Kimkim Trip Reviews for Guatemala

This trip was extremely well-planned by Columbus Travel in Antigua. Catherina and her team worked hard to understand exactly what our goals were and why we were coming to Guatemala. We had very specific requests and they listened intently to us, making sure we would have the experiences we were seeking. Many of the villages we visited had few to no tourists, and we really were able to see up close and personal the way the Maya K'iche' and Ixil people live their daily lives. We had many, many conversations one-on-one and were able to ask and answer questions, take photos, and dive deeper into the culture than any other type of travel could have provided for us. There were, of course, changes in schedule and plans due to unexpected opportunities or weather shifts, but Columbus Travel was always there to accommodate our needs and make it work for us on the spot. The guides and drivers were always in communication with Catherina and she with them, making managing the trip very smooth for us. The second part of our trip was the fun, more touristy, part, but even during that part, Catherina made sure we kept our cultural focus and were always met and guided by Mayans and visited Mayan sites. It was a true pleasure to work with such travel professionals who were also quite personal with us and got to know us well. I highly recommend this organization and this mode of travel planning. Kim Kim is lucky to partner with Columbus Travel!
GUIDES
Our primary driver and guide for the first half of the trip was Luis Medina. He was absolutely the best choice for our trip! He was informed, open, helpful, patient, and fun to be with. We had many speed bumps (literal and figurative) along the way and his mild temperament always came shining through. On many occasions, he saw opportunities for us to have unique experiences and he always moved forward to make them happen for us. The success of our trip was largely due to his on the spot, professional trip management skills.
Our K'iche' guide, Carlos Chaclan, also provided us with a homestay in Totonicapan and was a gracious host. We so enjoyed spending time with him and his family. They were all so sweet and relaxed with us and made us feel at home. On the road, Carlos never failed to connect us with our mission - to get to know the Maya K'iche' of Guatemala. He helped us engage with them; he taught me useful phrases so that I could begin speaking directly with them; he made suggestions about what we might want to do and experience that was authentic; and he was informative in providing history and meaning when we asked him about specific places and historical markers along our route.

In reviewing my travels in Guatemala, I want to give the following backdrop.... Solo male traveler, age 71, 1st timer in Guatemala with only a little command of the language. Despite these limitations I left Guatemala having an appreciation of the culture and the peoples in various locations. From Mayan ruins both popular and off the beaten path, the hustle and bustle of cosmopolitan Guatemala City, a River Dulce experience that was mind blowing to even a hot springs experience in two different locations... to a cultural festival that was an explosion of dancing/music and food the care and attention to detail by my in country coordinator Chris was amazing. I always felt he had my back and whenever I reached out (multiple times) he responded and always made me feel safe!
The lodging was a really great mix of up-scale eco camps, to high end hotel rooms to a boutique hotel in Flores right in the heart of the festival. I give each place the highest of ratings!!!
My guides ranged from good to outstanding. Oliver my guide to Tikal changed his whole approach when he heard birding was my passion. I saw 21 taxa in addition to exploring the ruins. Capitan Otilio Morales my guide on the Rio Dulce to Livingston changed his tour and put me on some bird nesting spots that only a seasoned captain could find.
Other guides were ok but my lack of knowing the language was a negative and took away from the experience, but hey that's on me!
The people made the experience and I certainly met many native Guatemalans and have a little understanding of their lives and the struggles they face. One funny experience was getting of the small boat in Livingstone and the ladies were braidng hair extensions and could not believe my braids were real hair and all wanted to rebraid with beads very funny.
Also was able to see 4 churches and attend mass and receive communion in Flores very very special! Also was able to light a candle and place by the statue of Nuestra Senora in Guatemala City in the Cathedral.
Have some real good pictures and could expand but am out of time for now.
Great job to all and a humble thanks to Chris!!!!!

Really good trip. Chris did an excellent job organizing

Hotel Reviews

Ramon's Village Resort

San Pedro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Try greeting guests

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mayan Princess Beach & Dive Resort

Roatan

Very good staff. Poor facilities

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Falling Leaves Lodge

San Ignacio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Encantada

Antiigua

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Hike to Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) caves day tour

San Ignacio

Wow, amazing, awesome

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hol Chan/Shark Ray Alley - from Ramon's Village

Guatemala

It was okay

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband & I had a great experience vacationing in Guatemala. First of all Chris was amazing with his prompt responses, excellent logistical planning & flawless execution. He did not miss a single detail & made our lives easier with reminders of important details. Chris was also extremely flexible with the plan & modified some of the original ideas to incorporate new stops in the trip. Our guides were also excellent & extremely knowledgeable. Willy traveled with us for 3 days & was super helpful. Highly recommend him. Other guides at the different locations were also great! All in all, a very memorable experience.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Antigua

Antigua

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isla de Flores

Ciudad Flores Petén-Flores

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tour the famous Chichicastenango Market

Guatemala

Day Hike to Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Tikal National Park

San Ignacio

Quality of Experience

Local Foodie Tour

Antigua

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Hiking Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Christa was great, along with all the other assisting guides that showed up throughout the day! Exceeded expectations!

Matt and his team did a fantastic job organizing our entire trip to Guatemala and Belize spanning four weeks. They took perfect care of every single transportation need from the time we landed in Guatemala City to the time we took off from Belize City. All the vehicles, transportation logistics and the drivers they provided were excellent, not a single glitch anywhere. Every activity that we planned was executed perfectly. All arrangements for each of the tours and activities were done perfectly, with excellent guides who were very friendly and knowledgeable. Due to various situations, we had to change plans and re-arrange activities and all these changes were handled by Matt's team with great patience and efficiency. Matt assigned one of his office managers, Liceth, to handle our entire trip. Liceth is an absolute gem of a person who organized everything and made everything work like clockwork. She responded to every query and request literally 24x7 and made the entire trip perfect. Every single one of the drivers and guides provided were extremely friendly and efficient, they went out of their way to make us feel welcome and make our trip enjoyable. Matt and his entire team are the best resources we could possibly have found to help us with our trip. Absolutely a delight to work with this team and would highly recommend them. Will definitely use this team again if the opportunity arises.

Hotel Review

Acatenango Campsite

The guide for this trip, Joseus, is an absolutely wonderful person, who took care of everything including food and hike guidance. The campsite is well organized and Matt's team has everything well setup for the overnight Acatenango hike.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hike Acatenango Volcano & Camp Overnight

Guatemala

Our guide, Joseus, is an absolutely wonderful person. Throughout the hike, he was not only a guide, but our chef and friend, he took care of us like family. Joseus and the Old Towne Outfitters team took care of all arrangements for the overnight camping trip and made it a seamless and unforgettable experience.

Quality of Experience

Joseus and his guidance and organizational skills

Food

Joseus made sure we were well fed at the right times, including taking care of our specific dietary restrictions

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The patience and skill with which Joseus made all the arrangements

Transport

Guatemala City Tour

Guatemala

Our guide, Esmeralda, is truly a wonderful person. She picked the right places for us to visit given our time constraints, and did a fantastic job of guiding us through the most interesting aspects of each place she chose. She was a true friend on this tour, we had a great time and we truly enjoyed her company.

Quality of Experience

The expertise, friendliness and professionalism of Esmeralda

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The patience and friendliness of our guide, Esmeralda and our driver, Antony

Transport

Antony did a very skillful job navigating us through the city safely.

Visit the Iximché Maya Ruins

Guatemala

Our guide Melvin gave us a great tour of Iximché, he knows every detail about the site, explained everything to us in detail, we learnt a lot about Mayan history and culture from him. Can't thank Melvin enough for the time he spent with us.

Quality of Experience

The pace at which Melvin conducted the tour and the details he pointed out

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver Manuel did a great job getting us to Iximché and on to Chichicastenango, very skillful and safe driving

Transport

Our driver Manuel did a great job getting us to Iximché and on to Chichicastenango, very skillful and safe driving. The vehicle provided by Old Towne Outfitters was perfect

Sunrise on Acatenango & Descent

Guatemala

Our guide, Joseus, is an absolutely wonderful person. He helped and guided us through this trip and made it a seamless and unforgettable experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Tikal National Park

Guatemala

Our driver Fernando and our guide Oliverio, were outstanding. Oliverio knew everything about the jungles of Tikal and the history, culture of the site. We learnt so much from him and he explained so many nuances of Tikal, the jungles, and the Mayan history and culture. It was an enlightening and memorable experience.

Quality of Experience

Fernando's drive from Flores to Tikal ad back, and Oliverio's friendly and patient guidance throughout the visit.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fernando is an absolutely wonderful navigator, patience, skilled and thorough.

Eduardo was highly attentive and truly expert in planning phase, resulting in a very smooth (not to mention interesting, exciting, and highly tailored to our preferences!) experience where even the tiniest of details was thought out. In advance. Throughout the trip he responded immediately to any query or request.

As a result, we had an absolutely phenomenal Guatemala-Belize trip!

If you’re travelling to Guatemala it is important to note that English is not common and not all guides speak it perfectly. As well, not all guides have extensive training in the history of the country etc. Make sure to talk to Eduardo about booking the most seasoned and best-English-speaking guides, and your trip will be superb!

We just came back from a 5-day/4-night adventure trip to Guatemala (Flores, Tikal, Yaxha) and Belize (activities in and around San Ignacio) organized by Catherina. We traveled as a family of 5 (including 3 kids with ages 7 to 14). The whole process of planning and then the trip itself went very smoothly . Our driver/guide in Belize was Rene and in Guatemala - our guide was Henry. Everyone was truly professional, very knowledgable and friendly the entire time - clearly professionals who know and love what they are doing. That allowed us (especially the parents) to just relax and enjoy the adventure trip and not worry about anything. A pleasant surprise was how easy it was to find food for our two kids with food allergies (egg, dairy, nuts), even in really rural places. It helped that we lucked out with the weather - a (really) rainy season was coming to the end - most days were overcast/cooler (70s) but no rain, which allowed us to cover a lot of ground on foot. Highly recommend this travel service, trip and time of the year for visit.

I had an exceptional experience with Columbus Guatemala Travel. Prior to this journey, my knowledge of Guatemala was quite limited, and Belize was completely off my radar. This is precisely why I love to travel: to explore new destinations, immerse myself in diverse cultures, and embrace novel experiences. The itinerary crafted by Columbus Guatemala Travel perfectly encapsulated the spirit of both Belize and Guatemala, offering me fresh insights into these fascinating countries. Their responsiveness impressed me, especially their use of a WhatsApp group to keep my travel information up-to-date and adapt to any changes swiftly. Meeting the team in Antigua was a delight; they were warm and welcoming. I wholeheartedly recommend embarking on a new adventure with Columbus Guatemala Travel.

Catherina and the gang were brilliant and we loved our trip to Guatemala. Thanks to all of you especially JJ for the 3 - 4days guiding, but all the guides were extremely knowledable.

There were a few hiccups but Catherina sorted it out very quickly. We were bound to have a few but overall it went very smoothly.

Would kave no trouble using them again of we went back in the futrue, would recommend.

Most of our trip was absolutely amazing, Francisco was an amazing guide who took us on a bike tour of Antigua and Pacaya Volcano (I do not recommended doing the bike tour unless you are an experienced biker). Francisco even sought out last minute accommodations when we had an unexpected emergency.

Lake Atitlan was also an amazing experience at Isla Verde with our guide Sebastian. It was a beautiful place, and many travellers told us that they visit once a year.

Things did get a little rocky when we left Lake Atitlan, we left at the time arranged by Matt with our driver, but we missed our flight to Flores. Matt tried to make us pay for a hotel in Guatemala City as well as pay for a new plane ticket, even though each step of the trip had been planned by him and missing the flight wasn't our fault.

Once we did get to Flores, we explored Tikal which was definitely worth the flight and long car ride into the park.

My only other complaint was that some of the meals that we pre-paid for with the tour, we ended up having to pay for twice which was a pretty frustrating.

We had a wonderful trip seeing everything we could have possibly hoped to experience in Antigua and Lake Atitlan. Our accommodations were perfect and Esteban was the best guide we could have ever asked for. He was professional, always prompt, and adjusted the itinerary to our needs. We feel as though we learned more about the culture and experienced so much more than we could if we attempted to do this trip on our own. And, the car was comfortable and air conditioned, which is a huge bonus! Esteban taught us so many things and we will be eternally grateful for both Caty and Esteban for so many beautiful memories. We travel often to over 30 countries and highly recommend this tour.

The trip was amazing. Matt help set us up with great tour guides, they definitely helped make the trip much more enjoyable with their knowledge of the history in Gautemala. Highly recommend Wily from old town outfitters was great! I would say we traveled with comfort and we should have opted for luxury since we did spend 8 days there. Some hotel locations were a bit suspicious . I recommend the hike to Pacaya, the tours to lake atitlan and Tikal. I personally wouldn’t recommend the bike tour unless you are an avid biker! The kayaking portion is a bit tough but manageable with a partner. In all it was a great experience.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Casa Blanca Inn

Guatemala City

Poor maintenance and plumbing. The workers weren’t very welcoming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Isla Verde

Santa Cruz la Laguna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jungle Lodge Tikal

Peten

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel San Jorge

Antigua

Great staff and front desk. Just no fan ventilation

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Valley Ride - Bicycle Tour of Antigua's Villages, Farms, and Ruins

Antigua

It was fun but it’s definitely something where you need to be an avid bike rider. You’re going through Main Streets and a lot of uphills to reach destinations

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Hike to Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala

Great hike, very beautiful hikes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour of Lake Atitlán Villages

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Hiking Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Tikal National Park

San Ignacio

I absolutely loved this experience. We went early morning at 7 to avid heavy tourism. The animals tend to get frightened by crowds of people

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was my first trip to Central America. I really didn’t know what to expect. I heard mixed things from people regarding safety, etc. Catherina generated a fantastic itinerary and Esteban was the perfect guide. The trip was so smooth and enjoyable. We witnessed such amazing beauty both in the natural sights of Guatemala as well as the people. The food was fantastic. The cost was perfect for the trip. We stayed in really nice places and felt safe and well-connected the entire time. No hiccups and everyone was flexible to allow us to do what we wanted to do. When I go again, I will definitely look for these guys. Thank you Kim Kim.

Hotel Review

Homestay in Chichicastenanago, Casa Diego Ignacio, EN.

Chichicastenango

Not exactly 5 star accommodations, but the hospitality was first class.

Authenticity & Character

Just that

Location

Not in the heart of the city. Not too far either.

Staff

Genuine and warm.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Simple but comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Visit Chichicastenango Mayan Market

Chichicastenango

Really fun. Lots to buy. Didn’t feel too pressured people people very nice. Overall just very festive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking in Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

Absolutely incredible views. Only issue was keeping the kayaks running straight, but that’s on us rather than equipment.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Villages Around Lake Atitlán by Bike

Guatemala

Something I’ll always remember, but a lot more grueling than I had anticipated. Uphill is no joke. I am not by any means an avid biker.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acatenango overnight

Guatemala

An absolutely must do. Take your time going up. The shelter was nicer than I thought. Only issue was mild altitude sickness that occurred the next morning. Tried to ignore it, but it definitely took away from my enjoyment. The sights were second to none.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great experience with the team at Columbus Guatemala Travel. It was our first time in Guatemala and Catherina helped draw up an excellent itinerary for us. This included Chichicastenango, Lake Atitlan, Antigua, and Acatenango volcano. They were very flexible to our interests and we got to learn about the culture and traditions, see and experience the sights, have some outdoor adventures, and relax and enjoy the hospitality.

Esteban did an amazing job as our guide and really made the trip even more outstanding. He was patient, enthusiastic, hospitable, knowledgeable, and flexible.

Logistically everything went according to plan and we didn’t have any missteps or hiccups. Yet we also had a fair amount of free time, flexibility, and optional activities that we made the best of. The team were all super-friendly and hospitable, and the WhatsApp chat group kept us all in touch at all times if we needed something.

Overall, we had an excellent trip and were very impressed by this beautiful country. Our eyes were opened to a new culture. The sights, the sounds, the food, and most importantly the compañeros along the way made this experience very memorable for us. I highly recommend you consider them if you are looking at Guatemala as a travel destination. Buen chilero :)

Hotel Review

Homestay in Chichicastenanago, Casa Diego Ignacio, EN.

Chichicastenango

This was a really nice place to stay. It is pretty spartan, but was clean, safe, food was excellent, hosts were very friendly, and walking distance to the center of Chichicastenango. Had some issues with dogs barking at night, but room otherwise comfortable. Consider this if you are looking for an authentic Mayan highland experience near the bi-weekly market that takes place here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Chichicastenango Mayan Market

Chichicastenango

It’s definitely a spectacle to witness. And has been going on for hundreds of years, so worth visiting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking in Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

This was a lot of fun. Easy to get to, just hopped in and set out. Worth doing if you are in Panajachel

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Villages Around Lake Atitlán by Bike

Guatemala

I don’t bike a lot, but it was one of the best bike tours I’ve done. A bit challenging with the hills. Picturesque. Nice towns to stop in along the way. Great road condition. Not a lot of traffic to deal with.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walk Antigua Like a Local

Antigua

Great tour. Esteban did a great job showing us around. Saw the main sights, went to some interesting places I would not have thought to visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Acatenango overnight

Guatemala

Ok - this is a punishing climb unless you are exceptionally fit. It’s not technically difficult (no special gear needed other than shoes and a hiking pole perhaps), but is an almost continuous climb for five miles starting at 8,000 feet elevation. If you are young(ish) and healthy, you will eventually get to the base camp. But if you aren’t, seriously consider training for this unless you are already reasonably fit. And read all the reviews and tips (like about how to dress in layers, be prepared for rain, etc - it’s all true). That said, the views at the top are phenomenal. Fuego is erupting almost every 5-10 minutes and puts on quite a show. We stayed at a cabin that was enclosed but allowed great views from inside. Probably a once in a lifetime experience for most of us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved our trip to Guatemala & Belize. We took our 2 grandchildren 14 & 12 with us. Our trip had been a long time in the making and thinking. We had ideas of where we wanted to go but we were really in the dark until we stumbled on Kim Kim and Old Town Outfitters, they made our planning so much easier. They were very easy to work with and the itinerary they set out for us was amazing. We had adventures, fun and history ending with 5 days of relaxation in Belize. We loved all of our guides ... Vini and our driver Ivan that took us to Tikal. Olivero who was a wealth of information on Mayan history and ruins which was one of the main reasons we were in Guatemala and our guide in Belize, the three of them were excellent and very easy to spend time with. Kim Kim and Old Town Outfitters worked with our budget on every level and all our accommodation was very comfortable. They suggested places for us to visit that we would never have considered and certainly did not know about. We had the best time and our itinerary exceeded our expectations. Having a guide and driver while travelling with our grandchildren took a lot of stress out of our travels and they shared a lot with us about the culture and history of the places we visited and helped us with our Spanish. Kim Kim and Old Town Outfitters provided excellent and helpful service and their itinerary made our trip so easy ... stress free and worry free. Thank you!! We highly recommend them for your travel adventure.

Hotel Review

San Buenaventura Hotel

Panajachel, Sololá

This was our first place we stayed at when we arrived in Guatemala. The location is beautiful ... right on Lake Atitlan. Our hotel room was two bedrooms and our beds were comfortable. It was two levels ... the upstairs had a kitchenette and two divans that were made into beds. We had a lovely patio area upstairs and could see out to the lake. The breakfast was delicious and the staff are very friendly. It was the perfect place for us to start our trip from.

Authenticity & Character

We loved our room and it had an amazing door. The hotel room itself was a great design it had a wonderful stair well and a great patio area to eat outside.

Location

Right on the lake and has easy access to catch a boat and visit the villages on the other side of the lake. An easy drive from the town on Lake Atitlan where there is plenty of shops, a supermarket and a bank.

Staff

All the staff provided great service. The staff at the front desk were very helpful. The dining staff were excellent even thought we did not speak much Spanish they were very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our hotel was very clean. The bathroom was very clean.

Activity Reviews

Hike Acatenango Volcano & Camp Overnight

Guatemala

This has been one of the most spectacular trips I have done ... watching the sunrise was awe inspiring! The eruptions of the volcano directly opposite us was amazing! The walk up was long and demanding but well worth the end result. I think this is a must do.

Quality of Experience

Our guide and the sunrise

Food

The food in Guatemala is wonderful. We really like the black beans.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Vini and our driver Ivan were wonderful to us and really good with our grandchildren

Transport

Our transport was excellent our driver very good.

Visit Chichicastenango Market from Antigua

Guatemala

The colours of this market are spectacular. Beautiful textiles and crafts. The food market was amazing as well. We really enjoyed the energy here.

Quality of Experience

If you like Markets and local textiles I am sure you will love this

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise on Acatenango & Descent

Guatemala

Spectacular ... a must do.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Day Trip to Semuc Champey

Guatemala

We had a great day here ... caving, tubing and swimming in the blue pools. It was fun with a bit of adventure.

Quality of Experience

We really enjoyed the group of people we were with, they made it fun and interesting.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a local guide with us and our holiday guide. The local guide was very helpful

Transport

We took public transport and that was a very different experience for us. A lot of fun.

Explore Tikal National Park

Guatemala

We really enjoyed Tikal National Park and stayed inside the park. The ruins are spectacular!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Olivero was our guide. His knowledge of Mayan culture, people and ruins was very helpful and really added to our experience. It was also very helpful that he was Mayan.

Transport

El mirador Overnight and Camping

Guatemala

Staying at El Mirador Overnight camp was great. The tents were comfortable, we had one each. We were catered for and the food was excellent. It was quite the adventure staying over night in the jungle. Due to time we helicoptered in and it was a fantastic flight flying over the jungle and seeing the ruins from the air.

Quality of Experience

Food

Well catered for at the camp.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Olivero our guide, was again very informative and helpful.

Transport

The helicopter flight in was a real treat.

Cave tubing tour

Belize

This cave was beautiful and the tubing trip through was fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again we had a really good guide. We have had excellent guides all the way on our trip.

Transport

We were picked up on time. The transport was very comfortable.

Snorkeling Tour in the Belize Barrier Reef

Caye Caulker

Another fantastic trip ... snorkeling in the Belize Barrier Reef ... it was beautiful. We were swimming with nursing sharks, sting rays and other fish. It was so beautiful, the ocean is beautiful. It was a beautiful hot day. We were out on the ocean and reef all day.

Quality of Experience

Being on and in the ocean was beautiful.

Food

Lunch was provided for us and drinks, alcohol and non alcoholic. The food was good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide on the was very enthusiastic and the staff that took care of us were very good. We went into the ocean in smaller groups and each group had its own guide and they were very good at making sure we stayed together etc. They were really nice people and took very good care of us.

Transport

The boat was modern and comfortable and had plenty of room for everyone.

Tour Yaxhá Maya Ruins

Guatemala

These were our last lot of ruins on our trip. All the ruins we have seen on our trip are fascinating. We have enjoyed them all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Olivero our Mayan guide was excellent and his knowledge of the local ruins really brought our experience alive. We learnt so much from him.

Transport

Modern and comfortable

This was an incredible trip. Definitely something off the beaten path. Our guide, Jossue aka Pepien, was fantastic and spared no effort or expense making the trip run smoothly, even if it meant finding a guy in the middle of the mountains to drive us to another part of the mountains on short notice. The mountain biking was challenging but not impossible for someone with not a lot of experience. Staying with the local Mam hosts was a very unique experience and something that you will likely not find on other trips. If you are planning on going on this trip be prepared to deal with cold nights, occasional rain, high altitude, and unfamiliar food.

Wonderful trip. Guide was outstanding. It was a real adventure. Extremely physically challenging, culturally fascinating, and gorgeous scenery. A few constructive comments: the list of needed supplies should remind folks that it can get very cold in the mountains. People think central America is hot. Not true at altitude after sunset. List should include a warm jacket. A long sleeve cycling shirt also essential to avoid excessive sun exposure. A real dry bag also necessary.

