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Boston Globe web site Sunday, November 2, 2003. What's in a name This website deserves a mention for its audacious name alone: Locogringo.com. It's a reservation service specializing in the
Caribbean coast of Mexico and Central America. Prices start at $58 a night,
including breakfast. Copyright 2003 The Florida Times-Union SECTION: LIFESTYLE; Pg. E-5 BODY: LOCO GRINGO Copyright 2003 The Columbus Dispatch GALAPAGOS ISLANDSHOT CLICKS Loco Gringo www.locogringo.com/index.cfm If you're considering a trip to Mexico but want to avoid the party scene in a city such as Cancun, check out LocoGringo.com. The site takes a complete look at vacation spots -- with varying degrees of action -- just south of Cancun along the Mayan Riviera' Easy to navigate and full of photos, including 360-degree IPIX virtual tours, LocoGringo.com can make planning your Mexican destination and picking out a place to stay a lot less daunting. Copyright 2003 The Baltimore Sun Company SECTION: TRAVEL, Pg. 2R TRAAnnual migration of turtles, tourists It's sea turtle nesting season on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. The turtles crawl ashore to lay their eggs and sometimes hatch in full view of curious humans. The phenomenon can be observed until roughly the end of November. You can check out travel packages to Akumal, Mexico, and other turtle hot spots through LocoGringo.com, a Web site that specializes in travel to the region. Visitors usually fly to Cancun and drive an hour or so to reach the region. Copyright 2003 The Californian (Salinas, CA) All Rights Reserved The Californian (Salinas, CA) September 6, 2003 Saturday
The turtles crawl ashore to lay their eggs and sometimes hatch in full view of curious humans. The phenomenon can be observed until roughly the end of November. You can check out travel packages to Akumal and other turtle hot spots through LocoGringo.com, a Web site that specializes in travel to the region. Visitors usually fly to Cancun and drive an hour or so to reach the region. Copyright 2003 Daily News, L.P. Daily News (New York) September 7, 2003, Sunday DEALS OF THE WEEK
SEA TURTLE NESTING season on Mexico's Caribbean coast, plus discount lodgings offer an enriching experience in Akumal, Mayan for Place of Turtles. Through Nov. 1, stay at Villas on the Reef and La Joya Condominiums from $65 per night, double occupancy (stay six nights, get seventh free); a family of four (two adults and two children under 12), $75 per night at Club Akumal Caribe Hotel through Dec. 19; two-bedroom condo at Playa Caribe (sleeps four to six) $19-$28 per person per night through Oct. 31. LocoGringo.com. Copyright 2003 Central Wisconsin Sunday
September 7, 2003 Sunday Sea turtles nest in Mexico AKUMAL, Mexico - It's sea turtle nesting season on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. The turtles crawl ashore to lay their eggs and sometimes hatch in full view of curious humans. The phenomenon can be observed until roughly the end of November. You can check out travel packages to Akumal and other turtle hot spots through LocoGringo.com, a Web site that specializes in travel to the region. Visitors usually fly to Cancun and drive an hour or so to reach the region. Copyright 2003 Boston Herald Inc. The Boston Herald CHEAP TRIPS: Akumal shells out savings at turtle time
Now through November is sea turtle nesting time in Mexico, when travelers can watch the endangered turtles crawl ashore to lay eggs and may even catch a glimpse of baby turtles hatching. And you don't have to pay an arm and a leg - or the shell off your back - to see the events, because LocoGringo.com has specially priced packages at prime viewing spots. Now through Nov. 1, for instance, prices at the Villas on the Reef and La Joya Condominiums in Akumal Mayan for "Place of Turtles") start at just $ 65 per night. Plus, guests staying six nights get the seventh night free. Or stay at the Club Akumal Caribe Hotel for $ 75 per night (for two adults and two kids younger than 12) through November. For reservations, go to www.locogringo.com.
