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Peten, with its jade-coloured lakes and majestic jungle was once the centre of Central America's Mayan civilisation, with its distinctive pyramids and unique and still-mysterious culture. The Ni'tun Reserve is located on the shores of Lake Peten Itza, with its serene waters and monkey-filled forest.

The lodge's four traditionally and sustainably-built cabins are simply decorated with beautiful Guatemalan textiles and furniture. They all have stunning views and terraces where hummingbirds feed.

Host Bernei Mittelstaedt began showing travelers around beautiful Peten with Monkey Eco-Tours before purchasing 35 hectares of untouched rainforest. This became the Ni'tun reserve in 1995, providing those travelers with a comfortable base (including delicious food and hot showers) from which to explore the archeological and natural beauties of the area. Your hosts Bernie and Lore are keen conservationists, eager to share their knowledge about the country and its rich Mayan past. And they're no slouches in the kitchen either, freely handing out tips on local cooking.

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The lodge is constructed in the traditional Colojché fashion, using locally gathered natural products like sticks and small rocks (plastered together by a sand and water mix), palm fronds for the roof and hardwood off-cuts for the floors. An effort is made to recycle, while all staff are employed locally. The lodge's owners are attempting to gather local support to protect the area's wildlife and flora by listing is as a Private Guatemalan Reserve.

Rooms

Food

Breakfast includes the typical Guatemalan dish of eggs and beans any style, served with corn tortillas. There's also fresh fruit, pancakes, homemade bread and plenty of Guatemalan coffee and Peten all-spice teas.

Packed lunches can be provided for those exploring the area. Dinner is a plentiful three-course meal which might include white fish in a delicate mango and ginger sauce, chicken in lemon and pepper, or a seafood paella. Again, homemade bread is served along with fresh salads and vegetables. Desserts are often homemade North American-style pies and cakes. Your friendly hosts are happy to offer you a free cooking class in the open plan kitchen.

Food is not included in the tariff and prices are as follows:

Breakfast: US$15 pp

Lunch: US$30 pp

Dinner: US$30 pp

Features & Facilities

A wide range of activities are on offer via Eco-Monkey Tours, also owned by the lodge's proprietors.

Massages and other treatments can be arranged with the lodge.

Language classes can also be arranged - study with either a private teacher who can come to Ni'tun or head to one of several good schools in the nearby villages of San Andres and San Jose.

The lodge has a free laundry service, and guests can access the internet with their own laptops, or pay $5 a day for the use of the lodge's computer.

Transfers and onward travel easily arranged for you by your extremely helpful hosts.

The lodge has its own gift shop selling local handicrafts.

Local Info & Activities

You're surrounded by jungle, one of Latin America's most important archaeological sights - the Mayan city of Tikal - is just an hour away. The lodge is on an island in the beautiful, calm Lake Peten Itza - a sunset swim in its warm jade-coloured waters is an absolute must. You can also go horse riding, boating, fishing.

Visits can be arranged to the nearby village of San Jose, where the indigenous Maya Itza people have a medicinal garden and often hold festivals to which guests are welcome.

The main town of Flores has some charms and plenty of service like internet cafes. If you do feel like a night out there are some bars with dancing (salsa music, of course) and occasional street parties.

Sustainability

The lodgings are all built with locally gathered sticks and small rocks plastered together with a sand and water mix, utilizing a traditional Guatemalan technique. The high roofs are thatched with palm leaves, helping to keep them naturally cool, while the local hardwood floors used off-cuts to avoid excessive logging in the area.

The lodge hires only local people for its staff and guides, thereby providing jobs for its local community. Green waste is composted while non-organic waste is recycled as much as possible. The lodge is managing a small forest project with native species like mahogany and cedar, amongst others. The lodge and its owners help provide education (specially to Guatemalan youngsters) that deals with the importance of the preserving Guatemalan culture, Mayan sites and natural resources.

The lodge and its owners have a close relationship with the San Jose community, which is about 15 minutes away from the lodge. The Maya Itza people of this village are very respectful of the forest and their culture and identity and manage a large reserve for themselves - one of the few community-managed reserves in Guatemala. The lodge promotes visits to their medicinal garden project as well as to their forest and archaeological reserve and folk festivals.

Getting There

Ni'Tun lodge is located about 3km from an Andrés town and 2 Kilometers from the main road towards the lakeshore. The main town of Flores is twenty minutes away by boat. Takal is about 1hr and 15 mins.

Ni'Tun lodge are happy to meet guests at Flores and transfer them by boat to the lodge.

Visit our Transport section for flights, hybrid car rentals and train bookings.

Rates & Bookings

boa and macaw casitas:

Single occupancy: US$95

Double occupancy: US$170

Triple occupancy: US$200

hummingbird suite:

Single occupancy: US$150

Double occupancy: US$235

toucan deluxe casita:

Single occupancy: US$150

Double occupancy: US$235

six night discount packages:

Hummingbird Suite and Toucan Casita: US$ 915.00 per suite, based on double occupancy.

Boa and Macaw Casita: US$ 790.00 for double, US$ 935.00 triple, and US$ 1,100.00 for quad occupancy.

• A 15% low season discount applies in February, June, September and October.
• Children over 12 stay free in parents room.
• Tariffs include transfers to and from Flores airport as well as tourist taxes.
• Tours and services are not included.
• Rates include unlimited internet access.
• Meals are not included in rates but are very reasonably priced. B/fast: US$15, Lunch: US$30 and Dinner: US$30

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