Aug 20, 2024
Visit now before it’s lost to developers! - Mirko was our driver and guide for three days. Mirko was a very good driver on dangerous roads. He also has a relaxed personality that made for enjoyable conversations in English. Just so you know, it is a 6 hr drive from Antigua to the ParkHotel. Most of your time will be spent getting to your destinations. Once you leave the hustle and bustle of Guatemala City, you are in for a visual treat as the central highlands are stunning and diverse. Lanquin Cave is a national park, but it is poorly maintained and quite dangerous because you are walking on very slippery wet rocks or wooden stairs. Enjoy it but be very careful because a bad slip will quickly end your vacation. On day two you have the option to visit another wet, slippery cave or visit an orchid private reserve. I highly recommend the orchid private reserve. It’s run by three generations of a single-family who saw the clearcutting deforestation around them and decided to protect these little fragile flowers that grow on the trunks. Guatemala’s central mountains boast 800 species of orchid, but they are threatened by the same destruction that is putting Semuc Champy at risk. The jungle and karst pools of Semuc are incredibly beautiful and worth the journey. Sadly, developers are clearing the jungle to make way for a new paved road to this small and fragile site. Once the road is complete expect uncontrolled development that will absolutely destroy the environment. Monkeys, Quetzals, toucans and wild mammals are already gone. The government of Guatemala clearly does not value their environmental resources, so enjoy them while you can. Do stop for traditional candies made from cardamom.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
May 20, 2024
The best parts of Guatemala - Our guide DAVIS a great person .
We enjoyed our time and received full professional explanation of the sightseeing and the culture of Guatemala
Review provided by Viator
Mar 20, 2024
Highly recommend this trip! - Semuc Champey alone was worth it. Very convenient to be driven around. Tour guide was excellent! Park Hotel was also very nice and the food was good. Breakfast was also nice, coffee was good. Pick up was right at hotel so also great. 🇬🇹
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 23, 2024
Visit beauties safely and comfortably - Ambitious program only achieved with professional guides, which we obtained, our guide and driver Diego, was excellent professional and excellent company. All the things we saw and learned thanks to the infrastructure and our guide. Spectacular landscapes and safe visits.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 29, 2023
Great tour. Must do! - Great Trip! Esteban was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Gave us great tops for dinning. It was a private tour. We stayed at a nice hotel with great commodities. Would definitely do again!
Review provided by Viator
Mar 30, 2023
Great private tour experience! - We were expecting a large group but were pleasantly surprised when we were the only two people on this tour. Our guide, Mirko, was very knowledgable and provided us lots of information about the sites. He drove very carefully and always recommended very good restaurants! He was more than happy to help in any way that he could, and ensured that the long journeys were as comfortable as possible!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jul 6, 2022
The highlight of my Guatemala trip! - I will recommend this tour to anyone that travels to Guatemala. Not only were the sites amazing but my tour guide Pedro was phenomenal. I ended up being the only person on my tour, so I was worried in the beginning, but I had an amazing time. Pedro was friendly and knowledgeable, and made sure my trip was unforgettable. The drive was a few hours (I think about 4-5 hours) but the view was gorgeous and Pedro was great to talk to. Now for the sites -- The caves were amazing! You can take your time exploring. The Quetzal park was also beautiful with lots of birds and nature. The best part though was Semuc Champey, absolutely stunning. We did a hike first so that we could view it from the top (pretty moderate hike) and then we cooled off by swimming in the pools. One of the top places I've been in my life. Also, the hotel where I stayed was a beautiful resort. It is fairly outside of Coban, but being busy all day, I was happy to come back to the hotel, eat dinner and relax the rest of the evening. The hotel has many restaurants, and even some peacocks, and the staff there was super friendly.
Overall, if you want to do something a bit different outside of Antigua, take this tour!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 17, 2021
Coban/Semuc Champey trip - A really beautiful tour and the tour guide was very accommodating and very knowledgeable. The company director, Lorenn, is very responsive and speaks English well.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mar 16, 2019
Great place(s) to visit, inaccurate description - Our guides were fabulous and the places visited were beautiful. But the description is a bit misleading. The description states that to the city of Cobán, it is approximately two hours northwest of Antigua. In reality it is 5 hours. Coban is actually a 30-40 minute drive from the hotel so it was hard to visit the town in the evening. And Semuc Champey is another 3 hour drive. I feel I spent more time riding in the van that touring. Thankfully there was only myself and one other person, so we had a wonderful time talking with our guides and getting to know more about Guatemala in general.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 8, 2017
While I only went to a few places in... - <p>While I only went to a few places in Guatemala, this was by far the most beautiful! Swimming in this secluded paradise was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The guide was super friendly and knowledgeable.</p>
Review provided by Viator