Copyright 2003 The San Diego Union-Tribune BYLINE : MARIBETH MELLIN; Maribeth Mellin is the is the recipient of Mexico's prestigious Pluma de Plata award for her Traveler's Mexico Companion (Globe Pequot) and the author of several books on Mexico. Her latest is the Unofficial Guide to Mexico's Best Beach Resorts (Wiley). Whale sharks gather off Isla Holbox north of Cancun. Resplendent quetzals, the sacred birds of the Maya, hide in the cloud forests of Oaxaca and Chiapas. Sea turtles bury their eggs on solitary beaches from Michocan to Cozumel, and more than 250 species of birds fly above the Yucatan Peninsula. Mexico is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, but travelers have traditionally had few opportunities to learn about and explore the country's mountains, rivers and forests. Until last year, few people outside the country knew about adventure and ecotourism travel in Mexico, says Rodolfo Olmedo, the president of AMTAVE (the Mexican Association of Adventure Tour Operators). In 2002, for the first time, federal and local government agencies invested $3.3 million in the development and promotion of this rapidly growing tourism sector. Much of the money was spent training nature and adventure guides, greatly increasing the quality of adventure tours. More than 450 tour operators now offer everything from white-water rafting in Veracruz to mountain biking in the Copper Canyon. Many gathered last year at the World Trade Center in Mexico City for the fifth annual Ecotourism Expo. The buzz among the exhibitors revolved around promotion as state tourism representatives and private-sector tour operators discussed their biggest dilemma -- how to reach North American tourists and increase the demand for adventure tours in Mexico. Most of these companies are small and can't afford big marketing campaigns, says Olmedo, who established his Ecco Sports river-rafting company in 1997 and was one of the founders of AMTAVE. The organization has grown from seven members to 55 and operates an informative Web site at www.amtave.org. The site provides links to the member companies' Web sites, but not all are in English and few companies have toll-free numbers for reservations. Resources: Copyright MSNBC News Copyright 2003 Newsday, Inc. Newsday (New York) Wall Street Journal, 17 Dec 2002 Visitors Go Loco Over Belize Feb. 27, 2001/Xpress Press/ - What happens when you give travel-savvy scuba divers some free cyber space? They build Loco Gringo -- a thriving online travel company specializing in "off-the-beaten-path" adventure getaways to Caribbean Mexico and Belize, Central America. This month, the company debuts its newest travel connection LocoBelize.com. We like to think of Loco Gringo as the Sports Utility Vehicle of travel companies, says Kay Walten who, along with her husband Gary, founded Loco Gringo Inc. in 1997. We seek out tourists who prefer taking the road less traveled, which in some cases is a dirt road or no road at all. However, adds Walten, most are paved soft adventures for the mainstream tropical R & R crowd. LocoBelize.com offers an insiders look at the country of Belize. The country offers some of the most pristine scuba diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean on the world's second largest barrier reef located offshore. Landlubbers can tour the Rainforest Medicine Trail in the Cayo District, canoe one of Belize's rainforested rivers or raft through stalactite encrusted caves once used by the ancient Maya. Seldom seen Mayan ruins are found throughout the country, as well as a few major archaeological sites, like the ruins of Caracol in Cayo District's Mountain Pine Ridge. Because the country is small, visitors can combine the best of the reef and the rainforest all in one trip. Through Loco Gringo's site, LocoBelize.com visitors can arrange tours, lodging or airport transfers. In addition to up-to-the-minute travel information, the Loco Gringo team spends time answering customer's questions via email or phone, guiding decisions so that vacation plans equal vacation expectations. Belize is a destination that offers exploration for both the high-spirited adventurer, and the soft-adventure seekers. It is home to 540 species of colorful birds and a variety of reptiles. The country hosts the first jaguar reserve and offers rainforest treks and trails for horseback rides through the broadleaf jungle, all can be easily managed by a novice traveler. The best time to travel to Belize is December to May. Although the wet season is normally June to November, this is one of the best times for travelers seeking bargains. Once known as British Honduras, Belize is the youngest country in Central America. It is slightly larger than Massachusetts, but unlike this once British colony, Belize didn't gain independence from the crown until 