“Survivor” in Guatemala
“Survivor” premiers Thursday, September 15 on CBS! The Eleventh Season of the famous Reality TV show was produced in Yaxha in the State of Peten, Guatemala.
Inside the lush rainforest of Central America stand the ruins of the ancient Mayan civilization that once prospered and then mysteriously vanished. These stunning sites of the past stand as clues to a mystery more than a thousand years old. Peten hosts hundreds of Mayan Sites with most of them still unexplored. Among the few that are available for tourism are Tikal, Ceibal, Aguateca and Yaxha.
Peten – the Survivor Area
The State of Peten in the north of Guatemala has a surface of about 33.000 sq. km (12,740 sq. miles). In this part of Guatemala several agricultural communities settled about 4000 years ago. Soon they transformed into the most excellent civilizations of history and created the biggest cities in those days. In the area of Peten there are more than a hundred archaeological sites, some explored and partially recovered, others registered or only inventoried. Despite of the long history of settlements, the discovery of the Mayan cities is very recent. continue story
Continental Airlines offers Nonstop Service From Houston to Tikal/Flores, Guatemala
Continental Airlines announced a new nonstop service between Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Tikal/Flores, Guatemala. Continental will offer weekly service to Flores on Saturdays, using the 50-seat Embraer EMB-145 Regional Jet. Flores is the primary destination for travelers visiting Tikal, the largest site of Mayan ruins in Central America.
The approximately three-hour, 20-min. flight will depart Houston's Intercontinental Airport at 6:40 p.m. and arrive in Flores at 9:05 p.m. The return flight will leave Flores at 7:45 a.m., arriving in Houston at 12 noon. continue here
Guatemala Package
Mayan Treasures Package (10 days / 9 nights)
This is our best selling tour package including all main
areas of touristic interest and allowing you to see
the principal archeological sites in Guatemala and
Honduras.
Destinations: Tikal, Antigua, Lake Atitlan, Copan, Rio Dulce, Quirigua, Livingston & Chichicastenango. Book this package!
Security in Guatemala
The State Department's consular warning about Guatemala travel can certainly cause some concern. We would never claim that our country is 100% safe, but neither is any destination in the world. While safety in Guatemala is a valid concern, we do think the state department's warning may be out of proportion. So, here are some tips and more information:
Tourists, in general, are not a rare sight in Guatemala. Many travelers fear that they will stick out as tourists, but at any time there are several thousand tourists in Antigua, with as many around Lake Atitlan and Chichi - ditto for Tikal.
Generally, keeping a low profile and driving by day-light is always helpful. POLITUR (local tourism police) is monitoring the main highways and our drivers and local operators keep a low profile. Our business, itineraries, routes and passenger information is never made public in any way.
If you are still feeling a little uncomfortable about Guatemala travel, there are a number of things you can do to increase your safety. We recommend that you travel with an established tour company that provides you with full time guide service. It is also best to make sure that your guides are bilingual and local to the area. Local guides who grew up in the area are familiar with the people, politics and safety issues, putting them in a better position to help keep travelers safe.
Interested to know more about this wonderful region? We invite you to visit our Guatemala site at http://www.enjoyguatemala.com EnjoyGuatemala!
Continued: Survivor Area
Most of the Mayan cities were left around 900 AC – it took one thousand years until they were first discovered. Tikal, the greatest of the Mayan Cities was found in 1898, but it wasn’t until 60 years later that restoration began. Every year new discoveries are of temples, caves with paintings, murals, stelae and altars are made and little by little the mysterious veil that covers the Mayan history is revealing more and more interesting details.
Today Peten offers good tourist infrastructure including all sorts of hotels, restaurants, Internet café’s and many handicraft and souvenir stores. Activities such as horseback riding, bicycle tours, guided walks with botanical explanations and canopy tours are offered by various tour operators. Combine archaeology with adventure, the knowledge of medicinal plants, animal observation and spectacular visits of caves, dusk from steps of the temples or take long walks in the lush rainforest.
An excursion to the Peten is a different experience that satisfies even the most the most demanding tastes. Let us assist you with your next visit to Peten and we make sure it will be an unforgettable and long-lasting one!
Continued: Continental Houston - Flores
"Continental has been a strong supporter of tourism to Guatemala, with twice-daily nonstop service to Guatemala City from Houston, as well as weekly nonstop service from New York Liberty International Airport. This new service to Tikal/Flores only increases Continental's commitment to the country and tourism in the Mayan region," said Bob Cortelyou, Continental's Staff Vice President of Scheduling.
With the addition of Tikal/Flores, Continental will offer nonstop service to 11 Central American cities -- more than any other U.S. airline.