Overall:
Our travel group was founded by a team of experts that bring together
over 75 years of experience exploring and researching the Barrier
Reef of Belize, the Rainforest, Mayan Ruins, Rivers and the exotic wildlife of
Belize, Guatemala and Central and South America. You will travel with our researchers, instructors, guides and explorers on incredible journeys to the
Eastern Hemisphere’s most intriguing and fascinating places.
These packages are organized into
"low-impact" expeditions--you don't need to be superwomen and men to
enjoy our tours. And for the "Laid Back Vacationer", you can enjoy the most
beautiful and relaxing vacations available anywhere!
Our
company is largely the culmination Dan Hawkins as Communications manager, and
Bob Wilkinson as operations and logistics coordinator. These two, in
collaboration with our resort location owners,
managers, guides, and all supporting staff members will enjoy bringing you on a
trip as diverse—or relaxing—as you wish.
State-side:
» Our communications and logistics offices are located in the U.S. Our
Information office is located near Providence, Rhode Island, in Attleboro, MA,
and headed up by Dan Hawkins
Company Co-Founder:
» Danial Hawkins
has
spent fourteen years as an Information Technologist, serving the needs
of numerous small-to-medium sized businesses in
and around Boston and Providence.
Dan’s experience includes working directly with an organization
dedicated to arranging individual and group travel to Belize and Central
America. He has traveled and interacted first-hand with students and local
managers in Central America, which has given him an intricate understanding of
the specific academic and travel needs involved with arranging a smooth and successful
trip to the barrier reef and rain forests of the region.
Upon Dan's first trip to
Central America, with his then-15-year-old son, he learned to love the land, as
he had already helped so many others to love. All the talk he had heard in
arranging trips for others—all the experiences related—they all fell into place now.
Dan and his son enjoyed
sharing part of their trip with a high school group, and seeing the interactions
of the kids... This was what Dan wanted other kids to be able to
experience.
NOW he is helping as many kids and
teachers to enjoy the splendor of "The Central American Experience"
with as many as he can.
"Try our Central
American Beauty... take our website for a spin, as a sample."
Stop by the
"Contact" page, and let us know your "hopeful
dates"... We'll gladly outline a proposal for you... and we're sure you'll
be pleasantly surprised with our great discount travel!
Click Here To Contact Us for more details!
Stateside Reservations and Logistics Experts:
» Robert and Lynn Wilkinson, our logistics
experts, will arrange all of your trip's details from our Florida offices. They
are close to the lands of Central America, which they have grown to love so
dearly, and have been known to leave for Belize in little more than a moment's
notice, to enjoy the excitement of accompanying a group or two on their trip to
Belize.
Their extensive experience has
concentrated upon academic, family, and group travel to Belize, and all seven
Central American countries as well as the Yucatan area of southern Mexico. They
are particularly experienced in all facets of travel to Belize, including
academic and adventure trips in the rain forest and beach vacations on the
living barrier reef.
Robert and Lynn have worked for over 10 years in the region. They have traveled
at great length throughout the entire region, and have met and drawn close to
many property owners, having developed close working relationships with
these. These include a full range of properties and ground operators, including
those who specialize in Group Travel.
You benefit from all of our
excitement to prepare group and individual itineraries of all kinds—suited for
all types of travelers' special needs, interests and budgets—including yours!
You will get your own specialized, memorable itinerary, whether you are a
School group, Family group, Adventure seekers, Nature lovers, Sports
enthusiasts, Honeymooners, Historians or Archaeologists.
And we have been able to combine
MANY trips with some of the lowest airfares to be seen!!
Click Here To Contact Us for more details!
Belize Rainforest
Specialist:
» Ignacio Coc, A botanist by profession, Born and raised in the Indian
village of Blue Creek, Ignacio has been a community and business leader there
since his teenage years. He is not only an expert on the Mayan culture which
flourished in Mesoamerica over 3000 years ago, You will also learn from him, in
details, the teeming variety of life within Belize’s intricate ecosystem.
Ignacio has been hosting groups for the last 10 years in
his native Blue Creek in coordination with the Indian Maya community.
Participants get to interact with families and specially school children during
the visit. This adds a totally new perspective to your learning experience. He
travels regularly to the USA to meet with students and talk about his culture
and the many faces of Mesoamerica.
Onsite expeditions expert:
» David
L. Kuhn, Zoologist
and botanical explorer, David is an explorer-in-residence at the Maya Biosphere
Reserve in Peten.
Married to a Guatemalan,
David has spent over 28 years living in Northern Peten. For the last two decades he has
actively contributed to the local community and assisted government officials,
recommending and helping implement approaches for the conservation and
sustainable use of the forest’s biodiversity. David, assisted by his
wife, and now also their daughter, have forged solid relationships in the Peten
communities in which they live, and their communities are happy to assist David
in all ways. Because of Mr. Kuhn's extensive life experience, many government
and travel industry officials look up to him for leadership in his field of
expertise.
Prior to moving to Peten, David owned and operated his own Zoo
near Disney World in Central Florida. During
his years as a Zoologist in Kissimmee, Florida, David traveled extensively
through the rain forest of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil to learn more
about wildlife behavior, climate, and geology and mammal diversity. It was on
one of his return trips from South America, that he stopped in Central America
to visit Tikal. While there, he was able to listen first hand to the constant
hum of the biological activity of the rainforest that 2 years later brought him
back to that same spot. Wanting to make a contribution to this fascinating
region David returned to Peten where he built the first facility on Lake Peten
Itza (Gringo Perdido) catering to the needs of individual groups and tailoring
activities according to specific interests. He takes care of al of
the logistics, with specially crafted itineraries that offer enriching
activities for all ages. David has the skills to design itineraries for the must
demanding schools as well as itineraries for families and vacations with
children in mind. He is eager to share with you a unique learning experience and
immerse you, your group or family, in a remarkable expedition.
Our expeditions instructor/guide:
» Antonio Cuxil - Multilingual,
Master Archaeologist by profession, Antonio graduated from the University of
Houston, Texas where he keeps very close academic ties and attend annual event
related to the environment. Antonio is well known and has worked extensively
with travel and educational institutions throughout Europe. He has spent most of
his adult live mastering the Mayan Culture and the region’s Biosphere reserve.
Antonio guides groups in English, Spanish, French and German. He is also fluent
in Maya-Cackchiquel. Antonio will lead the expeditions and coordinate all
educational activities enabling you to disconnect from your daily routine in an environment of constant learning, adventure and
thinking.”
"Tourist guides are intermediaries, transmitting knowledge between
archaeologists and the public... As such, it is important that archaeologists
share with tour guides their current discoveries and theories, so that guides do
not have to rely on and perpetuate the popularized stereotypes that many Maya
consider degrading. For example, guides (and archaeologists/ anthropologists)
need to convey much more detailed information on the entire sweep of Maya
history, so that modern people are not considered separate from or less
important than the ancient societies. Furthermore it is appropriate that Maya
people also derive a more equitable benefit from the capital that this industry
generates, and that they be accorded a much larger role in its different
projects. Maya heritage must not be considered as simply a resource for others
to mine."
