From my very first contact with her, Chelsea impressed me with her professionalism. responsiveness, and enthusiasm for ethical and sustainable exploration in Guatemala. She provided me with two itinerary proposals for a family visit to Guatemala in July 2021 and then tailored the one we chose to our family's needs and preferences. We opted to stay within a limited area to minimize in-country travel time and give us a few days to relax on Lake Atitlan. Our family of 4 (me, my husband, and our 2 boys, ages 13 and 18) enjoyed our trip immensely. The destinations and accommodations Chelsea booked for us were all excellent, and -- even more importantly -- the guides and local partners she chose were all outstanding. I'm a nervous passenger, and our drivers navigated both the traffic of Guatemala City and the winding mountain roads of the Highlands with equal calm and competence. Our guide Selvyn was unfailingly kind, patient, and knowledgeable (also a good, safe driver). A highlight was our visits to producers and artisans -- from Don Jose, the coffee grower outside of Antigua, and Joaquin, who gave us a cooking lesson on our first night (a do-not-miss experience), to the home cooks and textile artists in the Highlands and in San Juan on Lake Atitlan, everyone we met taught us something new and showed us something beautiful, moving, or delicious. At all of our accommodations, Chelsea had made all necessary arrangements, and our rooms met or exceeded our expectations. Chelsea was also an invaluable aid when it came to getting things like tipping and other local details right. She also arranged for covid testing on the eve of our departure; basically, she provided all the support we needed to ensure that our visit to her adopted home would be smooth and safe without feeling like we were just parachuting in for some R & R. After our eleven days in Antigua, the Highlands, and Atitlan, I hope to get back to Guatemala and Central America soon. When and if we do, Chelsea at Heart of travel will be the first person I'll contact.

I can't say enough about our custom trip to Guatemala. We changed our itinerary a few times before we even traveled and Chelsea was fantastic about all of our modifications. All of the information that we received prior to travel was amazing and had us very prepared when we arrived. Once we got there, everything was just as expected. All of the places chosen were beautiful, the local guides we had were the absolute best and our experience was nothing short of amazing. Given that we decided to go in June, during rainy season and the rainiest month of the year, we expected to have some potential weather issues. We were incredibly lucky to have great weather for the majority of the trip. However, for the one issue we did have, we asked to re-route our trip due to a weather issue and Chelsea and our fantastic local guide Selvyn made all of the changes for us last minute. We never would have known that we decided to take a completely different itinerary for 2 days if we hadn't requested them because everything went so smoothly. We learned so much about the country and the culture from Selvyn, saw everything we asked to see plus some, and truly enjoyed every moment we were there. They are truly the best and I wouldn't travel with anyone else if you go to Guatemala.

I thoroughly enjoyed my 11-day/10-night trip to Guatemala and highly recommend Heart of Travel. The itinerary Chelsea planned for me was perfect. The pricing was very reasonable. Her communication and support before and during the trip was exceptional. She went above and beyond in helping me solve a couple of SNAFU’s of my own making. I look forward to traveling again with this company in the hopefully not too distant future. I consider myself a well-traveled (104 countries), fairly adventurous, 61-year-old. My previous trips have ranged from completely self-planned to high-end travel companies, solo to small group. I seek unique, authentic experiences. Probably more so than most travelers my age, I enjoy being active and even physically challenged. However, like most travelers my age, I have become old and spoiled and place great value in a good night’s sleep in a comfortable bed in a safe environment.

This trip exceeded my already high expectations. The itinerary was planned and crafted with such care to allow for an immersive experience. Chelsea and the Heart of Travel allow you to experience Guatemala like a local while touching on the experiences all tourists want to have. Chelsea welcomed us to Guatemala with open arms and we left with full hearts. An 11/10 experience; highly recommend.

Heart of Travel thinks of every possible scenario and detail and made every thing so effortless for us so we could just enjoy our trip. Will be using heart of Travel again and again! Great guides, shuttle drivers, and support through out the trip.