Paddle in Paradise
Mayan Wisdom and Ocean Magic
April 13- 23, 2024
The Best of Belize- Learning from Mayan Spiritual Leaders in the Jungle and
Kayaking, Snorkeling, and a Deserted Island on the Coral Reef!
A Journey of Empowerment, Adventure, and Connection
If you are a woman who wants to travel outside the comfort zone of the ordinary and experience a deeply meaningful adventure of intense beauty, amazing activities, and fabulous people that will feed her very soul…this trip is for you!
What Awaits You
Imagine a tropical destination– palm trees, white sand, warm water! Dream yourself onto your own deserted island where you can rest, restore, and renew.
The warm water and sun warmed sand will make your heart sing.
You can paddle on the clear water over the vibrant coral reef where the abundant diverse life is a panorama of color.
Plunge in with a snorkel and mask to experience a rare and disappearing miracle of magnificence.
You are floating and free, exploring one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Play like a child at the water’s edge, your eyes resting on the restorative beauty.
Practice yoga on the beach and feel yourself relax and let go completely, far from the demands of civilization, in a simple place where there is only nature nurturing your wild soul.
Enjoy the incredible meals our cook prepares, learn from our talented and experienced Belicean guide, relax with a cocktail as the sun sets, gather with women around a bonfire to howl at the moon and set your spirit free!
Giggle! Laugh! Sing! Dance!
Picture a visit to the welcome of Mayan people whose ancestors inhabited this coast. Take in the wisdom of spiritual elders who will take us to explore the ruins and the remote places of spiritual power.
Experience the fire ceremony and explore the medicinal garden. Visit the ancient ruins and the wild jungle of the Jaguar Preserve.
Enjoy a Belize that few get to experience.
Your spirit will soar, surrounded by a circle of women, a catalyst for your soul’s growth.
We will gather to witness and support each other on this adventure, empowering ourselves to be who we are meant to be and connecting with our deepest longing for our lives, imagining ourselves into new possibilities where the most amazing adventures start each day with the rising sun.
You will go home ready to bring new awareness into your relationship with others, your own intuition, and your life!
What Benefits Will You Enjoy?
On this retreat, we will safely guide you in adventurous activities, like kayaking, snorkeling, and jungle hiking, and you will see that you can do anything you set your mind to, and have so much fun doing it! You can enjoy expanding the limits of your comfort zone and feel empowered.
With the experience of natural beauty and indigenous wisdom, you will create touchstone moments and enjoy moving ceremonies that will live on inside you, so that the feeling of being fully alive will keep you from ever settling for less.
As we travel together, we are going to laugh so much! The shared experiences will send you home feeling like a new person! Being present to each glorious, unique moment will be so refreshing!
We are going to practice radical self care, it will be our theme. You will develop a renewed commitment to yourself so that you will go home with new skills, insights, and ways to maintain your wellbeing.
I am so ready to Paddle in Paradise! Where do I register?
Reserve your place now!
Send $500 to reserve your spot.
Be sure to join our mailing list!
Here is my $500 deposit to secure my place:
PayPal: kayakmariacook@gmail.com
Venmo: Venmo me
Text: 206 842-7706
Where We Will Be? What Will We Do?
Day 1
We will stay together in a beautiful and historic hotel in downtown Belize City, central to everything. Single and double rooms available. Enjoy the comfort, ease, and location as you restore from your travels. You will rest easily in this charming venue, and will experience Belizean hospitality at its finest.
Days 2-4
Our accommodations will be family owned cabins in Maya Centre. The spiritual leaders in the community and their family have created a haven where they can welcome and host those who are interested in experiencing and learning about their way of life and their Mayan heritage. They offer warm hospitality, powerful teachings, and the invitation to share in the wisdom of an ancient culture all whil enjoying their beautiful property.
