Itinerary
Day 1: Orientation Dinner, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas
We will have our orientation dinner at 7:30 p.m. Night: Hotel Bonampak, Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Day 2: Tuxtla Gutierrez to Jaltenango
After a traditional Chiapaneco breakfast, we will visit the famous zoo, home to fauna found only in the state of Chiapas. We will then proceed to Jaltenango, arriving late afternoon. Night: Hotel El Triunfo, Jaltenango.

Day 3: Jaltenango to El Triunfo
After breakfast, we will depart Jaltenango for Finca Prussia, a remote village in the heart of the coffee zone and in the buffer zone of El Triunfo. This takes about 2 hours on rough four-wheel drive road. Finca Prussia is at 1030 meters (3,280 feet) elevation and we will be able to observe coffee processing. We will have a light snack/lunch at the trail head.

After lunch we begin the 760 meter (2,500 foot) ascent to our base camp in El Triunfo. We will pass through four different vegetation zones on our 14 kilometer (9.3 mile) hike. Normally the trip takes between 3 to 4 hours depending on how many distractions we encounter, which can be considerable depending on your area of interest. The trail is well designed with many switchbacks, and with the mules carrying all the weight, the hike-in is very enjoyable. Our goal is to reach base camp by 6:00 p.m. or just before sunset. However, due to the incredible biodiversity of the area, we are often sidetracked on the way in and hike the last half-hour or so in the dark (headlamps recommended!). If it's a clear sky, the entrance to the valley of the base camp is spectacular with the stars so close you can almost reach out and touch them. Night: Campamento El Triunfo.

Day 4: In the Heart of El Triunfo
From our base camp we will explore the diverse trails of the cloud forest. With luck, we should see the incredible flight of resplendent quetzal. This area is also home to the horned guan, endemic to the cloud forests of Chiapas and Guatemala. With the help of the reserve staff, we should be able to find tapir and jaguar tracks, and if we are really lucky see one of these elusive animals. Red brocket deer are abundant, and if you are very still and patient, not too difficult to encounter. We have a lot of flexibility and we will split into at least two groups for day hikes. We often have a group that wants to cover as much ground as possible and also some botanists and birders who are much more methodical in their exploration. Night: Campamento El Triunfo.

Day 5: El Triunfo to Cañada Honda
Today we leave the base camp and begin our hike toward the Pacific lowlands. The great news is it's almost all downhill from here. We begin our leisurely four hour hike at 10:00 a.m. to Cañada Honda. As we hike over the crest of the Sierra Madres the views are spectacular as we leave the cloud forest and descend through a cypress dominated vegetation zone. We may be able to see the Pacific Ocean and, if we are extremely lucky, we will see the Azure-rumped Tanager, one of the rarest tanagers in the world. Cañada Honda is one of the only places in the world where the Azure-rumped Tanager is consistently spotted. Besides the great diversity of birds, Cañada Honda is also preferred habitat for the elusive jaguar and howler monkeys. Once we arrive at the campsite, the rest of the day is open to explore this unique area. Night: Campamento Cañada Honda.

Day 6: Cañada Honda - Limonar
Today we depart on a beautiful hike through middle/lower montane tropical forest. This vegetation zone will be the last of the five different zones that we will experience. The lower montane tropical forest has an incredible array of biodiversity. On one trip we saw four different species of motmots in one day! We will have the afternoon to relax and explore this rich ecosystem. Night: Campamento El Limonar.

Day 7: Limonar - Finca Paval - Acapetagua
We begin our final day in El Triunfo hiking out to the ejido of 3 de Mayo. While this hike is almost all downhill, it is rather long, about 7.5 miles. As we descend it becomes hotter, so the last couple of miles can be quite challenging. From ejido 3 de Mayo we continue to the town of Acapetagua, the gateway to La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve, a spectacular coastal preserve. We will meet the boats and take about an hour boat ride to the research station of La Concepcion where we will spend the next two nights. This is a long day with a great finish. La Concepcion is nestled on the banks of the Huixtla River and we will be able to soak our tired bodies in the gentle current. Night: Campamento La Concepción.

Day 8: La Encrucijada
We will have the entire day to explore the reserve by boat and foot. We will begin the day with a morning bird walk along the interpretive trail at the research station, and depending how the hurricane and winter storm season progresses, we will climb the observation tower. From the top of the observation tower we have spectacular views of the surrounding area. After breakfast, we will take a trip down the Huixtla River, one of the major tributaries to the coastal area, which always has hundreds of shorebirds. We also spend time on the dramatic beaches where we can enjoy the sun and surf. Depending on conditions and the recommendations of the biologists, we may have an optional night adventure looking for crocodiles, some of which get to over 4 meters! Night: Acampamento La Concepcion.

Day 9: La Encrucijada - Tapachula
We will have a morning bird walk, optional boat trip, and a light lunch before we pack up and head to the regional hub of Tapachula. It's a nice town to stroll around and features some excellent deals on leather goods. Night: Hotel Cabildo, Tapachula.

