This is the second time that this tour has operated.The previously one I believe was in October when it was wetter and that some had unsuitable footwear. Also their daytime flight was via the USA. We were advised to take sturdy shoes, a torch and walking poles with us. The poles were not really necessary.
We travelled with Avianca airlines via Bogata to Panama City on night flights making this a 20 day trip.They use Dreamliners to/from Heathrow. There were 14 guests.
Our Tour Manager was Allison Bissett who was very good . She invited us to join her for dinner each evening as only 2 were included.We had 7 flights and stayed in 11 hotels plus the 2 nights on planes in 20 days. Transport was on a minibus which was rather cramped when we had our main luggage on the back seats.Sometimes it was put on the roof.From El Salvador onwards we had a coach.
Panama. We had a boat trip on Lake Gatun,a part of the Canal, spotting howler,Cappuchin and spider monkeys , a tamarin and various birds before going to Portobello on the Caribbean side to see the fort ruins and to hear about British pirate Henry Morgan and Edward Vernon. Then we travelled on the Panama Canal Train 50 miles across the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific.The following day we visited the old part of Panama City and a panama hat shop. We just saw a ship leaving the Miraflores locks.The next one was not due until after we had left. Then to the airport to fly to Costa Rica.
Costa Rica. We climbed up to 8000 feet on our minibus to the Irazu craters .There was low cloud restricting visibility.We saw a coati. Back at lower altitudes we visited a farmers market and our guide told us about some of the unusual vegetables/fruit. After the Botanical Gardens where there were many orchids on flower we visited a church built by missionaries in Orosi. The next day we had an aerial tramway ride for about 1 hour through the trees spotting birds. We saw tapirs,a snake and visited the butterfly house .Then it was off the the EARTH university set in extensive grounds .There we visited a banana plantation and had a short walk in the forest. Then on to the first of our lodge type "hotels". There were several birds around the breakfast restaurant.
After a walk in the forest the next day we travelled to Cano Negro, accessed via a 20 km track off the main road to stay in a hotel where the rooms were in blocks within the grounds. On a boat trip on the river the next day we saw caiman,herons,basilicks and kingfishers. Those who visited a farm in the afternoon planted trees.
The next day we drove to the Nicaragua border where it took 1.5 hours to cross.
Nicaragua. After a stop in the lovely Spanish colonial city of Granada for lunch we eventually found our next hotel at Laguna de Apoyo overlooking a crater lake. this "hotel" was located on a steep slope with a pizzeria and restaurant near the lake and behind reception a track led up the hill to the lodges located amongst the trees and further up was the breakfast room. Trucks provided transport around the site if one did not want to walk. Howler monkeys were in the trees. The next day we had a horse drawn carriage ride in Granada to the lake where we had a boat trip seeing birds and monkeys. After a short visit to a 'white village' to see pottery we returned to the hotel for some free time. Leaving the hotel we visited a market in the capital Managua , then Revolution Park and in the afternoon to Leon to see the cathedral. This was a 1.5 hour journey and 2.5 hours back due to traffic. This was a lot of travelling and could be omitted. We stayed half a night at an airport hotel as we had a 3 am alarm call to catch a flight to El Salvador.
El Salvador. We had a coach from now onwards. We Visited the first of the Mayan sites at Joya de Ceren .This was a domestic site whereas the others were more religious/ceremonial. The site had been buried after the eruption of a volcano. Then we returned to San Salvador where there were soldiers on the streets assisting police . There are problems with gangs here. We visited an army military museum and the cathedral and a modern church here. The next day we stopped in Suchitoto where we visited the market,had free time and had a typical lunch .Then we travelled to Honduras via Guatemala.
Honduras. We stayed in Copan was was on 30 minutes from the Guatemala border. Our coach could not access the town centre and hotel and so we traveled in tuktuks. We toured the Mayan ruins - stelae,acropolis and altars.
Guatemala. We stopped at another Mayan site Quirigua where there were several tall stelae (stone carvings) and then had a boat trip with luggage on the Rio Dulce to Livingstone on the Caribbean.All rooms in the hotel had sea views. The town had a very Caribbean feel. There was one main street with many shops. Fish were being dried on the quayside. Lots of pelicans were seen. A free afternoon! The next day back on the Rio Dulce we visited a school in the jungle and San Felipe fort ,built to defend against pirates. Having transferred to our coach, we continued to our final hotel in Flores. The next day we went to Tikal , a large Mayan site located in the jungle . Some walked from the entrance to the ruins and others used the shuttle. We had a guided tour of the ruins - temples,palaces and plazas before an included lunch on site. It was hot and humid but could have been worse. Returning to the hotel one room was available for showering and a change of clothes before flying to Guatemala City in the evening. We stayed at an airport hotel and the following afternoon had a flight to Bogota for a night flight back to London.
In all it was an enjoyable tour with only a little free time. The weather was fine, some overnight showers with temperatures up to the low 30s.
