Mayan Explorer

Mayan Explorer flights

Hi Sarah

Thanks for posting on the forums! This is a great choice of tour, but maybe I am biased as I did this tour 2 years ago and thought it was fantastic.

Have you looked at getting an open-jaw flight which goes into Cancun and out of Guatemala City (the closest airport to Antigua)? I seem to remember we got a reasonable deal.

If you contact our sales team either by email on online@imtrav.net, or by phone on 01473 667337 we will be able to give you a competitive flight quote to fit in with your tour.

Alternatively if anyone else out there has suggestions for Sarah please write in!

If you have any questions about this tour please don't hesitate to contact me.

Best Wishes,
Kelly

Mayan Explorer flights

Thanks Kelly,

After 2 days of solid flight researching I have found a reasonable one... a return to Miami with Virgin, then single flights with Taca - Miami to Cancun and Guatemala City to Miami. Not as straight forward as the open-jaw flight you suggested, but about £300 cheaper.

I'm so excited! What was the best bit of the tour? And please let me know what the jungle trek was like... I am going to have to get walking and get fit as it is a 'moderate' trek!!

Thanks for your help :-)

Mayan Explorer Jungle Trek

Hi Sarah

I'm so glad to hear you have found some flights and booked - great stuff! Well done on getting such a good deal as well; it's a minefield isn't it.

Well, I have to say that for me the jungle trek was one of the highlights of the tour. It will help if you are reasonably fit but you don't need to be superwoman. At the time I did the tour I was known to do the occasional aerobics class and gym visit, and I regularly went on bike rides and long walks. I found the trek was just the right level for me and I was most definitely tired on the last day, when you walk for about 7 hours.

Basically the fitter you are the more you will enjoy the trek, and you will spend less time thinking about your feet or being tired, and more time enjoying the jungle and the scenery.

Accommodation is in hammocks which the trekking crew will rig up for you each night - they are under shelter and have their own individual mosquito nets. You don't need a sleeping bag as blankets are provided. If you want you can take a sleeping sheet, but quite frankly I found it hard to wriggle into it once in the hammock so didn't bother with it in the end.

You will see plenty of wildlife if you are lucky. We saw bats, spider monkeys, heard howler monkeys, and also saw hummingbirds and lots of fantastic huge insects. You have a local guide who will take you on a nature walk on one morning of the trek. We saw a tarantula on this walk, which some of us were very excited about... some not so!

The first 2 days of the trek you have horses with you which can carry your day packs (but you then don't have access to them easily) and someone can ride if ill or tired. The horses also carry the hammock gear, food and water. On the third day they go back the way they came as it is too narrow for them on the trails, and the group walks the last part without them as you only need enough food and water for that day's walking, and you then stay just outside Tikal.

Any questions about the trek just let me know.

Other highlights were...

Caye Caulker - the most chilled out place, and loads of great excursions are possible.

Caving at Achtun Tunichil Muknal (near San Ignacio) - seeing Mayan remains that close up was amazing.

Antigua - we did a climb up Pacaya volcano and saw lava! The town of Antigua is also a great place to spend some time wandering around.

Hope this helps!
Best Wishes
Kelly