Hey all!
I'm Didi, heading to my first long trip in Central/South America in the beginning of November. After a spell in Oaxaca, Mexico, I'm heading over to San Pedro near Lake Atitlan on November 4th - flying into Guatemala City, riding to Antigua, then Panajachel, then a boat to San Pedro. I'm looking for a travel buddy between any one of these stops in Guatemala, to keep an eye on each other... If you are too, around the 4th-5th, talk to me!
You don't need a travel buddy, but if you head to Antigua a few nights, then to Pana, then a boat San Pedro, and stay in hostels, and use the great shuttle network, it will be easy to meet others, but its perfectly fine alone, not sure what your keeping an eye on, its really a safety issue, this is a well travelled route.
Thanks for the tip! As for my concern, I had read on a forum that the direct route between Guatemala City and Panajachel/San Pedro is a sometimes-target for armed robbery of tourist buses. Obviously this could happen on other roads, but as a single female traveler I'm trying to figure ways to make myself feel more secure. I'm happy to hear your reassurance!
Thanks for your advice as well! It's cool to see how chill ppl are about this route. I do speak some Spanish. Any ideas what should be the price range of the shuttle from Antigua?
I was told by my hotel how much to pay for a boat from Pana to Santiago...we didn't have luggage, a single backpack, as we left most our stuff in Antigua at the hotel...after a trip to Xela...
yes, #1 is right that taking a shuttle straight from Antigua is a lot easier (unless you were planning to stay a few days in Pana). while there have been very, very infrequent reports of robberies, these have also happened in between Antigua and Pana as well. others will say that the descent to San Pedro is too harrowing for them, but honestly it's not that bad and these drivers do it day in day out.