Guatemala vacation

[ethana]

Hi,
I'm interested in going to Guatemala. Is it still dangerous there? Anyone have any recommendations as to what to see or do?

[Ergel]

Hi,
I'm interested in going to Guatemala. Is it still dangerous there? Anyone have any recommendations as to what to see or do?

Oh how I wish Steve2 were still here

[zee]

Is it dangerous? possibly - and most likely. nevertheless, there are thousands upon thousands of tourists visiting there at all times of the year. so much so, that you may find it crowded with tourists even in the most remote places you'll visit. I've just been, and its a must for anyone looking to experience off-the-beaten path! it's is the closest place to the us that you will find to have pristine unadulterated jungle, and mostly undeveloped. it is from the nicest places i have ever visited. it is absolultly beautiful and amazing! from the nicest i have ever seen!

there's too much to cover in one short piece. though here are a few key helpful pointers.

-buy the lonely planet for Guatemala (i bought lonely planet central America on a shoestring)

-bring a protein source (I brought a pouch of tuna for each day that i would spend there)

-you'll find kosher food in groceries every now and then, but don't rely on it.

-where there's electricity they generally dont accept creditcard, so carrying currency is tricky. read-up on it, and be safe

-and last but not least, 3 out of every 4 foreigners you meet will be Israeli!

GO GO GO!!!

[anwar]

I just took a trip there with my wife from December 5th - 10th.  It is not dangerous at all.  I felt completely safe.  It might be a tad bit difficult if you do not speak spanish.  We speak very little of it but the people there who did speak both english and spanish were very helpful.  We went to Lake Atitlan.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  I will post a trip report all about it by tomorrow.  Been meaning to do that since I've been back. 

I'd highly recommend it.  Once you get there, it is extremely cheap.  When I say extremely cheap, I mean, a meal for like $6.  At one meal, we had the following

Me: two cups hot chocolate, 2 entrees, desert
Wife: 1 cup ice coffee, 2 entrees, desert
Total: 4 entrees, 2 hot chocolates, 1 ice coffee, 2 deserts.

We gave the waiter a very very very generous tip, like 35%.  Our total bill was $25, including tip.

When you're at Lake Atitlan, to get around on the public boat is like 10Q which equals about a $1.20? If that. 

Its really cheap and absolutely breathtaking at the Lake.

Hope this helps.

[ponash123]

I added the 2 trip reports on Guatemala on the TR main wiki.

Anyone else been there that wants to comment? There's not much info here.