Our brief tour in Guatemala, arranged by Ale...

Guatemala | May 25 - May 29, 2024

Our brief tour in Guatemala, arranged by Alex of Old Town Outfitters in conjunction with KimKim, was outstanding . In four days we visited Tikal and Lake Atitlán and surrounding Villages of San Jose and Santiago. We learned about the history of the areas and people who lived or live there as well as the flora and fauna.

At Tikal, we saw ancient Mayan Temples and dwellings.and our guide shared history. We saw several spider monkeys and birds. Our guide was knowledgeable about plants and how Mayans used them. He named birds for us.

At Lake Atitlán. we had a wonderful guide and helper for our two-day stay. Vinicio. our guide. was totally bilingual in spanish and english so everything at restaurants and accommodations were seamless.
My husband and I are birders; so we had a birding tour with Pablo Chumil, a premier birder in Guatemala. We were delighted to learn new birds .
In the village of San Jose, we we had educational demonstrations on bee-keeping and honey production, weaving and natural dye-making, and chocolate-making. In Santiago, Pablo Chumil, who is Mayan, told us about the blending of the Mayan and Christan religions and took us to a shrine that honors both.

We had excellent drivers who were always on time and made safe transfers.

Our accommodations and meals were good. The Casa del Mundo, perched in a cilff above Lake Atitlán was lovely . Unbeatable view of the lake and three volcanoes !

All in all, a great trip.