FAQs | Hands of Hope International

One of the most popular questions, is Guatemala safe to visit and travel? - Yes, of course. Guatemala is a safe country to visit. Just like any other location, you need to know where to go and where not to go. Overall, the Guatemala people are very friendly and understand that most Americans are here to try and help them.

How do I plan a trip? - Simply send us an email and we can help walk you through the entire process. We can assist you with ideas or even build your itinerary for you. All you need is to purchase airfare.

Do I need to learn Spanish before visiting? - No you do not have to learn a whole new language before coming over but having some experience would help. We also have a Guatemalan Spanish printout for you to look over and have with you here.

What is the weather like? - The weather is amazing almost year round. Guatemala does not have four seasons like the US. Here we only have a dry season and a rainy/wet season. Typical weather in most areas will feel like Spring in the morning and Fall in the evening. Up on the mountain it can get really cool in the evenings or over by the coast will get really hot during the day, so location does matter for the temperature.

What type of outreach can we do there? - Guatemala is an undeveloped country but does have several amenities like the US. With that said, the opportunities for outreach though are limitless. The majority of the population live on extremely low to no daily income. The national average before the pandemic was that a person lives on less than $1.25 per day. Please go check out our 'Outreach' page to see a few of the options listed plus there are a few more on the outreach sheet that can be emailed to teams preparing to visit.

What is the rumor about toilet paper? - No there is not a shortage of TP here in Guatemala but there is something very different about it here. Due to the lack of infrastructure and quality of sewer/septic systems, we do not flush the TP - it just simply goes in the trash.

Where do we stay while in Guatemala? - We are blessed to attend a great church that has accommodations for over 100 people. The layout consists of 4 separate bunk houses with bathrooms on each side and a kitchenette. There is also a basketball court, meeting area and garden area on site. Our host facility provides a cooked breakfast and dinner everyday. It is conveniently located in San Cristobal. Just minutes away from nice amenities towards the city and also provides easy assess to several of our outreach villages and communities.