Flashback Friday (Guatemala)

Tubing Snap

Tubing 

Although a few years ago now this was one of my favourite lazy activities to do in Guatemala was Tubing. Whilst others in my group were caving or hiking up some hill, 4 of us grabbed a inner tube from a tyre and head to the rivers in the caves. And don’t worry they supply the car tube! SO no need to go nicking your tour guides wheels! (This is on a budget tour, you can pay a bit more for proper rubber rings but thats less fun!)

They will tend to provide:

• Tube
• Lifejacket
• Head torch
• Tour guide
• Some take professional photos

Even if it sounds a bit basic it was an easy and fun way to see the caves. Starting out in the forest we waded into the clear piercing blue river that slowly moved along in the hot sun. Like sitting on a hot beach! Only thing is that the tyres did heat up…alot. But it was so peaceful! You can see the little fish in the water, hear and see the tropical birds and monkeys around you in the forest. Perfect!

One of the best parts though was definitely going through the caves. It can get a bit dark (don’t worry they give you a head torch), and at points the river is so lazy you may have to paddle a bit. Inside the caves though is highly impressive. First thing you may notice is the temperature will drop but not too much. The ceilings can be low or high, with marks and rocks shaped from years of water trickling down and through. My favourite part came in one of the larger caves where we stopped and hopped onto a little island with a tall rock/nautral platform. At the bottom of it was a deep plunge pool and our guide proceeded to jump straight into…and after bit of convincing we tried ourselves. Definitely worth a try!

The guides do this everyday so are very helpful, local and show you the best sights, parts and help you through safely. Personally ours was a lovely local guy, always with a smile on his face

The whole tour took about 2hours, but there was no rush and it may vary depending on the pace of the river or time of year.

Things I would suggest taking:

• swimwear
• waterproof/surfing/diving shoes (something lightweight to provide grip)
• sunscreen
• waterproof camera (not a necessity but recommended)
• towel
• dry clothes

Group Photo

Enjoy!

Liv x