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Traveling in Guatemala can be exciting as well as educational! It is recommended to read a travel guide on Guatemala and/or Antigua before you arrive at our school – the information they provide is most helpful! Below are just a few helpful hints to get your trip planning started!
Airport exit tax
There is a $30 USD airport exit tax plus a Q20 ($3.00) security tax. The exit tax is usually included in the ticket price. The security tax is paid at the airport. Some local flights also have an airport tax. These taxes should be paid in Quetzales – so make sure to save some for your return flight!
Chicken Buses
These amazingly colorful buses are the public transportation for Antigua. Although the reasons for their interesting slightly differ, most agree that the name was given by the tourists who observed farmers bringing their chickens to market on these buses. Nowadays, however, it is quite rare to see chickens riding these buses – but they are.
Common prices in Antigua:
Average meal in restaurant:
breakfast Q25 - Q30;
lunch Q30 to Q40;
dinnerQ25 a Q30
Average costs to:
Panajachel $10 to $12
Tikal $200 to $250
Montericco $10 to $12
Beer: small stores Q7.00 to Q10.00 in restaurants Q25.00
Bottle of water: small stores Q3.50 – Q5.00 restaurants Q10.00
Cup of coffee: Q5-10
***** These prices are averages only based on a survey of several travel agencies in Antigua; CLI is not responsible if the prices change; please inquire in the office for a listing of prices for these trips and others.
Converting temperatures
C = (5/9)*(F-32)
F = (9/5)*C+32
Currency converter
1 USD = Q7.65 (Jan 2007)
1 € = Q 9.90
Diving
Diving is mostly done in Honduras. There is some in Guatemala: the ocean is two hours away. But in Honduras you can make a long weekend trip of it, and it is often considered among the best diving in the world.
Galgos Buses
Address: 7a Av. 19-44 zona 1
Phone: 2232-3661, 2220-6018
http://www.transgalgosinter.com.gt
infor@transgalgosinter.com.gt
Innoculations
In general, it is recommended for travelers NOT to take malaria pills for their visit in Guatemala. Most places which are mainly tourist areas (like Antigua) are at a very low risk for malaria, though it is always advisable to follow your doctor’s recommendation. Malaria pills should be taken if you think that you will be visiting coastal or jungle areas. All students should be aware of other bacterial problems they may have while in Antigua. Bringing a non-prescription anti-diarrhea medication will usually clear up these kinds of problems.
Medication
It is advisable to bring important prescription medication with you to Guatemala, including vitamins. For long-term visits, the office may be able to help locate certain medication; however, you should plan on bringing your medicine (including vitamins) with you. If you do become ill while in Antigua, our office has a list of doctors we can recommend to you. For health insurance information, please go to our
Information for New Students page.
News in Guatemala
www.munideantigua.com
www.prensalibre.com
www.deguate.com
Tikal
Tikal is one of the most popular destinations for tourists. All tours are pretty much standard. The guide is included. The chosen hotel is a mid-level hotel for the area, depending on availability, but the price usually includes: private room, private bath, cable TV, air-conditioning, and usually a balcony. Some examples are: Hotel Santana, Hotel Peten, Hotel Isla de Flores (www.junglelodge.guate.com). Sometimes we put students right outside the park, in which case the hotels are just as nice, and have private baths, but sometimes no TV or air conditioning. There are different flights and tour agencies - it really just depends on when the student comes and what his or her preferences are, and it should not matter to the student so much because we would be paying and obviously choose a reputable one. All the tours are straight-forward, with transportation to and from the airports, to the hotel, from the hotel to Tikal, etc. Arrangements would not even be made until their arrival, since the tickets are always available, can be booked anytime, but are not refundable (and as you know students often cancel or change their dates).
We can let the student know exact details, but they would not be finalized until payment was made, as no flight tickets, arranged tours, etc. are paid for until we receive the balance. Trips to Tikal can be made in one day, but many students prefer the 2 day option. We can arrange trips to Tikal or anywhere else, including hotel reservations, right in the school office!
Tour agencies
There are many tour agencies for travel in Guatemala on the web as well as in Antigua. With all of these choices, it is wise to look for 2 things: experienced drivers and tour guides provided. It is better to pay slightly more for a more qualified tour agency and have a safe driver and to not have to look for your tour guide.
Tourist police
The tourist police in Antigua are generally quite helpful. Their office is located in just north of the center plaza, their phone number is: 78327290
Taxis/Tuk-tuks
There are several different types in Antigua – always use a clearly marked taxi and ask for the price before you get in.
Volcanoes
There are several tour agencies which go to the volcanoes. Travel to the volcano is extremely enjoyable, however, please remember to take a tour guide up the volcano. It will cost a bit more, but it is safer. Safety concerns regarding the volcanoes are valid - in general there is never any violence, just theft. General safety maxims hold true here: don't travel alone after dark on the streets, use tour guides as much as possible, don't flash your money around, carry the minimal amount of electronics and money on your person when you go on these tours.
Important things to bring with you to Antigua:
- Guidebook of Antigua and/or Guatemala (recommended: Lonely Planet)
- Sturdy shoes for walking on cobblestone streets (all streets in Antigua are cobble-stoned) or hiking up volcanoes, yet also shoes which keep your feet cool in the heat of Antigua
- Jumper or light jacket for evenings
- Any books students which to study Spanish from
- Clothes for the appropriate time of year – but please remember that temperatures and weather can change quickly at certain times of the year, so students may wish to bring a warmer outfit, even if they are coming in the summer or a cooler outfit even if they are coming in winter.
- Extra credit/debit card to use as an emergency
- Two-pronged adapter for 3-pronged electronic equipment such as laptops, digital cameras, hair dryers, etc. The voltage in Guatemala is 110 volts AC and 60 Hz, but many sockets only have 2-prongs
- Safe bag to keep personal belongings while in the city or traveling
- Pictures of family and friends, especially to share with the host family or teacher as it is a great way of practicing Spanish as well as an interesting way of getting to know each other
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Safety in Guatemala
Safety, wherever you are traveling, is a concern. General safety maxims hold true in Antigua and throughout Guatemala: don't travel alone after dark on the streets, use tour guides as much as possible, don't flash your money around, carry the minimal amount of electronics and money on your person when you go on these tours. However, please do not feel too concerned – the safety tips listed below are to put our students’ minds more at ease. Remember – the great majority of our students and tourists in general have ZERO problems while in Antigua and Guatemala. The majority of problems travelers in Antigua face involve the theft of money or goods – very rarely does the theft include any physical violence. Although they are quite nice and friendly, Guatemalans are quite poor; there are many tourists arriving in the country and those tourists are seen as having a lot of money.
In the past, there have been warnings about theft at the International Airport in Guatemala City. Our drivers are with the student from the time they leave the reception area to the drop-off in Antigua. Upon arrival at the airport, the student will go through customs and follow the hall to the exit. There you will see a receiving line - mostly drivers of taxi services with names of passengers. Our driver will be holding a sign with your name on it. He will take you immediately to the vehicle. Once in Antigua, the driver will take you to the school or to your home stay - depending on whether you arrive during school hours or not. The school can escort you to your home stay, but many families will meet you at the school and take you to their home. They can also take you to the school for the first time. However, the majority of our home stays and other lodging are quite close to the school and following a map is generally adequate for our students.
Students should be prepared to pay for tour guides wherever they go, especially to the volcanoes. Walking around Antigua by yourself is not a problem. At night, it is best to either take a taxi or a 'tuk-tuk' (small golf-cart-like vehicles which are quite cheap, but still safe). If you are walking, it’s best to walk in a group of 3 or more. Most students go out together in small groups anyway, so it isn't really a problem. It is possible, for example, to go running in the town during the day, although to run in the hills outside of Antigua is not advisable. The office can help students to decide which places are the safest to go to in town.
Young women are targets throughout the world, for obvious reasons - however, many young women are quite safe traveling throughout the world despite that. Most robberies in Antigua are for money and things like watches, cell phones, etc. Rarely do they result in injuries, and are usually a result of student carelessness. Guatemala City is a more dangerous place, but traveling to and from the airport there is not a problem as long as you travel with our driver or some other kind of travel service.
Regarding safety for young people, Antigua is a very safe town, even for children and young people. It really depends on the child’s responsibility and maturity level, which only a parent can determine. Generally, if children go out during the daytime, they will not encounter any problems. Also, if the child goes out at night, they should go with somebody else – preferably an older adult. This is not to say there are problems at night, but sending a young person out anywhere, in any country, at night is generally not safe. If a student is unaccompanied by an adult, it would be best to have a ‘guardian’ made available to the child/young adult. Among our students, there have been few reported problems in the past – these problems were encountered late in the evening or on tours with no tour guide. Although no former student was physically harmed, money and goods were stolen. For other information on security in Guatemala go to:
http://www.guatemalaweb.com/1/guatemalasecurity.htm
If you are traveling throughout Guatemala, and in Guatemala City, there may some different safety tips and phone numbers. Please refer to professional travel guides or Guatemala-specific travel sites for more information.
General safety concerns:
- Always drink bottled water, boiling water for drinking is not recommended, though cooking with boiled water is generally okay
- Always take tours with a guide – it may be slightly more expensive, but it is worthwhile so as to prevent possible uncomfortable situations. Tourist police go to Cerra de la Cruz every day, free of charge, and all volcanoes have tours with guides available. These two places especially are not recommended for ‘independent’ tours without a guide. Travelers must be willing to give up a little independence when it is physically or monetarily necessary. Tours for these two trips are often thought to be ‘safe’ but there have been problems in the past with non-violent robberies. Please keep this in mind when planning your trips.
- Do not walk alone after dark in Antigua: again, although there have rarely been problems, CLI does not wish uncomfortable situations on our students.
- Lock doors of the place of lodging. All students receive a key for their lodging – please make sure to not lose these keys either or loan them to ‘friends’.
- Be aware of general taboos or cultural differences when visiting restaurants, pubs and homes – most guide books give suggestions as to what these are.
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