Magic tour offer a 3-day lost city trek but it’s more expensive. Is it too strenuous to do the trek in 3 days? Has anyone have done that in 3 days?

Hello,

I'm wanting to explore Morocco and then head east to Egypt. My rough 3 week itinerary for morocco would be: (no particular order right now)
Fly into Marrakech
Travel to the town where it is all blue
Possibly do a 2-3 day Sahara desert tour
Casablanca
Essaouira
Tangier
I heard that fez and Rabat were not the greatest to visit. Is 3 weeks enough time or too much?

Then I want to go to Egypt (for 2 and a bit weeks) by the cheapest way possible seeing as flights are pretty pricey. Is it possible to do this by bus or train? I haven't found much information. If it's necessary I'm happy to take my time into Algeria, tusinia and libiya.

Thank you

Most of it below, without pics

Click here for full report.

Cheers.

Jon

Last time I did this trip in 2014 it would have been nice to see the ruins near the border but it would have been very difficult due to the fact that I had very little cash, only credit and debit cards. Fast forward 5 years armed with the experience of the last attempt and I made sure I would be able to see Yaxchilán this time. The name has been translated into several different meanings but eventually settled on "Green Stones" by a 19th century Mayan archaeologist.

$US ≈ 19 Mexican [i]pesos[/i] ($M) ≈ 7.6 Guatemalan [i]quetzales[/i] (Q)

[h1 left]Frontera Corozal[/h1] Back of beyond border crossing into Mexico from the equally back of beyond in Guatemala. Did this trip in 2014 with very few [i]pesos[/i] in my possession (traded for some on the bus with another passenger) and no bank to get more. This year came much better prepared so I would have enough [i]dinero[/i] for the trip to the ruins at Yaxchilán, a night in town, and transport to Palenque. All worked to perfection.

[b]Accommodation and food[/b] Don't remember the name of the place I stayed but it was around the corner from the full Pension Elisabeth. I paid $20 for my own room with absolutely obligatory AC, fan, cable TV, and a private bathroom with a great shower (hot water totally unnecessary) to rinse off the grime and grit covering me from head to toe after the all day journey in buses/pickup beds/semi cab/ferry.

Next to Elisabeth is Comedor Maya Ch'ol, ~$M75 or so for a huge plate of typical Mexican fare and another $M25 for large glasses of [i]aguas naturales[/i]. Been getting kind of addicted to tamarind. For breakfast before heading to the ruins, Nueva Allianza seemed to be the only place open early. $M80 or so for a good breakfast with real coffee, no Nescafe, [i]gracais a dios[/i].

[b]Transport[/b] $M100 for the [i]colectivo[/i] to Palenque (~2½ hours). If it's late, might have to take a share taxi to the main highway ($M120 for 4 pax, $M60 solo) and wait for transport coming from Benemérito de las Américas which is what I did first time crossing here. Q15 or equivalent in [i]pesos[/i] to cross the river to La Tecnica, Guatemala.

[b]Yaxchilán Ruinas[/b] I met a German couple by the office to arrange the boats and they already had another party of 3 lined up. The 6 of us were each charged $M250 for the round trip boat ride including 2 hours at the ruins. Surely longer can be negotiated but 2 hours was definitely enough for me as it was getting very [i]muy caliente[/i] by the time we left the site. Try to leave as early as possible as there were several tour bus loads at the site when we left. It is becoming very popular to do Yaxchilán and Bonampak as a long trip on a tour from Palenque. We left Frontera Corozal ~8:15 am and were back in town ~11:35 am. Pay the $M70 entrance fee at the office in town before taking off in the [i]lancha[/i].

[h1 left]Palenque[/h1] First city of consequence coming from northern Guatemala. Has everything a traveler would need and a [i]muy tranquilo[/i] atmosphere presumably because it was 100°F every day and more than a little humid.

[b]Accommodation and food[/b] Looked at a few places before settling on Hotel Kashlan again but this time took a room with AC and super clean private bathroom for $M400. Also had cable TV so I could watch the Boston Celtics get mercilessly crushed yet again by the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA playoffs. Ada, the proprietress, let me use the fridge and utensils so I could methodically eat my kilo of chilled mangoes purchased at the market for $M10.

