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A Happy Life in Guatemala

July 20th, 2009 | Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Gringo Favorite, Guatemala - Relocation, Guatemala - Travel Tips | 1 Comment »

So, the Happy Planet Index in Guatemala has ranked us number 4 as far as the happiest places to live go. Costa Rica is ranked number 1, but I think they paid off the surveyors, and the Dominican Republic and Jamaica at spots number 2 and 3, respectively.

The HPI, or Happy Planet Index, ranking of each country is determined by the life expectancy, life satisfaction, and ecological footprint left on the country.

Life expectancy in Guatemala is where we rank lowest, with the estimate being between 60–75 years. This falls in the middling range, and is what brings our score below Costa Rica’s. (The life expectancy in Costa Rica is above 75 years.)

When it comes to life satisfaction Read more

Budget Travel and Vacation Ideas for Guatemala

July 13th, 2009 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - Gringo Favorite, Guatemala - Places to Stay, Guatemala - Travel Tips, The Best of Guatemala | No Comments »

Tourism may be down around the world, and although some businesses in Guatemala are suffering, the outlook isn’t as dim here as it is in other Central and South American countries. Why? Well, Guatemala is seen as a cheaper option for vacation than the ever popular Costa Rica and Panama. And to be honest, Guatemala is less expensive.

Nowadays, flights to Central American countries from the United States all hover at about the same price, so picking your destination, if guided by your budget, may mean choosing a country that has cheaper accomodations and activities. (For a search of international flights, try www.kayak.com.)

Guatemala not only offers high quality tourism, it does so at better prices. There are the Read more

Swine Flu – H1N1 in Guatemala

July 9th, 2009 | Guatemala - News, Guatemala - Travel Tips | 1 Comment »

Although I personally don’t feel like there is much to worry about with this whole swine flu virus thing, I suppose staying informed is the best way to protect yourself. By now we should all know that those silly masks don’t actually do anything, but we should all be careful with washing our hands well and with soap (something not readily found in most public bathrooms in Guatemala… bring your own little bottle of hand sanitizer.

If you are curious to know what the current status of swine flu is in Guatemala, then click this link.

There are currently 286 confirmed cases in Guatemala and 2 deaths.

Eat at Mickey D's… in Antigua!

June 30th, 2009 | Guatemala - Family Friendly, Guatemala - Gringo Favorite, Guatemala - Places to Stay, Guatemala - Travel Tips | No Comments »

You may scoff at the idea of eating at McDonald’s, but in Guatemala it is considered a somewhat fancy place to grab a bite to eat. And, while the double cheeseburger doesn’t taste quite like it does back home, you’ll still get exactly what you are expecting when you unwrap the sandwich.

Of all the McDonald’s I’ve seen, the one in La Antigua Guatemala is one of the fanciest. It started out as a smaller McCafé, but has been transformed into a fancy, comfortable, almost coffee house style restaurant where you can eat dessert, drink coffee, and of course, scarf down a burger and fries.

From your chair lounging beside the impressive garden you can see the Volcan de Agua, and Read more

Visas and Staying Legal in Guatemala

June 29th, 2009 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - News, Guatemala - Relocation, Guatemala - Travel Tips | 2 Comments »

The Guatemalan visa system is pretty simple if all you want to do is come here on vacation: tourists are given a 90 day tourist visa, which generally covers even extended vacations. If you want to stay longer than that you have a couple options.

Your first option is to renew your tourist visa. The visa can be renewed once in the capital before you actually have to leave the country. Once you leave the country, you are again granted a 90 day visa that can be renewed once before having to leave again. So, basically about every 90 days you have to hike back to the States or up to Mexico (El Salvador doesn’t count as leaving the country, Read more

Using the ATM machine and Credit Cards

June 25th, 2009 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - Tourist Trap, Guatemala - Travel Tips | 1 Comment »

Nowadays many people prefer to carry cards over cash, but in Guatemala, it just doesn’t work that way. Very few establishments accept cards, and those that do charge a high fee for the card processing, anywhere from 5% – 20%, with the average being 15%. Most places don’t mention the fee beforehand, if at all, you will just see it on your receipt.

If you are only here for a few days, using a card in some places may work for you, but if you live here, it isn’t the best option. Those fees add up! In addition, it is only the major stores, tourist places, and a few random establishments that accept cards at this point, making it inconvenient if you Read more

Getting Medicine in Guatemala

June 21st, 2009 | Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Tourist Trap, Guatemala - Travel Tips, The Best of Guatemala | No Comments »

Nowadays many people take prescription meds for a whole variety of reasons. So what do you do when you come to Guatemala? If you are only coming for a short trip, bring your meds with you. If you plan on living here, you may want to investigate the possibility of obtaining meds locally. Some things are more expensive, but others are actually cheaper. And, if you can go off the brand name drug and onto the Latin American version, all the better.

If you know exactly what you want, you can actually just head straight to the pharmacy and get it. That’s right, no need for an Rx or anything. Pretty crazy, right? What’s even crazier is this: if you Read more

Real Estate, Political Stability and Relocation to Guatemala

June 15th, 2009 | Guatemala - Relocation, Guatemala - Travel Tips | No Comments »

Being in the relocation business to Central and South American countries, and traveling between them often, I know the stigma that comes with Guatemala. However, the county has so much more to offer than most people are aware of. The 36 year civil war ended in 1996, and things have stabilized politically, laws dealing with real estate are being modernized and land property databases actually exisit for some regions.

So what’s the deal with Guatemala? Well, it is the largest and most populous of all the Central American countries and has a gross domestic product per capita equal to about half of Argentina’s. The main exports include coffee, sugar and bananas, and the agricultural sector makes up most of the Read more

Travel Deal for June Trips to Guatemala

June 10th, 2009 | Guatemala - Travel Tips | No Comments »

Via Venture, the top sustainable tourism provider and luxury travel firm in Guatemala has teamed up with two boutique hotels to offer a 40% discount on a 6–night, 7 day private itinerary starting in Antigua.

This article comes from The Perrin Post on Conde Nast Traveler via www.concierge.com.

For $1,086 (including all taxes and fees) per person, reduced from $1,810, you can stay for 3 nights at the Palacio de Dona Leonor, a 12-room mansion in the heart of Antigua, and 3 nights at the eco-friendly Laguna Lodge, located in the Tzantizotz Nature Reserve. This luxury package offers a good mix of guided activities–such as private tours of Antigua, San Juan La Laguna, and

Exchanging Money In Guatemala, from Dollars to Quetzals

June 3rd, 2009 | Guatemala - Travel Tips | No Comments »

If you are needing to change over money, make sure and do it early in the day.

The exchange rate for the Quetzal is recalculated daily at the Central Bank in Guatemala City. This happens daily at 3 pm. Therefore starting at about that time many banks refuse to change money, since they do not know the “current” exchange rate. It may seem like splitting hairs, but that is the way many banks do it. I have found the best way to avoid it is by making time to go to the bank in the morning to exchange money.

In addition, if you are in a more rural area, or a small town, not all banks handle foreign money. Bring Read more

A Happy Life in Guatemala

Budget Travel and Vacation Ideas for Guatemala

Swine Flu – H1N1 in Guatemala

Eat at Mickey D's… in Antigua!

Visas and Staying Legal in Guatemala

Using the ATM machine and Credit Cards

Getting Medicine in Guatemala

Real Estate, Political Stability and Relocation to Guatemala

Travel Deal for June Trips to Guatemala

Exchanging Money In Guatemala, from Dollars to Quetzals

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