Does anyone know the Novela's bus schedule<BR>from Belize City to Tikal? Also does anyone know of a cheap safe place to stay in Belize City close to the bus station?

Novelo's has buses going all day long to San Ignacio and Benque Viejo and the border. They do not continue on to Tikal or Flores, however. You'll have to change to a Guat bus at Melchor.<BR><BR>Another option which you might explore is to take the Linea Dorado bus/van which leaves from the Marine Terminal in Belize City and goes to Flores -- believe it's still US$25, more than going by regular bus but less of a hassle.<BR><BR>--Lan Sluder

Thanks for that information. I've just been reading the US State Dept Travel Bureau website and am very dismayed at all the warnings not to travel in Guatemala. Reports of theft and violence towards tourists is on the rise..especially enroute to tikal and even at the ruins themselves.. we have planned this trip for months now...does anyone have any information they can share about this?

I was just reading the Canadian Foreign Affairs country report for Guatemala (I'm going for 7 months) and got a bit scared too. I've been told to watch my back, but also that as long as you take precautions you should be able to stay out of trouble. The report on Nicaragua was similar, but I was there last summer with a friend and we had no problems even though we were both young, blond females. I think those reports tend to exaggerate a bit so that people take their safety seriously. As for specific advice, I don't have too much except don't take buses at night, especially in El Peten. If you're stopped by police ask to see a badge, some thiefs pose as police to get money from you, or so I've been told. And don't get involved with drugs as there's a lot of tension between the military and drug runners, and that's something you don't want to get involved with. But apparently the Guatemalan people are the friendliest of Central America.<BR>Cheers and good luck.

I don't think those reports are exaggerated. I was in Belize a few years ago, and met two different groups of people, each of whom had gone to Tikal by road and they both had stories about it.<BR><BR>One couple (a woman and her boyfriend) had gone via jeep, and were very glad that they'd hired some armed guards to escort them. Along the way, the passed a tourist bus that had been on the way to Tikal. A lot of the windows on the bus had been shot out, and the passengers had been robbed, by banditos.<BR><BR>The second group was three men who had also gone to Tikal via jeep and had only one armed guard. Apparently, even the guard was very nervous in some areas, and the driver pretty much drove like a bat out of hell just to increase the odds of getting there and returning safely.<BR><BR>I'd love to see Tikal myself, but if I ever go, I'm going to fly in and out. There are tour companies that provide flight service to the ruins; I think that's the safest way to go.

We took a day trip from Belize to Tikal last March. We had a driver and guide with us (who were not armed) and didn't feel we were in any danger at all. It was a beautiful drive and the ruins were wonderful.