We spent 4 days in this relaxing and beautiful resort in April. The hotel is a 4-5 hour drive from the International airport and close to the border with Guatemala. The town of San Ignacio does not have much to offer, but the resort situated a few miles above the town is a quiet respite from the days excursions. The resort is spread over several acres of land, and the rooms are housed in cottages on top of the hill and offer a lot of privacy and great views. We got two neighboring cottages - one with a queen bed for us (the parents) and the other with two single beds for the kids. Both the cottages were air-conditioned, which is a plus during the warm afternoons. Both rooms came with balconies with hammocks and locally designed chairs, where one could relax. We spent most of the afternoons and evenings lazing on the balcony and watching the birds or the sunset over the horizon.
Since the resort is so far from anywhere else, it is all inclusive- in that all 3 meals are included. The meals are served in an unpretentious but clean and attractive dining room. A pair of friendly waiters greet you and read out the menu offerings (you get to choose between 2 or 3 items available). Once your order is taken, the food is freshly prepared and served up in style. The food was very good and the service even better. There is a small bar with a limited menu.
The resort has it's own pair of pet macaws that hang around the dining area and will talk and pose with anyone interested in taking pictures. There are also hiking trails and horse-back riding available.
The infinity pool which lies midway between the cottages is awesome and offers great views of the surrounding countryside.
While we were there, the only other people were a pair of German tourists and so it was quiet and relaxing.
We took a day-trip to Tikal, arranged through the hotel and it was an amazing experience, notwithstanding the terrible border crossing and the dishevelled roads in Guatemala and the lingering fear of being attacked by the then still festering rebellion. But we came back unscathed. Tikal is amazing and deserves to be listed among the top sites of the world. I wished that I could have spent a few days living in Tikal itself. We saw Coatamundis and monkeys, but little else in the way of wildlife, though the layout and the architecture and history of Tikal will fascinate most people. The tallest skyscraper in the Americas and maybe in the world for over 500 years was at Tikal till the Empire State Building went up in NYC.
We took another trip rafting through beautiful subterranean caves. Our guide Steven was superb and went out of his way to make sure that everyone had a good time, which included carrying our younger 11 yr old son on his back through the rock filled stream, to helping our 16 yr old swing on a rope and jump into the lagoon. Where else in the world would someone go out of their way to make sure that everyone is having a good time, when there is nothing at stake.
We took a couple of other trips, but the best part of this hotel is that you leave after breakfast on your trip, and when you come back, it is like coming back home. You enjoy the hot shower, the clean bed, the air-conditioning, the food and comfort. It feels just like what home should be, but often isn't. I wouldn't mind spending weeks here just lazying around and perhaps getting to write my first great novel.