Posting on the Native Choice Tour - It was GREAT! We took a taxi downtown. You walk through the port and end up where there are very orgaized rentals. It is $3.00 per person in large vans. They take you to the start of town and we were met by one of the guides as we were the first group. However, it is right by Cats Meow so you cannot miss it. You will need to wait for all the touring parties that time slot to arrive, so you might as well relax for about 15 minues in the shade. Here are a few pre-tour HINTS.
You will be walking through trails - in the summer and by the time you arrive, the rainy season will have started, so I suggest tennis shoes and socks and loose clothing. Comng from swampy south Florida, we always wear long sleeves and slacks....AND HATS.....that might be hard to convince teenagers to do, but it is a HINT for comfort. We had no trouble with bugs or leaves or sand....
You are then taken via small van which seats about 9-10 about 45-60 minutes to the ruins. Carolina was our guide in the van and very informative. She explained the Mayon life style, home construction, history of the port, the villages along the way etc......
Then a ruin looms before you - WOW. You are dropped off at the visitors Center. Be warned.....all the cruise buses arrive about the same time and there is a long, long line for ladies restrooms....which are quite clean. Some small shops and souveniers are available. Native Choice was very well stocked with bottled water and juice for the kids, all sealed, all quite safe.
We waited, in the shade.....remember you are on Mexican time, so relax....and finally it was time for us to leave. Ivan was our guide and he was excellent. He provided a commentary on the excavations and explained everything that you would see.....I will not spoil the surpise with an explaination here, unless requested.
You do a bit of walking, but it is slow paced, with stops for pictures and exploring. I did not feel rushed at all.....
We went on to the lunch with the Mayon Family - again, I will recommend this heartily......Additional discussions along the way were provided, water etc and the van was air-conditioned. Lunch was not as expected, and again, will not post the details yet.
Take some small bills as the guide may offer home-made articles the family is selling. It is a nice way of providing a "tip" without seeming insulting.
The van dropped us off at the port, saving another cab-fare and also time....We were able to walk around the shops at the port and have a local brew before it was all-aboard time.