- Where is Guatemala?
- What travel documents do I need when visiting Guatemala?
- Which airlines service Guatemala City?
- How do we get to and from the lodge?
- What is the address and contact info for the US office?
- How safe is it in Guatemala?
- Is the water safe to drink?
- What types of tours or day trips from the lodge are available in Guatemala?
- Do you provide laundry service?
- What is your cancellation and payment policy?
- Are all my food and drinks included in the package price?
- What forms of payment does Blue Bayou Sport fishing Lodge accept?
- Booking Contact
- Do you provide ground transportation from the airport to the lodge?
- How should we plan on tipping the crew and staff in Guatemala?
- Packing list for trip and what to bring and leave behind.
1. Where is Guatemala and our lodge?
Guatemala is located in Central America. It borders Mexico to the north, and North Western territories, as well as Belize to the North Eastern area. Along the southern borders we have El Salvador to the South West, and Honduras to the South East. Guatemala has access to both the pacific which is the majority of its coast line and the Atlantic side. Both locations offer completely different fishing and terrain as well as four star functional lodges. Back to top
2. What travel documents do I need when visiting Guatemala?
Just a passport if you’re a United States and Canadian citizen. Latin Americans will need an additional visa in most cases. For European travel most likely you will not need anything to come here. Most Asian and African countries do need a visa to travel to Latin America. Please make sure your passport is valid before traveling. If your documents are not in order and you are forced to miss your trip, there will be NO refund.
3. Which airlines service Guatemala City?
American, Continental, Delta, Taca, Mexicana, Spirit (limited days), United, and US Air. Sometimes certain airlines cut back on certain flights during the cold months (prime months here). So please research the time frames well. Back to top
4. How do we get to and from the lodge?
The Blue Bayou Sport Fishing team will pick you up in one of our private buses. They will take you to the first destination. Whether that is Antigua, or the pacific coast for immediate fishing preparation for the next day. Antigua is 1 hour from the city and the coast is 2 hours from the City. Back to top
5. What is the address and contact info for the US office?
Capt Chris Starrs
PO BOX 221
Linden, MI, 48451 Back to top
6. How safe is it in Guatemala?
Guatemala, like most developing countries and even first world countries have their troubled areas. Such areas are far from our operation and tourist traffic does not cross into these ''rougher'' areas.
Fortunately the pacific coast doesn’t have a city like atmosphere. Accompany that with the laid back local attitude, warm weather, happy employed fishermen sleeping in a hammock, and you got a peaceful crowd. Antigua Guatemala another traveler must see destination has more European/American residents living and visiting the region all year round, so violence is far from the vibe in this area as well. You can be assured that the areas and regions we take you are 100% safe, and we have never had an issue of all the years of operation. DO NOT reference the US State department report. Its very inaccurate, and dated. Back to top
7. Is the water safe to drink?
The water is much safer than the Mexican water they have in the Yucatan. Mainly because that Mexican water is from a more swamp based water table. Regardless, we have bottle and filtered water offered all the time while you are here. You can rest assure that the ice cubes in your cocktail are filtered water, and same idea applies for the food we cook for you. Back to top
8. What types of tours or day trips from the lodge are available in Guatemala?
We offer from our pacific lodge: bird watching, Iguna hunts, duck hunting, private beach days, surfing lessons and of course day trips or nights in Antiuga, Guatemala. Places like Lake Atitlan are also amazing to see and we can arrange flights to tikal for the peak at the Mayan Ruins. All options are very affordable and easy to do through us. Back to top
9. Do you provide laundry service?
For those blood stained shirts we got from that school of Dorado we got into the day before, we have the answer. As well as anything else that needs to be cleaned. Ask us what you want done, as well as ironed, and it will be ready by the afternoon. Back to top
10. What is your cancellation and payment policy?
- Pandemic Cancelation Policy- In the event another Covid-19 occurs we CAN NOT simply refund. We ask for your patience as these events can whipe out business quicker than lives. We ask everyone to rebook! Keep you guides, staff and favorite outfitter alive and well. We will ask for the rebooking to be within that same calendar year but we are generally flexible.
- Cancellation of added services (hotels, golf, helicopter rides etc outside of lodge services) last minute can NOT be refunded within 48 hours. Natural disasters, flight delays, family emergency do NOT trump this policy. For that we require all anglers to have travel insurance. Top choice for travel insurance click here.
- Once the reservation is received and confirmed you have 2 weeks to send the 50% down payment to hold the dates. From there you need to have the remaining portion sent within 20 days of the actual fishing trip. We will send you the dates and deadlines.
- If your group cancels a trip in the prime months of sailfish season (Oct to May), and we are not able to replace your dates with another group, you are subject to losing a 50% down payment of your package. If we can substitute your group we will then only apply a $500 cancelation fee. Additionally fees to reverse payment will be absorded by the client. Lots of logitics, planning, boat schedules are at stake and we apprecaite your understanding.
