Santo Tomas - Livingston Rio Dulce Tour

[shepherdboy]

Hi everyone,

 

i'm heading down to Guatemala this November and i'm researching the area and tours offered for our stop in Santo Tomas. After reading through several threads, i came across a Rio Dulce boat tour with a gentleman named Gus. It sounds quite good - he seems to be highly recommended. Does anyone have personal experience with Gus recently? Thanks

[monicajay]

My experience with Gus was in Feb of this year. I booked through his web-site for his hotel and he was prompt to reply to all my e-mails and questions. I organized a group using our roll call on this web-site. In the end I had so many people interested I had them all contact Gus directly as it got hard to coordinate.

 

The highlight of the trip was the visit to the school in the rainforest. We hiked in about 10 minutes, up a hill but not too steep and met with the most wonderful children. They tried really hard to speak English and explain what they were doing. I was awestruck to see the Algebra on the white board in the middle of nowhere.

 

If you book, ask him if he has built my ladder yet. ;) It was funny but I got so hot at one spot I jumped off the dock. Others joined in but it was hard to get out of the water there and I made him promise he would build a ladder on the end of the dock "monica's ladder".

 

Best wishes and enjoy this port before it becomes over populated because of the tourists.

 

M.

 

PS the shrimp I had for lunch at his restaurant were the biggest I have ever seen. (lunch was included, I don't know if it still is)

[leennp]

I will be going on Gus's Tour next week, so I will post a review afterwords. Can't want to get there. Have had no problems getting emails back and forth to Gus.

[Tarheelbelle]

I will be going on Gus's Tour next week, so I will post a review afterwords. Can't want to get there. Have had no problems getting emails back and forth to Gus.

I am booked with Gus for my late November cruise. Look forward to leennp's review!

[bamboo]

I am trying to book this for the NCl Sun cruise thanksgiving week , but not heard back yet. Will have my mother and two aunts with us. How is this tour for seniors

[leennp]

We had three grandmothers on the tour with us, whose main problem was dealing with how hot it was, maybe later in the year would be better. While in boat with it moving, no problem, there is a shade canopy. Small amount of walking in Livingston. Getting in and out of boat was ok for them.

[stew300]

I have sent email twice in the past week to book a tour but have not had a reply. Anyone else having this problem?

[ontario]

Stew300, I too, did not get a reply from Gus after numerous emails. Another CC member tried for me and I still did not get a reply. I finally used my work email and it got through. Gus said he did not receive any of my other emails. I wonder if my virus scan or firewall was doing something weird. Long story short try using another email from another computer. Good Luck.

[paul914]

A large group of folks from both the Veendam and NCL ship took the Gus tour on 01 Nov 2006. Personally, I was a bit disappointed with the tour as there were several problems we endured. After the trip to Gus's hotel dock from Santo Tomas, we had to wait a half hour while 4 more passengers were picked up before Gus started the tour. This delay caused us to cancel the walking tour of Livingston. The Rio Dulce is very nice, and Gus's main boat handles well. With time running out, Gus planned to have his boat and another meet us at the Livingston dock. Unfortunately, he had to call on his cell phone several times to get the boats to meet us. By then, we were on the critical path to get back to the port on time. To add insult to injury, during our trip back from Livingston, Gus's boat ran out of Gas. The HAL passengers were transferred to another boat in choppy seas, and it was amazing that no one got injured. The second boat was very full (over-loaded) and it too had very little gas. With the extra weight, it barely made it to the port. Upon arrival at the port, I went to the security officer to inform him that several passengers were still in transit from Gus's tour. Fortunately, the security officer was aware of the situation, and did say that the Veendam would wait for the passengers to return. I was very thankful for this since Gus's tour is not ship sponsored. Guatamela has beautiful scenery, but Gus's tour management did not impress. I don't know how often this kind of thing happens, but Gus had over $3000 in his pocket when we ran out of gas. Very poor planning! :eek:

 

Paul

[Tarheelbelle]

Paul,

Thank you for posting this. We are booked on this trip with Gus on 11/29. I am sorry to hear of your troubles, and concerned for our upcoming trip. I have not read of anything like this in the many posts I have read up to now about this tour. How many were on this tour the day you took it? I am wondering if he has started overbooking and that may have caused the trouble. That boat situation sounds scary!

[marti2282]

Hey, Paul! Welcome home!

 

We were on the Gus tour with Paul and others from our Roll Call for the 10-28 Veendam sailing, and I have to agree with Paul. Things did get out of hand--no excuse for running out of gas. Also, we told Gus a number of times that "all aboard" was at 4:30 instead of 5:30 which we were told when we booked the tour. The other guide, Henry, said they just tell you that. But as we FINALLY motored into port and made it to the gangway, the brass stantions and the carpet was being rolled up. I never want to cut it that close again.

 

Tarheelbelle--I do think overbooking is an issue. We were in the second smaller boat--didn't run out of gas--but it really was over capacity. If fact my friend who as traveling with me and I joked about what to do when we capsized! It was on our minds. We had the extra folks who Gus left behind (they had reservations and a comfirmed departure time in an e-mail from Gus) and the boat was FULL. We were heavy and sitting so deep in the water that we were soaked by the time we got to port. Also the folks in the boat that ran out of gas, transfered to the "rescue" vessel, and beat us back to port. We were a "little" heavy! Marti

[kimsky]

Does anyone know which tours will be available with Gus for Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006. We will be on the Norwegian Sun stopping in Santos Tomas for the day. There is only three of us, two adults and a child. We would like to see the waterfalls, if possible. Also, if anyone can let us know how to get in touch with Gus directly (e-mail address).

Thanks:)

[rebsar]

I see Gus' email address everywhere on the boards but not his website.

I tried posadaelfin - it didn't work.

 

Can someone tell me how to get to his website???

 

Sorry for being so slowwwwww

[monicajay]

Hello Rebsar,

 

Here is the e-mail address I use when I contact Gus.

 

gustavo@turcios.com

 

He usually responds within 36 hours. Don't forget, internet (and electricity) is not as reliable as it is here.

[Tarheelbelle]

I see Gus' email address everywhere on the boards but not his website.

I tried posadaelfin - it didn't work.

 

Can someone tell me how to get to his website???

 

Sorry for being so slowwwwww

I have not actually seen a website for him. There is a website for Posada El Delfin [ http://www.turcios.com/eldelfin/home.asp ], but I couldn't find anything about Gus on it.

[cnjones1]

Anyone who has been on this tour... do you think it would be safe for a six month old? My sister and her husband are bringing their baby and I really want to find a tour that we can all go on together.

 

Thanks for any insight!

[monicajay]

I am a big fan of Gus but would not bring a small baby in on a trip of this sort. I would be concerned about safe and appropriate life jackets, the heat and high humidity level, the lack of flat ground for pushing a stroller, the mosquitos etc. etc.

 

Also, is it fair to others on a tour if a fussing baby ruins their trip? In a small boat there is no where else to go and no room to get up and "walk the baby".

[cnjones1]

I am a big fan of Gus but would not bring a small baby in on a trip of this sort. I would be concerned about safe and appropriate life jackets, the heat and high humidity level, the lack of flat ground for pushing a stroller, the mosquitos etc. etc.

 

Also, is it fair to others on a tour if a fussing baby ruins their trip? In a small boat there is no where else to go and no room to get up and "walk the baby".

 

I don't have kids, so I don't think about these things... thanks for your help! I guess it's not such a good idea :(

[BeadBabe]

Anyone who has been on this tour... do you think it would be safe for a six month old? My sister and her husband are bringing their baby and I really want to find a tour that we can all go on together.

 

Thanks for any insight!

 

 

CN...I just wanted to say...there was a woman on our boat with a baby about 6 months old. She and the baby did just fine actually. It's not a strenuous ride or walk...but this baby was "good" and slept thru most of it! :D

[cnjones1]

Thanks for your review and comment about the momma and baby... I will let my sister know!

[samtig]

Don't remember if this was Gus' tour or another one, but I read somewhere on cc there was a requirement that no one over 200 lbs. would be allowed on tour boat. Does anyone know if it's Gus' tour? We're going soon and DH is over 200 lbs. Thanks!!

[IDKaren]

Well I will meet Gus on Wed- will let ya'll know how it was!

[Tarheelbelle]

Don't remember if this was Gus' tour or another one, but I read somewhere on cc there was a requirement that no one over 200 lbs. would be allowed on tour boat. Does anyone know if it's Gus' tour? We're going soon and DH is over 200 lbs. Thanks!!

I did not hear of a weight restriction. There were some in our group in November that weighed over 200 and there was no problem with it.