Guatemala and Belize Trip

I have 2 trips coming up in the next year. As I already posted about, Sarah and I will be returning to India next summer to work with SCH. This is still a while away so we haven't even begun to plan details yet, although most definitely when we do I will be writing a lot about it! Chris and I are also going to go backpacking in Central American this December. I am not going to be bringing my laptop or blogging, but I do want to write a few posts about it. As we are trying to research now, other travel blogs have been some of my most valuable resources. So, below is our itinerary so far (likely will change, as it has a million times already) and a few highlights of things we will be doing. I have been emailing a ton of friends who have been to Guatemala asking advice, so typing it up in one post will make it easier so I can direct them to the post. If you have any tips of advice or changes you would make, please let me know!

1. Dec26: Arrive in Guatemala City, bus directly to Antigua (45 mins from Guatemala City)- find Antigua hotel in advance (any recommendations?)
2. Dec 27: Antigua – relax, explore, see city sights-Casa Santo Domingo, San Francisco Church, Arco de Santa Catalina, el Mercado
3. Dec 28: Antigua – cooking class at El Frijol Feliz 8:30am - 11:30
4. Dec 29: Trek Pacaya volcano
5. Dec 30: Leave Antigua in the morning, drive to Panajachel- bus from Antigua to Pana is about $12. Spend day exploring Pana, Lake Atitlan, and relaxing. Stay in homestay in Pana
6. Dec 31: Panajachel- celebrate New Year’s!
7. Jan 1: Panajachel. Leave back for Antigua either tonight or early tmrw morning
8. Jan 2: Take a bus to Coban from Antigua (one hour from Lanquin which is the gateway to Semuc). Even better if we can get to Lanquin
9. Jan 3: Semuc Champey for the day, drive to Flores, arrive in Flores at night
10. Jan 4: Day trip to Tikal- Admission Q150, open 6am – 6pm. They recommend arriving early around 6am.
11. Jan 5: Flores
12. Jan 6: From Flores we can get a Linea Dorada express bus to Belize City. The bus will drop you at the water taxi terminal where we can get a water taxi to Caye Caulker
13. Jan 7: Belize, Caye Caulker
14. Jan 8: Caye Caulker
15. Jan 9: Caye Caulker
16. Jan 10: Depart from Belize City, back to Toronto

We are going to do a 3-point flight. Right now at Expedia it has dropped down to $872. We are going to watch it a bit longer before booking. Ideally won't be spending more than $900 on flights, and $1500-$1700 total.

A few highlights for me...

We are already booked to do a cooking class at El Frijol Feliz. This is something we wanted to do in Thailand but never had enough time. During the class we learn 1 main course, 2 secondary dishes, and a dessert for $45 per person. We are choosing to cook tamales, traditional Guatemalan rice, tortitas de papa, and mole de platanos. On the website, under the Menu tab, you can read a description of what each dish is.

Pacaya is one of Guatemala's three active volcanoes. The most recent eruption was May 2010. Lots of tour companies offer treks for about $10. Roasting a marshmellow over the lava is on the to do list!

Lake Atitlan is said to be one of the most beautiful in the world.

We are trying to figure out how to get to Semuc Champey. It's a bit off the beaten track, but we found a hotel right near there (El Retiro) that does pick ups from Antigua. Haven't heard back from them yet, but hoping this works out. According to wikipedia, "Semuc Champey is a natural monument in the department of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, near the Q'eqchi' Maya town of Lanquín. It consists of a natural 300 m limestone bridge, under which passes the Cahabòn River. Atop the bridge is a series of stepped, turquoise pools, a popular swimming attraction. Although it can be difficult to get to, Semuc is becoming more and more popular with travelers." Isn't it stunning?



Of course we won't miss Tikal: Tikal (or Tik’al according to the modern Mayan orthography) is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now northern Guatemala. Situated in the department of El Petén, the site is part of Guatemala's Tikal National Park and in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. HERE is a good travel blog about Tikal. Below is a good video... it makes me want to consider staying in El Remate instead of Flores... will have to look into that...


And then we will be finishing up our trip in Belize, headed to Caye Caulker, a small limestone coral island off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea measuring about 5 miles (8.0 km) (north to south) by less than 1 mile.


So that is our plan so far! We did a similar kind of itinerary for Thailand... may not end up following it when we get there, but it will help make sure we can do everything we want to do if we choose to follow it. Any changes, tips, suggestions?