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Guatemala Experience
Week One – Intro to Guatemala
The first week is designed to give you the best possible introduction to Guatemala. You will get to know the locals, learn the language and immerse yourself in the culture, as well as climbing one of Central America’s highest volcanoes with spectacular views of Mexico, El Salvador and the Pacific coast!
During this week you will:
• Get to know the group
• Learn Spanish
• Climb Guatemala’s highest volcano
• Live with a typical Guatemalan family
• Learn to cook Guatemalan style
• Salsa the nights away in Antigua’s many Salsa clubs
• Have time to explore the surrounding area
• Visit the project of your choice for the second week (below) Week Two – Social or Construction Volunteer Placement
In week two you will have the opportunity to take part in volunteer work. You will have the choice between a social volunteer placement and a construction volunteer project.
At the start of your volunteer project you will have a brief orientation. This will include being shown around the project site, being introduced to the project coordinator and staff, a health and safety briefing and an introduction to your tasks while on the project.
You will be able to visit the project at which you have chosen to volunteer on the Wednesday of your first week on the Experience.
Option A: Social volunteering
During this week you will get to work with one of our many volunteer projects with wellrespected organisations in and around Antigua. You will have the opportunity to experience life in a typical Guatemalan community while working to improve the lives of some of the country’s most disadvantaged children by…
• Helping educate and support the children in classes such as mathematics, physical education, handicraft, English and computing.
• Assisting at the carpentry workshop where school children get the opportunity to learn how to work timber. They are taught to handle tools, use a hammer and saw, to measure, to sandpaper, to paint and other related skills.
• Help provide the children with nutritious food and drinks every day. Each morning and afternoon the children brush their teeth under our guidance and they are provided with vitamin supplements. Option B: Construction project- from houses to homes
This option gives you the chance to make a considerable difference to the lives of Guatemala’s poorest families, by helping build them stronger, safer and more durable houses.
Many Guatemalan families live in poor quality makeshift homes, built of nothing more than cardboard or sugar cane walls with dirt floors.
You will work with the families and other volunteers to replace their current house with a concrete house with a window, a door, a toilet and a concrete floor. It is then furnished with bunk beds and painted whichever colour the family chooses. All this in just 7 days! Don’t worry if you don’t have any building experience, everyone is welcome - the coordinators are more than happy to show you how to mix cement or lay bricks.
Week Three – The very best of Guatemala
Your final week will be a tour that will take you by minivan to see many of Guatemala’s famous sights, with 6 nights at a hotel in a double or triple share room. Just some of the highlights will include:
• A guided tour of the world famous archaeological site of Tikal where ‘Apocalypto’ was filmed
• A boat tour along the Río Dulce river to Livingston, a unique laid back town on the Caribbean Coast
• Chilling out on the Caribbean beaches
• The stunning crater lake Atitlán and town of Panajachel
• The largest, most famous and most colourful native market in Central America- Chichicastenango
• Bath in the crystal clear turquoise and emerald blue pools at Semuc-Champey and visit the Lanquín Caves Breakfast and hotel accommodation is included in week three, but lunch and dinner is not included. At the end of your week tour you will return to your host family for 1 night accommodation, before being taken back to the airport for your onward travel.
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