On this VolunTour for guests ages 8 years and older, show your Heart to Serve by spending 7 days and 6 nights in Antigua and other sites in rural Guatemala. You'll work alongside WorldVentures Foundation™ volunteers and Guatemalan villagers to build an eco-friendly bottle school. The work you do will provide a place for children to learn and will engage the community in improving their environment.
As part of this ongoing effort, on your trip you’ll:
• Help build a village school using plastic bottles stuffed with inorganic trash to form “eco-bricks.”
• Depending on the school’s stage of construction, you may dig and move dirt; stuff, classify and place bottles; cut and bend rebar; mix cement and layer it onto the walls; or paint.
• Work directly with villagers and take turns shoveling, gathering bottles or sharing other tasks.
At a Glance:
• No matter your skill level, age or physical strength, team leaders will find something useful for you to do. NOTE: See Special Disclaimers in Policies for other health-related information.
• Every step of the building process is done by hand — literally leaving your handprints all over the school.
• Village volunteers give talks about subjects such as the Guatemalan Civil War and migration, to help you better understand the people.
• Start and end your trip in Antigua, which charms with cobblestone streets and Spanish colonial buildings, and even remnants of a devastating 1773 earthquake. For most of your visit, you’ll stay in small towns and rural areas.
What do those who’ve taken a VolunTour say about the experience?
• “Our first bottle-school trip was a life-changer; call it a reset button. It helped us see life from a different perspective … of so much love to give, and caring from the kids and their parents, all without the material things in life. … We already have No. 2 and No. 3 bottle-school trips on our calendar!” — Raymond & Janie B., United States
• “The idea of using bottles and trash to build a school is brilliant! I have gone on VolunTours to Guatemala to build schools, and the experience has been life-changing. We can truly help change the world!” — James L., Singapore
Check out this DreamTrip on Facebook.
This trip will close by October 25.• Spend 7 days and 6 nights in comfortable accommodations with private baths in Antigua and other locales in Guatemala.
• Price is per person and is based on room sharing. Single, double, triple and quadruple rooms are available. Sharing a room may be necessary and roommate requests are accepted. Single occupancy is an additional US$100; availability not guaranteed.
• Participate in a welcome ceremony or group activity.
• Volunteer for 3 days in a rural village, helping to build a bottle school.
• Hike to see farms, family homes and places of worship. You may see women making tortillas and weaving traditional fabrics.
• Visit Mayan ruins where you can participate in a spiritual ceremony, at your discretion, and learn about Mayan history and tradition.
• The trip cost covers all meals, unlimited purified water, ground transportation and a bilingual guide. The on-sight cook prepares foods using methods consistent with United States safety standards. Food allergies can be accommodated; please contact adam@hugitforward.org to discuss.
For any questions regarding this trip, contact the DreamTrips specialist at DreamTrips@rovia.com.
Day 1
Arrive in Guatemala City, where you’ll be met at the airport by a Hug It Forward representative and escorted into Antigua.
If you’ve arrived early enough in the day, you can spend the afternoon exploring Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage City.
Orientation dinner.
Overnight in Antigua.
Day 2
Transfer to the town or rural area where your bottle-school project will take place.
Unload luggage and take a brief break.
Transfer to the rural village of your bottle-school location.
Welcome ceremony.
Begin work on the bottle-school project.
Presentation from a community member about the Guatemalan Civil War.
Village hike.
Overnight in a town or rural area near the site of the bottle-school project.
Day 3
Transfer to and work on the bottle-school project.
Presentation by a community member about migration.
Overnight in a town or rural area near the site of the bottle-school project..
Day 4
Tour Mayan ruins with a guide who practices Mayan spirituality.
• See temples and other buildings made from shimmering stones (unique among Mayan ruins in Guatemala).
Overnight in a town or rural area near the site of the bottle-school project.
Day 5
Transfer to and work on the bottle-school project.
During the afternoon, you might spend time practicing your Spanish.
Closing ceremony by the community, including a dance.
Overnight in a town or rural area near the site of the bottle-school project.
Day 6
Transfer to Antigua.
Afternoon at your leisure.
Overnight in Antigua.
Day 7
Transfer to the La Aurora International Airport (GUA) in Guatemala City and return home.
Airfare is not included in the trip price! The closest commercial airport to the hotel is La Aurora International Airport (GUA). Arrive before 4 p.m. on the first day of the VolunTour, if possible; and leave at any time on the last day of the VolunTour. We highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance for any trip.
We’ve got you covered when it comes to transfers between the airport and your hotel.
Your trip includes 2 airport transfers:*
November 19, timing based on arrival: From La Aurora International Airport (GUA) to the hotel.
November 25, timing based on departure: From the hotel to La Aurora International Airport (GUA) to the hotel.
To get free access to airport transfers, you must submit your flight information here by October 25. Helpful reminder: Flights are not included in the price.
The distance from the airport to the hotel is approximately 39 km (24 miles).
*These transfers are available only for the airport(s) and dates listed above.
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