Travel Journal

Follow along on our blog for special announcements and stories, highlights from past travelers, staff picks and so much more.

More Valuable Than Gold: The Story Behind Guatemalan Jade

What the stone means, where it comes from, and how to know what you are buying For five hundred years, nobody on earth knew where Maya jade came from. That alone should tell you this is not your average souvenir. Here is what is actually worth knowing before you shop for it. Where does Guatemalan […]

Inside Casa Botrán: Where Rum Is Made the Slow Way

A look at the highland aging process behind one of Guatemala’s most storied spirits Most rum is made to a schedule. Casa Botrán is made to a mountain. Here is what actually happens inside one of Guatemala’s most respected distilleries, and why the altitude matters as much as the barrel. What makes Guatemalan rum different […]

Before It Was Dessert, It Was Sacred: Chasing Cacao Through Guatemala

What a chocolate tour actually looks like, from the tree to the cup Long before chocolate was something you unwrap, it was something you earned the right to drink. Guatemala’s cacao story starts well before the tasting menu, and it is worth knowing before you go looking for a tour. Is Guatemala the birthplace of […]

Lost in the Best Way: A First-Timer’s Guide to Chichicastenango

What to expect from Guatemala’s largest, loudest, most colorful market There is a version of Chichicastenango you plan for on paper, and the one that actually hits you when you turn the corner into the plaza. Here is what to expect, in plain terms, before you go. What days is Chichicastenango market open? The market […]

Traveling Solo as a Woman in Central America: A Real Guide

Not the sanitized version. The real one, from women who have done it, guided it, and lived it across five countries.

What Does ‘Travel with Purpose’ Actually Mean? Our Honest Answer

It is not voluntourism. It is not charity. Here is our definition, built over years of doing it, failing at it, and getting it right.

Guatemala in Green Season: What Nobody Tells You About Traveling in the Rain

The crowds just left. The prices just dropped. And in two weeks, the mountains turn a shade of green you will not believe. Here is why mid-May is the smartest time to arrive in Guatemala.

Tikal: History Rising from the Jungle

Rise before dawn and watch the fog lift over Tikal ancient temples as howler monkeys call through the jungle. A once-in-a-lifetime Maya experience in Guatemala.

The World Cup Made You Look at the Map. Now Go.

Climb aboard a brightly painted chicken bus at night and discover Guatemala City neighborhoods, street food, and local life in the most authentic way possible.

The Best Father’s Day Gift Is the One He Will Still Be Talking About in Years

Climb aboard a brightly painted chicken bus at night and discover Guatemala City neighborhoods, street food, and local life in the most authentic way possible.

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