MEXICO TOUR INFORMATION SHEET
Toucan Birding Tours. Rev. Dec 07.
International flights are not included in the tour price. Iberia offers fares from the UK to Guadalajara and returning from Mazatlan. KLM fly from regional UK airports to Guadalajara via Amsterdam and Mexico City, returningto Amsterdam from Guadalajara or Mexico City. Our ground agents can purchase flights from Mazatlan to either Guadalajara or Mexico City (depending from where your return flight leaves) to connect with onward KLM fights to Europe. Please contact the Toucan Birding Tours for details.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
British tourists visiting Mexico need a passport valid for at least six months from the intended date of entry and should obtain a tourist card (known as the "FMT") available from Mexican Consulates, Mexican international airports and border crossing points and most airlines serving Mexico.
CLIMATE
South of the Tropic of Capricorn, which slices the country in half, there is a humid and hot climate along the coasts, especially in summer, whereas in the highlands the weather tends to be drier and more temperate. Most rain falls in the northern hemisphere summer. The north-west has a desert climate, while the Yucatán peninsula is very hot and muggy from May to October. The annual range of temperature in Mexico City is 9-25o C, in Cancún 20-32oC.
Lowland Colima and Jalisco have a hot and variably humid climate. This is the dry season though, so rain would be exceptional except perhaps for locally generated afternoon showers on the volcanoes. The early mornings on the volcanoes can be cool enough for a fleece and gloves, but daytime temperatures soon rise. San Blas is in the tropical lowlands, so the climate is hot and variably humid. This is the dry season though, so rain would be unusual except perhaps for locally generated afternoon showers on Cerro de San Juan. The early morning at Cerro de San Juan can be cool enough for a jacket and light gloves.
Don’t forget that the sun in Mexico can be very intense. Please bring adequate protection, including a sun hat and a strong sun screen rating.
HEALTH
You should have comprehensive travel and medical insurance when you visit Mexico. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. Be aware that not all hospitals will agree to deal directly with medical insurance companies and you should be prepared to pay for treatment yourself up front and then seek a refund. We strongly recommend you should drink bottled (not tap) water. Ice is frequently made from tap water. Food and unbottled drinks sold by street vendors are also likely to be unsafe.
Malaria and dengue fever are endemic in low-lying rural areas of Mexico and outbreaks can occur throughout the year. Therefore you should seek medical advice about suitable anti-malarial medication and on arrival take adequate precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes. More than three-quarters of British travellers who contracted malaria in 2005 did not take preventive measures, such as malaria prevention tablets. However, malaria can occur despite appropriate prevention, and therefore you should promptly seek medical care in the event of a fever or flu-like illness in the first year following your return from travelling to a malaria risk country. Before travelling you should seek medical advice about the malaria risk in Mexico.
You should seek medical advice before travelling and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up to date. For further information on health, check the Department of Health’s website at: www.dh.gov.uk
MoneyAmerican Dollar travellers' cheques and notes are more easily exchanged throughout Mexico than sterling equivalents. But UK debit and credit cards are widely accepted, including by ATMs.
Currency
Mexican Peso. See www.oanda.com for exchange rates.
We’ll try to be in the field around dawn which means about 6.30 - 7:00 a.m. On a couple of evenings we’ll stay out relatively late for nightbirds. Walking is mostly along roads and wide trails that are level to gently sloping, with the option for some short stretches of steeper gradients.
Birding in and around San Blas we’ll be on trails and roads that are mostly flat and present no particular problem; the uphill cobbled road at La Bajada is steep in places though. On at least one day we have boat trips on the river for up to five hours.
Please plan well when packing for your trip, but feel free to bring what you will need; we want you to be comfortable with your gear. Remember that dress is strictly casual and camping-style attire is the rule. We suggest that you bring a small daypack or shoulder bag for use during the day.
We suggest the following items but quantities are obviously at your discretion: Lightweight pants, shorts, long-sleeved cotton shirts, walking shoes (rubber boots not required for this tour), sandals, lightweight rain jacket, sweater, fleece, insect repellent, prescription medicines, toothbrush and paste, shampoo, soap, deodorant, sunscreen, lip balm, flashlight, daypack, wide-brimmed sunhat, sunglasses, water bottle, alarm clock, optical gear plus field guide(s).
Recommended Reading:
A Guide to the Birds of Mexico & Northern Central America by Steve N. G. Howell and Sophie Webb.
A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Adjacent Areas Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador by Ernest Preston Edwards.
Where to watch birds in Mexico by Steve N. G. Howell.
A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Central America by Ber van Perlo.
Bird Song Recordings: Birds of Mexico MP3 Sound Collection by Peter Boesman.
General tourist guides to Mexico can be purchased. The Lonely Planet and Rough Guide series are recommended.
TOUCAN BIRDING TOURS
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