Kimkim Trip Reviews for Guatemala

Guatemala: The guides were knowledgeable and shared much that I didn’t know about the Mayan culture. I especially enjoyed going to the mountain indigenous villages and interacting with the people. The home stays and visits were insightful to seeing the integrity of family life, which seems to be very strong. The artistic cratsmanship of the weavers, was colorful and impressive. I would have like to learn more specifically about the different weavings and traditional dress from each of the villages that we visited. I bought a few weavings which I don’t know their origin. The Guatemalan people are very friendly, and sometimes wanted to take pictures with and of us. The extreme cold at night in the mountains was unexpected. I had to buy an extra layer at the Mipaca thrift store in Toto. This part of the trip overall was jam-packed, sometimes we had to skip lunch to make it through each day’s activities.

Tikal was spectacular and Flores Island was pleasantly relaxing and had good restaurants, bakeries, and cafes.

Belize: was a new and delightful experience for me. The nature we visited was awesome, from cave canoeing, the hike and waterfall massage at the Jaguar preserve, and the snorkeling in the reefs near Hopkins. It was great to relax after the busy first part of the tour.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Casa Blanca Inn

Guatemala City

There was -a miscommunication on where to meet the taxi driver from the hotel, so that was a bit stressful. Hotel was Adequate. No hot water after midnight. The staff was attentive and helpful. The young man helped me with a problem I had with my suitcase.

Authenticity & Character

Fie

Location

Close to airport. Gated and secure.

Staff

See above.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Muchá

Quetzaltenango

Beds comfortable. Shower amazing! Very cold at night.

Authenticity & Character

Adobe made it very cold.

Location

Convenient

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cold—bring warm clothes for sleeping.

Totonicapán Homestay!

Totonicapán

Family was wonderful, kind, and very attentive. Very cold at night, I didn’t take a shower because it was too cold to get undressed.

Authenticity & Character

Carolina, Heidi, Melvin and Carlos were sweet and helpful in explaining home life and studies. It was very interesting to see Carolina’s jaspe dying process and Carlos’ sewing piecework. Carlo’s also demonstrated taking corn from the cob and grinding it.

Location

The walk around the property and hearing about the planting and processing of the corn for tortilla, and fresh beans, was absolutely wonderful.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room and Beds were clean, but communal bathroom was rustic, toilet need to be flushed with a bucket.

Casa Antigua El Chalet

Santa Cruz Del Quiché

Everything comfortable. Less cold at nights. I enjoyed sitting in the outdoor living room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Enjoyed the town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda Mil Amores

Cobán

Beds were comfortable. Showers were a bit hot and cold the first night, but they arranged alternate shower the next night.

Authenticity & Character

Dining room for dinners and breakfast was lovely and rustic. It was nice to meet and chat with other visitors one night.

Location

Beautiful setting. However, we decided to take rooms away from the stable, since the cow smell was strong.

Staff

Accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Homestay in Chichicastenanago, Casa Diego Ignacio, EN.

Chichicastenango

Great to spend time with Miguel , Juana, Patricia and Sandra and their children. Food was homemade and very delicious. We saw how difficult it is to make tortillas, when we tried to make them. Miguel is a leader in his community and has a lot to share with visitors. Their store had wonderful weavings and masks for purchase at decent prices. If you intend to buy weavings, don’t buy elsewhere. I had already bought a lot before Chichicastenango, so I couldn’t buy much there though I was tempted.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Peten

Flores

Comfortable, but small rooms. Our room was facing the street where a bar had loud reggaton music. It made it hard to sleep.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful view of the lake, convenient location. See comment about the loud music above.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Midas Belize

Cayo District

Room was large, but mattresses were too soft. Loved the pool. Great for swimming laps. Breakfast was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit of a walk to town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parrot Cove Lodge

Placencia

Wonderful rooms, great restaurant, good breakfast. Beachfront very comfortable. Dock where they picked us up for the snorkeling. Great to have a pool as well as the beach.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the water, but a bit far from the village.

Staff

Very helpful when my companion was not feeling well. Maritza was great in rescheduling our snorkeling.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Coningsby Inn

Belize City

Adequate.

Authenticity & Character

Historical landmark.

Location

Staff

Helpful in suggesting an excellent restaurant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Small room, but adequate to be close to the airport.

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Guatemala!

Guatemala

Hot water after midnight.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Pick up from airport was confusing.

Visit Cantel and its Women's Textile Cooperative

Quetzaltenango

We walked around the town. Happened to coincide with a funeral. Nice walk around the town. We did not go to the textile collective.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luis was always early for pick, knowledgeable, and a safe driver

San Francisco el Alto

Guatemala

Saw a tradtional market. Few tourists.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Georginas Hot Springs

Guatemala

We got there late so we didn’t have much time to enjoy the hot springs. Met interesting people there. Hot springs temperature could have been hotter.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Totonicapán Handicraft Workshops

Guatemala

I wasn’t feeling well so I didn’t attend weaving demo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Cruz del Quiche.

Santa Cruz Del Quiche

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore and Learn About Santa Cruz Education

Santa Cruz Del Quiche

Private relifgios school was very accommodating, giving us a tour of the school, classrooms, and a brief opportunity to speak with the teachers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chajul, El Quiche.

Acul

Interesting meeting the backstrap weaver family

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Andrés Sajcabajá

Guatemala

Long drive to get there. Not sure it was worth the time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Chichicastenango Mayan Market

Guatemala

The family and market were the highlights of this experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tikal Maya Site, World Heritage

Guatemala

Guide was excellent. Impressive temples. Interesting to know about 25% has been excavate so far. Good lunch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Xunantunich

Belize

Not as incredible as Tikal. The excavation was at time reconstructed, with facsimiles, rather than real ruins. Tremendous vistas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Barton Creek

Belize

Loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maya Cacao Belizean Experience

Belize

Seeing a cacao plantation that is struggling due to not having the right conditions shows the difficulty of producing a healthy crop of cacao beans. Chocolate making workshop w,as interesting.; Nice to meet Hob’s father.

Quality of Experience

I had seen this demo in Costa Rica so. It wasn’t that new for me.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Leisure Time

Belize

Rest, eating well.

Quality of Experience

Jaguar Preserve

Belize

Hiking was great. We learned a lot about flora and fauna, waterfall swimming was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barrier Reef Snorkeling

Belize

Safety was primary in postponing the day we went. Water was so clear. Great to see fish, corals.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat ride was GREAT!

Belize City Tour

Belize

It was short since we arrived late.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Short and sweet!

Transport

Thank you!

Belize

We had the most incredible trip to Guatemala! This tiny country has so much to offer and we only experienced a fraction of it.

Eduardo was amazing, he listened and arranged everything we wanted and more. I said “Acatenango Atitlan Antigua Chichicastenango and Semuc Champey”! Then in a fun tongue in cheek way said, “it would be nice to see a Quetzel!”

Guess what????
He delivered every request including the rare bird! It’s hard to pick a favorite as all were awesome but we all agreed that volcano Fuego erupting and seeing a Quetzel will be the most memorable parts of trip.

Our driver David was wonderful… knowledgeable attentive and we felt safe being driven around the narrow busy hilly roads.

Our guide Rudy was fantastic! He is young but so mature and responsible. He was kind, thoughtful, paid much attention to detail and his sense of humor was very much appreciated.

We have to say that a big part of this trip was not the destination itself but the journey and people we shared it with. Eduardo, David and Rudy and all the beautiful friendly people of Guatemala will be as much a part of our memories as the volcanoes and birds.

Will be recommending this trip to family members and friends!

We spent most of our time with the best guide ever, Lucas, who took great care of us and helped us get the most out of everything. The drivers were great and our Guide, Mario, at Tikal was very knowledgeable and interesting. Overall, a great trip in spite of landslides on the highway and illness because our guides and drivers were in the ball.

Our 8-day tour in Guatemala was wonderful. Each site we visited was beautiful, interesting, and fun. Our guide, Lukas, was patient, kind, knowledgeable, helpful, and really a fantastic person overall. The lodgings were also lovely-not fancy, but well- cared for, comfortable, and with great breakfasts! Our drivers were skilled in some difficult terrains, and all of our transitions went smoothly. Home now and smiling to think about all our great experiences!

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

Guatemala

Wow, amazing, awesome

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hol Chan/Shark Ray Alley - from Victoria House Resort

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

Guatemala

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

Guided Tour of Tikal Mayan Ruins 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

Guatemala

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 Group Activity

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

Guatemala

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 Group Activity

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

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

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.

Guided Tour of Tikal Mayan Ruins 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

Guatemala

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

Quality of Experience

Food

There is very little not like in regard to the food that we have eaten on our trip.

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 and Hol Chan

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.