Itinerary

Sunday – February 11: Guatemala City
Morning - Fly to Guatemala City. Presentation on Guatemalan History by Stuart Conway, TWP's International Director. Stuart has over 20 years experience in conservation and development work in Guatemala, including a stint as a Peace Corp volunteer in 1984-87.

Overnight: Hotel Residencial Reforma La Casa Grande (www.casagrande-gua.com)

Monday – February 12: Tiquisate
Morning - Briefing by US Embassy and US Agency for International Development (USAID) staff on the political, economic and environmental situation in Guatemala. Time for a question and answer session before lunch in Guatemala City. Afternoon - Drive to Tiquisate (aprox 3 hr. drive) Check into Hotel Jireh and have dinner.

Overnight: Hotel Jireh

Tuesday – February 13: Tiquisate
Drive to nearby village and spend the day building a Justa Stove with local families and TWP's stove team, including Guatemala Project Director Leonel Jarquin, and stove promoter, Sagrario Cardona. Eat lunch in the field.

Overnight: Hotel Jireh

Wednesday – February 14: Tiquisate
Drive to nearby village and plant trees with community members. Enjoy local Guatemalan fare at the home of Dona Catalina Jarquin, leader of the women's committee of Pinula. Committee members will discuss their role in initiating the stove project along the South Coast. Afternoon - Visit local TWP reforestation sites.

Overnight: Hotel Jireh

Thursday – February 15: Santiago Atitlan
Morning - Early departure on 1.5 hr. drive to San Lucas Toliman, nestled along Lago Atitlan (www.atitlan.com/contents.htm). Visit a tree nursery and woodworking cooperative (www.sanlucasmission.com/Home.htm). Eat lunch at the mission. Afternoon - Drive 1/2 hour to Santiago Atitlan (www.santiagoatitlan.com), another community on the shores of Lake Atitlan. Check into Posada de Santiago, a small hotel situated above the shores of volcano rimmed Lake Atitlan, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Rest, go for walk, or swim if time permits. Dinner at the Hotel

Overnight: Posada de Santiago (www.posadadesantiago.com)

Friday – February 16: Santiago Atitlan
After breakfast at the Hotel, visit the town of Santiago Atitlan, an indigenous community with many colorful handicrafts for sale and a historic colonial church and square. Afternoon - relax at the resort. Swimming, boating, shoppping or hammock-hanging.

Overnight: Posada de Santiago

Saturday – February 17: Antigua
Early departure for 3-4 hour drive to Antigua (www.antiguaguatemalaonline.com) - former Spanish capital of Guatemala, situated at the base of three volcanoes (Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango). Antigua has been designated as a World Cultural Center by the United Nations. Afternoon - take half day tour of city with a local historical expert, shop or relax. Stay at beautiful Hotel Candelaria Antiqua and have dinner of traditional Guatemalan dishes.

Overnight: Hotel Candelaria Antiqua (www.candelariahotel.com)

Sunday – February 18: Antigua
Rest day. Breaklfast at Hotel Explore Antigua on your own (or climb a volcano).

Overnight: Hotel Candelaria Antiqua

Monday – February 19: Tikal
Very early departure for Guatemala City Airport (45 min). Eat breakfast at airport. Fly to Flores. Transfer to Tikal National Park (www.tikalpark.com) and check in at Jaguar Inn (45 min to 1 hour). Take time to explore the spectacular Maya ruins with an expert local guide.

Overnight: Jaguar Inn (www.jaguartikal.com)

Tuesday – February 20: Tikal - Guatemala City
More time to explore the Maya ruins at Tikal or take a canopy tour to view wildlife, or other adventures of your choosing. Afternoon - Transfer to airport in Flores (45 min-1 hour) and fly to Guatemala City. Check in at Hotel Residencial Reforma La Casa Grande. Despedida (farewell celebration) in Guatemala City.

Overnight: Hotel Residencial Reforma La Casa Grande

Wednesday – February 21
Departure from Guatemala City airport.

For more information contact:

Trees, Water & People

Stuart Conway : stuart@treeswaterpeople.org

877-606-4TWP or 970-484-3678

OR

Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance

Mark Willuhn

mark@travelwithmea.org
800-682-0584

Practical Information

WEATHER: The weather, depending on our location, will vary from warm and sunny to cloudy, misty, foggy or rainy. We can expect daytime temperature highs in the low 90s in some location and in the highlands low 80s.

TOUR SIZE: This tour will be limited to a maximum of 16 participants and a minimum of 10 participants.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: A US passport valid beyond your anticipated date of return to the US is required. Currently no visas or immunization certificates are required. Those with foreign passports should contact the Embassy of Guatemala for details.

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS: The fee for the tour is $2,499 per person based on double occupancy from Guatemala City. Single rates are an additional $500. This includes all food, three meals per day, from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 11; all lodging for 10 nights during the tour; ground transportation; roundtrip airfare from Guatemala City to Flores, and guide services provided by the tour leaders and local conservation professionals. Does not include: international airfare , passport fees, departure taxes, etc. Meals do not include alcoholic beverages. Gratuities, laundry, phone calls and other personal expenses not included. Rates are based upon group tariffs; if the group does not have sufficient registration a small party supplement may have to be charged. Itinerary is tentative and subject to change.

HEALTH PRECAUTIONS: For comprehensive information please contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on the Internet at www.cdc.gov or by phone at 404-332-4559. The CDC information is a comprehensive listing of any disease reported in a particular region or state. Guatemala is included with Central America. We have not had any problems with diseases. Please consult a health care professional with any questions.

STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL ADVISORIES: Currently there are no travel advisories for traveling in Guatemala. You will be updated on any significant developments that pertain to our trip. http://travel.state.gov

TOUR REGISTRATION: To register for the tour, complete the registration form and return it with a deposit of $500 per person to:

Trees, Water & People

Attn: Stuart Conway

633 Remington Street

Fort Collins, CO 80524

Feel free to contact Stuart with any questions - phone: 970-484-3678; e-mail: stuart@treeswaterpeople.org . To learn more about Trees, Water & People and their important work please visit www.treeswaterpeople.org .

Full payment of the tour fee is due 90 days before departure date. Single supplements are an additional $500.

CANCELLATION POLICY : Refunds are made according to the following schedule: If cancellation is made eighty days or more before departure date, the deposit less $150 is refundable. If cancellation is made between seventy-nine and sixty days before departure date, the deposit is not refundable, but any payments covering the balance of the fee will be refunded. If cancellation is made fifty-nine days or less before departure date, no refund is available except for amounts recoverable through our agents. We recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance which you will receive upon registration.