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Day Trips & Fund Raising Trips 

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 Jungle Trail & River Float

 

Difficulty: level:  Moderate with a 30 minute hike and a one-hour river float. We stop to take photos and hear stories from our Q'eqchí guides. 

Highlights: Some of the most stunning jungle scenery in Guatemala and Latin America, ceremonial cave, howler monkeys in the overhead treetops

Included: Guide, lifejacket, tube, dry bag for shoes or other clothing

Season: All year, with the exception of very high water. Alternative plans are made for an extended hike if the river is too high. 

Price: $14 (Q100) without return transport, $26 (Q200) with return transport, 2 persons minimum one way, 4 persons minimum with round trip 

"The Paradise" hot springs & Lake Izabal beach

Difficulty level: Easy, with a 1/2 mile hike 

Highlights: Hot springs waterfall, bat cave, limestone cave and cool stream, hot water massage, lush vegetation, Lake Izabal beach at Finca Paraíso  

Included: Round trip truck transport from lodge (1/2 hour each way), entrance fee

Not included: lunch at Finca Paraiso

Potential extensions: El Estor & the Bocas del Polochic Wildlife 

Season: All year, but best avoided on weekends

Price: $30 (Q225), minimum 4 persons

El Estor market & Bocas del Polochic Wildlife Refuge

Difficulty: Easy, with a boat tour and casual stroll through El Estor's market.

Highlights: Visit El Estor, the major settlement on the northern shore of Lago de Izabal, Guatemala's largest lake, lunch at the Hotel Ecologico, boat tour and wildife viewing in the Bocas del Polochic, a highly biodiverse wildlife reserve. A visit here provides great birdwatching and howler-monkey observation.  If we're lucky, we will spot alligators or manatees. 

Included: Round trip truck transport from lodge, 2 hour boat tour, lunch on your own at the lakeside Hotel Ecológico 

Season: All year. El Estor's market days are Tuesday and Saturday. 

Price: $50, minimum 4 persons  Option: El Estor trip only, $25, minimum 4 persons

 

FUND RAISING TRIP: Postponed until January 2023
Arrival: Guatemala City / Group size: 12 maximum, 4 minimum  Price: $1490 

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Itinerary:

Day 1: (Sunday) Arrive Guatemala City airport and transfer to the Hotel Barcelo, Guatemala City,  just 10 minutes from the airport. The Barcelo is TripAdvisor's 2019 Traveler's Choice and has a shuttle from the airport. Meet Paul Heesaker, the trip leader and project founder, near the hotel reservations desk at 6:00 PM. We will have a trip meeting and dinner at one of the hotel restaurants.    https://www.barcelo.com/en-us/barcelo-hotels/hotels/guatemala/guatemala-city/

Included: Hotel double occupancy, shuttle from airport 

Day 2: (Monday) We will depart the hotel at 5:00 AM, just in case traffic is bad. Coffee is available in your room and you may want to bring a snack if we don't have time for a breakfast on your own at the airport. It's a 10 minute shuttle to the airport and a direct flight with TAG airlines from Guatemala City to Puerto Barrios. The once daily flight  departs Guatemala City at 7:00 AM and arrives in Puerto Barrios at 7:45.  Transfer by van approximately 2 hours from Puerto Barrios to our reception at the mouth of the Boquerón Cañón. 

 

Board a four wheel drive truck. You will be in the back of a large flatbed truck and holding onto rails for the three mile trip to our lodge. A good sense of adventure is mandatory for this option.  We arrive at our tourism center by midday, check in and enjoy the stunning natural and cultural setting! Lunch will be served on our riverside deck. Following a little siesta time after lunch, enjoy a student lead tour of area homes. 

Included: Transport from Puerto Barrios to Seacacar, entry to the nature reserve, lunch, dinner, lodging (The flight from Guatemala City to Puerto Barrios is not included in the trip price. 

Days 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7: (Tuesday through Saturday): Full immersion in a traditional Q'eqchi Mayan village and a protected nature reserve. We have two morning options:

 

One - Relax in a hammock, read a book and enjoy some solitary time at the stunning riverside setting. 

Two: Teach English to our Mayan students. No experience is required and we have user-friendly materials to help guide your instruction. Each teacher volunteer will work with from one to three or four students and no more than 4 hours daily. 

Afternoon Excursions include the day trips described at the top of this page, including Jungle Trail & River Float, The Paradse hot springs and Lake Izabal beach. We will adjust our afternoon schedule depending on weather conditions. 

Included (all inclusive apart from beverages): All transport, meals, Spanish instruction, lodging and guides

Day 8 (Sunday) 9:00 AM departure for El Castillo de San Felipe, a old Spanish fort guarding the entrance to Lake Izabal and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Following lunch at a nearby restaurant,  we travel to our lodge on the shores of Lake Peten Itza (4 hour drive). Enjoy the sunset and a drink delivered by the "Toucan Express" on the deck overlooking the lake. Included: Breakfast, dinner, transport, lodging 

Day 9 (Monday): 6:00 AM departure and a 45-minute drive into Tikal National Park, the Mayan World’s most spectacular archeological and jungle site. Tikal encompasses 575 square kilometers of jungle and thousands of ruined structures. The central part of the ancient city alone contains 3,000 buildings and covers about 16 square kilometers. Tikal is also part of the one-million-hectare Maya Biosphere Reserve created in 1990 to protect the dense forests of the Peten, which started to disappear at an alarming rate due to population pressures, illegal logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices. We will have a chance to see rare and endangered wildlife, such as the scarlet macaw or jaguar, howler and spider monkeys, toucans, oscillated turkeys, tapirs and scores of colorful bird species also find habitat in Tikal and the surrounding Maya Biosphere Reserve.Included: All transport, entrance and guided tour of Tikal National Park, dinner, lodging at La Casa de Don David

Day 10: (Tuesday)  Leisurely morning to explore Flores, an island town connected to the mainland by a long causeway. Flores is dense with colonial red-roofed buildings, narrow cobble stoned streets and quaint restaurants. 2:15 PM flight from the Mundo Maya International Airport to Guatemala City. 

 

Included: breakfast, transport to Flores and airport, hotel Barcelo in Guatemala City. The approximately $150 flight with TAG airlines is not included in the trip price. 

                 

Trip Style, travel conditions and weather: This is not a tour, but an experiential and shared experience among old friends and new. While the trip is not physically demanding, we do visit remote locations and walk on jungle trails.  A good level of health and fitness is mandatory. This trip is for you if you want to build new or deeper friendships, make a difference and enjoy travel a bit off the beaten path. It is not for you if you are demanding, inflexible or expect an upscale resort or cruise style experience. During transit days, your driver will be courteous and helpful, but will not provide a running commentary. When we visit the Seacacar Cañon Natural Reserve, we will stay at a rustic jungle lodge.  The lodge is located in a remote Mayan village and has limited solar power. Most hotels we use have air conditioning, but we do not have air conditioning at our jungle lodge in the Seacacar Cañon Natural Reserve. While the rainy season typically ends in late November, we can expect some rain.  The average high temperatures from during the dry season (March through mid-May) are in the eighties while night lows typically drop about 10 degrees.  

Founder and trip facilitator: The Rios Fund, Guatemala is a mission driven social enterprise founded by Paul Heesaker, a retired high school teacher and principal. Paul also led kayaking and rafting trips to Guatemala from late 1993 until the spring of 1998. Paul's work with the Q'eqchi Mayan people of Seacacar and Ak' Tenamit has resulted in the establishment of the first ever intermediate school in Seacacar and in Guatemala's newest protected area, the Seacacar Cañon Natural Reserve. Paul and his wife Catherine, a school psychologist, reside in Summit County, Colorado. 

Flexibility Required: Although every effort has been made to make this trip run as smoothly as possible, road conditions, weather or other circumstances beyond our control may necessitate a change in plans.  

 

Lodging: Our hotels are not luxurious, but these mid-range hotels are comfortable and immediately adjacent to cultural, historic or natural attractions. The Seacacar Cañon Natural Reserve is located adjacent to a remote Mayan village with no electricity. We have limited solar power in the Jungle Lodge and in our intermediate school.  While every effort has been made to make the lodge rooms as comfortable as possible, they are rustic and immediately adjacent to the natural environment.  Shared bathrooms have flush toilets and cool water showers. Consider your own health, fitness and expectations carefully before paying your deposit.

 

Travel: When traveling on paved highways, we travel by mini-bus. We will also use covered motorized boats while traveling on the Rio Dulce and Lake Izabal. The access to the Boquerón Cañon Project is a 30-minute drive on a rough and steep road. We often use double cab four wheel drive pick ups, but guests may be standing and holding rails on an open flatbed truck for this segment of our journey. 

 

Travel Medical Insurance: Our guests are required to carry travel medical insurance and sign an assumption of risk liability waiver. 

Corona Virus (COVID 19): All trip participants will be required to show proof of vaccination. 

 

Access to Medical Care: While we will never be further than an hour’s drive from local medical clinics, Guatemala City has the nearest advanced medical care.  There are small airports in Rio Dulce, El Estor and other communities along our route. International airports are located in Flores, Belize City and Guatemala City. 

 

Malaria and Immunizations: Malaria and Chikungunya are endemic to some areas we visit. Discuss travel to Guatemala with your doctor or consult the State Department of Health prior to departure to determine which immunizations are currently being recommended. 

Inclusions: 

• All transport in Belize and Guatemala. If you arrive early or depart after the trip has finished, transport to and from the airport is on your own.  Trip participants will be encouraged to arrive on the same flight.

• All hotel accommodation - based on double rooms for couples or triple occupancy for individual travelers - A single supplement of $40 daily trip (minus the departure day) will be added to the trip cost for individuals who want a single room. This option may not be available at our Jungle Lodge in the Seacacar Cañon Natural Reserve. At this time, our lodging capacity is somewhat limited, so single rooms may not be available.  

•  Meals as described in the itinerary

• Services of driver and Seacacar Cañon Natural Reserve staff

 

Exclusions:

• Flights

• Personal clothing and equipment

• Beverages, apart from our own Jungle Lodge and unless otherwise indicated, are not included with the meals 

• Alcoholic beverages

• All personal expenses

 

Return Policy: A $480 donation to the Rios Fund (affiliated with the Guatemala Tomorrow Fund) is required to reserve a space on the trip. The balance is due 30 days before the departure date. In case of late bookings, full payment is required at the time of reservation.  In the case of cancellations, your deposit will be donated to the US based non-profit, the Guatemala Tomorrow Fund. Keep in mind that this is not a traditional tour, but an effort to raise funds and create other support for project efforts.  Payment is in U.S dollars only. We recommend that all trip participants obtain travel insurance.

 

Passport Required: Passports are required for all travelers entering Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. All tourists exiting Guatemala are required to pay a departure tax, which is normally included in you airline ticket price.

 

Registration: After paying your deposit / donation, you will receive a registration form, sign a waiver of liability, and obtain information on how to prepare for departure. 

 

Remaining balance payment: We only accept personal checks and do not accept credit card payments at this time. This helps us keep our trip price as low as possible. Make your check payable to Paul Heesaker. If you live outside of Summit County, Colorado or do not have an opportunity to meet with us personally, send your check to the following address:

 

Mailing address:

Paul Heesaker 

355 North Chipmunk Circle

Silverthorne, CO 80498

 

More Information: Send an email to paulheesaker@yahoo.com with your contact information and Paul will be in touch with you. Keep in mind that our budget doesn’t allow for office assistants, and that we are often out of the country.  We may not be able to connect by phone immediately. 

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