As a country, Mexico doesn’t do things by halves. The cities aren’t just big, they’re super sized, the history isn’t just old, it’s ancient, the jungles are practically pulsating with life and the beaches are pristine, tropical havens. This is exactly the place you should come if you like your travel experiences to pack a metaphorical punch.

Mexico isn’t exactly new to the tourism thing, there’s no shortage of big, built-up beach resorts to check yourself into if that’s your thing. However, if you’re looking for a trip to Mexico that is a little more authentic, here are our choices of five experiences that will give you the perfect induction to this unforgettable country.

Tulum Beach.

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‘I want a holiday’. How many times have you uttered that sentence so far this year? For me, it’s got to be around 26 times (yep I’m boring myself as well as everyone else).

If you’re in my position but your bank balance is out to spoil your fun, then you should find this list of affordable adventures pretty interesting.

Here are 12 of our best value, week long, adventures, meaning that you can get away on the kind of awesome experience you’ve been jealously hearing about from your friends for the past few months. Which one’s caught your eye?

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Ever dreamt of packing up your backpack and heading off around the world for a month, 3 months, 6 months, hell, even a year or longer?

Who hasn’t dreamt of that? A Round the World trip is what it’s all about. Heading off into the big wide world, that feeling of excitement and anticipation that starts at the airport stays with you at every turn. Each day brings a new experience, as each week sees you in a new town, city or even country. You’ll meet people from all over the world, and form friendships that start in hostel dorm rooms, but can stay with you for life.

It’s a dirty rumour that a Round the World trip costs big bucks. But guess what? It doesn’t have to! STA Travel flight guru Ali Dale has put together seven pretty awesome routes you could travel, all starting at under £1000.

And remember, there’s no time limit on these routes – you could be away for 2 weeks or 12 months. The only condition is you have to be back in the UK within a year.

Hit the road on a Round the World trip and live The Dream | Image courtesy of Alexander Pekour

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I’m just going to put this out there: Costa Rica has it all. It’s home to beautiful Caribbean beaches (some of the best in the whole of Latin America), lush rainforests, national parks bursting with towering volcanoes, a selection of the world’s most exciting wildlife (toucans, jaguar, sea turtles, oh my!), and more adrenaline sports that you can shake a stick it.

See? I wasn’t exaggerating.

This country’s diverse beauty and nature need to be celebrated. In fact, it seems only fair to slap Central America’s little gem with a big High Five. As if you needed any more convincing, here are five reasons to put Costa Rica at the top of your travel wish list.

This guy is just one reason to pay Costa Rica a visit

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The Caribbean is synonymous with luxurious holidays. Immaculate beaches, coconut palms, warm, turquoise water and some of the friendliest, happy go lucky people you could ever wish to meet (well, we’d all be pretty pleased with ourselves if we lived in the Caribbean wouldn’t we?)

You may think that if your budget doesn’t stretch to 5* luxury, then a trip to the Caribbean probably isn’t for you, but you have options… Quite a few of them actually.

The Eastern coast of Central America sits smugly on the west coast of the Caribbean sea so travellers can lap up the same glorious beaches and chilled out vibe, for a fraction of the price.

How to Experience a taste of the Caribbean on a Backpackers budget

I don’t know about you, but when I try to define the world ‘backpacker’ I think not only of someone who is trying to travel on a budget, but also a person who wants to engross themselves in a destination’s culture, history, local customs, and someone who wants to travel around and explore many aspects of life in the place they are visiting and not just spend their entire time sat on a beach topping up their tan (although this, does have it’s place in any trip of course!)

So here are 5 places in Central America and the Caribbean where you can enjoy the best of both worlds.

Costa Rica

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