Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Alsointheworksisan
Anillo Departamental
allowingtrafficbetweenCA1andeastbound
Highway CA 9 to bypass traffic-congested Guatemala City altogether.
There is a relative absence of package tours from the United States to Guatemala, partic-
ularly as compared to Belize and Costa Rica. Still, there are a few good companies to re-
commend for travelers who want to visit Guatemala on a package tour or need the services
of an established tour operator. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but the following
come highly recommended for the quality of service and established experience.
Cayaya Birding
Bird-watchers will want to contact German-owned Cayaya Birding (tel. 5308-5160,
www.cayaya-birding.com
)
forinformationonGuatemala'sbirdinghotspotsandtoarrange
tripdetails,includingfullitineraries.KnutEisermann,anornithologistlivinginGuatemala
since 1997, runs the company.
Clark Tours
Highly recommended is Clark Tours (tel. 800/707-5275 U.S.,
www.saca.com/guat/in-
tro.html
),representedintheUnitedStatesbyMassachusetts-based SACATours.Thecom-
pany, established by an American living in Guatemala, has been around for 80 years. You
will probably come across the company's large, luxurious tour buses more than once dur-
ing your travels in Guatemala. Clark Tours has a variety of established itineraries and can
also tailor custom itineraries to suit the needs of the most discriminating travelers. Clark
Tours is also the local representative for American Express Travel Services and has offices
in many Guatemala City luxury hotels, including the Barceló, Westin Camino Real, and
Holiday Inn.
Cultural Embrace
Many people like to combine time abroad with the opportunity to help local communities.
Cultural Embrace (7201 Bill Hughes Rd., Austin, TX 78745, tel. 512/469-9089 U.S.,
www.culturalembrace.com
)
offers unique educational and cultural packages that serve as a
softintroductiontothewondersofinternationaltravel.CEspecializesinintegratingtravel-
ers with local communities through educational, humanitarian, and cultural activities, and
partnerswithalocallanguageschool.Popularwithhighschoolandcollegestudentstaking
their first trip abroad, CE takes some of the legwork out of planning an international trip
for the first time. Set departures are available, or ask for a custom group itinerary. CE can
also hook you up with an internship in Guatemala or with multi-week volunteer programs.
George's Travel Club of Guatemala
