Travel to Guatemala

[LaurenR]

Hello everyone! Hope you are all having a good day.

I am planing a trip to Guatemala (to visit mey fiance :heart: ) sometime around the end of this year or begining of next. I have been doing research non-stop but wanted to hear from someone who has been there. If anyone on this forum has been, I'd love to talk to you. I have so many questions like: Where should I stay? What documents do I need? The list goes on and on lol. Anyway... hope to hear from... someone soon! :D

[losguerra]

Where in Guate are you going? I haven't been there in a long time but my dad goes practically every year and does touristy stuff on top of visiting family. This time he says he's seen all there is to see in Guatemala! Haha. So I can probably get you good info about anywhere: the capital, Antigua, Atitlán, etc....

Are you taking the kids?

Do you have your passports?

[LaurenR]

My fiance lives in Guatemala City but he wants to take me to Antigua as well!
Edit:
Where in Guate are you going? I haven't been there in a long time but my dad goes practically every year and does touristy stuff on top of visiting family. This time he says he's seen all there is to see in Guatemala! Haha. So I can probably get you good info about anywhere: the capital, Antigua, Atitlán, etc....

Are you taking the kids?

Do you have your passports?

Sorry, totally missed your questions at the end :blush:

I'm not taking the kids this time, I wanted to check it out first and I don't have a passport yet but that is next on my list.

[alopez1219]

I am also planning on going to Guatemala... probably in September sometime. I've never been there, so I really don't know what to expect. My husband and some friends have shown me some really pretty pictures though! I was about to ask the same thing when I saw your post... if anyone had been there and if there is anything I need to know or should do before going? I just ordered my passport so that should be coming soon. I can't wait to see my husband!!

[JennyM]

Be safe! Don't wear jewelery, don't carry alot of american cash and stay close to family.

[russ2169]

Yes, Don't wear a lot of jewelry. Don't carry much cash in case of robbery.
Most of Guatemala is very beautiful, smaller towns though have much lower standards of living than here in U.S.
I would be very careful about drinking water. Do take Pepto Bismol tablets or something like that. I have been there 3 times and after 5 days you will need them. My wife grew up in Guatemala but had been here for 10 years, even she had stomach sickness going back. Depending on how much time you have to travel, you might think about Atitlan, Antigua or Tikal if you like pyramids.

[JennyM]

Do take Pepto Bismol tablets .

I just bought the caplets the other day...ha ha ha

[losguerra]

Also, if you want to be especially obsessive, just plain don't eat anything that hasn't been cooked (i.e. salads/fresh fruit), and don't drink any water that isn't bottled/purified. My dad was the guardian of my 12-yr-old cousin's diet during her first trip to Guate a few weeks ago, and she never got sick because he never let her eat any of that stuff.

[djones9714]

And most of all, take plenty of mosquito spray.

[ujcdv]

Everything that everyone else said +

Brush your teeth with bottled water, stick to established resturaunts (i.e. pollo campero type places) because the road side cafes may or may not be healthy for you. Sun block if you plan to be out in the sun for a long time, some anti-itch cream (trust me on this).

In rural areas, take your own toilet paper or you wont have any to use.

Be prepared for a wild ride on the highways..LOL

Do NOT go ANYWHERE alone!
Stay off the converted school busses.

Do try Gallo beer...it's the national beer and very good if you like beer.

I've been 8 times now.

[alopez1219]

That is a lot of great information and advice! I really don't know what to expect when I go to Guatemala. haha. Thanks!!

[guatemalawaiver]

Money belts are great things for whenever you are carrying large amounts of cash, traveler's checks, credit cards/atm cards, your passport etc. Especially in the capital. You're always in danger of theft so be really cautious of that.

I've just moved back to the US after two years there. I love the country and would even live there if I didn't have to worry about making a living there. It's beautiful, but definitely different that the US. It takes some time to adjust to life there.

Good luck on your trips to anyone heading there soon.

[LaurenR]

Thank you everyone for the great info! I was worried about the water thing. When my fiance went back after being in the US for 5 years he got very sick!

Again THANK YOU so much for all the great advise! You answered every single question I've had!

Oh, but here's another! Does anyone know any good hotels that are safe in the city?

[losguerra]

My dad recently stayed at the Quinta Real (might be known as Vista Real (http://www.vistareal.com/index.html) now), and LOVED it. Kind of pricey, though...I think.

[russ2169]

I was going to stay at the Clarion Suites, if I remember correctly it was about $90 Dollars a night.

[LaurenR]

I was thinking of staying in the Tikal Futura, I guess it's close to my fiance's home. But I've read that it's not safe in some reviews I've found online.

[guatemalawaiver]

Tikal Futura is a really nice hotel, from everything that I've heard. Its connected to a big mall with a food court (where the food tends to be safer to eat) and also a movie theater. The only downside and something which might make it unsafe is that you can't really comfortably walk anywhere from its location. Its on a busy main road in the capital where all the traffic coming in and out of the city (going towards antigua, chimaltenango, and xela) passes. Its a major bus stop as well, I always get off there when I'm heading to the airport or to the embassy because there are always taxis and its relatively close to both of those locations. Hope this helps! And really not being able to walk around much shouldn't be a deterent for you. In my opinion only Zone 10 is really safe to walk around.