Guatemalan Travel

Quick Tips:

Guatemala is a very inexpensive country, so discount coupons don't really apply.

We were able to make all traveling plans (internal flight to Tikal and hotel stay, day trip to Chichi, day trip to Lake Atitlan, volcano hike) from Antigua at local travel agencies.

Best Way To Get Around:

It is a very nice hotel. The staff was friendly and helped us change money and change our beds from one king-size one to two doubles. The best part about it is that it is in Antigua, which is a great place to start exploring Guatemala from. I wouldn't recommend the all-inclusive deal. There are so many great restaurants in Antigua and we spent so much of the day out of the hotel that it really isn't worth it.

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Not Available
• Service: Very Good

The hike is tough, although for part of the way they will offer you a donkey. Also, near the top they ask who wants to continue on, and some members of the group chose not to. Towards the top, your feet sink in volcanic ash, so it is difficult to step. Also, the air gets thin, making it difficult. It is well worth it when you get to the top. Getting to the crater is very cool and you feel a real sense of accomplishment.

There is also a museum about Mayan music and culture. It was really interesting. I think that kids would get a kick out of it and you learn why coffee workers do not get paid a lot but coffee is still expensive (blame the middle man).

We got a package deal (from a local travel agency) that included a transfer from Antigua to Guatemala City, a flight to Tikal, a transfer to our hotel, a morning tour of Tikal with tour guide, a free afternoon, a night at the Jungle Lodge, food, and passes to Tikal the next day. It was great. One day is not enough because you really only have about half a day in the ruins, which is not enough time to see everything. In the mornings it is pretty crowded with lots of tourists. In the afternoon everything quiets down a lot. You can spend quality time really exploring the things that you breezed by, and the guide gives you suggestions on where to head. It is very worth staying until dusk, when the animals go crazy, but bring a flashlight. It goes from dusk to pitch-dark very quickly. We wandered around in the dark for a while before someone with a flashlight came along, and we walked back to the lodge together. The howler monkeys are incredible, especially considering their size. We also spotted other monkeys and an animal whose tail sticks straight up into the air.

You can also take a bus here, which is much cheaper but very long. With our time constraints, flying was the way to go.