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8 Days Guilt Free Guatemala Tour Package
 The World of the Maya has many faces: some of them ancient as found carved on towering temples, other as modern as those of the people who live in Guatemala today. They are the descendants of a mighty Maya people whose customs and traditions are still part of the fabric of Guatemalan life. Guatemala is a showcase of natural history and dramatic landscapes, yet its most distinguishing asset is the rich and colorful traditions of the various ethnic communities, such as K'iché, Kaqchiquel and Achi. Each group has its won language, its special folklore, yet they share a common ancestral heritage as expressed in religion, music, dance, foods and even social organization. While Spanish and Indian cultures integrate into the country's "mestizaje", the purest of the Maya influences can be found in both the performing and design arts. The handicraft of textiles, in particular, is purely Mayan and a wonderfully colorful, part of the everyday dress. Tour Itinerary Group Size: Min 2 - Max 16 Accommodations: Choice of Eco mid and deluxe Hotels On your arrival into Guatemala City airport you will be met and transferred (1hr) to the Spanish colonial city of Antigua. Day 2: Mon: Community Tours & Programs – Coffee Farms & Textile Coops In the morning you will enjoy an active and participating tour of small local coffee farms to learn about the coffee history and process and in the afternoon there will be a local, village traditional lunch followed by a community tour of a village textile and handicraft cooperative. As Green as it Gets (GAIG) is a charity working to support small independent coffee producers and promoting environmentally responsible agriculture in Guatemala. This tour takes you to visit some of the families supported by this organization where they can work side-by-side with small coffee farmers in your daily coffee processing, pick, pulp, ferment, wash, dry, trilla, sort, and grade the coffee (depending on the season), roast coffee over an open fire and grind by hand on a grindstone before sampling your handiwork. Coffee Season is Nov to Mar. This tour includes a donation to GAIG and the Viaventure Foundation also supports this organization on an annual basis & we helped them get a $5000 grant from LATA in the UK. With the help of Casasito Association the handicraft center of Santiago Zamora began in 2006 offering both tours but also serving as an education center where workshops and courses are offered to the local women to help the protection and growth of traditional Guatemalan weaving in the village. During the tour you visit the village itself and the handicraft center and learn about the local history, language and traditional way of life as well as the difficulties faced by today’s rural Guatemala. The tour includes a walk through the village, demonstrations of traitional weaving methods and a family-style lunch where you can learn how to make “tortillas”. 100% of the entrance fee here goes directly to the villages and to a special fund used for social purposes such as education, medicine and emergency help. The price of this tour also includes a small donation to Casasito Association and the Viaventure Foundation also supports this organization on an annual basis. We sponsor a number of local children through school. you will be transferred to visit the colorful authentic market at Comalapa (1hr) which is a small, not so often visited town and market in the highlands near Antigua nestled in amongst some beautiful agricultural scenery. On the transfer you will be able to see traditional farming life of the maya people of the area and local crops. Once in Comalapa your guide will take you for a tour of the local market and for a visit to some of the famous local primitive painting galleries as well as a stop at a local bakery to try out the “rosca” biscuits and finally a stop at the famous town mural which was painted by the local children to commemorate the signing of the peace accords. When you are ready they will transfer on through the highlands to Lake Atitlan (2.5hr) and take a boat across the lake to your hotel – Hotel Bambu (2 Nights). At Lake Atitlan we do not currently have any high end properties classified in the area of sustainable travel so we are using Bambu Hotel for both categories. Day 4: Wed: Friendship Bridge Micro Credit Program & Maximon the Maya God This morning we take you to participate in a Friendship Bridge, micro-credit re-payment meeting in an area close to the lake. you will sit in whilst the women’s loan group meets and receives some form of education / skills training in either Spanish or your local language and then see how they work amongst themselves to sort out payments and hand it over to the loan officer from Friendship bridge. After the meeting you can then visit the home of one of the participants to see first hand what they do with the loans and how the money has helped them to initiate and/or grow your business. The tour is accompanied by a staff member of Friendship bridge who can elaborate about the work of Friendship Bridge across Guatemala and answer guest’s questions in detail on the subject. The cost of the tour includes all expenses for Friendship Bridge staff as well as an additional donation to Friendship Bridge Micro Credit Program and the Viaventure Foundation also supports this organization on an annual basis In the afternoon you will return to Lake Atitlan to the village of Santiago to tour this interesting village and to meet the Maya God, “Maximon” who is a drinking and smoking god to the Maya people. This is a fascinating insight into the beliefs and the rituals of the Maya people that have been held on to for centuries. Today you travel back across the lake and across the highlands to the famous market town of Chichi for a tour of this interesting market and an opportunity to barter for arts and crafts. In the afternoon they transfer on to Guatemala City and fly up into the rainforest to check into your hotel in Flores. Dinner & Overnight in the rainforest 2 Nights. Day 6: Fri: Into the Rainforest – Yaxha Sunset Tour (B,L,D) Free morning to relax after a lot of travelling and explore the island town of Flores. After lunch you are met by your driver and guide for the transfer to Yaxha National Park (approx 1hr) where upon arrival they can explore this atmospheric lakeside Maya archaeology site ending your tour with refreshments & wonderful views at sunset over the rainforest canopy from atop the main temples. Today you awaken in Tikal National park and can explore this amazing UNESCO protected Mayan Temple site of Tikal with your guide. Huge Mayan temples rise above the jungle canopy and monkeys and tropical birds are abundant in the surrounding rainforest. After lunch you have some time to relax and refresh before transferring to Flores airport for your flight back to Guatemala City (30min) and transfer to your hotel. (Approx 10min). Overnight Guatemala City. Day 8: Sun: Transfer out (B) You are met at your hotel by your driver for the private transfer to Guatemala City airport. Highlights Antigua Colonial City, Panajachel, Chichicastenango Market, Yaxha, Tikal, local community projects visits Package includes
Not included in this package
Optional Activities
Save time, money and stress! For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by our Guatemala vacation specialist. Contact: Travelwizard.com 12/09 |
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