Guatemala 2018
Guatemala | Aug 4 - Aug 11, 2018

M
Mike R.
Lenexa, KS | Reviewed on Aug 16, 2018

Chris and team provided my family with the best vacation we have ever shared together.
This was the first trip to Guatemala for my 2 biological children, as well as the first trip to Guatemala for my youngest daughter that we adopted from Guatemala 13 years ago. It was also our first opportunity visit with Telma, a 9 yr old girl that we sponsor from Guatemala through the organization, Unbound.

When I first reached-out to Chris, I didn't know what to expect. I had very little knowledge about Guatemala, but wanted to provide my family a very special experience. With just a few suggestions for sights we wanted to see and activities that we wanted to experience, Chris created a complete 7 day itinerary, that included, hotel accommodations, guides, ride transfers, necessary equipment, etc.. no details left out. It was a completely seamless experience which made our trip so enjoyable and stress free. Chris immediately responded to all my requests and questions.

I also can not say enough about his staff. We had the pleasure to spend 4 days with Alex, our guide, who lead us through mountain biking, volcano hiking, village tours, kayaking, and who shared with us his culture and country's history. Along the way he introduced us to many locals that added to our experience. We had "Monkey" guide us up Pacaya, and make us Smores from active volcanic ash and rock. We met Mary a local villager from Santiago, who taught us how create a traditional Mayan headdress, We met Delphina and her sister, who belong to a local textile cooperative in San Juan who shared with us their family craft of making textile goods by hand. While stopping for lunch at a restaurant we were invited to make our own tortillas. Lastly, we had the opportunity to hike the ancient city of Tikal and experience the ruins with our guide Andres. He was very knowledgeable about Mayan history and was able to share the history of Tikal with our family.

Never would we have experienced so much in such a short time without the help of Chris and KimKim. Thank you guys for the trip of a life time!!!

Local specialist: Chris Gwinner
Chris
Chris Gwinner
Local specialist in Antigua, Guatemala | Replied on Sep 28, 2018

Wow Mike, thank you for such a thorough and thoughtful review! These are the types of trips that are rewarding for our team and we're so glad that you and the rest of the family enjoyed your trip to Guatemala. It's hard to describe but I believe you found the personal connections with Alex, Telma, Mono, and so many other locals that make visiting Guatemala so special.

I will be sure to share your review with Alex and the rest of the Old Town Outfitters team , thank you again.

We look forward to seeing you back in Guatemala in the future!