Central America holiday, Iguana tour
| country: | Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico |
| departures: | 2008: 9 Aug, 11 Oct, 13 Dec |
| price: | From £450 (14 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $350 |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
The perfect tour to give you a fascinating insight into four very diverse countries. This tour is designed to show Mexico and some of Central America's premier attractions to people with time to explore the region in depth.
We include many of the most popular excursions such as the main ruins of interest in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and the jungle of Belize as well as a visit to the beautiful Sumidero Canyon, the Caribbean and Pacific Coasts and a variety of old colonial towns. Our Discovery Tours are designed for the young at heart and physically fit. The philosophy is to have a high degree of interaction with the local people with the added security and flexibility that travelling by private vehicle provides while staying in hotels.
Discovery Tours are for those who want a budget priced tour but with a high quality of service and comfort, unlike most budget type tours. On these tours we stay in small secure centrally located tourist class hotels throughout
We include many of the most popular excursions such as the main ruins of interest in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and the jungle of Belize as well as a visit to the beautiful Sumidero Canyon, the Caribbean and Pacific Coasts and a variety of old colonial towns. Our Discovery Tours are designed for the young at heart and physically fit. The philosophy is to have a high degree of interaction with the local people with the added security and flexibility that travelling by private vehicle provides while staying in hotels.
Discovery Tours are for those who want a budget priced tour but with a high quality of service and comfort, unlike most budget type tours. On these tours we stay in small secure centrally located tourist class hotels throughout
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Cancun. Cancun, which until 1970 was just a fishing village but due to its beautiful beaches and turquoise waters, it now attracts over 2 million visitors a year. What a place to start a tour. |
| Day 2-5: | Tulum – Bacalar - Belize City - Caye Caulker.A short drive to the picturesque Maya site of Tulum, situated on the cliff-top overlooking the Caribbean Sea, it dates back to the 12th, century. The temples were dedicated to the setting sun or "falling God" as the Mayas believed. We move on to spend the night at Bacalar. Departing Mexico, our journey takes us into Belize, formally British Honduras. After arriving in Belize City we travel by speedboat to Caye Caulker. We spend time on this laid-back island with options of snorkelling, one is out to Shark and Ray Alley, where the guides tell you not to put your fingers in the sharks' mouths; as if you would!! Another excellent stop is made at Hol-Chan Marine Reserve. Qualified divers can explore the Blue Hole made famous by Jacques Cousteau. For those not so adventurous people, a popular pastime is to lounge on one of the many beautiful beaches and the evenings can be spent eating seafood listening to reggae music. |
| Day 6-8: | San Ignacio – Tikal - Flores. We rejoin our Discovery vehicle to drive to San Ignacio deep into the heart of the Belize jungle. Also known as "Cayo" it is an agricultural centre with many citrus and peanut farms. Here there is the option to travel by canoe down the Macal River deep into the rainforest with our local guide pointing out and giving details about the bird life, iguanas and sleeping bats. Across into Guatemala, the most colourful country in Central America, our first night is spent on the tranquil island town of Flores, on Lake Peten Itzá. This is our base for exploring the remarkable jungle Maya site of Tikal, regarded as the greatest city of the Maya World. At its zenith the city stretched for nearly 100 kilometres with the highest Maya temple ever found, at 70 metres. The emphasis was on height when building these imposing structures as the Maya believed the higher they were, the closer they were to the Gods. In addition, Tikal has plenty of wildlife, such as: the sacred Howler Monkey, a variety of birds such as toucans and macaws, and if you're very lucky, you may even see a jaguar |
| Day 9-10: | Rio Dulce - Livingston.South through the Maya biosphere reserve, this sparsely populated area is the largest protected tropical forest area in Central America. At certain times sumptuous mangos can be bought from roadside vendors, along with other products farmed in the area are spices, timber and chiclé (tree sap used in the production of chewing gum), with many going for export. Upon arrival in Rio Dulce we stay in cabins on the river bank and we take a day trip by boat to the Caribbean coast through beautiful scenery to Livingston. Inhabited by the Garifuna people, this lively town has a real Caribbean atmosphere different to the rest of Guatemala and is a great place to eat lobster and listen to reggae |
| Day 11-13: | Copan - Antigua.By boat across to Puerto Barrios we re-join our vehicle for a brief visit to Honduras, destined for attractive Copan Ruinas. Close to the village is the least visited of the ancient Maya sites where new discoveries are still being made and has some of the best examples of Maya art. It has intricately carved stelaes (statues) depicting the 16 rulers of this once magnificent city, the wonderful staircase, ball courts and huge main plaza. Back into Guatemala to Antigua, the former capital. One of the most striking towns in the Americas, it has a colourful Indian population wearing typical costumes. This is the cultural centre of Guatemala and an ideal place to experience the traditional music and art of the country. This awe-inspiring colonial town deserves time to explore, as it is abounding wit ornate churches, parks, plazas and plenty of colourful street markets. The city is surrounded by three enormous volcanoes, which can be climbed by the more energetic. There are also many excellent restaurants and bars to choose from where typical live music can be heard |
| Day 14: | Depart Antigua |
travellers' tales
The highlight was walking through the rainforest to the Mayan ruins in Tikal, Guatemala and seeing in the wild the animals we had previously seen at Belize zoo. Also Caye Caulker in Belize, a laid back and friendly place, great for relaxing. (more)
small group adventure holiday
Whether you are travelling alone or with friends/family its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
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Tulum, Tikal and Copan ruins, Caye Caulker and Livingstone are just some of the excursion destinations clients can expect to be treated to on this great tour. Utilising local transport clients make their way south from Cancun, experiencing a variety of cultures, sites and people along the way. In the initial days of your tour, you will visit the island of Caye Caulker. Here clients will experience the relaxed atmosphere of the island through activities such as walking the sandy streets, scuba diving or just relaxing on the beach.
There are no cars on Caye Caulker which contributes to the low environmental impact on this area. This is one of the reasons we take clients to this island, and why our tour leaders are highly particular about advising clients of how to maintain its pristine condition. We tour this island as it is so environmentally and economically sound. Through supporting such a modest infrastructure, we omit the pressure to develop the island in a more industrial fashion. Thus maintaining the astounding wealth that is this environment. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |