Category Pages For: Destinations

Day-to-day blogs about the places already visited

Palenque - Ruins - 14
JUNE 2017: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: We made our way from San Cristobal de las Casas to El Panchan by public transport. In San Cris, we stayed in GRANDPAcking Standard accommodation: the Albufera Apartments. It was a small complex with about 8 apartments. Our 1 bedroom apartment came equipped with a kitchenette / lounge (with Cable TV), bathroom (with hot water), and Bedroom (with wardrobe and Cable TV). In Mexico, don’t bother about a TV. Unless you speak fluent Spanish it is useless. You will be lucky to get 1-2 English speaking Movie, Sport, and News channels. You are much better off getting […]

El Panchan & Palenque – Mexico – ...

JUNE 2017: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. For a detailed breakdown of Holiday and Retirement Costs, read about San Cristobal GRANDPAcking Costs. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Antigua, Guatemala to San Cristobal, Mexico by Shuttle Bus. The journey took 11 hours. ANTIGUA – GUATEMALA: I booked 3 nights in the Casa De Leon. For a more detailed look at hotel prices, read my Antigua – Information post. We got the room at a discounted rate of GTQ128 / night (US$17.50) including a free Breakfast for 2. The rooms are built around a cosy, central communal area with a TV. Our room was small […]

San Cristobal de las Casas – Mexico ...

MARCH 2017: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. For a detailed breakdown of Holiday and Retirement Costs, read about Zipolite GRANDPAcking Costs. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Lake Atitlan, Guatemala to Zipolite, Mexico by Lancha, Shuttle, and long distance ADO bus. In Lake Atitlan, I stayed in a GRANDPAcking Standard hotel: the Jarachi’k. I booked a Double Room with Cable TV and Private (hot water) Bathroom for GTQ100 (US$14.50) / night including Breakfast. I got this rate down from GTQ240 / night by booking 7 nights and paying up-front. I ended up staying there for 1 month. The Jarachi’k room was small but […]

Zipolite – Mexico – Information

JANUARY 2017: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: It is recommended that, if you plan to live in or travel in Central America for any length of time, you should try and learn some Spanish. I had already done Spanish Immersion Classes in Tlaquepaque, Mexico. I did nine 1-on-1 classes (of 4 hours each). I started from zero but it was enough for me to survive the first few months in Mexico. But, I had one big problem: I could get them to understand me but, when they spoke back to me, I didn’t understand a word that they were […]

San Pedro – Guatemala – Information & ...

JANUARY 2017: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Monterrico to Panajachel, Lake Atitlan via a stop-over in Antigua. In Monterrico, I stayed in a BELOW GRANDPAcking Standard hotel: the Hotel El Delfin. The room had a Private Bathroom but it was very basic. I stayed 8 nights and paid an average of GTQ100 / night. They provided free water all day and free coffee in the mornings. It was time to move on to Lake Atitlan … MONTERRICO TO ANTIGUA: Adventurous people can catch a combination of a ferry and local ‘Chicken Buses’ and get from Monterrico to […]

Panajachel – Lake Atitlan – Guatemala – ...

JANUARY 2017: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Antigua to Monterrico by Shuttle / Minivan. In Antigua, I stayed in a BELOW GRANDPAcking Standard hotel: the La Quinta Lucia. It had a Shared Bathroom. I booked a Twin Room at the Quinta for 9 nights and paid an average of GTQ143 / night over the New Year period. It is normal for hotels to TRIPLE their rates on New Year’s Eve. It is, also, common for them to DOUBLE their rates on Friday and Saturday nights. The Quinta room was comfortable enough and my room had a […]

Monterrico – Guatemala – Information

JANUARY 2017: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Flores to Antigua by overnight Luxury Bus. In Flores, I stayed in a BELOW GRANDPAcking Standard hotel: the Hotel Posada Tayazal. I booked a Twin Room at the Tayazal at a discounted rate of GTQ80 / night (US$11). I booked with BOOKING.COM and the booking was confirmed by email. But, when I got there, they did not have a Twin Room available. It was 5:00pm at night, so I didn’t have much choice. I had to accept the only room that they had available: a Single Room. We agreed a discounted price of GTQ50 […]

Antigua – Guatemala – Information

JANUARY 2017: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: After spending Christmas with my family in Belize, I ended up in Belize City (again). I had, previously, stayed in Belize City for 2 nights at the Downtown Bella Sombre. I paid US$45 / night. This was the most expensive hotel that I have stayed in over the past 2 years of travelling. But, in Belize City it is hard to find anything cheaper. It was not worth that price. The Bella Sombre room, itself, was OK. The hotel is secure and situated in an average area of town. But you don’t feel safe […]

Flores – Guatemala – Information

DECEMBER 2016: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: We made our way from Punta Gorda (Belize) to Livingston (Guatemala) by Water Taxi. In Punta Gorda, we stayed in a GRANDPAcking Standard hotel: the St Charles Inn. We got the St Charles at a discounted rate of BZ$95 / night (US$48). We booked 2 nights because we were arriving on a Sunday and the internet says that boats to Livingston only leave on a Tuesday and Friday. We were targeting the Tuesday boat. Just as well really … as we didn’t have a Parrot Permit: PUNTA GORDA TO LIVINGSTON: The information on the internet is wrong. Boats leave from Punta Gorda […]

Livingston & El Estor – Guatemala – ...

DECEMBER 2016: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Caye Caulker to Hopkins by water taxi and public bus. In Caye Caulker, I stayed in a GRANDPAcking Standard hotel: the Axios Sun Apartments. I got the Axios at a discounted rate of US$32 / night but a 9% tax and fixed US$15 Cleaning Fee where added to the base price. The result was US$40 / night. I was thinking of staying on Caye Caulker for a couple of weeks. I took one look at it on my day of arrival and decided that 3 nights was going to be enough. […]

Hopkins & Punta Gorda – Belize – ...

NOVEMBER 2016: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye to Caye Caulker by water taxi. In San Pedro, I stayed in a GRANDPAcking Standard hotel: the Hotel Ocean Paradise. I got the Ocean Paradise at a discounted rate of BZ$65 / night (US$32.50). It was time to move on to Caye Caulker to compare the two islands … SAN PEDRO TO CAYE CAULKER: Getting from San Pedro to Caye Caulker is easy: it’s a 30 minute water taxi ride away. You can catch a water taxi from the Ocean Ferry Terminal. The ticket is BZ$19 one […]

Caye Caulker – Belize – Information

NOVEMBER 2016: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Merida (Mexico) to San Pedro (Belize) by public transport. I stopped off to see some ruins on the way in both Uxmal and Calakmul (Xpujil). In Merida, I stayed in a GRANDPAcking Standard hotel: the Doralba Inn. I got the Doralba at a discounted rate of MXP469 / night (US$26) including Buffet Breakfast. It was time to leave Mexico behind and to head for Belize … the next country on my ‘around the world’ adventure. XPUJIL TO SAN PEDRO: I started the final part of my journey to Belize in Xpujil, Mexico (where […]

San Pedro – Ambergris Caye – Belize ...