Wild Frontiers

Flight Information

There are no direct flights to Guatemala City from London. There are a number of options, several via the USA, either Atlanta or Miami, and another option is Iberia via Madrid. All will take around 15hrs.

Useful Tips

• Try & catch one of the many religious festivals " they are truly magnificent sights

• Be sure to visit Tikal at sunrise or sunset to avoid the crowds and have the best chance of seeing wildlife

• Textiles from the Santiago Zamora community near Antigua make for great presents and help the women-only cooperative

• Stock up on rich Guatemalan coffee!

• Enjoy a desayuno chapin " a tasty Guatemalan-style breakfast

Recommended Reading

If you want to read up on your destination we recommend a variety of guidebooks such as Odyssey Guides, The Rough Guide and Footprint Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the areas you visit.

Good books and maps of Guatemala are available at Stanfords in Covent Garden, London or online at www.stanfords.co.uk

Relevant Reading:
Much has been written about Guatemala and an extensive reading list can be found in the Rough Guide. A brief selection of titles is given here.

Time Among The Maya by Ronald Wright offers an intelligent account of the author’s travel through the country as well as neighbouring Mexico; Bitter Fruit: The Untold Story of the American Coup in Guatemala provides some historical insight into the 1954 coup and then there is always The Popol Vuh, the K’iche’ people’s creation epic written shortly after the Spanish Conquest.

The Rough Guide map to Guatemala is rip-proof and water-proof and would be a good choice.

When To Go

There is no real bad time to go to Guatemala but the months of November to April are generally considered the dry months and the best time to visit. At this time you can expect daytime temperatures to be in the late 20s and night time temperatures to be low double figures. It can be fairly humid year-round.

Packing List

Below is a list of general items you might take with you on a Wild Frontiers trip to Guatemala. With your booking confirmation you will receive a packing list specific to your tour, so please treat this as a general guideline only.

Luggage:
It is best to use a soft bag - rucksack/hold-all/duffel bag - so it can be transported and stored more easily.
On all our trips a small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions.

Clothing:
In general you should bring clothes you feel comfortable with. Therefore as a guide we suggest a packing list like this:
• 4 x light cotton shirts or T-shirts, short sleeved and long.
• 2/3 pairs of cotton trousers. If preferred, women can wear dresses and skirts
• 2 x pairs of shorts
• 1 x lightweight jumper or sweatshirt
• Waterproof jacket or poncho
• An extra “outfit” if you’d like to dress up a bit on occasion
• Swim suit or trunks
• Pair of walking shoes/boots
• Pair of recreational shoes, adventure sandals, trainers or pumps

Equipment:
The following is useful extra equipment for your trip:
• Toiletries
• Torch (LED head-torch keeps your hands free)
• A bandanna or large handkerchief is useful for dusty tracks
• Pair of good quality sunglasses
• Plug adapter (see ‘Electricity’ section)

Personal First Aid Kit:
While we do carry a large medical kit we would advise that you take some of the basics with you. This should include:
• Any prescription medication required (please inform the tour leader at your pre-departure meeting about these)
• Antibacterial dry hand wash
• Painkillers: paracetamol & ibuprofen
• Rehydration salts (Gastrolyte)
• Malaria Tablets (if necessary)
• Travel motion-sickness tablets if required (e.g. natural ginger tablets)
• Diarrhoea remedies
• Antihistamines
• Cold/flu decongestants
• Mosquito Repellent
• Insect bite cream
• Laxatives
• Plasters/Bandage/Steri-Strips/Blister pads
• Sunscreen (30+ factor)
• Moisturiser/after sun cream/lip balm
• Contact lenses and solution if required
• Tweezers
(A kit with most of this in is available at www.nomadtravel.co.uk)

Optional Extras:
• Ear plugs (if sharing a room)
• Alarm clock
• 3-4 plastic carrier bags are very useful for dirty washing, dirty shoes and rubbish
• Binoculars
• Small packs of tissues
• Money belt or secure pouch for money and passport etc.
• Eye patches if light affects your sleep
• Sewing kit/scissors
• Sunglasses
• Writing materials
• Spare batteries/camera memory cards
• Swiss Army knife
• Universal bath plug
• Calculator (for currency conversion)
• Trekking poles (handy if paths are slippery)
NB: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are rare. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses.

You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Hand Luggage:
Although it is very rare that luggage goes missing on flights, it has been known to happen and so it’s a good idea to carry a spare top, toothbrush, wash kit, underwear and any other essentials in your hand luggage so that you can at least freshen up while waiting for your bags to catch you up. If you wear your sturdy shoes/boots it will also reduce weight in your luggage and keep them safe.

Practical Information

Time:
Guatemala is 6hrs behind GMT.
A useful website to check the time zone differences is www.worldtimezone.com

Food and Alcohol:
As with much of Central America, Guatemalan food heavily features tortillas made from maize, however rice and potatoes are also important staples and are available in most places. Frijoles (or black beans) are also predominant and will be found accompanying many dishes. In the more popular areas, a wide variety of international cuisine can be found but there will still be many opportunities to sample traditional local food.
Excellent coffee is available everywhere and local beers such as Gallo & Cabro are very drinkable. Imported wine is available in some of the more international establishments but be prepared for this to come at an international price.

Electricity:
Those bringing video & digital cameras that require battery chargers should also bring a two-flat prong, US-style adapter. In Guatemala they use an approximate voltage of 115V. In most hotels you can charge from the mains using a travel adaptor plug.

Money:
In Guatemala the unit of currency is Quetzal.
To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com
A few points to help you plan:
• Although payments are mainly made in cash an increasing number of restaurants and shops accept credit cards and USD$ Travellers Cheques
• If using ATM machines, be sure to notify your bank before you travel.
• For cash, it is strongly recommended you travel with US dollars

Language & Religion:
In Guatemala the major language is Spanish but there are also several Mayan indigenous languages in use. English is spoken in some of the more heavily visited tourist sites but any Spanish you can learn beforehand will be very useful.

Catholicism is the major religion in the country but Evangelism is on the increase. Many Guatemalans combine ancient Mayan beliefs almost seamlessly with Christianity and the result can be a very interesting mix!

Cultural Sensitivity:
At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking a group of tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.

To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.

However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result we ask that you refer to your trip dossier for information on the Wild Frontiers Foundation which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.

Photography:
Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.

Also many countries have very strict rules about taking photos of army, police or any official personnel; restrictions apply at borders, bridges and any government building. Please exercise care in this regard as the penalty may be to have your film and/or camera confiscated.