Here are some excellent shots from the Mayan Explorer trip. There are some really good ones from the jungle trek here, as well as pictures from around the country.
Cheers
Pictures of Guatemala
Here are some excellent shots from the Mayan Explorer trip. There are some really good ones from the jungle trek here, as well as pictures from around the country.
Cheers
Mayan Explorer
Wow your pictures are amazing! I have just booked this trip for next year and am very excited! Did you do any of the optional trips? Would you recommend any? And how hard was the jungle trek? :-)
Mayan Explorer and the Central American Adventure
Hello Sarah,
I was actually the guide on this trip last year. I worked up there for about a year. Its fantastic! The optional trips are quite good, or so the groups have all told me. An excellent one is going to the ruins of Yaxha and La Blanca and having a meal with a local family in the village of La Blanca. Thats on the day when you go from San Ignacio to Flores. I highly recomend it. Its got to be an all or nothing decision from the group however, as its way too difficult to arrange two separate transports.
Other options would be in San Ignacio, Belize. If your up for a bit more action, I totally recomend you to do Achtun Tunichil Muknal cave (ATM for short). You walk for about an hour into a huge cave system, getting up to chest deep in water, finally climbing up into a dry chamber where you see ancient Mayan pottery, and human sacrifices! Incredible trip.
If you want something a bit more relaxed, take a trip out to the ruins of Caracol. These are the biggest Mayan ruins in Belize and the main pyramid is incredible.
While on Caye Caulker, one of my favorite places on earth so far, make sure to get out and see the Meso American Reef, either on a snorkling trip, or go for a few dives if your a diver (the Blue hole trip is amazing!).
And finally, make sure you go up Pacaya volcano when you get to Antigua. Its a great day out, and you´ve never been that close to hot lava in your entire life!
About the jungle trek. Its a great trip. Its about 60km in total, over three days. The first day is on an old abandoned road that leads you into El Zots biosphere reserve. Its mostly flat, with a few rolling hills, nothing to worry about. The second day goes into really deep jungle, and while the hike that day is shorter, most people told me they thought it was slightly harder than the first. Still, its mostly flat, with some small hills to go over. The third day is the longest, about 26km, on a very narrow path through the Peten jungle. That was always my favorite day. We usually saw jaguar tracks that morning, as they use the path as a hunting trail! But no promises.
You´ll get to Tikal no worries! Yes people were pretty tired, but the feeling of acomplishment is great! You will see next to nobody on the trail for three days! Most of the time there was only our group. Occasionally there would be one or two other people, but that was very rare. The ruins of Tikal make for a great reward when you finally arrive as well. The guides will probably be some of the most memorable people you meet in Guatemala. Cristobal 1, 2, and 3. Yes, they do actually have names, but they simply go by this. Hillarious, and they know EVERYTHING about the jungle.
I hope you have a great trip!
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Jonathan