Day 10: Tapachula - Mexico City
We return to Mexico City in time for connecting afternoon flights.

Accommodations Listing
Hotel Bonampak, Tuxtla Gutierrez, 2.5 Star, basic rooms, great location and excellent restaurant.
Hotel El Triunfo, Jaltenango, Half Star, as good as it gets in the middle of nowhere.
Campamento El Triunfo, Hot showers, flushing toilets, dining area, bunk beds, good open areas to set up tents.
Campamento Canada Honda, Backcountry camping, no amenities except pit toilet.
Campamento Limonar, Backcountry camping, no amenities except pit toilet.
Campamento La Concepcion, Bunk beds, showers, flushing toilets, insect screens.
Hotel Cabildo, Tapachula, Two Star, best hotel in town.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
This is a wilderness trip to one of the world's "last great places". It provides the opportunity to enjoy the beauty and solitude of one of the most pristine forests and coastal areas remaining in our hemisphere. Viewing wildlife in these habitats can be frustrating. With the thick vegetative cover, one must proceed patiently and cover an area thoroughly.

This is a camping trip so you will need to bring appropriate gear. It is a rigorous trip involving a great deal of walking and climbing. There will be no backpacking since the horses and mules will carry all our equipment. This tour should only be taken by persons who are in good health and are physically able to walk three to six miles a day on moderate to steep grades at elevations as high as 6000 feet. For those living at low elevations a minimum target health level should be the ability to cover ten flat miles in less than four hours comfortably. The trails are generally in very good condition and have been used by local people for generations. However, there is a limestone element to the Sierra Madres and loose rocks are common. Hiking boots with strong ankle support are recommended. Living conditions during the tour will be primitive with all the discomforts of camping.

WEATHER:
The weather on this trip can vary from warm and sunny to cloudy, misty, foggy or rainy. Daytime temperature highs can reach into 90s in the lowlands. In the cloud forest, temperatures change dramatically as cloud banks roll in. We can expect daytime temperatures to fluctuate from the low 60s to mid 80s and evening temperatures in the high 40s. Precipitation is one of the key factors in creating this ecosystem and we can expect heavy rain any day even in the dry season.

TOUR SIZE:
This tour will be limited to a maximum of 18 participants and a minimum of 6 participants.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS:
A US passport valid beyond your anticipated date of return to the US and tourist card (available on flight) is required. Currently no visas or immunization certificates are required. Those with foreign passports should contact the Embassy of Mexico for details.

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS:
The fee for the tour is $3,178 per person based on double occupancy from Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas. The single supplement is an additional $250. It does not include tips for trip leaders and park guards, alcoholic beverages, special gratuities, phone calls, passport fees, or items of a personal nature. Rates are based upon group tariffs; if the group does not have sufficient registration a small party supplement may have to be charged.

HEALTH PRECAUTIONS:
There are no recommended vaccinations for the areas we will visit. For comprehensive information please contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on the Internet at www.cdc.gov or by phone at 404-332-4559. The CDC information is a comprehensive listing of any disease reported in a particular region or state. Mexico is included with Central America. We have not had any problems with diseases. If you have any questions please consult a health care professional.

STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL ADVISORIES:
You should familiarize yourself with State department announcements and warnings particularly for Mexico City and Chiapas. You will be updated on any significant developments that pertain to our trip. For more information please contact the US State Department: Phone: 202-647-5225 Website: http://travel.state.gov/mexico.html

TOUR REGISTRATION:
To register for the tour, complete the registration form and return it a $500 deposit per person. The balance is due ninety days before departure.

CANCELLATION POLICY:
Refunds are made according to the following schedule: If cancellation is made eighty days or more before departure date, the deposit less $150 is refundable. If cancellation is made between seventy-nine and sixty days before departure date, the deposit is not refundable, but any payments covering the balance of the fee will be refunded. If cancellation is made fifty-nine days or less before departure date, no refund is available except for amounts recoverable through our agents. We recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance which you will receive upon registration.

If the Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance (MEA) cancels the tour or the tour must be postponed during a time period starting seven days before tour departure and /or through the duration of the tour, MEA will refund all money recoverable through our agents, not yet spent and/or all refundable deposits. MEA reserves the right to cancel, postpone or suspend any tour based on the judgment of MEA, its staff and representatives, in order to insure the safety of our guests.

RESPONSIBILITY:
MEA, and/or their Agents act only as agents for the passenger in regard to travel, whether by railroad, motorcar, motorcoach, boat, or airplane and assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity which may be occasioned either by reason of defect in any vehicle or for any reason whatsoever, or through the acts or default of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the tour. They can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other causes. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger as tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated. The right is reserved to substitute hotels of similar category for those indicated and to make any changes in the itinerary where deemed necessary or caused by changes in air schedules. No refund will be made for any unused portion of the tour. The right is reserved to decline, to accept, or to retain any person as a member of the tour. Baggage is at owner's risk.