Took a couple of massive breakfasts at La Oaxaceña for $M80, highly recommend eggs with [i]enfrijoladas[/i]. Cafe Campo around the corner from the hotel has crazy strong iced cortados for $M35. Half a grilled chicken with fixins from innumerable [i]asaderos[/i] runs $M70. Taqueria Express serves 5 tacos for ~$M45, huge [i]horchata[/i] for $M25 and near there is one of the ubiquitous La Michoacana juice/dessert bars with huge $M20 slices of flan Napolitano. Street [i]tamales[/i] $M10.

[b]Transport[/b] Buses to all quadrants of Mexico from the new ADO terminal but for Playa del Carmen or Cancún, much cheaper is the company based out of the office for the Ocosingo [i]colectivos[/i]. I took that bus in 2014 and it had to be the most arctic AC ever. For Cascadas Roberto Barrios catch a [i]colectivo[/i] from the market for $M50, takes about 45 min. $M30 entry to the falls, mid-week will be practically deserted.

[b]Overland to San Cristobal via Agua Azul and Toniná[/b] Left Palenque 8:00 am on an Ocosingo bound [i]colectivo[/i] arr Agua Azul (a.k.a., Blue Water) [i]crucero[/i] 9:25 am, $M50.

Share taxi to Agua Azul for $M25 pp. and the driver did not feel obligated to stop at the first [i]caseta[/i] saving us $M50 each. Stop at second [i]caseta[/i], $M40 each. Free bag storage at the info office.

Stayed just over an hour. Was a bit overrun with tour bus crowds and very touristy. Liked Cascadas Roberto Barrios much more.

Back to the [i]crucero[/i], 11:25 am catch [i]colectivo[/i] to Ocosingo arr 12:55 pm, $M50. 15-20 min walk to the market for [i]colectivo[/i] to Toniná, $M13 takes 20-30 min. Entrance fee $M60 free bag storage at ticket booth. Amazing pyramid can still be climbed, insanely hot. Nice museum. Retraced back to Palenque [i]colectivo[/i] staging area (same for San Cristobal) with a stop at the market for a $M60 lunch. To San Cristobal $M80 in share taxi left 4:45 pm arr 6:50 pm.

[h1 left]San Cristobal de las Casas[/h1] Mega hyped up colonial town on the gringo trail. If I didn't score an unbelievably cheap flight from here to Guadalajara (far from here but close to Puerto Vallarta from where I'm flying home next week) I'm not sure I would have missed much by skipping it. Good transport links to Oaxaca and Guatemala's western highlands.

[b]Accommodation and food[/b] Found Casa de Toño on booking.com but did not reserve because I wasn't sure if I'd make it here in one day from Palenque with the 2 stops en route. By the time I got here all they had left was a twin room for $M150, share bathroom and kitchen, drinking water, and WiFi. Next day I changed to a single for $M100.

Took a couple snacks, i.e., [i]quesedilla[/i] or plate of 3 or 4 tacos, at the small restaurants at the crafts market, $M30 for either. Hit 2 really good restaurants near the market on Insurgentes, Desayunos el Sol and Caminante las Casas, the latter $M45 breakfasts with bottomless coffee, first time I've seen that anywhere outside the U.S.A. Can grab fresh squeezed OJ in the street for $M15. Dozens of cafés litter the town including the reviled Starbucks.

[b]Transport[/b] Fastest way to Palenque is on [i]colectivos[/i] with a change in Ocosingo, $M100 each trip. Can occasionally get a really good deal on the OCC night bus for ~$M160, takes 9 hours via the indirect route. OCC also runs a few buses a day to the Tuxtla airport, a ridiculous $M200 for the 1¼ hour trip.

[h1 left]Guatemala City[/h1] Never stayed in the edgy capital during my 2 previous trips to Guatemala. After staying here for 2 days last week, it's fairly safe to say I did not miss anything. Did the tips based free walking tour but I didn't think there was much to see aside from the frenetic market where Q5 buys a bag of sliced sweet mango, not too shabby.

[b]Accommodation and food[/b] Reserved 2 nights at Capsule Hostel in Zona 1 for the sole purpose of being close to the buses for Cobán. Also in that 'hood are the luxury night buses to Flores/Santa Elena. The hostel is nice, probably the best showers in the entire country. Breakfast is really good pancakes, fruit, and real coffee. Paid $15 total. Cafe Nawal has an odd name but I'm pretty sure it's run by Arabs as Shwarma Nawal is across the street.

