Hi all

We are off on a Silversea cruise at the end of November. Unfortunately our intended ship tour in Guatemala is no longer running, and the only ones available are full day Mayan ruin tours - which we don't wish to do.

Normally we are quite happy to do our own thing, but i have read some quite disturbing stuff about levels of violence in Guatemala which makes me a little nervous. So i would appreciate any advice on places to go/things to see, and on people's experience of personal safety in this country.

Of course, having to stay onboard won't exactly be a hardship.....give us more time to recoup the cost of the cruise through our consumption of caviar and champagne.....
:pass:

ian & gus

Hi Ian & Gus! Welcome. AnaLuisa (Gatowoman) is from Guatemala so may be able to give you up-to-date advice or recommendations.

We did a coastal tour when we stopped in Guatemala in April 2004. Our organizer, a dear friend who we have sailed with before, had studied in Guatemala & arranged for the tour with a colleague. He was a fantastic guide & we felt completely safe with him taking us around. The Monterico mangroves were extensive and interesting; the boats used to tour the mangroves are basic. We had a lunch & swimming stop at a nice resort just south of the port where the ship docked. Enjoyed that very much. The beach was patrolled by a guard with a rifle but stayed out of our way.

I hope that helps. Have a wonderful trip! Cheers, Anne

Hello, Ian and Gus,

Adrenn has kindly introduced me ;)

Unfortunately I've got some bad news...yes, Guatemala can be a little daunting on the security side, but outfits like Silversea and RSSC will generally contract with the top notch tour operators which will provide security and comfort. If Tikal is not your thing, Lake Atitlan and Antigua the old colonial capital are the best choices.

However, Guatemala has been seriously hit by Tropical Storm Stan this past week...the entire south coast (where generally the cruise ships dock at) has been cut off from the rest of country...entire communities have been swallowed up by mudslides, tens of hundreds are dead (Several towns dotting Lake Atitlan have vanished). A lot of roads and bridges have been washed out or severely damaged. The impact is such that my aunts and uncles living in Guatemala City are calling my Dad, who lives in the EAstern Part of Guatemala (they were spared this time around) for basics such as potatoes and black beans because a great majority of fruits and vegetables for the City come from the South Coast and the supplies are running out...so Guatemala has their version of Katrina right now, and the timing with your cruise is not very good...by the end of November they will probably have dug out but still in the midst of repairs...so it sounds like your best option right now is to stay on board and enjoy the service!

Thanks Adrenn and Gatowoman,

The dreadful news about Hurricane Stan reached the UK late yesterday, after i had posted. The hurricane season this year has certainly left a swathe of destruction. Gatowoman I hope that your family is OK.

We will now wait until nearer the date of our visit to make plans; if possible we will go ashore and support the local economy. Thank you both for your advice. Has Antigua been affected as that sounds like our kind of thing?

So very sad to hear the news of the destruction in Guatemala. Our prayers go out to your family & your country, AnaLuisa.

Michele

Ana Luisa, I have been watching this awful catastrophe on the TV, and it seems yet even more places in the world(Guatemala and South Asia) are being tested by the forces of nature. I hope all your friends and family members there are safe, and my heart goes out to your countrymen.

AL - wishing your family and your native country quick recovery from this disaster ... :(

Masaki

Thanks everyone for your thoughts! Everyone in my family is safe and are not in areas affected, but as we all know, these sort of disasters eventaully affect everyone in the community. The last 3 months have not been very good for the globe, it seems.

Xander - Antigua has been spared, thankfully...so if the excursion is running, definitely take it...however, as I explained earlier, there really is only one major highway in/out of the area and it has been severely damaged...I'm sure they will get it back and running quickly, but you are visitng a scant month after the catastrope...so I would keep that in mind. Antigua is well worth the visit, so hopefully you can go.

Ana Luisa, I just saw this thread for the first time. I am deeply saddened about the devastation to your homeland. With the earthquake in India, it is getting hard to keep up with what Mother Nature is throwing at us this year.

AnLuisa - I am glad to hear the family is safe. The destructiveness of Mother Nature these past 12 months is out of all proportion to what we expect, isn't it? Guatemala can ill afford such a blow. Keeping your countrypeople in our prayers. Let them know we care and are pulling for them! Cheers, Anne