Central American Trails Trip Notes

Trip code: GSCT
Trip valid from: 03/12/2006
Trip valid until: 05/02/2012
Trip length: 10 days
Trip starts in: Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Trip ends in: Antigua
Maximum group size: 16

Highlights

• UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mayan City Of Tikal
• 1200-year-old Cliff-top Ruins Of Tulum
• Burritos From A Street Vendor
• UNESCO World Heritage-listed Antigua Guatemala
• The Quetzal Of Guatemala - Your Currency And Spirit Guide
• The Palm-fringed Island Of Caye Caulker
• Punta Dancing
• Flores On Lago Petén Itzá
• Belize's Waters

This concise tour of Central America showcases all that this amazing part of the world has to offer. From Mayan ruins deep in the jungle to a tropical island paradise; adventure to relaxation, this tour has it all! We begin in stunning Cancun, where white sandy beaches meet the clear blue Caribbean Sea. After some time to relax and gear up for the adventures ahead, we continue to Tulum, where Mayan ruins lie perched on a stunning cliff overlooking the Caribbean. Next is Caye Caulker, a magnificent island that is home to the world's second largest barrier reef. We have the opportunity to swim amongst the abundance of superb tropical fish and coral before heading to the picturesque town of Flores where we visit the Tikal Ruins. Set deep in the heart of the Guatemalan jungle, these magnificent ruins will truly be a memorable experience. Our tour ends in Antigua Guatemala, one of the oldest and most beautiful towns in all of the America’s.

Itinerary

Itinerary Variation

About The Imaginative Traveller

Our aim has always been to provide exceptional travel experiences. We believe that adventure travel should be stimulating, and that it should give you an authentic experience of a place. We want our travellers to relish the amazing diversity of countries and cultures the world has to offer. Our focus is on innovation, not imitation.

Obsessed with quality

One of our strengths has been our obsession with quality. We've always believed that our commitment to you doesn't end as soon as you've paid for your holiday. On the contrary, it is just beginning. Whilst most operators simply get a local company to handle the day to day operation of their tours, we do it all ourselves. We have managers for each of our key destinations around the world and all our small groups are escorted by our own leaders. Our local teams include guides, drivers, administration staff and contacts in the local community who help us ensure that our adventures are active and involving.

For comparability, all prices in this dossier are quoted in one currency. We use the US Dollar since that is familiar to most. However, once on tour you will need to pay for all goods and services in the local currency. See your Country Dossier for details of exchange rates.

Trip Grade

Culture
Whether you’re taking in man’s greatest works at places like Petra or Angkor Wat, experiencing grand set-pieces like the Trans-Mongolian Railway or trying your hand at regional specialities like tango in Buenos Aires, getting to grips with local cultures is what travel’s all about. A few tips from a guide and a sense of adventure are pretty much all you need. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get the lowdown on high Tibet among Lhasa’s magisterial temples; follow up Delhi’s eye-popping bustle with a fix of its fiery food; and mix manic markets and Incan masterpieces in Peru.

Included

• Gecko's expert English-speaking regional leader throughout the tour, and local site guides at some sites.

• Orientation walking tour in Caye Caulker, Flores and Antigua.

• Sightseeing (including entrance fees and local site guides): pre-Columbian walled city ruins of Tulum and ancient city of Tikal.

• Return speedboat ride from Belize City to the palm-fringed island of Caye Caulker.

• Guided walk to the summit of one of the volcanoes near Antigua.

• Free time to relax on the beaches of Cancun and Caye Caulker.

Not included

International flights, arrival and departure transfers, departure and airport taxes, visas, meals, all optional tours or activities during free time, entrance fees, transfers outside of the tour program, travel insurance, tips and items of a personal nature.

Accommodation

1 night Overnight bus,8 nights Budget/tourist class hotels

Single room supplement

Transport

Boat,Local bus,Overnight bus,Taxi

Optional excursions

*prices below are guide only

• - US$15

• - US$10

• - US$60

• - US$30

• - US$15

Responsible Travel - Travellers' Guidelines

At Imaginative Traveller we love helping our clients experience the beauty and cultures of the destinations we visit. However, hand in hand with this we have always been aware that we have a responsibility to minimise any negative impacts that tourism can bring.