Hi there, 18yo female planning a gap year (beginning in January) which consists of 2/3 months in Australia, before travelling to South America. Struggling a bit with planning the South America part, so would be grateful for some advice on whether my rough plan so far is do-able. I have about 2/3 months that I can spend in South America, budget of about £3000.. not sure if that's enough/ if I'd have to cut out a country? Would love some advice.

Here's my rough plan for April-June in South America:
Fly from Cairnes into Lima
3 days Lima
Bus to Paracas
1 day Paracas
Overnight bus to Arequippa
3 days Arequippa (tour Colca Canyon etc)
Overnight bus to Cusco
6 days Cusco (Machu Picchu, rainbow mountain, Lake Titicaca)
Bus via Puno/Copacabana/Isle del Sol to La Paz
2 days La Paz (Death Road)
Overnight bus to Uyuni
(Either 2 days here, 1 day tour, then bus to San Pedro OR 3 day tour ending in San Pedro)
4 days in San Pedro (explore desert)
Fly or bus (via Calama or La Serena or Elqui Valley) to Santiago
2 days Santiago
Flight to Punta Arenas (then bus to Puerto Natales)
Visit Torres del Paine
Overnight bus to Ushuaia
3 days Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego National Park)
Flight to Buenos Aires
3 days in Buenos Aires
Overnight bus to Puerto Iguazu
2 days in Puerto Iguazu (Iguazu Falls)
Bus/flight to Rio
4 days in Rio
Fly home

The days spent in each place is only very rough, and if there are other places I should stop so I extend the trip please suggest!!

Thanks:)

Hi,

I'm discussing transportation and hotel with a driver for Petra and Wadi Rum this coming Thursday-Sunday. I'd love it if someone else is planning something similar and I could split the cost. My plan is:

Thurs 18 July
- Cross the border from Eilat to Jordan in the afternoon
- Get picked up by the driver at the border
- Go to Petra for the nighttime lights
- Stay in Petra

Fri 19 July
- See Petra
- Stay in Petra

Sat 20 July
- Go to Wadi Rum
- Do some activities / Jeep tour in Wadi Rum
- Stay in a camp there

Sun 21 July
- Get back to border

I'm 32 and have been traveling mostly around Europe for the past 2.5 months. I'm currently in Jerusalem for a few days. Let me know if you want to join or if you're already doing something similar!

Cheers,

Marshall

Hi! I will arrive P Natales on the ferry supposedly 4pm 1/28/20 and will then head to Torres del Paine. I am thinking it is too late 1/28 and to take morning bus 1/29 to Pudeto ferry to Mt Lodge Paine Grande from which to do 2 day hikes [in order to travel w day pack] both returning to the Lodge 1] to or past Refugio Grey on Lago Grey 2] to Mirador Britanico. I know M Britanico w return is a long day [10 hours?] but seems possible; comments? Can anyone estimate total altitude gains for either but especially Mirador hike?

I understand reservations are necessary and I expect to try to arrange one at Mt Lodge Paine Grande, but since the weather is so changeable and I would want to extend my stay if necessary once there, in order to complete these hikes in acceptable weather [visibility], can I expect this and other lodges to kick me out if weather necessitates longer stay beyond my reservation? If so, will it be possible to rent a tent? Or would it be necessary to just leave?

I then hope to take ferry and shuttles to Refugio las Torres area to stay for day hike to Mirador Base las Torres. Again I am unsure what to do about reservations, as I won't know my date of arrival until I finish the western hikes mentioned above which date depends on weather. Should I be able to make a reservation the day before? If there are no beds, should they be able to rent me a tent? Or is it impossible?

I should be able to do long day hikes with day pack, but due to back problems cannot do the loops/treks which require carrying heavy packs. The above 3 day hikes look best for my circumstances but I am interested if others agree or other recommended day hikes to consider.

I also wonder if I can expect lodges and refugios to accept credit cards.

I'll then head toward El Calafate for Cerro Torres and Fitz Roy for which I have similar questions. Will have to post in Argentina forum but perhaps people responding to this post have info on this area as well?

Lastly I understand temperatures about 55F day/35F night? Is this right?

Thx!