AIBU to move to Guatemala ..talk me down .. or don’t!

[Startreef]

Have recently had redundancy and want to relocate somewhere hot - and very different from UK !

Saw images of Guatemala on web last night and it looks lovely .. anyone got any experience of life in this part of the world?

Have you ever visited? Got any connections over there? If so go for it! If not, do a boatload more research to make sure you know what you’re getting into, learn the language, then if you still want to do it, go for it! We moved abroad earlier this year (our second time in this country) and I am still waiting for reality to set in, definitely not regretting our move, and everyone told us it was a terrible idea but it’s going great. Follow your dream (safely)!

Thank you so much for this advice - glad you’re having a positive experience abroad ❤️

@Startreef we only live once. Go for a long holiday there and see how you like it!

Thank you - great idea

What makes you want to live there? What’s the infrastructure like? What’s the political system; how does health care work; what’s the cost of living like compared to the UK; what’s the official language and can you speak it; will you be able to navigate the legal and financial hurdles to relocate there; are there visa requirements…

Does it bother you that there are parts of it that our Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to?

Thank you these are all excellent questions to consider

How about Belize? English speaking, so might be a better step if you don't speak Spanish, but equally gorgeous. I loved my time in both of those countries, but for living I would probably go with Belize at first.

I visited Guatemala last year and it’s absolutely beautiful. If I was going to move there I would go to Antigua - a lovely town with a great coffee culture. The people are very welcoming. Do you speak Spanish? You’ll need to but it’s pretty easy to pick up once you’re there.
The capital city (Guatemala City) is pretty dangerous just FYI.

Guatamala is a beautiful country, but it is very different to here. Book a month's holiday there to explore. Avoid Guatamala city - it's dangerous - but explore Antigua up in the mountains. Take a bus (or a tiny plane if you can afford it) and go down to Flores. From there you can explore the Mayan ruins at Tekal. Be warned, your bus will be a beat up old transit van squash up with backpackers. There is no other public transport in the country. It is a poor and undeveloped country and you really need to speak Spanish at a good level to get by.

Do you mean Antigua the country/island or is there a town called Antigua in Guatemala?

Sorry, was a bit dense, rereading your post i think it’s a town.

Have you looked into Costa Rica? Personally I would choose that over Guatemala.

Yes, Antigua is a lovely town in a lovely part of Guatemala. Ideal for exploring Lake Atitlan etc.

Op, I understand the desire for change but this would be a veerrry big change. As pps say, there are a lot of places you really wouldn't want to be. It has been years since I spent time there but I can't image much has changed.

What had prompted this thought process? Can you scratches this itch with a nice long holiday?

It is very very expensive to live there now.
Check COL (ChatGPT if unsure).

OP I've lived in 4 countries now, from UK to Australia to Eastern Europe to Asia.

What's the plan after redundancy payout ends?
Apart from the usual checks on crime rate, consider doing this:

1. Shortlist 5 countries you're interested in
2. Find out visa requirements for longer stays
3. What are the taxes? Some countries might tax you heavily on your redundancy payout you'll be bringing in
4. Choose a country where English is widely spoken. Trying to get pest control to get a rat out of your home when the staff don't speak English - is no fun
5. A lot of these cheaper counties won't let you work there. What are you going to do for living costs?
6. Find average rent per month. It's extortionate even in some very cheap rundown Asian cities.

That's a shame!

I have lived in Latin America, a couple of different places, and it is great, I absolutely loved it, but agree about where you go. Antigua is wonderful in Guatemala as people say, but it can be a difficult country in places. Are you talking about going for a particular period or moving for good? Do you speak any Spanish?

'You're not in Guatemala now Dr Ropata!'

sorry, I can't hear/see Guatemala without hearing this line! I wonder if anyone recognises it??

I think it would be lovely to visit. But I couldn't live there.

Not Guatemala, but of my friends emigrated to El Salvador some years ago with her husband and young child. We all thought she was mad, but they seem to be living their best lives over there. Definitely go for a long holiday first though, wherever you are thinking of.

I had a colleague for a few years who tried to move to Brazil. Fluent in the language and loved the culture, had loads of friends etc. He couldn't make it work as he couldn't find proper work out there. Eventually did 3 months there and 9 months UK for a few years. I'd say lots of research and find out if there are jobs for you was an expat etc.

What about Ecuador? One part is tropical but the other is similar weather to the UK.

There is a town called Antigua in Guatemala.

I went there about 15 years ago - obviously places do change but I would be very surprised if it had changed sufficiently to make it (for me) liveable. I would not go back. I'm pretty well travelled (have spent about 18 months in total backpacking around various countries, in my life) and have visited plenty of off the beaten track places. Guatemala was probably the dirtiest, least hygienic country I've been to, and had a very poor standard of health and safety. I got very sick there with amoebic dysentery and I remember there were ginormous holes in the road everywhere, so walking down the street was quite dangerous, you had to be very careful. Water was only working for a few hours a day. As I said, hopefully it was improved since I went, but I doubt it has done so massively. Costa Rica or Belize were much more livable, by comparison.

I would not move somewhere without visiting it first, in any event.

Ah …thanks very much got this insight