1

and are the mosquitoes going to eat me alive? I don't want to Deet myself for 75 days

2

A week in Flores is quite a lot for me..depends what you like doing of course,but there isn't a huge amount of choice there ;-)

On the passport/money...I wear a money belt.That has my passport,cards and cash in.I also have some emergency cash and an emergency ATM card locked up in my backpack.

Credit cards are not much use for day to day stuff but I have one for emergencies.

3

Hi, The usual drill is to carry US dollars on your body with your passport and credit/debt card. When you get to your room you can leave your main stash hidden and just walk around with a copy of your passport and enough cash for the day. You have to be able to trust your hotel room. If it seems sketchy then get another hotel. There are ATMs all over the place now, even a good one on Caye Caulker. This allows you to bring less cash than in the past. Be aware that most banks' debit cards charge you a hefty fee for each transaction so don't just keep running back for 20 dollars every few minutes. Credit cards, especially Visa, can be used for larger purchases and even many gift shops. Be aware that there is always a service charge to use themso ask up front. I think traveler's checks have become a thing of the past, but if you are really paranoid you can get some of them as a back up. It is a good idea to split up your stash on your body. So don't do anything stupid especially at night like drinking too much and wearing jewelry. Hang together, stay alert, watch each others back and always hang on to your stuff with your hand. You should be fine. Oh, I would probably want a place to stay on Christmas so if you are there a few days early you can make reservations then otherwise you may want to prebook. Christmas can get pretty busy but I maintain that you can always find a place to stay if you are flexible.

4

3 nights Flores plenty
Utila: Alton's!
Antigua boring. Lake Atitlan better. I think Hopeforlust recommends language training there. San Pedro, maybe. She'll swing by, shortly.
I seldom use repellent, travelling Nov-Mar
I do like Greggo: big wad of cash, credit card, atm card, traveller checks. Spread it out, have a sacrifice wallet. Take inventory before every move, redistribute and record assets and locations in your journal. Break up the big denominations at hotels and chinese grocery stores, as you go.

5

Yes, Good advice. Travel light and always put stuff back in the same place so when you do your inventory (often) you will know right away if something is missing.

6

thank you so much guys! That's very helpful. I'm going to head to Flores from Antigua - any towns or cities that would be cool to spend a few days in?

7

I like Nebaj and that area a lot..its kind of on the road between Antigua and Flores

Its out of the way and needs a few bus changes but very interesting and great countryside..also much more traditional than places like Antigua (and a lot less touristy).

8

I am traveling for the first time with a friend and we will be staying in Caye Caulker from at least December 30th-Jan 1st. It is our first stop on a 1-3 month trip through Central America. It would be great to meet up and hear about your time in Guatemala and get any advice since we are kind of just winging it!

9

hey! do you have a hotel already? it would be cool to meet up! I'm winging about half of my trip so I understand needint information. I'd love to share with you what I've seen once I've seen it! are you planning on heading down to Honduras? I'm kind of worried about traveling down there by myself.

10

You can meet for lunch at The Sandbox Restaurant Monday December 31st around noon.

11

For fruited-up beer (a "must-guzzle") go to D&D Brauerei, near Lago de Yojoa. There is the only extant text of Eddy's trip report, A WALK IN PARQUE ECO-ARQUEOLOGICO LOS NARANJOS, since it was stricken from the forum by the moderateros.

12

They have some good beer there, too.