Responsible Travel is twofold. It’s about taking people to the places they want to go in a safe and responsible manner but also about respecting and maintaining the natural and often delicate balance of the destination. Economic gain from tourism is often fundamental to a country, but should never be at the expense of its culture or the environment.

Our Aims

• It is our aim to provide journeys that have minimal negative and maximum positive impact on the places we visit.
• We do not believe that, as visitors, we should impose our own cultures on others; rather that we should experience foreign cultures and appreciate them for what they are.
• Whilst it is our aim to show destinations and cultures in a positive light, we do not believe in papering over the cracks or shielding visitors from the realities of life. This does not mean, however, that we condone or endorse certain situations or regimes that may be in place.
  Our guidelines are meant not as rigid instructions but rather as suggestions to make our holidays more enjoyable – for everybody. As cultural and environmental sensitivities vary from country to country more specific guidelines can be found in our individual country and trip dossiers.

Travellers' Guidelines

Before you depart try to spend some time familiarising yourself with the destination you will be travelling to – their culture and customs. The country dossiers on our website offer detailed information about all the regions we visit. They also include some useful phrases in the local language for you to use on your trip! A few words of the local language can open up many more opportunities for you to interact with the people you will meet.

Although it is tempting to give out pens, sweets and money to people begging, and particularly tempting to give to children, we feel that this encourages a begging mentality and has a long-term negative impact on communities. If someone begging earns more than someone in the same community who works this can discourage local employment. If children regularly bring home money it may discourage their parents from sending them to school. It is of course your own personal choice but you could consider giving to registered charities or contributing to our Responsible Travel fund instead. Money donated through our fund to our worldwide projects is matched pound for pound by Imaginative Traveller and used to help local grassroots projects.

Always ask permission to photograph local people and respect their decision if they would prefer not to have their picture taken.

Respect local dress codes, especially at religious sites. Our tour leaders are always on hand to give you advice about this.

In many of the countries we visit you might see examples of animal cruelty (for example dancing bears, performing monkeys and snake charmers). Please do not take photographs of this or offer money as it encourages the activity.

Respect the environment you are in. It sounds obvious but do not throw litter, take it with you or use rubbish bins! You may see locals throwing rubbish on the street but do not follow their example!

When shopping in countries where haggling is the norm – enjoy it and only pay what you feel is a fair price for the goods you are purchasing. However, remember that the shopkeeper does have to make a living so do stop once you have reached a price you are happy with. Bargaining should be fun but always remember that a small amount can mean much more to the vendor than to you.

Endeavor to take home souvenirs made locally; the money you spend can be very important to the local communities. However, do use your common sense and don’t buy anything that you think might be made out of endangered animals or plants.

To help keep as much money as possible in the host country - try to eat in locally owned restaurants and order local drinks and produce rather than international brands.

In hotels do be conscious of how much water you are using. Many of the areas we visit regularly have shortages; try not to have hour long showers! Don’t leave lights, air conditioners or fans on when you leave the room – you wouldn’t at home!

Respect the environment you are in, especially when in national parks or reserves. Pay attention to rules about keeping on paths, keeping a distance from animals and not removing any of the natural habitat.

Relax and immerse yourself in the differences of the culture you are in – you’ll be back home in the familiar soon enough (and wishing you were still on holiday!). These cultural differences are part of what makes your experience special.

If you would like to offset the carbon dioxide that will be produced on your flights you can do this on our website (on our Responsible travel page). We work with climatecare, who will reduce the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide that you produce in another part of the World through their emission reduction projects. These projects are low carbon efficient technologies in developing countries and not only serve to reduce emissions but also help to spread the adoption of low carbon technologies and improve the quality of life for local communities. Details of climatecare’s projects can be found on their website.

If you would like to contribute to our Worldwide projects, helping communities all over the World, you can also do this on our website or with a sales consultant. Please refer to our responsible travel page on the website for details of our current projects. Any donation you make will be matched £ for £ by Imaginative Traveller (up to a maximum of £1000).

Have a great trip!

Please do let us know if you have any comments about responsible travel at rto@imtrav.net

Last updated: 16/02/2012