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About this trip
Back to Bhakti Retreat
a journey of discovery to self love, connection, and the joy of living
Expand and escape with Ali Chin Smyth and Olivia Beaton to Lake Atitlan, a stunning crater lake located in the heart of Guatemala. This retreat will offer you just what you need to cultivate growth in 2023 and feel inspired to step into a new year as the best version of yourself. Your heart will crack wide open as we honor ourselves, community, and culture as we explore the beauty of Lake Atitlan.
What can you expect on this retreat?
Our journey begins with an overnight stay in the colonial city of Antigua, where our community will gather and connect for the first time. You'll have time to explore the unique architecture, boutiques, bars and restaurants of Antigua. On day 2, we will make our way to Lomas de Tzununa, a lakefront hotel with a relaxing vibe, and stunning views of Lake Atitlan.
Our time together will include daily, optional, yoga classes with Ali & Olivia, locally sourced meals, two included cultural and adventure-driven excursions, and moments for you to recharge in the stunning hillside grounds of Lomas de Tzununa and Lake Atitlan. Our retreat center features an on-site pool, temazcal sauna, and restaurant / lounge area, all available for you to enjoy!
The most beautiful part of our journey together is you can design exactly what you need to leave this retreat feeling more alive than how you arrived. Unravel and restore on the lake, at the on-site pool, in the sauna. Overcome and become through adventure, zip lining, hiking, kayaking. Learn and experience through cooking classes, weaving classes, visiting local markets.
If you're ready to expand into yourself, into community, into 2023, this retreat is calling.
Here's how you can get started...
A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to reserve your space on this retreat. Your trip balance is due 120 days out from the retreat start date. If you would like to set up a payment plan for your trip balance at no additional cost, please email info@solseedretreats.com.
What’s included
-7 nights / 8 days in Guatemala, including:
*6 nights, 7 days lodging at Lomas de Tzununa, located right on beautiful Lake Atitlan
*1 night's lodging, dinner and breakfast in the beautiful, colonial city of Antigua
-3 locally sourced meals daily plus unlimited tea, coffee and filtered water
-Daily yoga classes with Ali and Olivia
-1 guided hike to San Marcos and entrance to Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve, where we will spend the afternoon lounging lakeside and cliff jumping (if you dare!) + time for town exploration.
-Visit to the cultural village of San Juan + demonstration at a women's weaving cooperative
-Free use of on-site swimming pool & temazcal sauna
-Round-trip transfers to and from Guatemala City (GUA) if you adhere to our flight parameters below
Not included
-Roundtrip airfare to GUA (Guatemala City)
-Gratuities ($30 - $50 per person is super nice for the week, but always optional)
-Massages & energy healing sessions (can be booked directly at Lomas de Tzununa)
-Other optional excursions
-Required travel insurance
Passport & Immunization Requirements
You must have a valid passport to travel to Guatemala. Please check your passport expiration date and make sure it is valid for at least 6 months after the end date of your retreat.
Effective August 12, 2022, the Government of Guatemala no longer requires passengers arriving by air to present proof of a negative COVID test or proof of a complete COVID vaccine course to enter Guatemala.
Stay up to date on Guatemala Entry Requirements here: https://gt.usembassy.gov/alert-covid-19-2/
Cancellation Policy
All retreats include a $500 non-refundable / non-transferable deposit, which is required to hold your spot on the trip. Any balance payments made are also non-refundable / non-transferable. SolSeed Retreats can only make an exception to these terms if:
- The host government forbids us to visit as tourists.
- The host government forbids our vendors from hosting us as tourists.
- The US government forbids us to travel to the host country as tourists.
If SolSeed must further postpone or cancel the trip for any of the above reasons, all registrants will receive a refund of all deposits paid less $200.
If you refuse to comply with the laws of the host country, region, town, etc; SolSeed will not consider this a valid reason for receiving any refund. SolSeed will ensure to the best of their abilities that all registrants comply with all then current laws and regulations. Registrants are personally responsible for complying to local laws, at their own expense. Such expenses may include, but are not limited to:
- Proving adequate vaccination status
- Providing a negative PCR test(s)
- Providing proof of adequate travel insurance
Required Travel Insurance
The purchase of travel insurance is required for this trip.
Most policies protect you against potential trip delays or cancellations due to airline issues, family emergencies, illness, injury, etc. The travel insurance will also demonstrate to the host country that you are able to pay for any emergency services which may be necessary during your stay.
SolSeed is not authorized to sell travel insurance. Any offer to purchase travel insurance that you encounter during the checkout process are third party offers. You are free to select your own policy provider. If you would like to review options in a convenient online marketplace, we like what www.insuremytrip.com has put together. We have also had great experience with Trawick International and their customer service, and heard very good things from AAA Members who have purchased their travel insurance through AAA.