1981. The country has a population of just over 230,000 comprised of British, Creole, Mennonites, Chinese, Garifuna, Mestizos and Maya peoples whose ancestors may be traced as far back as 2000 B.C. English is the country's official language but Spanish, Garifuna and Creole are widely spoken. In addition to its natural resources, Belize has many festivals and celebrations that would interest visitors including: MAY: The Cashew Festival in Crooked Tree -- celebrates the cashew harvest season and try cashew wine. OCTOBER: Belikin Spectacular Billfish tournament in San Pedro. NOVEMBER: Garifuna Settlement Day in marks the first arrival of the Garifuna in Dangriga (1832). About Loco Gringo Inc. Loco Gringo Inc. began in 1997 as an experiment when a friend donated some web space to Kay and Gary Walten, formerly of Baltimore Maryland. Working out of their dining room in Akumal, Mexico they began to advertise 8 local vacation rental properties. Today, the ex-pats have an office in Playa del Carmen with three full time employees and offer more than 150 rental properties and resorts from Mexico to Belize, Central America. Contact: Kay Walten Tel/ Fax 52-984-875-9140 reservations@locogringo.com
www.LocoGringo.com Underwater Cave Divers Find Success As Travel Consultants to Above Ground Visitors. Playa del Carmen, Mexico - October 2 /Xpress Press/ When most folks find out what Kay and Gary Walten do for a living their usual response is, "you're crazy." The Waltens are professional underwater cave divers. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, the two moved to Mexico in 1992. They learned the ins and outs of the tourism business and gradually expanded their guide business above ground. The moniker "Crazy Americans" stuck with them. Why argue? It's easy to remember, they figured, and Loco Gringo Inc. was born. The company's newly designed website at LocoGringo.com provides visitors with the scoop on the Riviera Maya also called the Mexican Riviera. The site features personalized travel information and reservations for people looking to visit the Caribbean coast of Mexico and soon Central America. Always eager to explore, the crazy Americans have just added another clickable destination at LocoCozumel.com. The Loco Gringo family of sites provides information about all-inclusive resorts for those new to Mexico as well as off-the-beaten-path vacation destinations for veteran travelers to the country. Whether you want a 'SURVIVOR' type experience living in a thatch roof palapa hut or accommodations and planning services for a tropical wedding, it's all covered by Loco Gringo. After being professional divers in Mexico and having seen it all tourism-wise, we decided to create a business that provides fresh and accurate information combined with efficient service -- something which is not always common here in Mexico, says Ms. Walten. We help alleviate the fears people have about traveling to Mexico and the third world -- from being able to drink the water, to riding the bus or renting a car. In addition to booking trips and lodgings, we act as tourist advocates. We're not operating from behind a desk in a big U.S. city, we personally know owners and managers who can help provide the best service to our customers. According to Walten, visitors come to the Mexican Riviera and Cozumel for different reasons. There are often more activities and sites than travelers can cover in one visit. Some of the more popular visitor pastimes include going horseback riding, swimming with dolphins, snorkeling, or scuba diving. Less strenuous days may be spent taking in a nature theme park, bird watching, or visiting one of the Mayan archeological sites like Tulum, Chichen Itza, or Coba. Accommodations too range in variety and price and include everything from hotels, resorts, condos and time-shares to simple huts or tropical mansions renting for $10,000 a week. Many locations in Mexico are now very family friendly. For parents traveling with children, LocoGringo.com supports an online forum called LocoKIDS where visitors share information about babysitting, family-friendly lodging, activities geared for children and even post feedback on their trips. Additionally, website visitors can subscribe to a free monthly newsletter that offers last minute rental specials, new listings and community announcements. As professional cave divers and explorers in Mexico and Belize, Gary and Kay have been covered by a variety of magazines including Smithsonian Magazine, the New England Financial Journal, National Geo Germany, and many scuba diving magazines. The Waltens recently participated in the filming of Mexican cave diving segments for the upcoming IMAX movie, "Journey to Amazing Caves." Look for LocoBelize.com to debut soon. LocoGringo.com
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