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Interview with Luis Godoy
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Interview with Luis Godoy
Recently chosen as top guide in Belize by his peers, Luis has been guiding for over two decades. He was among the first class of certified guides in Belize and has served as president of the Cayo Tour Guides Association.
What do you like about guiding Wildland Adventures' travelers?
Well, most Wildland Adventures travelers are repeat customers. The clients know the type of service Wildland offers, which is personalized, educational, eco-friendly and family oriented. They are all fun, willing to learn and explore both culture and historical aspects of Belize.
What are the places or experiences that Wildland travelers like the most when travel with you in Belize?
They love just about everything we put together for them. Of course, some of the adventure aspect of the tours are "A+", but then again it depends on the ages of the travelers in the groups as well as the interest of the clients. We have some with more interest in archeology or caving, while others are interested in everything. We are able to adjust to every age and interest of the group due to our vast experience in guiding.
What do you like most about working as a guide?
I have been guiding for more than 20 years and what I like the most is meeting people and making new friends. Of course, in this field I have been able to meet so many people from different cultures.
What is the most amazing wildlife encounter or experience for you personally in Belize?
This is a hard one! Heh Heh.. Simply because from a very early age, I was exposed to wildlife and rainforests. However, spontaneous Jaguar spottings have occurred while guiding. As well as spotting some of the most endangered species of birds in the area.
What are the greatest difficulties and challenges for you working as a guide in Belize?
One of the difficulties that we have faced as guides in Belize has been very little exposure to foreign countries. Challenges today would be keeping up with our marketing programs as well as competitors and the economic set back in other countries. A common saying in Belize is, "when the U.S. sneezes, we get the cold".
Whats the latest news for adventure travel in Belize, both good and bad?
The latest news in adventure travel would be caving adventures. We are in constant training to keep up with the level of expertise that is needed in order to provide this type of service. The other thing about caving and the places we go with Wildland Adventures is that we travel in small groups. So despite the fact that cruise ship tourism in Belize is here to stay, this type of visitor could never make it to where we travel. We schedule all our tours to avoid cruise ship tourists groups.
It can be a bit difficult to get anywhere we want to go, especially when it comes to off roads, simply because of road conditions. From rough to bumpy, muddy to dusty, but then again this is what makes it an adventure. We are able to go anywhere and everywhere we want due to our extensive knowledge of our country. I feel I know every pothole in the country. Because I know our terrain better wildlife spotting becomes less challenging.
Compared to previous years, why would you recommend traveling to Belize this coming season?
One of the reasons I would recommend traveling to Belize would be that this little jewel of ours, Belize, is still unknown and unspoiled. The caves and Maya ruins are in their natural state and that allows us to explore and learn about the ancient society that once ruled this region. We have so much to explore in our pristine forest, which offers a wide variety of flora and fauna; and also to be a part of the multi-cultural & multi-lingual country that we are.
More info about Luis
