It lived up to the reviews - the setting is gorgeous, the staff is so friendly, and we had an amazing time at Gaia. We were there for 4 days/4 nights, and that felt like a good amount, but we also would have been happy to stay longer.
Coming into the trip, we were concerned about bugs, drinking water, and our room being too hot, and none of them ended up being a problem. We were at Gaia and then Matachica, and drinking the water from both caused us no issues. In terms of the heat, there was plenty of air circulation with fans to cool our room at night. And, presumably because it was the dry season, we had almost no bug bites during our time at Gaia. Bug spray is also provided (though we didn't need it).
We did two tours while we were there - the ATM cave and Caracol. We highly recommend both. ATM was a one of a kind experience where you swim into the cave and then wade through water, along with some climbing and crawling, to get to a back area where you can see Mayan artifacts. If you have water shoes, bring them for this trip (though the people at Gaia will also help you dry off your shoes if you use them).
Isael was our guide at Caracol, and he was so knowledgeable. We learned a lot, along with getting to see the beautiful views from the top of the main structure at Caracol. Isael also knows a ton about the local birds, and it was interesting to learn about them during our trip as well. He was all-around an awesome guide.
The rest of the staff was fantastic as well - Freddy was our server for most meals, and his energy is infectious. Kobi, Hector, and the other front desk staff were super helpful answering our questions. And whatever you do, don't miss the magic show from Chris (security guard). We weren't sure about it, but he blew us away! Coco, Gaia's dog, is also a sweetheart.
We don't have any minuses about Gaia, and would happily go back.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.