Guatemala
The spectacular ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Tikal are one of the few sites in the world that adventurers simply must see before they die. Declared a National Park in 1955, Tikal became a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage site in 1979. There are over 3000 structures on the site including immense temples, squares, and even a bureaucratic town center. Hidden within the dense jungles of Guatemala, the site is spectacular not only for its extraordinary cultural importance but also for its immense variety of flora and fauna.
The best way to see the park is to spend the night in one of the lodges located in the park and then enter the park when it opens around sunrise. The sounds of the jungle waking up will arouse you much more effectively than even Guatemala's famous coffee. Howler monkeys seem to shake the very foundation of the jungle. Brilliantly colored birds such as Toucans grace the branches above and the raccoon-like Quatemundi patrol the floor. Tikal is simply a place that will steal your breath away and never let you forget.
