Underwater Cave Divers Find Success As Travel Consultants to
Added: (Thu May 17 2001)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Above Ground Visitors Loco Gringo Moves in on Cozumel
Playa del Carmen, Mexico - May 16, 2001
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 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 holiday 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, Dive Girl UK and many scuba diving magazines. The Waltens recently participated in the filming of Mexican cave diving segments for the recently released IMAX movie, "Journey to Amazing Caves."
US Corporate Address:
Loco Gringo Inc.
701 Renner Rd.
Wilmington, DE 19810
The operational office for Loco Gringo Inc.
is in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Telephone and fax: 52-987-33412
Contact person: Kay Walten
kay@locogringo.com
http://www.LocoGringo.com
http://www.LocoCozumel.com