An advantage of travelling with a vehicle is the ability to reach remote areas. This benefit was realised in Guatemala when I visited Laguna Lachua National Park, an area of spectacular natural beauty in the state of Alta

Verapaz that continues to be overlooked by travellers. Laguna Lachua, an almost perfectly circular clear lake is surrounded by tropical rainforest. No buses go there but with a little determination and a lot of patience the

independent traveller can get there by hitching rides in the back of pick up trucks. I went to Laguna Lachua as the guests of two biologists carrying out research on the fish species in the lake, Danish Mads Fjeldsel and Guatemalan Pablo Granados. We headed out from the town of Coban to make the three hour journey in our Land Rover over rough tracks through stunning mountain scenery. We passed land that is intensively cultivated for corn and coffee. I could sense the frustration and sadness in Mads" voice as he said "only ten years ago most of this land was dense lowland rainforest". Given that deforestation is occurring at an alarming rate in the area, there is an increasing emphasis on conservation in the 100 sq km national park that houses Laguna Lachua. Mads and Pablo are working with the Guatemalan authorities to combat the illegal mahogany logging trade.

To reach the lake we walked 45 minutes along a well maintained path through tropical rainforest. Jaguars, ocelots and howler monkeys are amongst the inhabitants, but I could only see abundant birds, frogs, and the ubiquitous mosquitoes, as well as the bright orange butterflies that came to rest on me, licking the sweat from my pores. Most fascinating were the leaf cutter ants, carrying huge chunks of leaves in procession so that it appeared to be a green stream flowing through the brown forest floor.

Part of the charm of Laguna Lachua lies in its rusticity. We cooked food on a wood fuelled stove in the kitchen cabin, making sure to hang all provisions from the ceiling so as to avoid the ravenous rats. Something as simple as drinking water took on greater significance when I saw that somebody had to climb a platform to pump water from a well. The guards took great pride in their park and were keen to explain that any non-biodegradeable waste must be carried out. Inside the park is a compost system for food, and human waste is covered with ash to allow for natural decomposition. In this way the delicate water table is preserved.

Having slept in the steamy forest, the sight of the glistening lake greeted me the next morning. After a refreshing bath shared with the fish who nibbled my toes I took a canoe across the clear water, skirting the shore in the hope of spotting a monkey or crocodile. Sadly I didn't see either but I heard much rustling in the trees: no doubt the monkeys spying on me. The peace on the lake was intensely calming. My two days spent there relaxed and restored me in anticipation of the journey ahead.