The E bike experiment was successful. As a fit 70 year old, I could not have done this trip without it. However, the heavier bike is hard on the brakes on the steep downhill, and my rear brake cable broke. Fortunately, this was near the end of the trip. If it had been mid trip, it would’ve been a disaster and dangerous. the repair kit needs to include a replacement brake cable.

Overall a wonderful experience and high praise to KimKim, old town, Chris, and particularly Papiano. He could not have been more attentive.

We spent 7 days in Guatemala visiting Antigua and Lake Atitlan organised through Columbus. The service from Cathy whilst creating our itinerary was prompt and very flexible. Her communication all the way through was perfect.
Best of all was our guide for the week-JJ. He was so knowledgable, friendly flexible and couldn't do enough to help. We were truly sorry to say goodbye to him. We would very much recommend using Columbus travel through KimKim

Where can I start reviewing my trip to Guatemala? From the beginning Eduardo was amazing in answering all of my questions and planning the trip the way we wanted it. He knew how important it was for us to visit Guatemala after living for 40 years abroad. He planned our trip where not only we learned about the culture, but saw amazing places and met very interesting people.

From the moment Don David (our driver for the duration of the trip) picked us up at at airport until the moment we finalize out trip, his service was extraordinary. He drove us from Guatemala City to Antigua Guatemala. Quetzaltenango, Solola, Chichicastenango, back to Guatemala City (at 3:45 am) for us to take the plane to visit Tikal, picking us up at the airport again, take us to the Hotel Barcelo and picking us up again at 4:30 am to go back tot he airport. His service was incredible. He was always very cordial and will let us know about places and landmarks he thought were interesting or important for us to know.

Now about our tour guides throughout the trip. First, let me tell you about our primary guide, Diana. Such a young, energetic and fantastic tour guide. She is extremely knowledgeable about Guatemala's history. She not only took her time to explain to us each of the places we visited, but also gave us ample time to take pictures, make purchases, eat, and look around. Diana never made us feel rushed and never left us alone in any of the places we visited. She took her time to explain the places we traveled to even told us about the other trips she has done with other groups.

Don Oscar in Chichicastenango was great! The place is incredible. Don Oscar was super knowledgeable about Chichicastenango and its history. If you love to buy items traditional from Guatemala, Chichicastenango is your place.

Don Oliverio (tour guide) and Fernando (driver) in Tikal: From the moment our plane landed in Flores, Don Oliverio and Fernando were already waiting for us. They both made sure we had what we needed for this trip. Our recommendation is to plan to buy bug spray, sun screen and water once you get to Flores (They took the sun screen and bug spray at the airport in Guatemala). Before we started the tour, they took us to a store to buy these items. Don Oliverio explained to us from the temples, royal houses, plants, animals, to the history of the Mayas in Peten.

The hotels: excellent! No other words to describe the cleanliness, comfort and service. In every hotel, we had complementary breakfasts (which were delicious). My favorite hotel: San Buenaventura Hotel in Lake Atitlan. We had our breakfast overlooking the lake and volcano. Amazing experience.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Antigua

Antigua

We stayed two different nights in this hotel. The first room was very very, but the second one, was extraordinary! Very good service and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the middle of town and super close to everything. Loved the store right next door,

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Casa Morasan

Quetzaltenango

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds were super comfortable. Very nice suite

San Buenaventura Hotel

Panajachel, Sololá

Loved this hotel. We were able to have breakfast right on the garden overlooking the lake and volcano.

Authenticity & Character

Loved all of the pictures hanging around.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Barcelo

Guatemala City

I've been extremely blessed to have traveled to many places around the globe. Hotel Barcelo is for sure a 5 Star Hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Antigua Historic Walking Tour

Antigua

Diana was our Tour Guide. She was very punctual and started the tour on time. Very knowledgeable. She never rushed us. We were able to take pictures, buy things and look around. She never minded repeating information or answering our questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fuentes Georginas

Guatemala

If you are looking for a place to relax and enjoy the health benefits of these water, you must definitely visit Fuentes Georginas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Chichicastenango Market

Lake Atitlán

The colors!!!! They were so vivid all throughout this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Tikal National Park

San Ignacio

The history and amazing architecture is incredible!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport