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This trip is designed for those who want to explore Mexico, Guatemala and Belize’s natural beauty and discover why visitors are so passionate about this beautiful region. We travel in small, intimate groups (maximum of 13 passengers) and have the benefit of a professionally trained local guide who knows the best places in the national parks, national monuments and wilderness areas to respectfully observe wildlife, to enjoy fun, adventurous activities and appreciate the flavours of the local culture.
We travel to one of the most fascinating cities in Mexico, San Cristobel de Las Casas. One of Mexico’s colonial jewels. We visit the Indian villages and the colourful markets. From here we cross the border to Guatemala. Nothing can prepare you for the view of Late Atitlan nestled between active volcanoes in a deep valley. Moving on we visit the amazing markets of Chichicastenango and continue to Antigua. Antigua is one of the most beautiful colonial towns in Latin America and a couple of days here are a treat.
From here we swing into Honduras to visit the ruins of Copan then on to the majestic site of Tikal ruins in Guatemala. We move on into Belize where we go to an island called Caye Caulker for a laid back view of Creole Afro-Caribbean life.
We also visit Bacalar on the Caribbean coast. Here there is a huge underground system of waterways which come to the surface as Cenotes. Cenotes are a cave mouth often being the exit of a river system connected with hundreds of kilometres of caves. Here in Bacalar we have massive lagoons where the salt water mixes with fresh water. The colours are stunning and we take a boat trip to explore the area. Great care is taken to keep the water pure and only four stroke engines may be used here so as to not pollute.
We are pleased to be able to say that we use almost exclusively small locally owned accommodation facilities, guides and restaurants on route. We use small local companies in all areas and make sure that the money our clients spend goes back into the local community and not into the overseas bank accounts of the large organizations. We minimize waste on tour and make our clients aware of the fragility of the delicate eco-systems that we visit. Our tours promote a leave no trace no impact camping practice being very careful to leave everything in its natural state upon our departure.
We will overnight in state/national/private owned campgrounds or in locally owned 2-3 star hotels and lodges. When camping, our group is self sufficient as we provide camping gear and portable kitchen. When lodging, we eat our meals in locally owned restaurants. Throughout the trip we utilize established local suppliers for activities en route that help support local business and keep money in the community. We have over 37 years of experience operating small-group adventure tours that foster understanding, appreciation and conservation of the cultures and environments we visit. We are committed to working with our clients and the peoples of our host destinations to ensure direct economic benefits at a community level. We aim to operate beyond best practice guidelines and to provide a tour programme that creates a positive impact on the lands that we visit and a lasting impression for those who travel with us.
The tour is led by one of our fully trained local guides. Prior to leading our groups, guides must successfully complete an in-house pre-season intensive training programme. During this time we support the guides with accommodation, activities and supplemental salary.
We utilize private vehicle and local suppliers for accommodation and activities throughout to ensure the economic benefit stays in the local community. This includes working with local operators and lodging in locally owned hotels/lodges whenever possible. When lodging, we endeavour to eat our meals in locally owned, family run restaurants which support local businesses, as well as allows passengers to experience local flavour and mix with local people when appropriate.
On this tour, we include visits and entry admission to all national parks and monuments listed in the itinerary. Fees support park upkeep and conservation projects, and we encourage our clients to visit the visitor centers for additional information about the region.
Our published traveller’s code of conduct is further promoted by our leaders throughout the tour, and particularly in the first night’s orientation talk. Our RT policy or traveller’s code of conduct is made available to all travellers prior to departure. This includes policies on the following:
- Established policy to support recycling (and to educate our clients on recycling) on all of our tours in North/Central/South America. We aim to utilize properties that recycle glass and plastics. When this service is not available, we will pack and store recycling in our own containers and drive them to a suitable facility.
- Leave No Trace is a national and international campaign designed to assist outdoor enthusiasts about how to reduce their impacts when enjoying the outdoors. Because this trip spends much time exploring the National Parks and "wilderness" areas, familiarizing clients with the "Leave No Trace" ethic will help minimize the impact on the natural environment.
We partner with Climate Care to encourage clients to off-set domestic/international flights. We are committed to off-set vehicles’ emissions and as such, we match client contributions up to £5000 per year. 100% of our UK corporate headquarters’ power is green (renewable). We contribute to local charities and projects such as “Tourism Cares for America” (of which we are a founding member), “Friends of Big Bend” and the “Mojave Desert Land Trust”- organizations dedicated to improving and/or expanding national parks.
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