Mexico, Guatamala & Belize

28th February - 20th March 2016

Introduction

Here are some comments from our 2016 trip. In general all the hotels were lovely, small, boutiquey (as asked for and booked) and with wonderful service, comfort and cleanliness. And on the whole reasonable prices for food and drinks.  All our guides in all countries were excellent, knowledgeable, helpful and very much added to the holiday.  As well as the information about the sites, country and history etc. we found the talk about life, politics and living in modern Mexico (Guatemala and Belize) enlightening and most interesting.  And having the guides made all the border crossings very smooth.

 International Flights

Thomas Cook flight from Manchester to Cancun was on time and very comfortable (lots of leg room) both ways and went well. Extras have to be paid for, such as headphones, decent films and alcoholic drinks, but prices not exorbitant.

The meeting at Cancun airport went ok, but it was momentarily confusing to keep walking until outside the terminal building when we thankfully saw name held up. The process was all explained in the detailed schedule that we received from our guide, Angel, but of course it is too late by then, but it didn’t create a problem.

Chichen Itza – Hacienda Chichen Resort

The main feature of the Hacienda was its proximity to the archaeological site. This meant that we were amongst the first into the site in the morning and then later out through a back gate straight into the hotel grounds. All this before the bulk of the crowds arrived; the vendors had set up their stalls and the midday heat.  This was our first Mayan site, and it was amazing for us.  However I don’t know if there is any form of feedback (to tourism authorities) – but all the vendors on site add nothing to it and in many ways rather degrade and detract from it.  We found no other sites had vendors on them (and were the better for it); they were usually at the entrance.

Mérida – Casa Azul

Easy drive to Mérida so we had a leisurely start and were in Mérida by lunch time. Our guide, Angel, drove us round the city centre before taking us to our hotel, giving us a good idea of the geography of the city and the main points of interest. Then he left us for the afternoon and the following free day.

This we spent out at the new museum Mundo Maya and visiting the interesting museums and buildings in the middle of town. The whole Mundo Maya experience was slightly disappointing.  The Mayan exhibition was wonderful, good layout and well labelled and described but , the building didn’t quite work.  Looks great but no coffee bar, no book shop and the upper floors of the building were closed due to technical faults.  And public transport not sorted out yet!  and it’s a long way out of town.   We just felt they were missing some really good marketing opportunities and it has the potential to be wonderful!

Stayed at Casa Azul, which was lovely.  We were the only guests on the first night and it seemed strange eating on our own in the evening with our own full time waiter, but lovely meal. We went out to the Rose & Chocolate on night two and had a good meal in spite of power supply problems that had plunged the place into darkness when we arrived

Campeche

We called in at Uxmal and Kabah on our drive down to Campeche. Uxmal was staggering, beautiful and remains my (Pete’s) favourite of all the Mayan sites. Scared myself rigid by climbing the Great Temple and then having to reverse the process down its front face.

Stayed in Hacienda Uayamon, way out of town, in an old hacienda/sisal factory. It first looked a bit weird, damp and mouldy but after three days we were perfectly at home in our cottage in the jungle, our swimming pool in the ruins and totally relaxed.

On day one we had an early visit to Edzna, again beating the visitors and having the site to ourselves. Then we went back into the city of Campeche (UNESCO Word Heritage) and were given a personal walk round the old town and sat in the now pedestrianised main street for a light lunch. The next day we had on our own to explore local paths around the hotel and relax. Room service by the pool wonderful!

Palenque

This was a very long drive, the only point of interest in the flat landscape being to various state borders and learning from our guide a history of the country. Eventually we arrived at Hotel Quinta Cha Nab Nal and said goodbye to Angel who had been with us for nearly a week, and was an excellent guide.

This was a remarkable hotel, only 10 years old or so with a lovely swimming pool set in a recently planted garden. I was fascinated by the owner, Raphael, who was a mine of information on the Mayan Culture having written a reference book on the subject.  I suggested in our feedback to his hotel that he gave a weekly lecture on Mayan history before the evening meal and that he got his wonderful book translated into English – sadly, it’s only in German, French and Italian and it looked really good and informative.

We had a new guide, Miguel from San Cristobel, for this part on the tour. He was brilliant and gave us a fascinating tour of the Palenque archaeological site. This was our first experience of hot sticky rain forest but we quickly got used to it. The state of Chiapas was like a different country, feeling for the first time like Central America. Migrants walking through on their way to the USA, (until Trump builds his wall!

 

Petén – El Remates Area

The transfer to Guatemala was a very long but interesting day. A 6am start, breakfast on the road, and Miguel had us first into Bonampak. We were staggeringly the only people there (what a treat) when we walked across the site and climbed up to the frescos – this meant we could spend as long as we wanted looking at the frescoes. Then it was down to the river and, on the way getting our emigration done before we got into our boat to go downstream to Yaxchilan. Good planning by Miguel, as this meant we didn’t have to call back into Mexico on the way back. We shot straight through and over to the other bank to meet our Guatemalan driver, Nixon.

The first two hours of the drive to Flores was on a grit road and it was a relief to reach tarmac. We stayed at La Lancha, one of Coppola’s three hotels (other two are in Belize). Beautiful hotel but spoilt by a 14km entry grit road of pot holes and puddles which took 30 minutes to drive. It would have been OK as a one-off but doing it six times over the next three days was a pain. As they were not busy, we were upgraded to a new suite and were treated like royalty. We suddenly felt very comfortable with the friendly Guatemalans, a feeling that stayed with us throughout our stay in the country.  La Lancha lovely, only comment is the menu is slightly limited but not a real problem.

 

Orlando was a great guide and a keen birder so we spent as much time with our binoculars as with Mayan history during the two days at Tikal and Yaxha. The first difference here is that the Guatemalans have built wooden stairways up some of the major structures, so you can have safe and comfortable access to fabulous viewpoints over the jungle.

 

Antigua – Posada del Angel

Another early start and the morning flight to Guatemala City. TAG, the air company has its own hanger/terminal building so arrival was quick and personal. One point here to remember is about the supposed weigh limit. The 9-10kg had dominated our packing and travel plans. However there were people (Americans?) with huge cases and were not being questioned or charged and our driver told us that Viaventure (our local agents) put so much business their way that TAG would never complain about their clients’ luggage. So we could have taken more, but that was no bad thing to travel light.

 

Our ‘city break’ was as near perfect as it could be. Our guide, Jane, for the introductory walk is an English lady who fell in love with Antigua on her gap year travel many years ago, stayed, married an Antiguan and had three children. The hotel was a delightful, a cool haven just outside the city centre where the staff could not have done more for us, booking a volcano walk for me and looking after Jill when she got a stomach upset. The weekend we chose was a weekend of Easter processions, floats of the Easter story carried round the city accompanied by bands and huge crowds. Whether this was purely a lucky coincidence or was designed into our schedule, I shall probably never know but it was a privilege to share this weekend with the local people.

Chan Chich, Belize

Well what can you say about this place. A very very early pick up from our hotel, 4.30am to beat the traffic to the airport, a lovely flight with TAG. Mist at Flores airport (now called Maya Mundi) kept us in the air an extra ten minutes but Nixon was there once again to drive us across the country to the Belize border. Here we were handed over to Edgar, our Belize guide who took us to a small air strip near San Ignacio where Mark, of Javier Air flew us to Gallon Jug. We arrived so early that our cabin was not ready but we had lots of comfy chairs to dine and relax whilst everything was prepared.

We then had a most fabulous two days birding in the jungle with some spectacular sightings including a fork tailed flycatcher and a rare Yucata Poorwill Night Jar. Tarantulas on the night drive. Heaven.  And did Pete mention all beer (and soft drinks) at Chan Chich was free?!

It was sad when we came to leave. But a wonderful flight across the country to Belize City Airport and a superb Tropic Air flight up the coast to Cancun cheered us up.

 

Esencia Hotel - Mexico

The drive down the coast to Estancia was back to the flat lands.  The hotel was lovely, and a great beach setting but the highly priced drinks and meals reflected we were back on the mass tourist track, and had to watch it.  The only expensive “extras” place we stayed though throughout the holiday.

The tour to Tulum, with Roberto, the next morning did not disappoint. The situation of the ancient walled city was just superb. Again we got an early start to beat the crowds, and here they really do get crowds. Then it was back to the hotel, a quick shower and change, lunch overlooking the beach, late check out and back to Cancun airport for the flight home.

Our only complaint with Thomas Cook was that we could not do the on-line check-in from the Mexican end so we had to join the queue. Thomas Cook has now moved to Terminal 3, but our guides knew this so we were helped into the queue and soon were boarding. Spoke with the Thomas Cook representative at the airport who said on-line check-in was 48-36 hrs before the flight, not the usual 24hrs.  Have given this as feedback directly to Thomas Cook.

With the wind behind us we were landing in less than 9 hours. What a shock it was walking out of Manchester Airport into a winter morning!)

Local Agents

I was rung several times by Patricia of Journey Mexico to check on our progress. Very thorough with top class guides, drivers and transitions. Viaventure in Guatemala and Belize were again on the phone and all arrangements worked perfectly. Top rate service.

Summary

A superbly organised trip which met all our wishes of archaeology, cities and birding. And the timing of the Antigua interlude was inspired (or lucky).  Muchas gracias.