Top Ten Gift Ideas for Someone Traveling to Mexico

1. A map of Mexico - When going to Mexico, it pays to study the country beforehand. Mexico is almost as big as the United States and has 30 states of its own. Each state, just like in the United States, has its own culture, its own personality and it has something special about it. Give your traveler a chance to understand the geography and climate and do some research to know what is special about that state. When they visit, they can then explore the things that make that part of the country different from all the others.

2. Organic and biodegradable Sunscreen - A trip to Mexico will inevitably result in spending time in the sun. Whether your traveler is climbing Mayan pyramids, snorkeling in the Caribbean or surfing in the Pacific Ocean, the Mexican sun is strong and hot. With all the visitors that are spending time in Mexico, it is becoming more and more important to pay attention to the environmental impact of travel to these beautiful places. WIth organic sunscreen, your traveler can protect themselves and protect the environment at the same time.

3. Rain of God, by Victor Villaseñor - This book reads like a novel, but is the true story of the author's grandparents and other ancestors. The book will keep your favorite traveler captivated while lying on the beach, sipping on a piña colada, while at the same time open up their eyes to the incredible rich and magical history of this country. If they manage to read it before they leave, Victor Villaseñor has written about ten other equally wonderful books about Mexico and Mexican history.

4. A passport case in a bright color - Starting in January 2007, travelers to Mexico will need more than a drivers license. Now everyone needs a passport. In addition, all visitors to Mexico are issued a FMT visa, a travelers visa, that is good for 30-180 days. The number of days is written on the visa when it is issued, and the traveler is given a receipt. A nice passport case will fit their passport, their airline or other tickets, their visa, money or travelers checks and anything else they should carry with them at all times. It is good to have your official papers all in one place, and a passport case in a bright color makes those documents easy to find when you need them. For a personal touch, insert into the case a list of emails, addresses and phone numbers of family members and friends to use in an emergency if they have one, or to make it easy for them to stay in touch while they are away.

5. A Virgen of Guadaloupe Tshirt - The Virgen of Guadaloupe is universally revered in Mexico. Which doesn't mean her image is somehow sanctified. It is everywhere, though it is never used in a commercial manner to sell anything. A tasteful tshirt or blouse with an image of the Virgen of Guadaloupe will help your traveler feel right at home in Mexico.

6. A digital camera - Mexico is the land of color and light and a photographer's paradise. A good portable digital camera makes photography easy and allows your traveler to store many photos without having to buy multiple roles of film. Buy them an extra Flash card and let them store twice as many photos. If you also supply them with a USB cable that allows them to download photos to a computer, they might even be able to upload photos from a convenient Internet cafe, which are everywhere in Mexico.

7. OFF Bug Spray or Avon's SkinSoSoft - Most of the tourist attractions in Mexico are in a tropical or semi-tropical climate and that means mosquitos. Mosquitos are impossible to avoid so help your traveler defend against them. A little bug spray in the morning before a trek to a Mayan ruin or lunch under a palapa at the beach will help make the experience so much more enjoyable.

8. An extra suitcase - Give your traveling friend a suitcase that folds up flat and can be packed easily away. A duffle bag of thin but sturdy material makes a good extra suitcase. The indigenous people of Mexico create some of the most beautiful handcrafts in the world, from pottery to weavings, beadwork, paintings, silver jewelry, blankets, baskets and things that are impossible to describe. A trip to Mexico inevitably includes some shopping, and many a visitor finds themselves buying a cheap suitcase to lug all those treasures home. Help your traveler be prepared with a suitcase that won't split or fall apart on the way home, but can be filled to the brim with the handmade treasures that they found on their trip.

9. A guidebook for Mexico - There are probably twenty or more different companies that write complete guidebooks to Mexico in English, and a host of others in other languages. While it is almost impossible for them to keep up to date these days, as Mexico is changing and growing so fast, they do allow a visitor to get a general idea about the cities and towns they are visiting, and maybe have a few good restaurant and hotel suggestions. Pick a guidebook that is appropriate to your traveler. If they are independently-minded, experienced at traveling and young at heart, give them Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. If they are more mature, interested in history and culture, give them the Eyewitness Guide to Mexico. Find out where in Mexico your traveler is going and give them a guide to that part of Mexico. Cancun and the Yucatan is a very different experience from Puerto Vallarta or Mexico City. There are travel guides that focus on just those parts of Mexico and provide more in-depth information that will be more helpful to your traveler. And for a personal touch, do a little bit of research yourself on the Internet, and give them a personal list of websites that you found just for them! They can take this list with them and use it at Internet cafes along the way on their trip.

10. A journal and a set of colored pens or pencils to record their experience. Mexico is a beautiful country filled with a passionate people. Many visitors to Mexico experience people and events that change their lives and change their ways of thinking. Encourage your traveler to be creative and to open their eyes and hearts to new experiences by giving them a way to record their thoughts during their trip.

With these gifts, your traveler will be well prepared to enjoy their trip to Mexico!