COST:
$4450 per person
Plus international airfare ($550-750) and one roundtrip internal flight (around $200)
**** We can accommodate vegetarians and will accept kids with celiac disease.
Unfortunately, vegan diets are very difficult to work around in Mexico.
** We regret that we cannot take kids with life threatening allergies.**
Click HERE for more information on group leaders.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- All accommodation, 3 meals a day, and snacks. We will provide safe drinking water 24/7;
- All activities and gratuities;
- Ground transportation;
- 2 weeks (9-10 days) of Spanish instruction (M-F, 3 hours/day);
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:
- International airfare ($550 — $750)
- Meals during travel between Boston—Mexico City in each direction;
- Roundtrip flight between Mexico City and Chiapas (usually just under $200 RT)
- Extra snacks and soft drinks;
- Souvenirs and gifts (we recommend bringing $150-$200 in spending money)
- Cost of emergency medical care if necessary;
- Travel/supplementary medical insurance
- Cost of early return, for medical or behavioral reasons.
LOGISTICS:
- The group will travel together to and from Boston Logan Airport accompanied by 1-2 adults.
- There will be 3-4 supervising adults on the trip, depending on size of group.
- In San Cristobal we will stay in a small guesthouse or take over a hostel, depending on the size and makeup of the group. It will be a dedicated, safe space, most likely with a kitchen, within easy walking distance of the school and center of the city. It will either be dorms, separate for boys and girls, or private rooms with 2-3 beds each.
- In Mexico City we will stay in a guesthouse in the historic center with 4-6 kids per room.
- We will be studying Spanish at Instituto Jovel in San Cristobal where the kids have a lot of fun and we have found the instruction to be excellent.
- We communicate with the local middle school Spanish teachers in order to work with the public school Spanish education curriculum.
- We will mostly stick to Mexican cuisine during our stay and will encourage kids to try all varieties of local foods. Most days we will have one meal in a restaurant and breakfast and light dinner at our guest house. We will follow the Mexican tradition of having our main meal between 2:00-4:00 in the afternoon.
- Kids will help with food preparation and cleanup on a rotating schedule.
- They will learn how to use local ingredients as well as some basic cooking skills.
- Students will be encouraged to practice their Spanish whenever possible. Even if they are too shy to speak much, they will be surrounded by Spanish every day and should experience significant improvement in their listening comprehension.
TRANSPORTATION:
- In San Cristobal we will do a lot of walking. We will walk to and from class every day, and to all our local activities. We will go by minibus on day trips outside the city, and by public bus to and from the airport in Tuxtla Gutierrez.
- In Mexico City we will walk a bit but mostly will get around by private taxis or minibus.
ABOUT MEXICO:
- Mexico is a big country, and while some regions are not safe, much of it is, with warm friendly people, great food, and lively culture. We will not be in any regions with safety risks, and in Mexico City will always be accompanied by locals.
- We will change plans immediately if any safety issues arise.
- San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, is in the mountains at 7000 ft elevation. It is cool and comfortable. July is the rainy season, so we will need to be prepared for rain, but it won’t slow us down. At this elevation there are no mosquitoes, so we do not have to worry about mosquito-borne illnesses.
- San Cristobal is a small city with a large Mayan population. It is safe, easy to walk around, and clean food is readily available. It is a hot spot for Mexican tourists, and very little English is spoken, so it is a great place to work on our Spanish.
Follow