Hello to Hummingbird highway Alumni

[calgarycoll]

Just a big hello and thanks to all fellow travellers on Hummingbird Highway

Thanks for putting up with sicky me and the loud mad party too much me. I had a brilliant time. Look forward to sharing memories and photos

Colleen

[anneholland]

Hi,
I am going on the Humminbird Highway next Feb. Tell me all about it...any tips, good things to see and do....Did you snorkel in Caye Caulker,
how was the camping?, any bugs, hot, cold, stuff to take or not take, etc.
Did you rent sleeping bag, mats? Do the tents keep the bugs out???
Thanks
Anne H.
annebird21@hotmail.com

[calgarycoll]

Dear Ann

At risk of getting in trouble for not putting this message in the right section of the various GAP forum's I will reply since I want it publicly noted what a great trip this is.

The Hummingbird Highway is a very active trip, very nice. There is plenty of time to rest inbetween travel days, but there is also opportunity for lots of activity, just walking, hiking, canoeing, climbing pyramids at Tikal etc.

The list supplied by GAP is good. It's good to bring at least a medium size dry bag for your camera and other day pack things for the canoe trip. I brought a full size one I could pack everything in and that was actually really good. Also I didn't need the backpack cover since I had this big dry bag. Less is more so pack as light as possible if you can. Makes hauling backpack from bus to hotel and generally around a lot easier.

There are not lots of bugs really, i mean nothing too horrible, and the tents are great, more bug free then the little cabins in a way (though there weren't many bugs in there). It's gorgeous, don't worry! Lots of bug spray is a good idea. Shoes you can walk in water with that are not flip flops are good if you plan to go caving. I figure I could have gotten away with my closed in teva style sandals and not hiking boots at all, but it's a preference. There wasn't major hiking, but closed shoes are a nice peace of mind at night when camping. I took my own equatorial sleeping bag from MEC, and a thermarest. brought silk weight long underwear extra warmth with was generally good extra long pants and shirt for the trip. I also highly recommend the Pristine water filtration bottle (also MEC) which I used constantly and worked like a charm, did not get sick from water at all. Very reliable.

Definitely bring a disposible underwater camera or two, do as much of the extra optional trips as possible as they are awesome. Do not miss ATM cave, snorkling is great and I also recommend the sunset cruise if you can do it.

Hope this helps. I highly recommend this trip. Very amazing, and will travel with GAP again forsure. I am used to travelling alone normally but I found the group dynamic very good and enjoyable. There is always someone interesting in doing what you would like to do, even if that means just lazing around, or partying late.

Cheers

Colleen
Hi,
I am going on the Humminbird Highway next Feb. Tell me all about it...any tips, good things to see and do....Did you snorkel in Caye Caulker,
how was the camping?, any bugs, hot, cold, stuff to take or not take, etc.
Did you rent sleeping bag, mats? Do the tents keep the bugs out???
Thanks
Anne H

[sweetp76]

Hi Colleen - thx for posting all the info on this trip
we are trying to decide b/w this one and a shorter costa rica trip since it will be our first time to c america
Have you been to costa rica? If you have which was your favourite country of all that you visited?
It's good to know you had a great time on the trip - do you have any pics?
Cheers,
Jacqueline