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Home > Destinations > Central
America > Guatemala > Know
Before You Go
The more you know about the destination and the conditions
you can expect on your Wildland Adventure, the more you
will enjoy your experience. We invite you to call our destination
specialists at 1-800-345-4453 so that we can answer any
questions or concerns. The following information will also
help you prepare for the exciting experience ahead and enable
you to get the very most from your trip.
Air Travel
We are pleased to assist you with your flights to Guatemala.
We offer discounted bulk rate fares with preferred airlines
and are familiar with the best schedules and routing to
Guatemala City. There is no obligation to purchase your
international tickets from Wildland Adventures. In general,
fares we offer to most destinations are usually below market
rates based on advanced purchase and availability at the
time you are ready to purchase your ticket. Local flights
within Guatemala are already included in the cost of your
Wildland Adventure.
Health
Once you sign up for a trip, we provide detailed information
about health precautions and possible immunizations for
travel to each destination. Wildland Adventures staff are
not licensed medical authorities to advise which medications
or inoculations you and your private physician decide are
necessary for your safe participation on the trip. However,
we know the exact areas, environments and conditions under
which you will be traveling, all of which can affect the
relative risk of exposure to health conditions and help
you make your own decisions concerning immunizations and
prescription medicines. Preventative measures against infectious
diseases may require advance planning. Pregnant women and
parents traveling with young children should consult their
physician or pediatrician.
No immunizations are required for travel to Guatemala.
Dengue fever and malaria are found in Guatemala but only
in certain low elevation areas. Risk to travelers is relatively
low. The best prevention is use of insect repellent and
wearing light colored clothing with long pants and long
sleeves in the morning and evening. Most travelers are pleasantly
surprised to find that biting insects, including mosquitoes,
are much less prevalent than anticipated. Accommodations
on Wildland Adventures provide screened rooms and landscaped
grounds to reduce on site insect populations and thereby
minimize your exposure.
After a long civil war that ended with peace accords in
1996, and occasional news stories about labor strikes, political
protests, and armed robberies, prospective travelers often
raise concerns about safety. The fact is Guatemala has a
long tradition of tourism that is flourishing in spite of
its unfavorable reputation. One can’t expect the Consular
Information from the US Department of State information
will rate Guatemala as a safe destination. A traveler can
read this information and be fearful, but if put into proper
perspective, out of 1,000,000 travelers coming to Guatemala
every year, the number of tourists that are victims of crime
is very low.
MD
Travel Health: Complete travel information updated daily
for physicians and travelers.
VISA and Passport Requirements
A passport is required for entry into Guatemala, and should
be valid for six months after your return date. An advance
visa is not required for American citizens. Non-US citizens
should check with the Guatemalan Embassy in Washington,
DC.
Guatemalan
Embassy in Washington, DC
U.S.
State Department Passport Services
Reading List
Enrich your travels by using our recommended reading list
and online ordering through Longitude Books. For each destination,
we feature "Essential Reading," four or five books
that are a comprehensive introduction to each region. This
list favors well-written, concise books that capture the
spirit of a place including guidebooks, memoirs, histories,
field guides, natural histories, novels or other great books.
You will also find the new and hard-to-find books, field
guides, classic accounts of exploration, travel narratives,
books on art and archaeology, novels, essays and well-written
academic books.
Guatemala
Reading List
Guatemala
Books for Kids
Travel Supplies and Packing List
We provide you with a specific packing list and recommended
travel products for your trip once you have signed up for
your Wildland Adventure. Two companies we recommend for
travel supplies include:
ExOfficio
We highly recommend their performance engineered,
quick dry and lightweight travel apparel designed for
outdoor-oriented adventure travel.
www.exofficio.com
TravelSmith
A resource for every travel clothing category
and a variety ofspecialty travel products.
www.travelsmith.com
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it safe to travel in Guatemala?
The memory of a long civil war that ended with peace accords
in 1996, and occasional news stories about labor strikes,
political protests, and armed robberies, raise concerns
among prospective travelers about safety in Guatemala.
The fact is Guatemala has a long tradition of tourism
that is flourishing in spite of its unfavorable reputation.
The number of travelers we have sent there continues to
increase ever year and everyone, including families with
young children, return with accolades about their experience
and never a concern for their safety. One wouldn’t
expect the Consular Information from the US Department
of State to rate Guatemala as a safe destination. A traveler
can read this information and be fearful, or put it into
proper perspective. Out of 1,000,000 travelers coming
to Guatemala every year, the number of tourists that are
victims of crime is very low, lower in fact, than foreign
travelers who visit any major U.S. city. In a decade of
planning trips to Guatemala none of our clients have ever
been victims of an assault (minor pick pocketing, yes).
Destination Information
For further information about Guatemala we recommend the
following websites:
CIA
World Factbook
General International Travel References
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