they charged us 400Q when we arrived at Livingston we realised we had been whipped off and had paid more than twice the price it should have been.

Furthermore, they charged for every little thing.

but I felt like he was just trying to sell me on his day tour (which he probably makes a decent commission on, since the costs add up to about 40Q but he charges 90Q).

I honestly didn't know it was possible for chicken to be that gristly, and to be charged that much was upsetting.

The hotel is based on the river and the hostel charges 20 Q per boar service (per person, one way) so you rather pay or have to eat there.

Food is overpriced, jacusi was cold and not working, they charge for any trips in town or for kayaking.

We were disappointed that the charged us 80 Q to pick us up at Brunos and return.

In my view the food was expensive and average, a small cup of unpleasant coffee costs Q10, all extras are charged for including water bottle refills.

At the end if you want to pay wit your credit card they charge you 8%, i just don't know why?

Ask for help for onward travels and activities to Josué, he is very helpful and friendly.

but friendly staff ended the night ok.

Can’t for the life of me understand these reviews.

Food was very good and the staff friendly.

People are very friendly and helpfull in arranging activities and transport.

The owners and staff are really friendly, and the history of how the owner built ALL the hotel by himself is worth hearing from himself or his daughters, they even helped me locate the embassy in Guatemala City and I wasn't even staying there anymore.

She is the best woman: Strong and soft at the same time (as many of latin american women), so friendly and always trying to give you a little extra something to your menu choices that are great!

The owners Gary and his wife Graciella are a very friendly couple with lots of helpful hints using local transport and guides.

Gary was so friendly and helpful with ideas for day trips and general advice.

The other staff are very friendly and helpful.

The staff are friendly and helpful pointing out places to see and organizing tours.

Rooms are basic, and they have a nice dorm room with bug nets.The staff is super friendly and accommodating.

Very friendly Aussie owner who welcomed us to their riverside wooden cabin lodge/hotel.

However the female owner is more focused on making profit/doing business than being helpful and friendly.

I think because they were so nice and friendly the other guests were as well creating a very nice ambiance.

Deni and Dale are so friendly they made it seem like I had known them so much longer.

Aussie owner is really friendly and welcoming and will pick you up on a boat from Rio Dulce town.

The owner, Gary, is friendly and helpful with recommending and helping you set up excursions or the next leg of your journey.

Paid for best room--a little cabin. Filthy!

Greg helped us figure out our own tour of a hot waterfall and canyon which was really fun and not that expensive.

Restaurant is a bit pricey, meals start around Q40/45, breakfast is around Q35.

However, when we paid our tab at the end of the trip, we realized we spent ways more money than we had expected.

The Mexican food they offer is delicious - a bit pricey though.

Even eating outside, in the city, doesn't worth is cause you will have to pay for the boat.

The staff were unhelpful, you have to get there by water taxi and every time you want to leave to get to Rio Dulce town, you have to pay 20Q.

but the boat into town costs 20Q so there are literally no other options for food here.

3) When we asked Gary to drop us somewhere that actually had nice food for dinner (the only way to get around is by boat), he went missing after trying his utmost to deter us, despite us being willing to pay his extortionate fare for the boat ride just to escape for a few hours.

you have to take a taxi or the owner,s boat, both at a fee.

The only complaint I have is that the food is too expensive and you feel a bit taken advantage of considering the location.

The journey the next day was much of a muchness (we did, in fact, join up with some other Kangaroo residents on our shuttle journey in the morning, and I think they left slightly earlier and paid slightly more).

We had dinner the first night; it was mediocre and pricey.

The manager went absolutely above and beyond to help us work out what to do in the area, booked our tours and even booked our tickets on the midnight bus back to GC (a tricky process where the staff collected hard copies of our tickets in town).

The owner is a good guy, he had friends over and they were all very polite.

The owners are nice and very helpful and freely give information about the area, possible tours and your onward travels.

Gary the owner couldn't do enough to make us feel at home .