We strongly encourage you to speak with a travel insurance agent to discuss your specific coverage needs, and to clear up any questions you may have relative to travel insurance coverage, including questions about COVID-19.
About Lake Atitlan
Lake Atitlan is a magical, 50 square mile, crater lake located in south-east Guatemala. At its deepest point, it’s over 1,100 feet! It’s approximately a 3.5 hour drive from Guatemala City and 2 hours from the beautiful colonial city of Antigua. Surrounded by majestic volcanoes and cultural Mayan villages, Lake Atitlan is the perfect place to disconnect, explore, and open your heart and perspective to what could be.
The climate at Lake Atitlan is also perfection, and incredibly complimentary for yoga classes, as well as outdoor adventuring. From January - April, daytime highs average a comfortable 75 - 80 degrees. Evenings are cooler, with temperatures in the low 60’s / high 50’s, perfect for sleeping. At a mile high in altitude, warm days of swimming and exploring are followed by cool nights in flannels by the fire, or relaxing in the wood-fired sauna.
Nature lovers will be overjoyed with the many outdoor activities available. From volcano hiking, to sunrise kayak and stand-up paddle boarding, to horseback mountain rides and zip lining tours, there’s ample opportunity to connect with and enjoy this incredible land.
When you aren’t immersing yourself in nature, there’s plenty of Mayan Culture to soak in! Lake Atitlan is surrounded by several towns, all accessible via public and private boat, each unique and worth exploring. Don’t miss out on textile shopping in San Juan, the people watching in Panajachel, cliff diving in San Marcos or the restaurant and bar scene in San Pedro.
Recommended Flight Parameters
We've put together the following flight parameters to help address questions related to how to fly to the retreat. Please adhere to the following parameters when booking if you'd like to take advantage of our included airport transfers. If you do not follow these parameters, you will be responsible for paying for your own transfers, which can get quite costly.
FLIGHT PARAMETERS:
Arrival Date: January 7th, 2023
Arrival Time: Arrive between 11am and 4pm Guatemala time to take part in included group transportation from the airport to our hotel in Antigua, Guatemala, where we spend the first night of the retreat.
Arrival Airport: Guatemala City International Airport (La Aurora)
Airport Code: GUA
Note: If you arrive before 11am or after 4pm, we can arrange a driver for you for an estimated cost of $45, which will be payable directly to our hotel in Antigua upon check-in. If you plan to arrive an entire day or more early, we can help with hotels and transportation. Our first scheduled event on Saturday is a group dinner in Antigua at 7pm, so please arrive by 4pm to ensure you make dinner.
Departure Date: January 14th, 2023
Departure Time: Please only book flights that depart AFTER 11:30am as we will be making the 3 hour drive from the lake to the airport that morning.
Note: If you book a flight that departs prior to 11:30am, you could incur additional costs of as much as $200.
Once you have booked your flights, please forward your itinerary to info@solseedretreats.com.
Available Packages
This unique room is a great option for a group of friends, or a few solo travelers.
This mini-suite is set up as two bedrooms, each with a set of bunk beds (2 people per bedroom), with an adjoining bathroom between the two bedrooms.
All 4 inhabitants of the two bedrooms will SHARE one bathroom with on demand hot water.
This room also has stunning lake views.
**If you have someone you would like to room with, please indicate their name upon sign up, or else we will pair you with a like-minded roommate. Depending on how registration goes, this room might be co-ed.**
This room features one double bed and set of twin bed bunk-beds, sleeping a total of 3 people. This room also includes a private bathroom with on demand hot water, and a private deck overlooking Lake Atitlan.
**If you have someone you would like to room with, please indicate their name upon sign up, or else we will pair you with a like-minded roommate. Depending on how registration goes, this room might be co-ed.**
Perfect for two friends seeking a bit more privacy, or a couple, this room features one double bed and one twin bed, sleeping a total of 2 people. This room also includes a private bathroom with on demand hot water, and a private deck overlooking Lake Atitlan.
**If you have someone you would like to room with, please indicate their name upon sign up, or else we will pair you with a like-minded roommate. Depending on how registration goes, this room might be co-ed.**
Ideal for the solo traveler seeking their own private space, this room features one queen bed and stunning views of Lake Atitlan.
This room SHARES a bathroom with one other person / bedroom, and features a shower with on demand hot water.
If you and a friend are registering together, and desire your own sleeping space but are happy to share a bathroom, this is also a great option for you!
Ideal for the solo traveler seeking their own private space, this room features one double bed and one twin bed. This room also includes a private bathroom with on demand hot water, and a private deck overlooking Lake Atitlan.