Most tourists spend an average of three days in Guatemala, visiting Antigua, Lake Atitlan and/or of course the Mayan temples of Tikal; these people miss a plethora of jewels in this beautiful, diverse and vibrant country with its rich history and proud people with a humbling generosity of spirit. We spent 16 days travelling through the country by mini-bus, chicken bus, 4x4 pickup trucks, tuk-tuk and boat and it still didn’t feel long enough to experience everything it has to offer.

A band of twelve adventurers from the UK, USA, France and Canada were lucky enough to be led and guided by Alejandro, an expert in archaeology and anthropology who is passionate about his country and Mayan history. He was also formerly a drummer in one of Guatemala’s top rock bands so what more can you ask for in terms of interesting conversation? Together with our excellent driver Walter, we were guided through what was pretty much an adventure trip of a lifetime.

You can understand why most people visit Antigua and Lake Atitlan. In the valley of Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we were surrounded by three volcanoes, one of which (Fuego) regularly puffed out smoke every few minutes. Watching this at night was pretty spectacular as the smoke turned into flames! The stunning colours of the colonial houses lining the streets, busy food and craft markets plus the local chicken buses all look photo-shopped even to the naked eye. A visit to a coffee plantation allowed us to be involved in the coffee-making process from picking the beans in the field, to roasting and grinding the beans before they ended up in the cup in front of us to finish off a lunch cooked by the plantation owners.

Staying on the shores of Lake Atitlan gave us the opportunity to watch the sunrise over yet more volcanoes and visit two very different towns that started to give us insight into the fascinating Mayan culture and history. San Juan, with its colourful umbrellas hanging overhead, gave us the opportunity to climb to a stunning vantage point overlooking the lake and visit a couple of local craft and trade co-operatives focusing on traditional processes including textiles and honey. Next was Santiago, where we learned about Cofradia Maximon, a traditional Mayan deity. I’m going to say nothing else here except this was an experience we obsessed about for the remainder of the trip!

As enjoyable as Antigua and Lake Atitlan were, it wasn’t until we left there and started to explore the traditional rural Mayan villages that we came across the beating heart of Guatemala. This is where the tour really comes into its own because the local knowledge and relationships with the local people developed by Alejandro adds something a bit special.

Via the town of Chichicastenango which is an assault on the senses with its bustling markets, colourful cemeteries celebrating the lives of the people buried there and the incense burning in the doors of the 400-year-old church, we made our way to the Quiche Province which is inhabited by the Ixil people, staying in Nebaj but also visiting Cotzal and Chajul. Although this is a beautiful and tranquil area of the country, with a distinct cultural personality represented by their art, their clothing and their trades, it has a troubled and sad history from the fairly recent civil war. The generosity of their spirit when telling us their stories is something that will stay with me for a long time.

Leaving the mountains of Quiche behind to make our way to Lanquin, we encountered our first bit of drama – a massive mudslide caused by heavy rain the day before was blocking our only road. I say drama but everyone was calm; this happens in Central America and we were a chilled group of travellers who had trust in our guide and driver. Sure enough, after liberating an overnight bag from our mini-bus and saying goodbye to Walter and our luggage for a day, we trudged through a field around the mudslide and got onto a bus that Alejandro had miraculously managed to hire for us on the other side and made our way just a couple of hours late to our next stop in the jungle.

After the cold nights in Nebaj (take warm layers!), we were glad to take advantage of a swim in the warm natural rock pools of Semuc-Champey, full of biodiversity, before taking to the road and water again to stay in the enchanted resort of Chiminos on the Petexbatun Lagoon. Alejandro described this as rustic but to most of us, it was idyllic. Isolated jungle lodges with views of the lake or jungle, the unforgettable haunting sound of the howler monkeys in the trees above us, taking a boat through the mangroves to explore the remote Mayan site Augateca ruins. Coupled with the fact that we were the only occupants of the lodges and the owners had a lovely dog called Max, meant this was my highlight of the tour, on a tour full of highlights!

And of course…there were the Mayan ruins. These defy description and need to be experienced. From remote Aguateca to watching the sunset over the jungle from the top of a temple in Yaxha, climbing the temples of Tikal to the incredible Mayan storytelling in evidence at Quirigua, this section of the tour may be considered by some as the icing on the cake. In reality, this tour was a cake full of icing! Each day brought new surprises and a new sense of wonder as we made our way through the country. We ended up at the Caribbean coast for a chilled end to the trip before visiting Guatemala City on the way home.

What I will take away most is my memory of people. The Guatemalans such as Delfina, who had learned English by listening only, telling us about her ancient practice of weaving in San Juan, Sebastian and Maria in Chichicastenango helping to fund their education by selling their crafts with a curiosity for learning about others, Felipe in the Quiche area who proudly curates a museum of artefacts detailing the sad history of the area and all the local families who hosted us for lunch along the way. The trip was made even more special by our travelling companions who were fun, friendly and kind. Plus, having had an idea for a book set in Guatemala when stuck by the mudslide, they are all happily forming my cast of characters and helped me with plotlines!

Wild Frontiers describe this tour as the quintessential Wild Frontiers adventure offering something for everyone, a journey filled with fascination and fun where the ancient and the modern worlds come together. It’s called Tikal and Beyond and it was…beyond amazing. Guatemala is so much more than Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Tikal. If you have a sense of adventure, are willing to be flexible with the definition of ‘rustic’, don’t mind packing layers, love to learn, yearn for the vibrancy of colour of Central America and want to experience a trip that delves deep into a culture led by an excellent guide, then book this now! I miss it already and I want to go back.