Picked up by hotel worker and the hotel owner's drunk son, who spoke nonsense to us the whole boat ride to the hotel.

The day after we went for Belize and again he was really helpful in explaining how to get to our next destination.

After we arrived really late at Hotel Kangaroo (free pick-up by boat) owner Gary let us first have diner, before joining our table to explain what we could do in the area.

We had a private room here and throughly enjoyed our stay the owners, Gary and Graciela are perfect hosts.

Greg and his wife are very accommodating hosts with cute and lovable dogs and cats.

We were stupid to be so trusting of the owners.

Hostel run by a nice Mexican/Australian owner couple and nice staff.

The couple running the Hotel is super helpful.

Gary the owner and one of the best hosts I've met has really outdone himself with his hotel.

My comment to Gary the owner was "You've got a nice piece of paradise here"
Information about tours, buses was excellent.

The WiFi worked only in the main building,

but this is not the part of the world to be looking for dependable internet service.

5) The wi-fi is terrible, they might as well not have any.

The wifi is very limited so do your important stuff before you go.

The dogs are a joy :) The wifi was pretty poor and often didn't work at all, so get any important communication done before you get set up there.

Adding: WIFI was very poor and they don't allow to Skype conversations.

Wi-fi was dicey--it's satellite internet so apparently not reliable.

The internet wasn't working most of the time, I finally figured out that Gary doesn't want his wi-fi bill to be high so he simply cuts off the internet and pretend he doesn't know why it's not working.

They've got satellite internet so no skype or videos here -

Hotel Kangaroo

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Be aware that there's not an overabundance of things "to do" at the site. One can go off-site on boat trips -- we took the collectivo to Livingston and enjoyed that day a lot -- and take out kayaks, and jump off the floating platform for a quick swim,

Leo and Rudy introduced us to amazing people who assisted us in boat repairs and possible boats available for purchase.

Just a 5 min boat trip you will reach this beautiful place in the middle of nature.

They are super quick with pick up when you arrive if you don't have a boat (once I got picked up from the available parking across the river and once from the public dock) and the buildings are lovely with a great view.

but loads of fun, starting with the boat ride across the river from the secure parking lot.

Lovely spot just a few minutes by boat from the centre of Rio Dulce.

They also offer a shuttle boat to Livingston, a nearby town that’s worth a look.

It is an easy boat ride from a fantastic national park/reserve area.

so I count myself lucky to have spent two days here.. relaxing, reading, swimming and generally just lazing around,  watching the yachts come and go.. there were quite a few moored up whilst I was there..restaurant overlooks the river and there is a complementary boat to ferry you back and forth to the main town..if you ever feel like venturing further.

Boat ride along the river to the open sea and livingstone is a must.

Took a boat to get to it, which is so cool.

You needed to get a quick boat ride from town to the hotel which is on the edge of the river.

It was easy to get I to town via boat or by foot.

You can only get here by boat launch arranged by the hotel which helps to make you feel away from it all.

We left our boat at Tortugal in April 2016 until April 2017 to have some work done by Byron, the marina manager, and his crew.

We thank Byron the Dockmaster for introducing us to efficient service providers we needed for small boat repairs.

They came to get us at the bus stop and the boat ride was very short (5 minutes max)
The restaurant is very good

We took a short boat ride to the Tortugal River Lodge and the location by the water is just lovely.

People come here either to take a boat to Livingstone or to visit Quirigua Archeological Zone.

The bathroom itself has no door which is a concept we are not fond of, there are some things you dont want to share.

but no teaspoon to use it with, loud music coming from next door property).

Upon arrival, you’re greeted by their two friendly, furry friends, Pablo and Garcia.

The rooms are clean, the bed is comfy, the staff are extremely friendly and helpful.

The food is amazing, staff is very friendly and it offers transfer to the nearby harbour.

although the male staff were friendly and attentive.

And with a smile from (didn't get his name), the tall, very friendly and helpful — as everyone was — young man at the reception desk.

