Kasturi and I made a 17-day trip to Guatemala in 2013 with our then 10-month old daughter Kavya. This is the first post in the Guatemala series. Here, I will share our experience of visiting Semuc Champey, a Natural Monument in Guatemala.
It was May 2013, and I had recently returned from India with Kasturi and our three-month-old daughter Kavya. While we were still busy adapting our lifestyle with Kavya, I started planning our next trip. It would be our first big trip with Kavya. I think it was Tikal – a complex of Mayan ruins that put Guatemala on my radar.
Trip Planning
As I read more about Guatemala, I was fascinated by what this Central American country had to offer. Over the next few months, we finalized our plan.
We would fly in and out of Guatemala City and stay there for one day on arrival and departure. We would spend 15 days travelling across the country staying in Semuc Champey, Flores, Antigua and San Pedro a town on the southwest shore of Lake Atitlan.
Guatemala City
We arrived in Guatemala City on December 14. We had booked our stay with Dos Lunas and arranged for a driver to pick us up at the airport. Late in the afternoon, we arrived at Dos Lunas bed and breakfast run by a friendly Dutch/Guatemalan couple.
We stayed in Guatemala City for just one night. The next day we made our way to the hotel Camino Real, where a collective shuttle coming from Antigua would pick us up and take us to Lanquin. We had booked Utopia Eco Hotel close to Semuc Champey, where we would be staying for four days.
Lanquin
The shuttle arrived at 9:45 am, and it was packed. Since we had a 10-month old with us, the driver asked the guy sitting in the front to take a seat in the back. Kasturi took the seat, and Kavya was in her lap. My seat was the van’s console box for the next seven hours.
We arrived in Lanquin at 5 pm. John Wilbur, the Utopia Eco hotel owner, had arranged transportation for us – a pickup truck. I was surprised to see a Mahindra (Indian brand) pickup truck in Lanquin. Kasturi sat in the front with Kavya. I was in the back with other backpackers hanging from the rack.
Lanquin to Utopia Eco hotel is around 10 km, but it took more than 45 minutes to reach the hotel. The road, at places, was worse than a Forest Service Road here in Canada. It was a bumpy but scenic ride to the hotel.
Utopia
It was dark by the time we got to Utopia. We had booked a river cabin, but there was no electricity for the night. After a quick dinner, we turned in for the night.
It was only the next day, we appreciated this hotel’s beauty – it was aptly named Utopia.
Our river cabin and surrounding premises.
Utopia hotel common area –
Utopia serves only vegetarian food. Given the remote environment, the options are limited but the food is great.
We were the odd ones at Utopia – a family with a 10-month old among all the young backpackers. But the staff at Utopia made our stay comfortable. Especially Alice and Jemma, who even offered to babysit Kavya so that we could go river-tubing.
Lanquin is known for Semuc Champey Natural Monument, cave exploration and river tubing. Throughout the day, backpackers would depart for different tours, but we took it easy. We had three more days at Utopia, and the only place we wanted to see was Semuc Champey.
Semuc Champey
John at Utopia arranged transportation for us to go to Semuc Champey.
As we arrived at the entrance, the ranger asked if I was from Guatemala. Citizens pay a lower entrance fee compared to foreign nationals. Then he looked at Kasturi and asked the same question, with a “she has to be from Guatemala” expression. It was tempting, but I said no.
We asked about the hike to the viewpoint, but the ranger advised against the hike, and with the baby, he thought we couldn’t do it. Kasturi and I felt comfortable, so we continued.
As we got on the trail, we understood the ranger’s concerns. It had been raining for the last few days, and the trail was muddy and slippery.
After 45 minutes, we were at the “El Mirador” – a viewpoint for the turquoise pools formed on the natural limestone bridge over the Cahabon river.
We had seen some incredible turquoise coloured pools in Havasu in Grand Canyon. Still, these pools were unique in their location and cascade structure.
After a brief rest, we descended to Manantiales – where the Cahabon river goes under the limestone bridge. It was beautiful and scary at the same time.
We continued our hike along the pools to get back to the park entrance. Up close, we had a different view of the pools and it was beautiful. No wonder, Semuc Champey is a popular destination in Guatemala.
Hike Back to Utopia
As we took a break, I managed to have brief conversations with the locals. Kavya was the center of attraction as people wanted to hold her. Kavya was enjoying all the attention. Over the next two weeks in Guatemala, most of our discussions with locals would start with Kavya.
Utopia was 3.5 km from Semuc Champey, and we were feeling good, so we decided to walk back to the hotel.
The tropical landscape was beautiful. It was lush green, dotted by small houses and surrounded by hills. At times, it felt as if I was in Southern India. It took us almost an hour to get back to Utopia.
Semil
Over the next two days, we explored the villages around Utopia. Semil, a village with probably 15-20 houses, was one of them.
The staff at Utopia provided some directions, and after lunch, we were on our way. Our plan was to cross the first bridge, walk along the river, cross the next bridge and then walk back to Utopia. Sounded simple, but the trail was much more interesting.
Once we crossed the first bridge, the trail got narrow and muddy. It got progressively worse, and I was kicking myself for getting Kasturi and Kavya into this mess.
After about 20 minutes, we were at the next bridge. We were exhausted. Kavya was already asleep in the baby carrier.
The next day, the hike was still muddy but more enjoyable as we didn’t venture out any narrow trails.
On December 19, we left Utopia after an early breakfast. John had arranged transportation for us to get to Lanquin. From there, we would take a shuttle to Flores, our next destination. More to come in my next post.
Resources:
Accommodations: Dos Lunas | Utopia Eco Hotel
Lonely Planet: Thorn Tree Forum | My Report
The family that inspired us to visit Guatemala – Family without Borders
Disclosure: I am not affiliated with any of the individuals or organizations mentioned in this post.
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