informative and I found them most enjoyable, especially the way our guide, explained how different cultures were connected."

"The trip was an excellent value for the cost. Our purpose was to see the ancient civilizations, and they were awe-inspiring! The additional benefits were our leader's enthusiasm, the friendly fellow travelers, the mariachis, regional dancers, museums, and the hacienda restaurant."

"We were thrilled with our tour! We loved the incredible archeological places we visited, the towns and cities, the scenery as we drove by in the bus, the movies in the bus when we were weary with travel at the end of the day, the knowledgeable experts at each ancient site, the different cultures (people as well as places) to enjoy at each place, the new kinds of food to try, and the feeling of safety of having professional guides while in a foreign country. We enjoyed meeting and getting to know the other travelers on the tour. This is the second Caravan tour I have enjoyed, and I will definitely go on another when the time is right!"

"The hotels were all fine. We especially enjoyed the properties in Palenque (despite the odd handling of towels) and Veracruz."