Exito Travel Official Blog !

Off the north coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, one of nature’s most extraordinary encounters can be found – the whalesharks of Holbox Island. A visit to see these, the largest fish species in the world, can be an awe-inspiring part of a trip to the Yucatan.

The whale shark is a slow-moving, filter feeding shark. It can grow to extraordinary size – up to 40 feet in length and weighing up to 15 tons. They are believed to live up to 100 years. Every summer, these gentle giants congregate in the warm waters near Isla Holbox. While scuba diving is forbidden to protect the sharks, the experience of swimming and snorkeling with the sharks is both humbling and rewarding.
Boats to see the whale sharks depart approximately every hour in the morning, starting around 7am, from the main pier in Isla Holbox. The ride out to the sharks’ feeding area can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on where they are feeding that day. While sunscreen is a must, make sure it’s biodegradable and harmless to the fish – the Mexican government takes preserving these unique creatures quite seriously. On the ride out, the guide will go over the other regulations , such as no touching the sharks, only two snorklers in the water at a time, etc.

Once your boat arrives in a feeding area, get ready with your mask and fins- when a shark comes within range, your guide will have 2 swimmers jump in for the swim of a lifetime. You cannot get closer than 6 feet to these protected fish, but 6 feet is plenty close - as big as they look from the boat, they look even bigger in the water! They are, however, completely harmless, as they are filter-feeders that live on plankton.

Boats generally spend an hour or so at the shark feeding ground. After seeing the sharks, your guide may look for other marine life to observe. Manta rays are often found in this area, as are dolphins.

Manta rays are another giant of nature. The largest of all rays, they have been known to reach 25 feet across and weigh up to 5,000 pounds. Another filter feeder, they can be found lazily swooping through the warm waters, enjoying a meal of plankton. With their huge kite-like shape, they appear to fly through the water.

By the time your boat returns to Holbox Island, you will have memories to last a lifetime.

Getting there: Most dive shops in the Yucatan can arrange the trip for you. If you are coming from Cancun or anywhere along the Mayan Riviera, your trip will include van transportation to Chiquila (the closest point on the mainland to Holbox), boat transportation to the whale sharks, water and juice to drink, snacks on the boat, all equipment, and lunch at Holbox on the return. It’s an all-day trip - if you leave your hotel at 6am, you will probably be back around 4pm. Cost as of summer 2008 was around $200 per person.

Alternatively, you can do the trip on your own. From Cancun, take the local bus to Chiquila, and the ferry across to Holbox. As this is an approximately 3.5-hour trip, you would want to plan on spending the night on the island. There are a variety of hotels available, in various price ranges. The trip from Holbox to the whale sharks was about $90 per person as of summer 2008.

New!   Fortaleza • Manaus • Recife • Salvador • Belo Horizonte

More direct flights from the US to Brazil is especially good news for groups

Cities in Northeastern Brazil are best known as the gateways to beautiful beaches, treasured World Heritage sites, and the lush expanse of the Amazon rainforest. Delta and American Airlines are adding direct service from their respective hubs in Atlanta and Miami to these diverse destinations, making them easier to reach, and harder to resist.

Previously, flying from North America to Northern Brazil involved at least 2 airlines and multiple plane changes. Most routings required flying to a southern city like Rio or Sao Paolo before changing to a local airline going north. Itineraries involving two airlines can obviously add travel time and inconvenience to anyone’s trip. For groups of 10 or more people, working with two airlines to make one trip requires double the number of bookings, deposits and payments, while doubling the potential pitfalls.

Direct flight options will now make arranging a group as simple as booking a flight across the nearest border.

Benefits for groups traveling on a single-airline:

• Fare: One fare from home to your destination, guaranteed in advance
• Routing: One connection, even no connection when traveling via Hubs in Atlanta or Miami
• Deposit: One deposit per person cuts the initial outlay in half
• Reservation: One booking keeps schedules and reservations synchronized
• Ticket: One ticket minimizes service fees and effort related changes or cancellation
• Baggage: One international ticket minimizes baggage fees, as well as avoids confusion if a bag is lost
• Service: One airline, one network means simpler solutions to unexpected delays or cancellations

Whether it’s for recreation or research, now is the time to make plans for your group to travel to Brazil.

CALL NOW FOR YOUR GROUP AIRFARE QUOTE:

1-800-655-4054

or CLICK HERE to submit your request online

For a limited time, DOUBLE mileage credit is available for travel on American Airlines, when traveling on the new, direct flights between Miami and:

Belo Horizonte (BHZ)

Salvador da Bahia (SSA) or

Recife (REC)

Fly between November 2, 2008 and February 15, 2009

Advance registration is required. Contact an Exito Travel agent for details and flight reservations.

Phone:  800 655 4053                        Email: info@exitotravel.com

Any family getaway can have its benefits. A week at the beach allows for some relaxation, and a dose of ever-elusive “quality time”.  An extended trip should at least expand the options of family touring activities, and ideally widen everyone’s horizons. So how about setting off on a path through multiple countries, choosing to count the trip in terms of multiple weeks or months? With the typical US family vacation barely lasting 2 weeks, a longer trip may sound rather ambitious, but every year thousands of people are finding ways to slip away from their daily routines and fulfill their own vision of a family sabbatical.

Besides giving families a chance to spend more time together and stay connected, a well-planned journey can offer other “wordly” benefits that a shorter trip may only give a small taste of. Consider how speaking Spanish or Portuguese several levels higher than before, and gaining an inkling of what it is like to truly live, and even work, in a different culture can boost confidence and competence when encountering future challenges.

An important part of planning, and yes, justifying, and extended trip abroad is staying aware of the needs and interests of each family member, ensuring there are enough fun activities that are also truly educational, and/or resume-building. Enrichment could start with something as basic as a child mastering the local metro system, or be as thrilling as learning about environmental sustainability while hiking through a remote Andean community, in the valley of a majestic volcano. The last book report may begin to pale in comparison.

It doesn’t hurt that daily living expenses in Latin America can often be lower than what a family might spend by staying at home. Those who may choose to avoid traveling to Europe, Hawaii or the Caribbean islands due to unfavorable exchange rates and higher travel costs, may still have the option go to Latin America, where the diversity and quality of cultural and outdoor activities continue to offer incredible value.

With some inspiration and preparation, what might start as a short trip to a popular beach town in Costa Rica could lead to a plan to skip bunking in a hotel, and instead settle in for a few weeks to live with a host family and take Spanish immersion courses. With a bit more time, it might be easier than expected to continue on to explore some of Ecuador or Peru, balancing time for sightseeing as well as making a contribution to a local volunteer project.

Where to start?  Learn a few things from those who have already done it. Check out how one family chose to take their plans for quality time on the road  in a book called “BYOC: South America! A Family Sabbatical Handbook” - where BYOC stands for “Bring Your Own Children”. Information is available online at:  http://www.rumskytravelworks.com.  There are also a myriad of websites that offer tips and directories of resources related to traveling abroad as a family. Try starting with Transitions Abroad or idealist.com.

While airfares are rising in several markets, there are still some great discount deals that are perfect for an extended getaway. For example: Round-trip travel from from New York to Ecuador, with stopovers in both Costa Rica and Peru for under $650 including tax, per person. There are hundreds of similar combinations available, traveling from various US cities into Central and South America.

These special airfare deals are only available through a specialist like Exito Travel. A Latin America Travel Specialist at Exito has years of experience in digging out discounted fares in order to create an itinerary that matches both the vision, and the budget of the trip. For details on how to afford a family trip of a lifetime, contact Exito by phone at 800 655 4053 , or fill in an extended stay, or  multi-stop flight request form online.