Help with December trip

I have been reading about on this forum about Guatemala and you all have been helpful on answering many questions ….We are planning a trip to GUA from 12/14-12/29 and I have a hold on a room at the The Hotel Aruora from 12/14-12/24…They are booked after that so the choices are to look for another Antiqua hotel for the remaining 5 days or just go on to another nearby town...We are in our 60s and one of our main objectives is to do some shopping for our gallery looking mainly for one of a kind crafts ,jewelry ,and bags and other small handmade native artisan products. I am planning to do do many day trips and hit the nearby makets We also want to sight see and look for a little adventure.

I know the markets will be closed on the 25th and i know this is a HIGH season but open for suggestions...We just need to be back early on the 29th to catch an early flight back to Mia...I have read it is worth the time to go back to Guatemala City for at least a day to check out those markets and we could just go back there on the 28th and spend a day and night before we leave.

Ig 10 days in Antiqua is too much (we plan on using the town as our base) I am open for oter suggestions.....

If you are looking for a place in Guatemala City to stay before your trip, I would reccomend you Xamanek Hostel, which is in the best zone of the city, pretty close to the airport and with really nice restaurants in walking distance. They have private rooms.

you can look also prices and things in the central market in Guatemala, where you might be able to find very good deals.

Well, Antigua is a nice option... from there you can reach different places, but I would reccomend you to stay a few days in lake atitlan as a base, to check the markets in the area. Really nice places to stay in Jaibalito, San Marcos la Laguna or Santa Cruz la Laguna.

If you need anything else, do not doubt to ask me.

Spend a couple days shopping in Panajachel, a top market in Guatemala, and maybe another couple in villages around the lake for adventure as well as possible shopping. Guatemala City has an awesome market.

Buen viaje!

Hello there, unless you've already booked your flight reservations, you better do it as soon as possible. Otherwise, you'll end up paying more for your tickets to fly in december. Lots of guatemalans living in the US like to spend x-mas back home. Consequently is not easy to find good deals as you get close to the holidays. Good luck.

I agree that booking anywhere soon is important. My wife and I have reservations on one of the en suite rooms at Xamanek for several days during that period, which I booked in person in February, mostly because I wanted to be sure of a room. This is a very nice place. It has to be to even exist among the expensive places in La Zona Viva and the name even had to be upgraded a bit to Xamanek Student Inn. If I remember right, it had Backpacker as the middle part of the name.

To give my wife an overview of to Guatemalan textiles, I am taking her to Museo Ixchel and the Mercado Central in Guate at the beginning of our trip. Then we will hit markets and places of textile interest around Atitlan and Antigua. In case you are interested, the museum is a fairly easy walk from Xamanek - if they are not already booked for all the rooms. It just got into LP in this new issue. Last time I ran across some nice leather and Guatemalan fabric fanny packs, one of which was a real hit with my wife. I am not a dealer, by the way. I just look for interesting items.

Oh, come on, pampaqt, "Best Hostel in Guatemala City"? Only Guate? How about "best hostel in Guatemala"? It also would likely be accurate. I am guessing that you are friend of Manuel's.

Met Manuel once, but would be hard to call him a friend... I have talk longer with people I met in pubs :)

And since I actually host people trough Couchsurfing I doubt Hostels owners in Guatemala City would consider me much of a friend. And this might me not something in your needs, but if you are up for it Barrys, let me know.

Thanks for all the info...We have booked the Hotel Aurora for the first week and over to Lake Atitlan and was able to book a cottage at Posada de santiago..i talked to the owner david and he was really helpful...He suggested that since we are heading back to Guat City one day before our flight home that we book the Hotel Conqistador and if we get there early we should be able to do some last minute shopping in the Guat City markets..

That plan seems to make sense and I think there is a possibility that if we do not want to saty that long in Antiqua we could get over to Lake Atitlan early.

Believe it or not the dowtown area where the mercado central is located its a perfectly safe area with lots of fast food restaurants. The whole second floor is full of souvenir stalls, specially silver and gold jewelry. Lots of police on foot, bikes, motorcycles, cars and all equipped with radios patrolling the streets. Also, try to visit the Ixchel museum as suggested by mayaphile. It is located inside the campus of the Francisco Marroquin university, not very far from the airport. There you'll see one of the most complete collections of guatemalan textiles. So, a visit is definetely worth it. Don't forget to take a light jacket with you if you trvel in December. Have a nice trip.