6-Day El Mirador Trek: Mayan Ruins Expedition

I have to say that the contact and service from LokalTravel were very good. The guide and the crew who accompanied us on the trek were also very friendly and professional. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the office staff. At times, the communication felt a bit unclear and slightly unprofessional, which left a somewhat questionable impression. The trek itself was okay, but I expected more from the forest experience. I found large parts of it rather repetitive and not very exciting. We did see monkeys occasionally, but for example, toucans were only spotted near the camps. As someone who loves Mayan ruins, I was quite disappointed that we only saw a very small part of El Tintal. El Mirador was interesting, but apart from the main pyramid, La Danta, nothing really impressed me. Considering that excavations have been ongoing for over 40 years, I expected more visible structures and restored areas. If I had to choose again between doing this trek and taking a day trip to Tikal, I would definitely choose Tikal — ideally arriving at 6 a.m. without a guide to fully enjoy the atmosphere.

Best trek of our lives! The Carmelita CoOp team was amazing! Always felt safe and supported. Meals were wonderful and all was prepped before we got to camp. Dream trip! Interpreter and guides were extremely knowledgeable. Thank you Hector and Adrian!!!!

I was to be picked up at 5am at my hotel in Flores. Nobody arrived. Finally, I reached someone via WhatsApp. They had no record of me and the van had already left (it was now 5:45). At last, I got them to get the van to turn around to come back for me. They claimed that Lokal had not paid them. I had paid the deposit through Lokal and had the rest that was owed in hand to give them. They then wanted me to give them more money on top of that saying what I had was not enough (even though all the paperwork from Lokal specified that amount). Fortunately, I had a very good e-mail trail. Then they said the reason they did not know about me was that someone got drunk the night before in their village. Once the actual trek started things were very good. But be aware of problems like I had. And definitely keep a very good e-mail trail and other records. I'm not sure if the blame belongs with Lokal or the Carmelita Cooperative people. Either way, I don't think I'd risk working with either one again. But on a positive note the guide and staff on the trek were very good. And it is a unique experience that even with the above mentioned "challenges," I would do it again.