Is the Go With Gus Humanitarian tour good for kids????

[oneeyedguy]

I hear a lot of chatter about this tour, and people seem to love it. I was wondering if it would be appropriate for my kids (ages 10 & 8). A real chance to see how things are in different parts of the world and also to see how fortunate they are. I have never been to Guatemala and hear that it can be a dangerous country. I don't want to put my family in any danger. Any advice from those who have been would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Gordie

[CHOCBANAWAD12]

Gordie-

I have taken both humanitarian tours with Gus; one from Santo Tomas and one from Puerto Quetzal. First, let me say we felt totally safe 100% of the time on both. There were several children on the Santo Tomas tour and they seemed to enjoy it as much as the adults. There was a boat ride they loved, and yes, they learned a lot about another culture and how fortunate they are. The tour from Puerto Quetzal had several stops that were both interesting and had open spaces, for expending energy. Again the school was a real eye opener. What you have to realize is, Gus tours are small, and the guides can give them more personal attention and probably would be eager to engage them.

Sam Adrezin

[fleurdesol]

We went with Gus, 2 weeks ago, it was fabulous!!!! We had a great time, including our our 10 & 6 year old. DD(10) said it was her favorite excursion. It is a packed day though, so throw some snacks in the pack if you can, as the day we went didn't get lunch until close to 3pm.

[bwkw]

I hear a lot of chatter about this tour, and people seem to love it. I was wondering if it would be appropriate for my kids (ages 10 & 8). A real chance to see how things are in different parts of the world and also to see how fortunate they are. I have never been to Guatemala and hear that it can be a dangerous country. I don't want to put my family in any danger. Any advice from those who have been would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Gordie

 

We were with Gus on the 12th of March. All of our family loved it and agreed that it was the best tour that we did, as well as the best part of our whole cruise. To get 5 women to agree is quite a task. So hats off to Gus. Our youngest daughter is 11. It was an eye opening experience for her and she loved it!

[tuscansun]

We did not have any children on the excursion, but they would be welcomed and should enjoy it as long as they are well behaved and are interested in listening and looking . Any children used to being around adults would be fine. There is much to see and it is a great tour, I think most kids would love it. I know I would have. it is pretty incredible and engaging...all by water mostly..

[dcac2]

I do not believe there is any danger in taking this excursion. Gus has lifejackets for everyone who gets into his boat. He seems very concerned about safety & has a great love for his country. It may be a long day for younger children who have a great deal of energy & need to run around. There were lots of children on our tour, but the youngest was probably around 7 yrs old. Hope this helps!

[SoccerMom9195]

Just toured with Gus last week and had a wonderful time. Brought along our 13 & 17 year old daughters and they both agree this was the highlite of the vacation. They loved it. Although it did get to be a long day. Yes, grab a few boxes of cereal from the cruise ship in the morning or pack some snacks. My kids weren't all too interested in the lunch they provided.

 

Have fun!

[klupchak]

HI-In looking at the Go with Gus tours for Santo Tomas-- I have 2 15 year old boys, a 23 year old daughter, and an 80 year old mother-in-law--would you recommend the Humanitarian tour, the Livingston Tour or the waterfall tour?

Thanks, Shawn

[pokyjones]

We did the Humanitarian tour, and it was great. There are quite a few stops with climbing in and out of the small boat, which may be an issue for your mother-in-law. Or maybe not!

[BonnieVA]

We were on this tour over spring break w/ 4 boys, ages 16, 13, 11, 5. The oldest & youngest both said this was their fav port. They ALL really enjoyed themselves on this excursion.

 

As to an 80 yr old going on this tour, there were 6 times we got in/out of the small boats. I guess they wouldn't have to get out at every stop (maybe stay in the boat at the hot springs since it's the shortest stop). Might be tough depending on how agile they are. I know some 80 yr olds who would have NO problem at all ... & others who, well...!

[sbraslow]

I loved the tour. We actually didn't plan ahead, but gus was willing to take anyone at the dock and we didn't know until we got to the school that it was a humanitarian tour. You felt like a friend was taking you through his home. Actually, for the town tour, a native of the town did take us through the town and pointed out his house. The humanitarian tour is fine for the kids. There were quite a few with us. We took it last November and loved it. Safety was not an issue. It was a fun, educational and informational tour.

[boilermaker330]

Shawn--We went on the humanitarian tour over Spring Break with our 3 kids--ages 15, 13 and 8. We all loved it! When the kids are asked about their favorite parts of the cruise, the 15 year old always mentions the Go With Gus tour first, followed by the "experience" of having lunch at Carlos & Charlie's in Cozumel!

[MJM814]

We did the Humanitarian Tour in January 2009; it was the highlight of of our vacation

[Kathyh1313]

Can some one help me understand the size of Gus's boats and the ease or difficulty of getting in and out?

I am 50 yrs old, "fluffy" and have arthritis in one of my knees. My husband will be with me and provide any needed assistance.

 

Is it is a large/high step in and out- or is it pretty low or flat?

 

Any info or a picture would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks, Kathy

[BonnieVA]

Can some one help me understand the size of Gus's boats and the ease or difficulty of getting in and out?

I am 50 yrs old, "fluffy" and have arthritis in one of my knees. My husband will be with me and provide any needed assistance.

 

Is it is a large/high step in and out- or is it pretty low or flat?

 

Any info or a picture would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks, Kathy

 

Unfortunately, it is not flat & there is a lot of getting in & out of the boat because Gus makes many stops. You don't have to get out at every stop but I can really only think of one that would be worth staying in the boat - the hot springs. On our tour there were 2 boat-loads of tourists. One was smaller than the other but I believe both had step-ups to get out ... stepping up to the piers. Honestly, I can't say whether this tour would be do-able for you or not since I don't know what it's like to have the arthritis pain. But, yes, there is a lot of stepping up out of the boat.

[Kathyh1313]

Thanks Bonnie- I appreciate your response. I am in physical therapy now, the pain is quite bad-

Our cruise is in January. I may wait several months before deciding about Gus's tour.

 

Kathy