Pickup was at 6:30. We had a decent drive (about 2 hours), before we met with our tour guide, Francisco.

Francisco very clearly wanted everyone in the group to have a great time. He had so much to say the entire time. We learned about different bugs and plants that could be found in the region. He made a point to explain how archaeologists came up with population approximations for the amount of Mayan people in the area, and what the area might have looked like during the peak of their civilization. There was no such thing as a stupid or small question, and Francisco was very up front when the answers he provided were limited and explained why he couldn't give definitive answers. He joked with us and made a point to make everyone feel like he was happy we were there with him. He also took care to ensure we had plenty of time to see everything the cave had to offer us, and that we weren't crowded by other tourists. The homemade food he gave us for lunch was seriously some of the best locally made food I had. The caves themselves are amazing because of their historical and cultural significance, but our tour guide is really what made it memorable for us.

As for the cave system and the small hike to it, I was pleasantly surprised to find the walk flat, easy, and not very buggy. I was glad to be warned about the river crossings, especially once I saw how high the water can get. There were spots on the hike and in the caves where swimming was pretty much the best option for getting from point A to point B, The only thing I wish I had for this trip was a bag of towels and spare clothes, as there isn't anywhere nearby to get these things after you've done all that swimming. The wet clothes made for a long, cold ride back, but that was my only complaint about this amazing tour. We got dropped off to our hotel around 6 that night, so plan for this being an all day trek.