Guatemala

Know before you go

• safety

  Use registered tourist shuttles between towns rather than chicken buses after dark, and climb Acatenango or Pacaya with a licensed guide — solo hikers get robbed on trailheads.

• money

  Cash quetzales rule outside Antigua and the capital; ATMs in lake towns run dry on weekends, so withdraw before you head to Atitlán.

• etiquette

  Always ask before photographing people, especially in indigenous Maya communities — some will decline, others will expect a small tip. Respect either answer.

• transport

  Distances that look short take hours on mountain roads — book shuttles a day ahead and treat any 'three-hour ride' estimate as four or five.