- No shows result in a total loss of your payment without any refund.
- If travel documents are outdated and cause you to miss you fishing trip you are subject to a total loss or cost of boat preperation. Cases vary.
- Cancelation within 19 days is subject to a 50% loss of the total package.
- Cancelation with 1 week (7 days) in advance, you are subject to 75% loss of payment.
- All refunds have 1 year from the date of the agreed fishing trip to process. In general returning funds is a timely ordeal.
- If there is ever a cancelation at the last minute, please do contact us and we will work it out. We have never exercised this before, we generally lean towards rescheduling. Back to top
11. Are all my food and drinks included in the package price?
Yes, while all the packages offer different options, your meals and drinks are included in most cases. Consult your captain or planner for more information, but we are the only lodge that offers such a grand package. Generally rum and beer are included, top shelf spirits and fine wines are sold by the bottle only. If you require someting special, like a single malt scotch, or a top notch gin, and of course a tasty malbec vino, we will add this to your bill. Back to top
12. What forms of payment does Blue Bayou Sport fishing Lodge accept?
We accept most major Credit Cards/Debit Bank Cards with one week notice before your trip. We do not accept credit cards for day trips or short notice trips. Examples of these cards are Visa, American Express, Master Card, and Discover. We do apply a 3.0% surcharge to process your cards.
Other forms of Payment are Cash deposit, wire transfer, or check deposit in our US based bank. There is no fee for this method of payment.
During the booking process we only work with one contact person from the group. Questions about particulars regarding fishing we take as many people from the group as you want. The one contact keeps it simple during the closing process. If anything should occur in scheduling or cancelation the main contact is reponsible for resolution. Payments usually are made to the main contact to avoid mutiple CC transtion, mutiple checks, etc, but exceptions are permited. In the event of refunds we ask the main contact accept this responiblity for it reduces time and fees on the operators end. Accounting also apprecaites this consolidating.
14. Do you provide ground transportation from the airport to the lodge?
Yes, a passenger van that can hold up to 15 comfortably. We also have ice cold AC for the hot descent to the coast where we increase in temperature by 15°F to 20°F! Also cold beer is provided for this portion of your trip. Back to top
15. How should we plan on tipping the crew and staff in Guatemala?
If you do plan on using USD currency, please make sure the denominations are larger than $20 and the bills are in perfect condition (no rips or marks). The coastal banks that the staff & crew use are particularly picky on the condition of outside currency. We also suggest using the currency exchange in the air port as you exit, or ask the driver to stop at a bank in route to the lodge. ATM's give you the best rate and local currency, and most accept US debit cards.
For the house staff we suggest $20 per room, per day. This includes maid services and laundry service. For lodge cook we suggest $20 per day, per group. Whether that's 3 people or 10, trust us, she's worth it!
Lodge driver- Per trip we suggest at least $20, if you feel he went above and beyond, it's your call.
Bar tender- We suggest cash in a tip jar per day of service.
We promote oppurtunity for our staff in a region where that isn't the case nautrally. Additional is always welcomed for the lodge staff and yes our workers depend greatly on tipping.
For the fishing portion we will not accept tips until the end of the trip, assuming you do several days in a row. From there you can approach each crew member and tip out at your discretion, or hand it all over to the Captain (recommended). We suggest $75-$100 a day, per mate (two mates) as a base, usually they exceed most anglers standards and expect more if so. Similar idea for the Captain as well. $150 a day per Captain is the industry standard as a base. Although Captains usually receive more. Consult your Blue Bayou trip planner for more information. Back to top
16. Packing List for trip:
- Long sleeved fishing shirts- Huk, Columbia, Under Armour, you name it, they all work great. Remember just a couple shirts for we have a laundry service.
- Buff & Hat- Sun is intense, protect yourself with modern day sun care products like buffs and even sun gloves.
- Sun screen (lodge has for purchase but cheaper in the US)
- Bug Spray (lodge has for purchase but cheaper in the US), we will have smoke coils and tiki burning, but we ask you bring OFF, or similar products for the afternoons. Usually not a problem, but this is the tropics and we do have mosquitos year round.
- Sandals or ''boat shoes'' for the boat. Please no dark soled shoes.
- Swim suite for lodge pool. Beach towels are provided by lodge.
- Conditioner for the ladies (all rooms have shampoo stocked, hair dryer & new bar of soap). If you need special bathroom supplies please bring it or ask your driver to stop by the pharmacy before the lodge.
- Razors to shave and shaving cream (also for purchase at the lodge)
Fly anglers: Consult your Captain for needed fly fishing supplies (flies, tippet, leader, hooks). Conventional anglers: Gear includes everything, no need to bring anything (unless you want to!).
Finally we often times need certain supplies to keep us afloat. Whether that's boat parts or fishing tackle. If you feel you have room in your bags to help us out, we will trade for a boat shirt!! Thank you!