As if that weren't enough, dining each morning and evening on the rio, fabulous food albiet a slightly limited menu served by wonderful super friendly and warm staff has made this an incredible stay.

The room was quaint, staff were friendly, and the restaurant on the water where we ate all our meals was good value.

The staff are friendly and provide good service.

The grounds are gorgeous with lots of plants and animals (in addition to El Jefe, there were 3 friendly cats, ducks and ducklings).

Friendly staff, good food and nice relaxed atmosphere made for an enjoyable time.

The location on the riverside, the bungalows sorrounded by vegetation, and the friendly staff just made it perfect.

El Tortugal's staff are all exceptionally friendly people and provide excellent service.

We thank everyone for being so kind and friendly.

The Tortugal Boutique River Lodge is near these landmarks: Grutas El Encanto, Zach Trips, Cueva Del Tigre, Rio Dulce, Playa Sand Bay, Seven Altars, Playa Blanca, Go With Gus Tours, Viajes y Transportes Nemo and Reggae on the River

The lodge is directly on the water with a small marina, a well appointed common area with bar and restaurant overlooking the river.

The Tortugal River Lodge has three parts;

a marina which is similar to all other marinas (give or take) in the area.

We were guests in their lodge as well as marina guests.

Sonya was a ray of sunshine and very helpful in our quest to experience Rio Dulce, Fronteres and helping us get to know the cruising community there.

Unfortunately, the payment of the bar and restaurant is not well coordinated and we had to pay for drinks we didn't order.

I complained to the waiter and he told me Sorry I can't help you this is what you ordered. Unacceptable.

Finally, they did make the pizza we’d asked for, an hour after we ordered.

It lasted until midnight - and absolutely ruined the quiet atmosphere -- and sleep and left us angry.

There are resident animals (dog, cats, ducks), and you can hear all the jungle animals at night.

You can hear all the animals at night and you know when a new day begins.

The only downside was that there is literally no soundproofing between the rooms so we were woken up at 4am on the last day to our room neighbours squealing about the fact they had a frog in their toilet!

On our second night, we lost power (this happens in Rio Dulce) and the hotel had generators online in minutes.

but cops the noise of the trucks going over the bridge using their air brakes.

The bungalows are adorable and you here all the jungle like noises to fall asleep to and wake up to.

Even as far away as the Castillo, the sound of the trucks was omnipresent.

The water in Izabal and Rio Dulce is the perfect temperature and so this makes it an absolute pleasure to spend time swimming and enjoying it!

Rio Dulce was a very pleasant surprise en route to Tikal.

a restaurant with a similar menu to the rest of Rio Dulce.

The hotel will pick you up and take you back to Rio Dulce for free.

Amazing atmosphere and very helpful staff.

Jeff the current manager is a legend and the most attentive barefooted reasturant manager you've ever met.

The female staff could smile occasionally

but everyone is eager to help, and patient.

We swam out to the diving platform in the river and the staff arranged a blanche to take us to livingston.

The lodges are priviate and discreet, the food is nice and fairly decent priced.

Food is great, Fab bar great staff.Plenty of books and games and a massage room..Had a lovely chat with Daphne the owner.. her philosophy and whole ethos of Tortugal is just  fantastic.

We also booked a private boat to Livingston and ended up doing so through a man at the public dock instead of through Tortugal as the price was a fair bit cheaper booking it directly, and the boat captain picked us up right from Tortugal.

but read our books on the shared patio while sipping cocktails and others we arranged to go on tours of the Rio with the staff.

but are very helpful if you ask questions about arranging transportation or excursions.

Tortugal Boutique River Lodge

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The restaurant has a good selection of meals, friendly staff; be sure to ask for a medium steak if you want rare, asking for rare will result in blue rare.

And the staff were amazing super helpful and friendly.

Very friendly people, price is perfect for this paradise  they offer so many things to choose.

