“A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” -Lao Tzu

Picture
Market in Chimaltenango. Hungry?

Country facts
  • Official Language: Spanish (but lots of unofficial languages)
  • Population: ~17 million (2018)
  • Capital: Guatemala City (Cool! easy to remember)
  • Main Religion: Roman Catholic
  • Currency: Quetzal (yes, like their national bird) (currency converter)
  • Time zone: UTC -6
  • Driving side: right
  • Plug types: Type A, Type B 

Travel Info

When to go

The best time to visit is in the winter (October to about May). Outside of that, it is the rainy season.

Cost

I travelled for about 20-25$/day (2008). For today's prediction visit this website.

How long do I need

It always depends on your travel speed, but for most, I would say 1-2 weeks (If you are planning to learn Spanish allow more time)  

Personal Highlights
  • Tikal: Visit the Angkor Wat of Central America.
  • Lago of Atitlãn: A great place to learn spanish.
  • Antigua: Walk through the old city.
  • Cultural: Travel in a colourful overcrowded "chicken bus". (People literally hold themselves on the outside and sit on the roof!)
  • Chichicastenango: See its colourful markets.
  • Wildlife viewing: Especially for birds.
  • Flores Island: Take a look at this beautiful island on Lago de Petén Itzá.

Pictures
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from my trip to Guatemala. Read the blog post: "Got Robbed All my Pictures, Twice!", to know more about it.