Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

We especially loved the cooking lesson with a wonderful Zapotec lady, and the menu was adjusted for teenager tastes...
Helen Blumen | August 17, 2023
Helen Blumen

Hot air balloons above one of the pyramids at Teotihuacan, near Mexico City. Photo: Traveler Helen Blumen

My 16-year-old granddaughter and I spent 10 days in Mexico City and Oaxaca in August 2023, and we had a wonderful time! We especially loved the cooking lesson with a wonderful Zapotec lady, and the menu was adjusted for teenager tastes so that we ate quesadillas and chiles rellenos. Another highlight was the balloon ride to see the pyramids at Teotihuacan. We are grateful for Zach’s team’s flexibility when our original flight was delayed.

Jaime made us feel like locals by accompanying us to Lucha Libre, the freestyle Mexican wrestling...
Kenneth Bohan | August 12, 2023

Special thanks to Zach and his team for an extraordinary tour! We decided to engage Zach based on the recommendations of good friends and Wendy Perrin advocates who visited Mexico last year. I appreciate the time that they spent curating such a unique experience! Simply put, Zach and his team listened.

Our plan was to explore Mexico City after attending a conference and finishing up in Oaxaca. Our guide Jaime, a professor at the University, introduced us to the highlights and historical center of Mexico City. He provided us cultural, social and historical background which made our visit all the more relevant and personal. The conference had some last-minute schedule changes which affected our itinerary. In short, we had to actually flip days and tour on a Sunday rather than the originally planned Saturday. Senior Coordinator Ileana handled the switch with grace and was able to make everything work seamlessly! This is what working with a pro is all about! Jaime made us feel like locals by accompanying us to Lucha Libre, the freestyle Mexican wrestling which was an immersion in culture! The next morning came very early with an exhilarating, not-to-be-missed balloon ride over the pyramids, followed by a delicious breakfast and tour of the Teotihuacan sight! Finally, I must mention a true highlight of Mexico City, our private after-hours tour of the Anthropology Museum. The stunning expanse of structure filled with artistic treasures could have been overwhelming. Our knowledgeable guide provided us with just enough detail to allow us to walk away with a sense of awe for the culture of Mexico.

Off to Oaxaca where we met our first guide Juan. After checking into our hotel that started as a 16th-century convent, we were treated to a mezcal tasting to learn about the spirit that is taking the world by storm. Afterwards we had dinner of grilled Tlayuda, the traditional tortilla that falls into the category of ultimate comfort food! For the next few days, our skilled guide Gabriel immersed us in the culture and history of Oaxaca. From churches, art galleries, museums and historic sights Monte Alban and Mitla, Gabriel’s impressive knowledge of so many subjects became apparent. I must mention that Zach’s restaurant choices in Oaxaca were fantastic! Each restaurant was unique and charming on their own merit, a perfect complement to our stay. Oaxaca is one of the most sought-after travel destinations and it is certainly apparent why. Thank you, Zach and team, for such an incredible experience!

We have visited Mexico several times in the past and were looking for a new experience; Zach and his team delivered.
Elisa Spain | April 30, 2023

We recently returned from a fantastic trip to “the real Mexico.” We have visited Mexico several times in the past and were looking for a new experience; Zach and his team delivered. Zach spent time with us upfront reviewing our preferences. He listened well and came back soon after with several trip options. We chose a combo of CDMX and a visit to the winter habitat of the eastern monarch butterflies in Michoacan.

At first, we were a bit worried because, after the initial conversation with Zach, the responsiveness from his office during the planning was slow—uncharacteristic of previous Wendy Perrin WOW planners. Apparently, we started planning our trip at the same time as they were arranging several events in Mexico, and the team was stretched. I kept reading previous reviews to reassure us that it would be ok.

And they delivered; the trip was definitely a WOW!

Zach and his team went out of their way to make us happy, from upgrading our hotel room to a perfect balance of activity and downtime, combined with truly unique experiences. And to ensure our happiness, Amalia C watched over every detail while we were there, checking in with us and our guides daily.

In CDMX, seeing unique art was important to us. Zach heard this request and provided an art specialist for this part of our journey. We wanted casual local restaurants and enjoyed Jose’s favorites within walking distance of our hotel.

Amalia M was our guide for the rest of our journey, and Sergio was our driver. In CDMX, we enjoyed our first hot-air balloon ride, a private Teotihuacan tour, and a private Xochimilco Chinampas experience. Then we were off to an unforgettable experience hiking to two butterfly sanctuaries. Amalia described it as a pilgrimage of sorts, and it was.

Everything was flawlessly executed, Amalia M taught us about Mexico, and Sergio is probably the best driver I have ever been in a car with.

We would definitely travel with Zach and team again.

We had the most wonderful cooking class and meal with a lovely Zapotec woman
Barbara Sutz | April 3, 2023

We had been trying to plan a trip that included Oaxaca for a few months, and when our calendar opened up, we reached out to Zach Rabinor. Normally we put months and months into planning, but this was a relatively short period of planning and then departing. Even with a shortened planning time, Zach and his team, especially Jose Pineda, were able to put together an itinerary that matched my want list for Oaxaca.

We wanted to see Monte Alban, experience some markets, learn about barro negro pottery and most importantly, take a cooking class that focused on mole.

The two hotels we stayed in, in Oaxaca, were perfect. First was a colonial house turned into a hotel, charming and delightful. Then a more modern hotel which was equally wonderful.

The in-country team from Zach’s office was really great. We had a fabulous guide for three days, Gabriel, who was a wealth of knowledge about everything, art, ancient history, contemporary history, the markets, etc. He and our driver were always ready for us and made each excursion very enjoyable. The absolute best part of this part of the trip was the cooking class. We were lucky enough to go to Teotitlan de Valle, the village known for weaving. In that village we had the most wonderful cooking class and meal with a lovely Zapotec woman. This class and meal were the highlight of our time in Oaxaca. I even brought home some mole we will make into a dinner in the next few weeks! Her husband and family are master weavers, and we were able to get a weaving demonstration with explanation of natural dyes. Of course we had to purchase some weavings/rugs to take home! While in country, our contact person, Ileana, regularly checked in with us by phone and text to make sure all was going well and to see if we needed anything. She was great at letting us know we were being looked after.

The second part of our trip was a stay on Isla Mujeres. We were looking for beach and snorkeling time and an overall relax-at-the-beach experience. This wasn’t exactly how it went. Isla Mujeres is very, very crowded and noisy and not what we expected. The hotel was a disappointment.

Overall, I have to say that Zach and the team were great and we would absolutely work with them again. We felt safe and checked in on, and anything that their team was supposed to take care of ran like a well-oiled machine. These folks have a great operation!

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