Guatemalan Cacao Tours
Join Soul Lift Cacao founder Nick Meador this December for ORIGINS – a 7-day adventure through Guatemala to visit cacao farms and collectives who make some of the world’s best ceremonial cacao.
Seeing all the stages from tree to cup at the origin is the best way to truly appreciate the superfood and plant ally that is ceremonial cacao.
This is also an opportunity to meet and thank the people who work hard to make the cacao that you love, and to learn more about Mayan culture first-hand.
Nick has made extensive trips through Guatemala over the last six years and will mindfully curate this journey to be both educational and transformative, with the help of local guides, farmers, and artisans.
On the trip it will become clear how the true ceremonial cacao is not just a movement for spiritual self-development, but also a movement for ethical international trade and environmental sustainability.
Woven into the texture of the tour will be Nick’s guidance on how to travel responsibly, so that we can have a positive impact in the places we visit.
Dates: December 11-17, 2022
THIS TOUR INCLUDES: *
- Tours of three sustainable cacao farms
- Visits with the Mayan collectives and artisans who make Heart of the Earth (Ruk’u’x Ulew), Lavalove, Springs, Ullulawl, and other varieties of ceremonial cacao
- At least two fire ceremonies with cacao, led by Mayan guides
- Eight (8) nights lodging (private & shared options)
- All ground transportation (starting and ending in Guatemala City)
- Options available for those who need to start or end in Antigua or Lake Atitlán
- All meals from breakfast on Sun, Dec 11 to dinner on Sat, Dec 17
- Vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free options
- No lunch included on the "free day" Weds, Dec 14
TESTIMONIAL FROM THE LAST TOUR
"This tour was a very memorable experience for me. It was diverse, showing the popular but also the less traveled, rural areas of Guatemala. We were taken to cacao farms and the collectives that work with cacao. Their stories were so inspiring. I learned so much not just about how cacao is grown and prepared, but its importance in the ecosystem and its spiritual and healing power. The people that we visited were so welcoming and loving. They prepared meals for us that were delicious and nutritious, made with love. Our visit to the Heart of the Earth cacao collective was unforgettable. Cecilia’s words were very meaningful for me. I will never forget this amazing trip!" - Zsuzsanna Mangu, ReTreat PDX
REGISTRATION – LIMITED TO 12 PARTICIPANTS. ONLY 10 SPOTS REMAIN!
Shared Lodging - $1,700 USD per person
Private Couple - $1,850 USD per person
Private Individual - $2,000 USD per person
• Payment can be all at once or in installments using our website's ShopPay feature.
• Scroll down for a lodging preview
APPLICATION & MORE DETAILS:
To maximize the synergy of the group, we are having potential participants fill out an application first. The specific trip itinerary and other details will be shared with those who are approved. All potential participants must fill out the application separately – including both people in a couple.
CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE TOUR APPLICATION
Photos from the Guatemalan Cacao Tour in March 2022:
ABOUT SOUL LIFT CACAO FOUNDER NICK MEADOR
Nick spent years traveling throughout Central America connecting with cacao farms, collectives, and experts. He founded Soul Lift Cacao to create a positive impact in the world by helping Mayan collectives share their cacao in the U.S. and beyond.
On top of that, Nick has been on a path of facilitation, leadership, and self-development for about a decade. He has trained in various traditions, schools, and lineages for healing and self-development, and looks for the parallels that tie them together.
Nick created the Soul Lift Cacao Method to provide an ethical and responsible way to share ceremonial cacao in modern settings, and to create safe containers for transformational journeys. He has been training people to share cacao on their own since 2017.
ABOUT CEREMONIAL CACAO
Cacao is the natural, unprocessed form of chocolate grown in tropical regions around the world. Most people know cacao as a superfood. It has possibly the highest amount of antioxidants of any food. Cacao contains beneficial minerals like iron and magnesium. And the main active compound, theobromine, gives a boost of energy without the crash or cravings that can happen with coffee.
Yet cacao also has another aspect not spoken about in health food stores. Legends tell of ancient Mesoamerican civilizations using cacao for introspective and celebratory purposes, calling it the “Food of the Gods” and even trading it like currency. This more mysterious "plant medicine" side of cacao offers the potential to put you more in touch with your body and your soul. You can gain insights into the best direction moving forward, as well as the focus and motivation to take action towards those goals.
MAKE SURE TO ALSO CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE SHOP!
ABOUT ETHICS
Nick Meador is of mixed European heritage and not of Guatemalan or Mayan descent. So he puts a lot of effort into making sure his work is ethical and responsible. Nick works in close partnership with Mayan teachers and cacao workers in an ongoing effort to bridge cacao into the modern world. It's all based on direct, consensual relationship, and an attitude of curiosity about this special plant that has changed Nick's life so profoundly, particularly on his path of healing from chronic illness. As an American who started traveling to Guatemala in 1996, and who has a deep background in facilitation, Nick is in a fitting position to lead this tour for Americans and people from other Western countries. The intention is to bring positive impact for both visitors and our Guatemalan hosts, while minimizing or eliminating potential harm. Feel free to write to hello@soulliftcacao.com with any questions.
*Note: Specific lodging and activity details are subject to change due to factors out of our control. We are doing our best to represent the essence of the tour and what it will involve. We will update the group of any alterations to the plan.
Photos 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 above by Clara Angel Neumann
