(Click the picture to read the post)
MY TRIP
MAITOX HOSTEL (WITH STORY)
HOBO ADVICE
TOWNS OF LAKE ATITLAN
MAYA MOON LODGE
LAGO DE ATITLAN PHOTOS
ANTIGUA PHOTOS
January 2018
Do to time and money constraints, my total trip lasted slightly over a week, so I didn't get to do nearly all the things I wanted to. That said, the stuff I did and places I went were still pretty amazing. After landing, I took a shuttle right to Antigua and stayed there my first night at Matiox Hostel (highly recommended), before taking another shuttle the following day to Lake Atitlan. Initially, I just planned on staying two days there but ended up making it four since the place was incredible. While there, I stayed at Maya Mood Lodge (also highly recommended) and hopped from town to town over the days to see all the communities. This included going to a huge open market in Santiago, finding a really amazing locally run cafe called Konojel, and swimming in the warm January waters (it actually was really warm).
After that, I returned back to Antigua and Matiox. Thankfully, I arrived just in time for bar trivia night which turned out to be awesome (see story). I spent the remaining days exploring Antigua and the surrounding areas which were all very cultural with their own unique personalities. My one regret though was not making it to the ruins at Tikal, so if and when I return, that's on the top of my list.
I highly recommend starting a Guatemala trip Antigua instead of Guatemala City. You can take a shuttle there from the airport and it takes about an hour (traffic depending). From there, Make sure you visit Lake Atitlan. The nature is amazing and there's so many different communities around the lake. Just make sure you go swimming there at least once. Just try to support the local places instead of those run by plundering ex-pats. Two regrets I have though are not making it to Tikal. Tikal is said to be some of the most amazing Mayan ruins in the world and a friend of mine who went said the experience was absolutely mind blowing.
Make sure to go hiking and exploring the volcanoes. They're all over the country and they're an incredible sight to see. One of the best activities for this would be to hike up the mountain Aguatenango and spending the night at the base camp. If you do this, you get the opportunity to see the nearby volcano erupting throughout the night and at dawn, which makes for an absolutely unreal experience. Just make sure you dress warm because it often drops below freezing during the night.
Although the country has a high crime rate and there are many safety warnings, I personally had no problems and saw no incidents while I was there. There were many armed guards in public places though, but I didn't feel unsafe at any time. From what I've heard, most of the crime is gang related and located in Guatemala City and the eastern part of the country. I spent my stay in the west. Generally speaking, just use good judgement and you should be fine.