I especially appreciated that Eduardo was able to make last minute changes for us. Due to the major storm in Dec 2022, our flight from the US to Belize City was delayed one day. Thus, we had to begin our trip on Day 2 of our itinerary, instead of Day 1. Eduardo arranged for us to be picked up a day late, and got us quickly caught up to our Day 2 itinerary, which required him to adjust the pick up time for 3 drivers. Had we booked this trip on our own... we would have had a problem rearranging... read more
I especially appreciated that Eduardo was able to make last minute changes for us. Due to the major storm in Dec 2022, our flight from the US to Belize City was delayed one day. Thus, we had to begin our trip on Day 2 of our itinerary, instead of Day 1. Eduardo arranged for us to be picked up a day late, and got us quickly caught up to our Day 2 itinerary, which required him to adjust the pick up time for 3 drivers. Had we booked this trip on our own... we would have had a problem rearranging our pick up times. We had Pablo as our guide for the half day bike ride in Antigua and Pablo has a wonderful personality and was patient with our 12 year old. We appreciated having Pablo. Our trip didn't have any hiccups. All the drivers/guides were either on time or early and we had maybe 10 different times/days to meet up. Don't be shy about getting Eduardo's WhatsApp chat info BEFORE you depart for your trip. He'll be super responsive on WhatsApp.
Hotel Reviews
For some reason, our hotel room did not have hot water. And for the bed, we each got one sheet as the cover. And the windows actually didn't close all the way. It was December and we all had to sleep in our street clothes and I had to use my jacket as my cover. Just make sure you have warm PJs and a warm coat to cover yourself, and probably skip the shower until your next hotel.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Having hot water in the shower. Having a bedcover on the bed, and not just one thin sheet as the cover.
This one looked okay from the outside, but inside the room, it was really old. Bed was uncomfortable, sheets were clean, but the blanket and bed cover were old and worn. They need to replace all their beds and beddings. The towels were nice though. The location was very convenient. The breakfast was kinda sad. The staff were lovely, but the breakfast was just so so.
Location
Close to downtown.
Cleanliness & Comfort
They should consider replacing all their beds and bed covers. When you go to a hotel, you just want to sleep comfortably.
Surprisingly, this hotel was simple, yet just right. The beds were comfortable, the shower was strong and the staff was helpful. We got picked up by a staff from the Ferry and he was helpful.
Ramon's Village Resort
San Pedro
This was a nice resort. There was a restaurant onsite, and there's also a pier onsite where you can book any water activities (fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving) when you are there so you don't have to worry about booking months in advance for the activities. We booked a half day fishing trip and a fisherman (Tino) picked us up in a boat and took us to maybe 4 spots to fish. We caught about 15 or 20 fish, and took 4 with us when we left. He gutted the 4 fish and we brought it to the resort restaurant where for $10 per person (there were 3 of us) they cooked the fish, and gave us rice/salad as sides. It was a wonderful experience to eat your own catch. The hotel will pick you up at the ferry and drop you off when you depart. We also rented a golf cart for 3 hours from the hotel to drive around the island. Beware, there were lots of mosquitos in our hotel room though! We had to kill about 3-4 mosquitos each night before we went to bed.
Activity Reviews
Explore Tikal National Park
San Ignacio
This was the jewel of the trip. Our guide was super knowledgeable.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Antigua Walking Tour
Antigua
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The guide, Pablo was very patient and answered my many many questions.
Transport
Transport was via our foot!
Traditional Guatemalan Cooking Class
Antigua
This was a shared experience with another couple. We thoroughly enjoyed our cooking and eating experience.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Valley Ride - Bicycle Tour of Antigua's Villages, Farms, and Ruins
Antigua
We had a good time on this trip, though it got scary whenever we had to ride on the main roads with many trucks and cars.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Snorkeling Tour in the Belize Barrier Reef
Caye Caulker
This snorkel trip to the Hol Chan departed from Caye Caulker, which was pretty far. I think if the visitors are also saying in San Pedro, then it would be a shorter distance to travel from San Pedro to the Hol Chan reserve for snorkeling.
Local specialist: Eduardo Celada