Travel Adventures Begin in Antigua, Guatemala...!

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• published: 06 Feb 2015
• views: 4020

I called this "Where Adventure Begins" because it is the literal truth - this is where most people jump off from to visit the rest of Guatemala. From here, you can get shuttles to literally anywhere in the country, do volcano hikes, etc. I loved Antigua, Guatemala, for many reasons. It had all the modern necessities and comforts you want right before you go off on a huge adventure, but it also instantly felt like a Central American country. Women in traditional dress everywhere, crazy markets where the locals shop. Theres a reason why we began AND ended here. Check out my top five tips below! - Nathalie (All videos filmed, written, narrated, and edited by yours truly!) TOP FIVE TIPS 1. Skip Guatemala City altogether. It is as gross as they say. And yes you have to fly into Guatemala City, but take a taxi right from the airport. You can either flag one down on the street or hire one through the travel desks inside the airport. Either way, it should be about $30-35. Trrruuuust me on this one. 2. We stayed at two hotels, http://posadadonvalentino.com/ and http://casarusticagt.com/. Both were fine choices, but for different reasons. Casa Rustica was more expensive and the rooms were crazy small, but it was one block away from the main square. Don Valentino was much more modest and several blocks from the main square, but about half the cost of Rustica. Keep that in mind when booking - the closer you get to the main square, the more expensive the rooms get. Antigua is FULL of decent, low-budget hotels, so you shouldn't have a problem finding one. 3. Book your excursions well in advance, especially if you are visiting during high season. Volcano hikes, shuttles to other towns - they all fill up crazy fast, and you can't really wing this part (Believe me, we tried to book stuff last-minute, but failed almost every time. Yay.) Book through your hotel for ease, or one of the travel agencies in town. Everything in Guatemala runs through travel agencies. 4. Did you SEE those markets in the video? No, but really, did you SEE THAT? You simply cannot miss the markets. There are lots of them, so ask your hotel where they are and what days they are on. I'll be honest, there are bigger and better markets than Antigua's but if you are new to Guatemala, this is the peeerrrrfect introduction into Guatemalan market culture. They. Are. So. Fun. And yes - go ahead and buy the weird fruits you've never seen before, including that strange sweet potato fruit thing whose name escapes me. 5. In addition to the local markets, there is a big, well-stocked American style grocery store two doors down from Posada Don Valentino - go there to stock up! We got peanut butter and jelly and bread and fruits and all sorts of snacks for the rest of our trip. (All videos filmed and edited by yours truly!) JOIN ME! INSTAGRAM http://instagram.com/thetravelmuse/ TWITTER https://twitter.com/TheTravelMuse FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/NathalieTheT... Download PHEEBO on your phone and watch The Travel Muse! http://www.pheebo.tv/ http://www.pheebo.tv/thetravelmuse