Our best advice for getting the most out of your volunteer trip to Guatemala:

• Don’t drink tap water; only bottled or filtered water
• Have a cell phone in Guatemala (either from home or buy local)
• Carry your cell phone everywhere
• Tight / revealing clothes will draw extra attention from men
• No jewelry, cash or expensive electronics in public
• Don’t go alone on excursions or isolated places
• Tell your host family if you are not going to be home for meals
• Don’t isolate yourself (ear buds, sunglasses, spending all free time in bedroom)
• Don’t worry about mistakes when speaking Spanish
• Do not use ATM’s around Central Park Antigua area due to electronic fraud
• In Antigua use only ATM’s inside upscale hotels like Porta Hotel Antigua
• Watch for pickpockets and scammers at all ATM’s
• Be aware that sexism and harassment are prevalent
• Bring a rain jacket and small umbrella – it rains often in Antigua and Xela
• Use your own toiletries
• No swimming under any circumstances
• Wash your hands frequently (or hand sanitizer if you can’t wash)
• Keep your room tidy and clean up after yourself
• Always ask before taking photo/video of someone
• Speak softly – shouting and talking loud is impolite
• No riding in chicken buses
• Vehicles always have the right of way
• Don’t ignore symptoms like headache, diarrhea, not sleeping
• Fight jet lag with water, exercise, and adjusting to local time immediately
• Always carry contact information on paper for our staff and your peers
• All illnesses, incidents, & accidents MUST be reported immediately to coordinator
• Use bug spray at night to avoid mosquito bites