Customized Travel Plans in Guatemala

We arranged part of our trip with Do Guatemala, and part of it we wanted to arrange ourselves. The part that Do Guatemala organized for us, transportation and trips, was very good. Communication with the staff was excellent and prompt. Also, they sent us notes about the possibilities for us, and those proved very helpful! Apart from having some problems with exchanging US dollars to Quetzals in local banks, and not having any knowledge about what was considered “normal” to tip the guides, we don’t have any remarks on the knowledge Do Guatemala provided us with! Also, Do Guatemala was available all the time to answer our questions, which we didn’t need much as they prepared our trip very well and everything was clear. Moreover, the guides that were arranged for us were very knowledgeable and good company! They all spoke English, which came in very handy sometimes as they could function as translators as well. We saw and did lots of amazing things during our trip, but the best thing was the mix of geographies, cultural experiences, and even altitudes and pace of the holiday. The Highlands were very special! Thanks for your help in arranging our holiday. We’ve always found it valuable to get local special assistance while still planning some parts of our trips ourselves, and we were delighted with Do Guatemala and the value you added to our trip!

In General my volunteering experience was very good. My tasks were the vaccinations of adults and children, the control of children’s growth, and the supply of vitamins and medicines. I liked the personal contact with the patients and the nurses since that offered me the opportunity to improve my Spanish greatly! In Centro de Salud, the language barrier was difficult sometimes, but already after a few days that wasn’t a problem anymore! The support provided by Do Guatemala was very, very, very, very good!  The offerings for activities to fill my free time were great, the planning of my time in Antigua after Xela worked perfectly and fast, and I could contact the staff at any time! The time in the family Do Guatemala arranged for me was one of the greatest experiences I had in my time here. The meals were always great and my host mom always cooked something extra (vegetarian) for me to make sure I was satisfied. One thing I will never forget is when my host mom said: “My house is not a hotel or a restaurant, but we are a family living and spending time together.” I had two great months here and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to do adventures and experience new things you could normally not dream of! I would advise everyone to be open minded and you will have the time of your life! Thank you!

My experience in Guatemala was great! I got to see the whole country and visit beautiful places! I had a wonderful host family, and volunteering was unforgettable. The different projects I did were all very interesting and I met very nice people! Transportation to and from the projects or while travelling was sometimes a bit confusing, but Do Guatemala was always very helpful. They were always available and did a good job in providing me with what I needed! The language classes were very useful as well, and the cafeteria in which I had the private lessons was very nice, as I could order drinks and food during the lesson! The teacher was very friendly and this made the classes a lot of fun! My favorite memory of the trip was when I went to the Mayan ruins of Tikal! What an amazing place! Also, the guest family I stayed at was perfect! Do Guatemala helped me switch to another family without any problem, as I could then be in the same family as my brother. To future visitors of Guatemala I would say: Go out end experience! Especially the markets were very cool!