Advantages: Gorgeous town with a lot of character, plenty to do, and great markets.
Disadvantages: No alcohol after 8 on a Sunday

...I travelled through Guatemala as a student backpacker, but there are lots of things to do for any age group/interest. For the bargain hunters I thoroughly recommend the colourful and vibrant markets, but make sure you haggle (the best price is often gained from comparing different sellers, and having a grasp of the language!). I bought a beautiful bedspread for only £15, planning to send it home in the post, but ended up carrying it around the rest of Central America due to the £70 needed on stamps!! Even for the non-religious traveller, it is well worth visiting the churches, such as La Merced, San Francisco, and Las Capuchinas, for the colonial architecture and to appreciate the local devotion to the Catholic Church. The recent canonisation of Hermano Pedro (the first saint from Central America) involved a visit from the Pope... Read review

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Advantages: Charming and unique hotel with wonderful Gautemalan artifacts and ambiance (a home away from home) run by delightful people.
Disadvantages: None

...experience when I stayed there! Last, the Posada Belen is very reasonably priced (a fraction of what I would have paid if I stayed in a major chain hotel). When booking the Posada Belen, I mentioned in an email that I wanted to take a tour around Guatemala. Francesca and René responded that they could arrange a week's tour for me (the Guatemala Classic Tour), which was truly wonderful. It was a comprehensive tour of Lake Atitlan, Antigua and Tikal. The tour was very flexible and was arranged according to my schedule and my needs, and it was always with small groups of people. The hotels on the tour were all excellent. I am very grateful to Francesca and René since they arranged a truly marvelous tour for me. Additionally, they arranged airport transfers and for a taxi to take me to the 2 best museums in Guatemala City. I... Read review

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Advantages: The people and rich culture
Disadvantages: You need at least 1-2 weeks for the experience and clubs are only open till 1am

...So I feel I should write a review of the the mighty they call Antigua of Guatemala, after living there for nearly 4 months I relised why it is considered to be one of the jewels of Central America. So lets be honest I could write volumes for this but I will try to avoid covering standard issues which you will find in travel guides. On first glance Antigua can seem like a beautiful but sleepy location as this is the impression I got on my initial visit passing through for just 1 day, but you see Antigua is the type of place you need a little more time to appreciate the fruits which it has to offer, and so my 1 day experience was not really a good indication of what Antigua has to offer the traveller/tourist/culture vultures! But on my more extended visit a few weeks later I saw that with a little time, research and 'getting to know... Read review

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Advantages: Natural,peaceful,colorful etc.
Disadvantages: The town needs fire prevention equipments.

...For me Livingston is the place on hearth which is a true paradise. It is located on the Atlantic coastal area of Guatemala, Central America. The people, and the ambience in general give a peaceful feeling that enlightens the soul. While in many ways it is a primitive place. One can feel the human elements which say this is all I need to be happy. The natural environment stands still even when foreigners,or locals might want to impose the modern life of large cities, they are held back,not so much by laws, but by the nature of the place that in silence says "enjoy me the way I'm". Livngston is a place for romance, adventure and life in general. The Rio Dulce (Sweet River)a navigable fresh water river,which ends in Livingston, where it meets with the bay that connects it to part of the Atlantic Ocean,in my Opinion is the #8 wonder... Read review

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Advantages: Amazing place, excellent wildlife
Disadvantages: Busses could be better

...boat, carrying about 10 - 12 people. The jouney along the lake and up the river is fantastic, there are hundreds of birds, turtles in the water, amazing views. Livingston was not such a nice place to stay, so we only stayed one night and headed of to Honduras for a couple of weeks (Honduras review coming soon!) After a couple of weeks in Honduras we headed back into Guatemala via Copan. From copan we took a minibus to Anigua Guatemala. The minibusses are easy to organise, and cost about 20US$, they are a much easier way of travelling around southern Guatemala, the busses here are not so easy to figure out, due to the quantity and randomness of their timetables! Antigua Guatemala is at quite a high altitude, so it's quite cool - which is a refreshing change from the humidity of the jungle. The town itself is great, small cobbled... Read review

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Advantages: Breathtaking ruins in vivid jungle packed full of rainbow coloured birds and lively animals.
Disadvantages: Violent crime awaits the unwary.

...in the region. San Cristobal, Palanque, Chetumal, Antigua, Guatemala City, Panajacel and Belize City are all places where this would be possible. Single ticket airtrips can be as low as $80. Organising a shuttle bus to Flores from one of these places is also an option. Flores is a beautiful town on an island in a great cool lake, about 50 miles south west of Tikal, and a great base from which to see Tikal. Expect to pay somewhere between $20-$40 depending where you are coming from. From Belize City or Antigua it should be about $25. From Flores early minibuses (arrange them at your hotel or at one of the many obvious travel agents and tour organisers) will shuttle you to the ruins before dawn for as little as $6 depending on your bargaining skills and the current demand. Several buses leave daily and you can choose just how early you want... Read review

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Advantages: Pretty markets; a chance to explore Guatemalan villages
Disadvantages: Hassling by street kids into buying biros!

...Panajachel has a market much like those of Antigua and Chichicastenango, but with a wide variety of excellent local art to buy (I bought 2 small paintings of the lake for next to nothing, and they are a perfect reminder of my travels - see photos). An oppurtunity not to be missed is to take a boat trip out onto the lake and visit the surrounding villages. Santiago has more markets, and a lot of boys will try to pursuade you to buy just about anything. There is a little shop/museum where you can see some beautiful weaving: to buy is fairly expensive, but the quality is fantastic. There are a couple of places to grab some rice and beans here, and there is 1 hotel in Santiago, but most people tend to stay in Panajachel, which is larger and has more to offer. San Antonio I felt was more like the 'real' Guatemala, where... Read review

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Advantages: Lots of amazing scenery, helpful people and a chance to see a truly different culture.
Disadvantages: The necessity to ride on antiquated and crowded public transport.

...Quetzaltenango, also known as Xela (shela) is located in western Guatemala, close to the Mexican border. It is in the Guatemalan Highlands, and home to awe-inspiring scenery. The highlands are quite simply spectacular. An excerpt from my travel journal: "Lots of brooding mist-enwreathed mountains covered in tropical bush, framing distant, hazy valleys and interspersed with cardamom plantations. To fall asleep on the bus is to miss this fiesta of scenery." From Xela, there are many ecotourism projects and adventures you can go on. I went on a 2 1/2 day trek up through remote mountain villages, where locals still wear traditional dress, using tracks made by the guerillas and soldiers during the war several years ago. The trek culminated with viewing a lovely sunrise over a picturesque lake. Xela itself is a cute, but not stunning town... Read review

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Advantages: Spectacular ruins in a green setting
Disadvantages: Becoming more popular and wildlife is suffering

...I have visited Tikal twice now - once about 8 years ago and again two years ago. I say this, because I noticed the difference in the amount of birdlife between the two visits. Perhaps I was unlucky, but there seemed to be far fewer birds on this trip. Having said this, I still rate Tikal as one of my favourite ancient sites in the world. Tikal really ought to be better known. Ok, it takes a special trip to get there - a flight from Guatemala city is the best option (unless you have lots of time and little money, I can't imagine that the overnight bus trip is a good plan), but it is worth it. Yes, the hotels aren't cheap, but this is a pretty special place, and it is good to be able to get into the site nice and early. Picture the setting - water droplets gently drip off the large green leaves of the jungle as the early morning mist... Read review

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Advantages: a truly awesome experience
Disadvantages: can I have some money for the diamond shops please

...“You will be bored in Antigua – it’s only for beach lovers”, quoted a colleague. HOW WRONG THEY WERE! I was very fortunate this year to find myself preparing and looking forward to my second holiday this year headed for two weeks of bliss in Antigua, Caribbean, West Indies. As my regular readers will know, I’m a keen fan of travelling, this trip for me was the furthest I’ve travelled yet (watch this space!) - apart from a New York shopping trip in the eighties, that is. I took a direct scheduled flight from Gatwick which I found to be comfortable, good food, leg room not too bad compared to the usual short haul destinations, plus a wide selection of movies and radio channels to fiddle with during the 8 and a half hour flight. I did read a couple of negative reviews on my chosen accommodation prior to take off, the Jolly... Read review

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