I was so amazed by this place. They provided every opportunity for us to have amazing adventures and personally challenge ourselves, but the staff also took care of us every step of the way.

We stayed in a jungle suite, a little Mexican-tiled bungalow nestled in the jungle. The beds were very comfortable (and spread with hibiscus flowers not only upon our arrival but also on our last night). Both the bedroom and the hot water shower had large screened windows, so we always felt that we were a part of our jungle surroundings. There is a 5 gallon water jug in the room, so we always had fresh, clean water to drink. (They really stress the hydration issue.)

There is no electricity, only a generator at the lodge, so the light in the rooms at night is by kerosene lantern. I thought that this might bother me (thinking about my husband's noisy, bright propane lantern that we use when we are camping - not the same), but the lantern light was actually quite romantic and even easy to read by.

My only complaint is that we turned in a large bag of laundry on the morning of our next-to-last-day, and in the evening, when we were ready to pack, we were told that they could not find it. To their credit, they had had a problem with their water supply the day before and were struggling to catch up on the laundering, but I just wish that they had made us aware of the slow down. They finished and got it to us that same night.

We arrived at dusk to lamp-lit pathways and darkness. Our hostess led us down a path using her flashlight. We dropped our belongings and returned to the main house for dinner. We shared an authentic Guatemalan meal with other guests and staff.

As we retired to our cabana, we noticed that our bed was adorned in a hand-woven blanket and fresh hibiscus flowers. Our room was set upon a concrete slab and was as simple as a screened-in porch. This gave you the impression that you were not just a guest in the jungle, but actually a part of it. In the evening, as each oil lamp is extinguished, the jungle comes to life. You can hear nearby howler monkeys calling from one side of the camp to the other. We awoke the next morning to hummingbirds dancing around the birds of paradise that grow wild here and to the sounds of birds that we had never heard before.

The showers, although separate, were exposed to the sky and solar-heated. Water fell from a galvanized steel bucket with holes in the bottom. The drops of water were huge, and the stream of water was so wide that it covered your entire body. It was the perfect shower.

Daylight brought perspective to our surroundings. We had no idea that our cabana was just yards away from the Cave's Branch River. Our guides greeted us each morning at breakfast, as they prepare for the day's adventure. My favorite part of breakfast was using the juicer to create my own juice from a basket of oranges.