i really enjoyed my holiday (mayan circle through mexico, guatemala and belize). i haven't done anything like this since my student days and was travelling on my own. i'm 50. we had a great itinerary and although it certainly says that many trips are optional i don't think that i had quite appreciated the magnitude of the extra expense. some of the trips were also charged at a premium compared with other operators - we paid twice as much to see whale sharks for example as some other people on the same boat. it was a keenly priced trip and some of the accommodation reflected this at very much the economy end of the spectrum. overall i would recommend but with qualifications and i would advise seeklng out alternatives for the optional trips and saving some money - i would not accept the advice of the tour guide at face value