susan300

We are going for eight days and want to go to Tikal and Lake Atitlan. We need another place that would be interesting to see to put in between these places for about 2 nights maybe more. Any thoughts? We have both been to Antigua, and we don't want to go back there. Looking for something else- maybe off the beaten track? We don't have a car, so public transportation or driver will be our mode of transportation. Appreciate you help.
thanks

hopefulist

I would spend another night in Petén and visit another Maya site - Yaxhá, maybe. I visited last summer with archaeologist Roxy Ortiz and it was magical. www.tikalroxy.blogspot.com

Then head back to Guatemala City/Antigua (you'll have to pass through at least 1 enroute to the lake) via either Coban/Lanquin/Semuc Champey (I haven't been yet but it's a popular choice) or through Rio Dulce - lots of cool jungly options at the latter.

My photos with blog and travelogue links on the main page of each collection are below in case you're interested - all my recommendations are embedded there. Happy trails! http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

susan300

I see you stayed at Roxy's family's place in Remate... have you ever stayed at their other place -the Tikal Inn? Opinion? When you talk about going to Coban area, how did you get there? And your other suggestion Rio Dulce- can you tell me why you think that's an option as well?
thanks and if you're a Mom.. happy Mother's Day!

hopefulist

Tikal Inn is my favorite hotel in the park and I recommend staying in the park so you can do a sunrise tour; you can't do those from El Remate or Flores. Roxy picked me up at the airport the Flores night before and we stayed at her mom's place, then headed out for a visit to Uaxactún. We visited Tikal for sunset and sunrise, then headed to Yaxhá on our way to Belize where we spent a few days together caving.
www.tikalinnsunrise.com
http://www.30minutesfromtikal.com/

As noted above I haven't been to Coban/Lanquin/Semuc Champey in more than a dozen visits to Guatemala. I will make it there someday but it's nearly full days on the road coming and going so I'd want to spend more than just a couple of days in the area for it to make sense. I believe there are shuttles running that route but it would take several combined legs.

The actual town of Rio Dulce, called Las Fronteras by locals, isn't all that attractive but the lake and river are gorgeous. Via the river you can access Livingston on the coast, a Garifuna town, and the trip down and back is breathtaking. We just stopped 2 nights to break up the trip to Tikal so chose a place on the river near town (Bruno's) which worked well for us. There are lots of cool jungly options, though, which would be a change of pace. You can find it in my Guatemala 2007 collection at the flickr link, above.

Happy trails!

susan300

Hopefulist... I am finding the Tikal Inn not that responsive to my emails, so maybe you can answer our question. We get into Flores at 7:30 at night after traveling from New York all day. Do you know if the Inn can still serve dinner to us by the time we get there? Or is it better just to spend the night in Flores and go the next morning? If so, what place in Flores would you recommend?
thank you

hopefulist

Frankly, I'd stay in Flores. You wouldn't get to the park until 8:30 or 9pm and I'm quite sure the TI restaurant would not be open. I doubt the comedores along the road would be open that late, though there's a chance for that. If that's your only night in the region you'd miss out on a sunrise tour, though - something to think about.

My favorite hotel in Flores is La Casona de la Isla: www.corpetur.com