Anyone who has been to Playa del Carmen knows 5th Avenue, or ‘Quinta Avenida’ in Spanish. That is, if you ever needed to use your Spanish while you were in Playa.

This weekly series focuses on budget accommodation gems we discover while on the road. This week: Hotel El Amanecer Sak’cari in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala.

We had no idea about our three hour layover in Guatemala last Monday, but this incredible landscape made us realize that we need to come back for another visit.

Maximón is one of Guatemala’s most popular Mayan folk saints, worshipped in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Some believe Maximón, also known as San Simón, to be an incarnation of the Mayan god of sexuality, while others think he was a Spanish priest. An effigy of Maximón in the town of Santiago Atitán is celebrated year round.

Located in the Central Highlands of Guatemala is the beautiful Lake Atitlán. At 320m, Lake Atitlán, formedby the collapse of a volcano cone, is the deepest lake in Central America. The lake is surrounded by mountains and three volcanoes, and several villages dot its shores. The villages are inhabited by Maya, mainly Tz’utujil and Kaqchikel, who still dress in their traditional costumes and share their villages with the tourists who come for the stunning scenery and atmosphere of the lake.

Our Hotel Tip of the Week series offers accommodation tips from around the world. All are places where we have stayed in and personally recommend. This week: El Patio 77 in Mexico City.

Combining round-the-world, long-term travel with work means that we have a guaranteed income, but on the other hand it means that we had to plan our travels around our work schedule. So, how is that working out, you ask?

Reflections on the slightly awkward nature of finding budget hotels and hostels for long-term lesbian travelers.

When I set off on my solo travel adventures, I had no idea that lesbian solo travel could be so annoying! Read on to find out why…

Housesitting is a great way to get free accommodation for a longer period of time – perfect for a round-the-world trip. Find out more about housesitting worldwide here: