BootsnAll Travel Community

Dear all,

Has anybody got experience with travelling in Guatemala with kids?
We are leaving for a 3 week trip to Guatemala in May. "We" are: me, my wife, our two sons (2 and 4.5 years of age) and a friend.
I know Guatemala pretty well, I lived and worked there for a year in 1999 and have visited Guatemala about 5 times since. But ... after '99 this was mostly with Guatemalan friends who took me to all places and mainly to observe and collect insects for scientific study so I did not have to look for lodging, transport, ... and the least for things to do and places to visit with kids. We do not need luxury at all and are planning to take mostly chicken busses.
Has anyone been to Chisec or Laguna Lachuá?

Thanks in advance,

Geert

P.S. If anyone has questions about Guatemala, especially about the capital, nature in global (insects in particular), Izabal, ... feel free to ask, I have not find the time to make myself an insider yet.

I'd love to hear how your exeperience was travelling with small children. My husband and I are planning a 1-2 year long trip through Mexico and Central America and plan to spend quite a bit of time in Guatamala. Our kids will be 2 and 4 when we leave, so I'm curious about what you experience and what we can expect.

I will keep you posted, please remind me in case I would forget!!
How about your spanish? It opens a lot of doors once you know spanish, especially if you use some local "sayings".
If you need some do's or don't's, please feel free to ask

Fulgor, I might want to remind you that you see if your kids vaccinations are in order, especially against Cholera.
Theres said to be Cholera in the water of Lago Atitlan, at least. I've never caught it, but then again, I'm not a child.

Sometimes the quality of the water can be brought into question, so you might want to give them bottled or boiled water.

Otherwise, if they're good kids, you know better how to amuse them than I do. I might suggest a few things. Crayons and coloring books or paper. A small ball to chase in the hotel rooms and wider areas. Little toys that do not weigh too much. A harminica or penny-whistle, a Kazoo. All of this will of course add 13 pounds to your backpack, but what is a parent to do??

Thanks for the advice Tortuga.

Howdy,

I'm a 26 years old guy and I have a daughter who is now 6. I took her to Guatemala when she was 3 (almost four) for a month and then again for a month I took her to Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras this last summer (she was 6). Here is what I learned:

Everyone loves a guy and his daughter (or what have you, a family) and I felt safer with her than when I travel alone because it seems like everyone has your back. We never ran into any troubling or threatening situations. Just smiles and curiosity. When she was 3 the language barrier didn't bother her but last time we went she was more aware and at times shy because she knew that she wasn't understood. The food there is farely bland, so it was always easy to find her something to eat but I would be careful, she got sick and I had to take her to a doctor in Huehuetenango. He said it was probably a food related illness. I speak spanish so this didn't prove to difficult to take care of. She carried he own little backpack filled with small toys like plastic dinosaurs and the like and molding clay (which was a big hit with other kids) and books...this helped her to pass the time on the bus and to play with other kids. I would bring little handy wipes to clean hands. She didn't care where we went as long as there were kids to play with and ice cream to be eaten. The things she remembers most are the friends she made. So, overall, no problem, at least no major ones. Good luck.

damien

Thanks Damien,

Definetally useful tips in there, especially the one about the molding clay and the own little backpack. Our oldest son has already been with us to French Guyana when he was 2 years and he loved it.
He as well came back with a Giardia Lambdia infection, the strange thing was that it only manifested itself after almost 2 months, where the incubation time is about 2 weeks! We all got infected including my wife who was 5 months pregnant at the time, some days of spending on the toilet and some very heavy drugs to take and it was as good as forgotten though. But than again those are the risks of going to the tropics.
He remembers a whole lot about that trip (to me very surprising since he was just 2 back than), for him it is especially our time we spend in the jungle, probably also due to the fact that I am a biologist and quite enthousiastic (as my wife says)about everything that moves. And the people in French Guyana are "french" ... so not very good in hospitality. I know the Guatemalans are crazy about children so I expect something completely different than what we experienced in French Guyana.
I don't think language will be a problem in our case either since I always speak spanish to my youngest son and so the oldest hears a lot of spanish although he prefers that I speak in Dutch to him.

Thanks again,

Geert

Guatemalans love children, as you know. I think you are looking for reassurance. You have been there plenty. You'll be fine, and you know it. Keep a sharp eye, and school your young'uns, and you are in for a trip that teaches these kids more than a year of book learnin'.

you are fine. Have a good trip.

D

I am planning to go to Guatemala with my 8 year old son.We're thinking of going sometimes in August before the school starts for a couple of weeks. We understand some Spanish (his dad is Peruvian, but we're divorced), but we're not really conversant beyond the basics. I was wondering if there is another single mom traveling with her kid of similar age around the same time for an extra support and fun. If yes, you can contact me directly and send me a private email.

Dear Anyuta,

I would recommend taking a week of spanish classes in Antigua or Atitlan or Xela (Quetzaltenango) ... and stay in a guest family. This way you learn more and rapid spanish and you get aquainted with a local family(ies). Mostly these families are with children so that makes things already a lot easier.

Good luck and I am sure you will enjoy Guatemala

Thank you, Fulgor, but how does one contact local families? Then again, I want to move around and see things, so I rather refresh my Spanish by listening to tapes while communitng (and who does not commute in LA?)
I was in Peru this February, and I expect to find something on a par with MP in Guatemala.

semuc champey if you want to expeience nature in guatemala. perfect place to relax with your family.
http://semucchampey.tripod.com/

fulgor would you suggest livingston area or are there better and similiar places to see thanks

Thanks shyrbaby,
We did enjoy Semuc, although we have seen other even more impressive places with the kids. I saw you love caves, just buy a ticket to Guatemala and go and see the most beautifull caves I have ever seen: las cuevas de "Bomb'il Pek" and "Jul'ik", close to Chisec.

Jenna,

Are you going there with kids? Anyway, Livingston is a very relaxed place, but not very typical for Guatemala in global. A very nice Hotel in Livingston is : "Casa de la Iguana", It just opened it's doors about 3 weeks ago and is run by a Livingston guy and a Dutch girl, there is a big garden which makes it very pleasant for the kids (and the parents because they don't have to have all they're 24 eyes wide open!!)Drinks are cheap and breakfast very good for only 15 Q.

Feel free to ask more, we just came back yesterday, so very limited time to write just now.

Fulgor