Our itinerary allowed us a few days in the junlge, but in retrospect I wish we had a few more. There is so much to see and do! Tim and I didn't feel up to a 12 hour day to visit Tikal in Guatemala so I has scheduled us for a much shorter excursion to the ruins at Xunantunich. Located just 30 minutes from our lodge, Ka'ana, we figured we would explore the ruins in the morning and still have plenty of time to catch some rays by the pool in the afternoon.
We planned to meet our guide at 8am but around 6 our phone was ringing letting us know that the river was flooded and we would not be able to visit the ruins. After a little discussion our guide recommended the ruins at Cahal Pech. Located just above the town of San Ignacio the drive would only take 15 minutes and there was still plenty to see here
Though not as large as the ruins of Xunantunich, Cahal Pech offers a variety of structures to explore including terraced temples, sleeping quarters and a ball court. More interestingly, there have been numerous artifacts found at this site as opposed to Xunantunich. Most enjoyable was the absolute lack of people. We saw two of three other small groups but since this isn't one of the hot spots to tour the crowds are virtually non existent.
For someone like me who is interested in ruins but by no means an aficianado this was the perfect tour. A few good pictures, some interesting history but not a crazy long day. Plus,we ate termites - Tim actually asked for seconds!
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.