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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
guatemala?
Hi there! DH and I are in the process of planning our anniversary vaca for November. For some reason, Guatemala is on our radar and although I am not finding anything "scary" about it online, I am worried (but I don't really know why)...is this a safe place to travel? It is definitely not on our state's "no travel" list and based on the trip advisor forums, a lot of people are currently traveling there but for some reason we are a little hesitant.
Thoughts? Experiences?
Re: guatemala?
We went a few years ago - I felt completely safe the entire trip.
We had one OMG moment right outside of the airport. We were warned that your driver might experience "car trouble" once outside of the city limits and that is when another car will come and rob you when you have all of your $ and belongings with you...well we were right outside the city limits and we got a "flat tire" and were like OMG - I can't believe this is happening...another minute later a car pulls up behind us...we thought for sure we were going to get robbed. Lol...we honestly did have a flat and the car that pulled up behind us was Infrastructure patrol - they stopped to help change the flat and then we were on our way. They drive really old cars with practically bare tires down there - so this happens A LOT and the infrastructure patrol drives the highway to assist with the car problems.
Other than that one scary moment - I felt completely safe the entire time. Just be smart and conscious of your surroundings..but honestly I've been more uncomfortable on the streets of Philadelphia then I ever did there.
Definitely visit Antigua and Hike Volcan de Pacaya...I thought Lake Atitlan wasn't worth the hype. We didn't make it to the ruins, but I plan to return to go there for sure!
It's a great country! I'd definitely recommend going!
Guate is amazing! You should def go. I agree about Antigua and Atitlan. However, I hear that you can't swim in lago Atitlan now due to overgrowth of something or other... Pretty cheap and easy to travel there. I went in 2004 and managed to live off of $250 for 2 months, but that was in my back packing days were I stayed at hostels etc.
I had a few scary moments including being on a "launcha"/ boat that almost sank and a chicken bus that almost drove off of a cliff. I also did meet some travelers that had some trouble when hiking around lago Atitlan. Just don't be stupid and go off hiking around alone in places that are unfamiliar. Pretty sure that's obvious to most people. You shouldn't have any problems. Enjoy and congrats!!
It's definitely safe, but just be smart about it, because you are in a third world country. I went with a group of girls, and we were fine. Guatemala City was probably my least favorite, and Antigua was one of my favorites. We also went to a few other beautiful places, but I can't remember the towns
We also hiked the volcano, and that was awesome too. The water is soo beautiful, and the beach is so nice beacuse there's not many tourists, so the water and sand is so pure and pretty. Also, it's so cheap, so your budget will go far. If you keep an open mind, you'll be fine.
It's up to you and what you're looking for and whereabouts your going. We did 4-5 different locations in 8 days or so, and we felt it was actually a good place, although, I wish we stayed 1 more day in Antigua (we were there just a day) and one day less in Guatemala CIty where we flew out of. The beach was definitely the biggest highlight of my trip, but I would recommend the volcano and Antigua too, so it all depends on what part of the country you decide to beach and how you want to do it. Have fun!
If you can stay more than 5 days I would recommend that. It is so affordable to travel in Guatemala and it's so worth it. Don't bother spending anytime in Guatemala City. It's a cool city, but it can be very dangerous and if you're unfamiliar with the area it's better to not wander around. I'll echo the suggestions to spend a few days in Antigua and a few at Lake Atitlan. Stay at a hotel with a pool and do your relaxing there. We love the Porta Hotels. You could also do a day trip to hike the active volcano Pacaya (although you'll need to check if it's open or not).
I lived in Guate for 4 months when I was in my early 20s. It was amazing. The people are so friendly and welcoming. I agree that Guatemala City is not really worth spending much time in. Antigua is beautiful with a great market, the cerro de la cruz, and of course, el pollo loco (AMAZING fried chicken!). If you decide to visit the cross, it is advised that you go in a group, because it can be a bit dangerous.
If you are into history or culture, I'd highly recommend visiting Tikal, although it is quite a ways away from Guatemala City. It is an amazing example of mayan architecture and culture.