Guatemala Archives - christopherkhoitran

What Are The Best Places To Visit In Guatemala?

CKT — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 09:02:32 +0000

In this article I have hinted at how amazing Guatemala is. There really is so much to explore! And because it is such a cheap country, you can really dig in and travel to the farthest corners of the country – as long as you adhere to some safety rules, of course. But with so much to see, how do you decide on the best places to visit in Guatemala? While you can read endless lists of the best things to do, here is a comprehensive overview of must-see destinations in Guatemala!

1. For Culture

South America is home to incredibly interesting traditions and history. This includes the ancient Mayan culture. While not a lot is left of this history, you can still find some remnants. An example of that is Tikal, arguably the most famous sight in Guatemala. It is one of the most significant pre-Columbian discoveries in archaeology. What a mouthful! The site includes Temple IV, the tallest pre-Columbian structure in the Americas. Plus, it was featured in Star Wars! Another really cool Mayan site is the city of Nakum. Its moss-covered facades definitely have an air of mystery about them. You can also visit some villages in which Mayan culture is still very much alive. Some of these include Chichicastenango or Todos Santos Cuchumatan, where many people still live their heritage.

2. For Nature

Have you previously imagined Guatemala as one big coffee plantation? You’ll be surprised when you get there. It’s a country of incredible natural diversity. One example of that is Semuc Champey. It’s a beautiful collection of pools filled with turquoise water. To make it even better, they’re terraced atop natural limestone. And of course, there is the famous Lake Atitlan. Its volcano backdrop and lush rainforest make it one of the most popular destinations in Guatemala. Perhaps even more impressive is the Santa María Volcano. It probably is the ultimate place to go hiking in Guatemala. Never mind the spectacular views! You also can’t miss out on Los Siete Altares, also called the Seven Altars (except they’re not altars, they’re waterfalls). And if you want to see spectacular stars and some eerily blue water, go see Laguna de Lachuá.

3. For Food

Guatemala offers great and exotic food, from Chiles Rellenos or stuffed peppers to Elotes or roast corn. But where do we find these delicacies? What are the best places to visit in Guatemala for food? Well, it depends on what you’re after. Some might be after restaurant food that’s delicious but priced higher. For that try the popular destination of Antigua. If street food is what you’re after, Guatemala City is a great option. I have to admit, though, it’s a pretty chaotic city! For more authentic and possibly more exotic options, head to the markets of Chichicastenango. If you venture out even further you might find yourself in the Cuchumatán Mountains. Here you will find Mayan villages that offer truly authentic food. Do keep in mind that you might have to go with a program or tour to harder-to-reach destinations. There you go! Hopefully, this was a comprehensive overview of the best places to visit in Guatemala. If you want to compare the travel cost of Guatemala with other countries, check out this article.

The post What Are The Best Places To Visit In Guatemala? appeared first on christopherkhoitran.

How Much Does It Cost To Travel Guatemala?

CKT — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 01:57:12 +0000

I have compared quite a few places in this article, but Guatemala always stands out. It is a wonderful place of culture, great food, and cheap thrills. That makes it a travelers dream, with great views of nature, hiking paths, wide lakes and lots to explore. But how much does it cost to travel Guatemala? What’s an appropriate travel budget for visiting those idyllic lakes and beaches?

Let’s take a quick and concise look at what it costs to travel Guatemala and how you can budget for a trip there! This article, as usual, excludes flight costs.

Cost of Living

Let’s start with the cost of accommodation – this is likely the first thing you want to be looking at if you’re planning a trip. In one of my comparison articles, I said that a decent hotel in Lake Atitlan will cost you $60. If you have a bigger budget, you can easily go for a super nice room at $280. For most travelers, that is a bit excessive, considering you can get a really basic private room starting from as little as $25. A hostel can even cost as little as $6 (the real question is how you’ll fit in a room with 22 others)! That means you can pay anywhere from $42 – $1,960 a week. Quite the range! If you aim for $60 a night, it comes to $420 a week.

Now when it comes to food, the same range applies to prices. You can find fine dining for astronomical prices, or eat under the table for next-to-nothing. But, in Guatemala, you can actually also eat really good food for next-to-nothing! You can enjoy a nice sit-down meal for two people at around $25. This might come to a little more in a tourist area like Lake Atitlan, plus you might want to have some drinks. So let’s say dinner costs you $35 for two, plus a drink each ($4pp). That comes to $301 dollars for two people in a week. Add a street food lunch for two ($15 total), and you’ll be at $406 for food. To be fair, that’s a pretty generous budget in a cheap country like Guatemala.

This brings your basic cost of living to $826 a week.

