Deposit for Fiber Circle Studio Trip, February 13-23, 2024
$300.00
Textiles, Culture, and Community in Guatemala (February 13 - 23, 2024)
UPDATE November 2023: This trip is full. If you would like to be on the waitlist, please email Mari mari@kakawdesigns.com.
//This is a non-refundable deposit to reserve your spot for the fiber-intensive trip brought to you together with Fiber Circle Studio. If you have any questions, please contact Mari at mari@kakawdesigns.com. Deadline to sign up is October 30th, 2023. Here's what co-host Alisha wrote about last year's trip :) Not applicable for store discounts (we will correct the discount in your second invoice).//
A special itinerary designed and brought to you together with Alisha of Fiber Circle Studio.
Join us in February 2024 for a small-group textile adventure in Antigua and Lake Atitlán, Guatemala! Enjoy a unique textile and culture-filled itinerary designed for the fiber lover that generates sustainable income for our partner artisan groups and communities. We’ll learn the art of backstrap weaving, learn traditional embroidery techniques and pattern significance, get our hands in natural dye vats, practice spinning local cotton with a “malacate” spindle, visit a cochineal farm, and much more; all while enjoying delicious restaurants, home-cooked meals, and of course fresh Guatemalan coffee in good company.
This trip is an all inclusive trip! We invite folks from all backgrounds, nationalities, sexualities, and genders. We welcome partners as non workshop participants, and participating children over the age of 8 at a discounted rate. We believe in supporting a unified connection while spreading knowledge, passion and inspiration in an effort to preserve and carry on traditions for many more generations!
Included: all lodging, workshops, meals (except two "free time" meals), in-country transport, lodging, bilingual guide and local community guides. 4 nights at Lake Atitlán, and 6 nights in Antigua (partly before and partly after Lake Atitlán). The trip will be led by 2 group leaders from Kakaw and co-hosted by Alisha of Fiber Circle Studio.
Reserve your spot with a non-refundable $300 deposit
Minimum participants 8 pax / Maximum 14 pax
$3150 for single-room occupancy
$2900 when signing up with a friend and sharing a room together
Make sure to first go through our FAQ sheet which includes our Cancellation Policy.
- COVID-19 vaccination required to participate.
- This itinerary includes home-cooked and restaurant meals in a rural community. We cannot guarantee changes to the menu to meet dietary restrictions. We will do our best, but those with special dietary needs should be prepared with snacks in case an alternative cannot be provided at homes and at restaurants.
- The hotels we use for this trip have plenty of steps, and the village visits require some walking. This itinerary also includes boat rides, which include stepping in and out. We ask that individuals with mobility challenges seriously consider these factors. When in doubt, please reach out and ask!
- The rest of the payment for this itinerary will be invoiced after the sign-up deadline (October 30th). Instructions will follow. We are happy to work out a flexible payment schedule.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to write to me (Mari!). I would be happy to also speak with you via Zoom to go over any concerns: mari@kakawdesigns.com
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I loved everything about this trip - the people, the workshops, the food, the accommodations... This was truly what good travel is all about - not just being a sightseer, but being immersed in the local culture and the lives of the people. Alisha and Mari put together a magical experience. Julie and I are still getting together to practice our backstrap loom weaving and the Sumpango embroidery.
If you are even thinking about a textile experiential tour in Guatemala- you cannot find better tour leaders than Alisha and Mari. My experience in Guatemala was transformative -everyone I met, both participants and Mayan craftspeople were extraordinary, friendly, interesting, and we all shared a passion for textiles. Taking classes in weaving, embroidery, spinning and natural dying and meeting such amazing Mayan women and men who were keeping alive the traditions of their culture was such a highlight. I remember sitting with my feet in Lake Atitlan in the small village of San Juan La Laguna with tears of gratitude for the miracle and privilege of being able to be in such a magical place of such beauty. If you are thinking about going- just do it- you will be safe, you will meet wonderful people and have amazing experiences in this colorful, fiery, and vibrant culture that celebrates art and music. Mari and Alisha will take you to the special places, restaurants, experiences, and people that you could never find on your own. Vans are comfortable, tour is very well organized and personalized. Mari has decades of relationships with the Mayan crafters you will meet which makes the experience very special.