The staff is very friendly and our room was clean and had all the necessities I including air conditioning which you really need as its hot hot and humid there.

The rooms are clean, the staff friendly and helpful, and the food superb.

The jungle feeling is enhanced with a number of Agouti roaming around the grounds.

The location, the hotel grounds were absolutely beautiful.

The grounds are pretty stunning and it's very tranquil.

We even got to watch a paca on the grounds a few times, which we totally enjoyed.

The hotel grounds are nicely kept with lots of plants & flowers.

We drove from Antigua midweek and were so surprised and happy that the hotel and grounds were so pretty.

The grounds at the BP's are spectacular, having its own birding show from your front deck.

Major improvement area is the swimming pool area, not suitable for the night since there are no lights, also the floor around the pool needs some repair.

There were no light fixtures on the lights.

I reached over and turned on the bedside light, to find a roach, just sitting there.

Hardly anyone was ever in the large adult pool, so we took full advantage of that.

I did not use the pools since it was raining,

Kids like the water streaming over the pools.

The hotel is lake front and from the pool you have some amazing views.

Food was always delicious, the pool was clean and the water temperature was perfect.

The hotel has two large pools, decks into Rio Dulce, kayaks, canoes, jet skis for rent.

Let's say the hotel is beautiful and had a relaxing swimming pool and view on the lake.

Lovely clean pools, our lake view  suite was clean and quiet.

The area itself is a gated resort, with a restuarant, pool and suprisingly a helipad.

The pools were clean and fun to relax and listen to music.

The view of the lake, the pools, the food in the restaurant, and rooms (with ac) were awesome.

Plus two nice and clean pools if you dont like to swim in the lake.

What an fantastic place to relax,sit around the pools.

There are two pools and water activities available (you get a complimentary hour on kayak for every day of your stay!).

The rooms are clean, roomy and the place is well maintained, i took a boat from the Hotel to Livingston-the guy that took us is a well known recommend person by the Hotel.

The rooms were incredibly roomy and we loved hanging out at the hammock on the balcony.

We stayed in a very spacious room with a king bed in one room with tv, AC, and a seating are and another room with two queen beds, tv and AC with a shared bathroom.

The rooms are spacious with comfortable beds and AC and so are the bathrooms.

The restaurant is great and the condos are spacious.

The staff were all nice, courteous and pride themselves in making sure you feel welcomed, all except the people on the front.

I was assisted with my luggage to my apartment.

It was very pretty, quiet and the staff were helpful.

The restaurant was very accommodating to our special requests (our group has a no lettuce rule).

Wifi on at pools, front desk and restaurant.

Customer service was outstanding very courteous and attentive.

The Atmosphere Has Both Very Friendly & Private For You.

The staff was not particularly helpful, the food (good

And it was if you count in the picture perfect setting on Lake Izabel and the very accommodating restaurant staff.

The captain will also slow down so you can observe wildlife, and stop in livingston, a very different nice Caribbean vibe here.

They offer all kinds of lake rides and water sports.

Banana Palms Hotel Resort & Marina

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The atmosphere is so relaxing, the staff and the owners are very friendly and helpful.

A perfect location in the jungle with amazing attentive friendly staff.

The hotel has a super friendly and relaxed environment, the owners are very friendly and helpful as are all the staff.

Super nice place, clean pool, super friendly owners and staff.

The workers and owners have great personality and will 100% will come back.

It’s a very clean and welcoming environment.

An awesome oasis - with howler monkeys to greet you in the morning.

Amazing staff, extremely clean and spacious cabanas and exceptional food!

The staff is very nice and the resort is well kept.

My friends and I enjoyed the monkeys, the pool, and getting to know the owners.

First and foremost, the staff and the owners are very welcoming, warm, and knowledgeable.

Sheldon and Pamela were very welcoming and excelent hosts and of course Rudy (our daily "right hand") treat us with excelence, also the food was very wood.

the staff ist very welcoming and helpful with organising trips or bringing you to the city and back.

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