Cost of Entertainment

Of course, you’re on a holiday and you want to get out there! And Guatemala is a great place for activities. When considering how much it costs to travel to Guatemala, definitely calculate for lots of trips because there will be so much to do. At Lake Atitlan, it costs only around $17pp to go diving. You might want to consider doing a course if you’ve never been diving before, which costs $200 with a reputable diving school. You can hire a private boat for a couple hours for $40 to explore the lake. The entry fee for the nature reserve is only $7. You could even go horseback riding by the Lake for $15pp for three hours. Consider, however, that a lot of the time it is cheaper to book these experience once your there, as the online prices can be much more expensive. If you do all of these things with two people in a week, you’d end up at $518 for a week full of activities. Ditch the diving course and it will only be $118. Add $25 Tuk Tuk fares for good measure.

That’s it! A super quick and simple breakdown of how much it costs to travel Guatemala. Of course, you can always spend more or pinch pennies and spend less – but that’s totally up to you. Hopefull this quick overview showed you how much you can expect tot pay.

Have you traveled to Central America lately? Let me know how much it cost you to travel Guatemala!

The post How Much Does It Cost To Travel Guatemala? appeared first on christopherkhoitran.

$1000: How Much Does It Cost To Travel Different Places?

CKT — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 13:00:22 +0000

In this article, I compared how far $1000 will get you in different destinations around the world. Of course, there’s no way to compare every country in just one article. That’s why I’ll have a look at several other countries here. That way you’ll have a larger overview of what it costs to travel to different parts of the world and can answer the burning question: how much does it cost to travel to your destination?

As in the original article, I’ll only cover the costs once you’re on the ground. This makes comparison easier, as flights vary depending on where you’re from.

Norway: 8,580NOK

Norway is well-known to have one of the highest costs of living, which can influence how much it costs to travel here. In case that puts you off, remember there is always the Allemansrätten, the right to camp almost anywhere for free. If you’re an adventurous traveler, that can make a trip significantly cheaper. If, on the other hand, you’re more into the creature comforts, a decent hotel in Oslo costs around $125 or 1,065 NOK. Dinner for two comes in at a fairly high 450 NOK, with lunch about 300 NOK (granted, they eat some strange things over there). That’s 1,815 NOK already! If you stay in Oslo, getting around should be easy with an Oslo pass. This also includes entry to some museums and tourist attractions. The pass costs 820 NOK for 72 hours. That adds up to 6,265 NOK for three days in Oslo, with 2,315 NOK left to spend. After exploring the city, you can spend that on some wine (150 NOK) or beer (85 NOK for a pint). Or you could relax at one of the famous Nordic spas and saunas (1,800 NOK at KOK Oslo).

Australia: 1,400 AUD

Australia, the land of plenty, is also known for its high living standards and prices. But how much does it cost to travel here? Although it’s not quite as expensive as Norway, your 1,400 AUD might not get you too far in a place like Sydney. If you head to the tropical Cairns, however, you’ll get at least a bit of a run for your money.

Here, a fairly good hotel will cost you about 175 AUD. Get a quick bite for lunch at 40 AUD for two and dinner for 65 AUD. You’ll end up around 280 AUD for basic costs. If you’re up for a road trip, a car rental will cost around 325 AUD a week. Skip the car rental, spend four days in Cairns (1,120 AUD) and you’ll have enough money left for some entertainment. Take a tour to the Great Barrier Reef (115 AUD per person) or have a stunning harbor sunset cruise (50 AUD per person). Watch out for sharks, though!

Singapore: 1,350 SGD

Singapore might be small, but it’s still well worth a visit, despite being more expensive than the rest of Southeast Asia. It’s clean and a buzzing metropolis with lots to do! A decent hotel will cost you around 215 SGD and an average dinner will be around 50 SGD. Add lunch for 30 SGD and a beer for 9 SGD, you’ll end up around 305 SGD. If you stay for three days, spending 915 SGD, you’ll have 435 SGD left for tours and transport. A half-day city tour is about 35 SGD. Alternatively, a full tour including Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands and a river cruise is about 185 SGD. For transport, a three-day Singapore Tourist Pass is 20 SGD.

Guatemala: 7,700 Quetzal

I want to give some hope to those who are a little intimidated by how much it costs to travel the previous destinations! Guatemala is a very affordable country to travel to, with a fairly-priced hotel in Lake Atitlan costing you only about 465 Q out of the 7,700 Q you get for your $1000. An average dinner for two will be around 160 Q, with lunch around 80Q for two. So you could comfortably spend ten days here and still have 650 Q left for activities. While renting a private boat costs 300 Q, you can go diving in Lake Atitlan for as little as 125 Q. The entry to the nature reserve is 55 Q. If you need to get around, a ride on a Tuk Tuk should be 10 Q on average, depending on the distance. If your budget is low, this is the place to be!

That’s it! Hopefully, you’ll be able to plan your trip more easily with these comparisons. Have you traveled to any of these destinations? How much do you think does it cost to travel these places? Let me know in the comments!

The post $1000: How Much Does It Cost To Travel Different Places? appeared first on christopherkhoitran.