Tikal
Tikal lived up to my expectations. I think it is as spectacular as Machu Picchu, but in a different way. We got up early for the sunrise tour (well worth the money because you get to Tikal before most other people get there), and spent a couple of hours sitting at the top of Temple IV shrouded in mist. It seems that you rarely get a good sunrise in Tikal because of the fog but the sunrise tour is still well worth the money. Sitting at the top of Temple IV listening to the birds and howler monkeys in stereo sound while being surrounded by mist is a magnificent experience (Listen to howler monkeys and birds!). Temple IV is the highest temple in Tikal at 64 m (210 ft) and the view of the tops of the other temples emerging above the jungle canopy is stunning. Equally stunning (and perhaps more so than Temple IV) is the view from the top of Temple V (58 m / 190 ft). The great thing about visiting Tikal in the low season is that we often got the views from the temple tops all to ourselves. We also saw a lot of birds and monkeys hanging out in trees, including spider monkeys and toucans.
