Other than Guatelmal city-
 

What would be interesting about going to Guatemala ? How are safety conditions?

It has incredible amount of history and culture. <BR>1. go to Antiqua Guatamala oldest city in the Americas spend 2-3 days there<BR>2. Go to Attilan the scenery is beautiful and it is unlike the hustle bustle of tourist traps in Mexico.<BR><BR>3. Go to Chistecatanego a village with a market and church spend a day there.<BR><BR>4. Go to Tikal a incredible site of ancient mayan culture and inquire on other sites to visit.<BR><BR>Lots to do and see in Guatemala .

I am from Guatemala. I plan on taking some friends this year and I was really worried on how they would perceive my home country. My past experience is that most people expect to see a replica of the United States with some ancient history. I know the pretty and the ugly mix. but with an open mind and genuine interest in speaking and learning about the natives, guatemala offers not only scenic beauty but an array of education. thank you for not focusing on the ugly!<BR><BR>

I am not saying that Guatemala does not have problems. It is the same for any third world country robbery and theft.<BR><BR>Guatemala is recovery from years of civil war and the people most threatened are those involved in the excavation of the thousand of bodies that were killed and dumped in mass graves by the Guatemalan Army. These people are working on behalf of Human Rights.<BR><BR> Like so many Latin American Countries political problems this conflict was well funded and Aided by the United States Government. We are taking about millions and millions of dollars of the U.S. Taxpayers Money.

Hi there<BR><BR>I'm considering going with my wife to Antigua in early August. What would be our best bet to get there? As far as I know, we can only fly to Guatemala City and then take a bus to Antigua. What are the safest options?<BR><BR>BTW, I have been to Tikal twice, and is an amazing, overwhelming place, equal in grandeur and mystery to Macchu Picchu. I found the overall safety conditions fairly good, but I was single back then!

Guatemala is the perfect choice to have a close encounter with the jungle at the lowlands, visit ancient Mayan cities, and it alive Mayan culture at the highlands. One very good off the beaten path choice would certainly be the Petexbatun Lagoon.

I agree with tom. I would certainly recommend to take some 2 to 3 days of your itinerary to visit the Petexbatun Lagoon (An 1.5 hour drive from Tikal), it would be a once in a lifetime experience. I just had my adventure at the Petexbat&uacute;n Lagoon, the places is like an advance to paradise. This lagoon is surrounded by a real jungle and several exotic ancient Mayan cities. I visited the Mayan city of Aguateca, which offers the best Nature hike I had in my whole trip over Central America. Here you walk in the jungle, at the side of an escarpment and enter into a crack formed when the mountain was divided in two parts, several thousands years ago, after that you climb to this awesome city that right now is being carefully restored. The archaeologists working in the place where very friendly, they even show me all their work and their latest finds in this awesome city. Next day I visited the remote Mayan city called Dos Pilas, for arriving to this city I traveled horseback 3 hours through the Jungle, then I visited the site full of some huge and magnificent carved stelaes and several hieroglyphic stairways and enter to the Blood Cave which was full of ceramic fragments. I lodged in Chiminos Island Lodge which every bungalow offers spectacular views to the lagoon and is located inside the jungle. Here I enjoyed the best food I have ever had in a Central America country. In this lodge they even baked their own bread before each meal, which it was delicious. <BR>

In addition to Tikal etc. I also enjoyed the highlands such as Quetzeltenango and HuehueTenango it's nice for a break / relaxation from the tourist scene