This highlights of Guatemala and Belize trip combines two very different countries in one experience-packed holiday. Guatemala is steeped in native Mayan and Spanish colonial tradition; you'll be introduced to both, including Antigua and Lake Atitlán. Belize, a truly Caribbean country, is laid-back and English-speaking. Here you stay at the remote  Chaa Creek eco-lodge, and can go diving or snorkelling at Blue Hole on Ambergris Caye.

Start off in Antigua, Guatemala’s colonial masterpiece, and continue to the serene setting of Lake Atitlán, encircled by volcanoes, handkerchief-sized fields and tiny indigenous villages. Continue to Tikal, the vast ruined Mayan city where ancient temples and pyramids emerge above the rainforest canopy. Crossing the border into Belize, stay at Chaa Creek, an award-winning lodge surrounded by tropical foliage rich in wildlife, where you can enjoy the thrills and spills of outdoor activities, or just relax. Round off the holiday on the coral beaches of Ambergris Caye in the turquoise Caribbean Sea, home to the world-renowned Mesmoamerican Reef.