Days 5-8
Our home will be remote island, surrounded by beautiful coral reef and covered with palm trees and white sand. Beachfront living! Accommodations will be glamping at its finest in tents or Hennesy hammocks. Ask us about the opportunity for camping cots if you are interested. There are flush toilets and an outdoor shower. With electricity for charging devices, beach chairs, hammocks, and shady areas to relax, you will be comfortable in paradise. Arriving by boat, with a stop at a reef where we can swim with turtles and rays, we will have the opportunity for day paddles to near by cays and the option to snorkel right off the beach. Our Belizean guide will share the wonder of the barrier reef with us and teach us the natural history of this beautiful area. Our local cook will create wonder after wonder including the fresh catch of the day. We will enjoy yoga on the beach, the opportunity to create beach art and other creative projects, solo time to drink in the beauty, and sharing circles to deepen our sense of appreciation and community. We will have this paradise to ourselves as we immerse ourselves in the sensual pleasure of a tropical island in a tourquoise sea.
Day 9-11
We will spend our last two nights in a river front resort with a pool and air conditioning. This will be our base to explore a bit more of Belize including the world famous howler monkey sanctuary. The sounds of the jungle will lull us to sleep and we can enjoy the view of the fabulous tropical birds and wildlife which abounds. We will take a day trip to visit the renowned Belize zoo and to experience a river rafting trip on a river which travels underground through magnificent caves. You will have luxurious comfort and a chance to enjoy a taste of all that Belize has to offer. We will depart for the airport after a beautiful breakfast and a closing ceremony.
What You Can Expect
There will be an opportunity to:
- kayak in gorgeous clear water
- snorkel over the spectacular reef with stunning coral and fish life
- sleep (omg, yes please)
- visit howler monkeys in their habitat
- learn about medicinal plants from traditional healers
- visit Mayan ruins
- visit waterfalls, rivers, and the Jaguar Preserve
- eat fresh, delicious food
- spend luscious time in a hammock with an ocean view
- travel with a great group of supportive women
- adventure safely in the wild and wonderful world away from civilization
We start our journey at beautiful accommodations in the center of Belize City, enjoying a luxurious dinner together and preparing for our adventure.
After a restful sleep and a chance to gather what we might need in the days ahead, we travel south to a Mayan village where we are welcomed with traditional hospitality into the home of the local healer and village elders.
We will walk in the garden for a guided tour of medicinal plants and take part in a lesson on medicine making, emerging with an herbal product and new knowledge and appreciation!
The Mayans long to share their knowledge and the power of their ancient culture.
After dinner, we will participate in a moving fire ceremony in the Mayan tradition.
We will stay in comfortable cabins here and enjoy the local cuisine.
Participating in the life of these people will be an inspiration to open to indigenous wisdom and alternative ways of living.
Being in the presence of these wonderful people will be a balm for our western souls.
We can let go of the baggage of our busy world and begin to soften into the possibilities that come when we quiet down and connect with nature and our own inner rhythm, when we slow down to the speed of wisdom.
The following day we will head out for a day of guided exploration, entering the jungle and visiting the Mayan ruins of Nim Li Punit, where we will experience additional Mayan ceremony and ritual.
We will also travel to the hidden waterfalls to bathe in the power of nature.
The next day, our last with the Mayan people, will include a trek deep into the wilds of the Jaguar Preserve. Our guides will create an incredible experience for us as we explore the jungle habitat and the wildlife that abounds all with the awareness that we are walking on lands once walked by ancient ones.
Learning to trust your intuition and to connect with the support of your ancestors and spirit guides will enhance your life forever.
Our time with the Mayans will be a celebration of cross cultural learning and sharing, and we will leave inspired to return!
The next morning we will travel to the village of Placencia where we will be outfitted for our time on a white sand island, with hammocks strung between the coconut trees.
You will find yourself in a remote paradise of sand, sea, and sun.
You will have time to kayak, snorkel, and explore the reef and the island, with expert guidance. There will be yoga on the beach, time to be creative and to just relax, opportunities to share in circle, rituals that will feed your spirit, great food, and much fun!
The beauty and peace will nourish your wild soul and create touchstone moments that will live on inside you.
We will have a Belizean guide who will instruct us in kayaking and snorkeling and share his knowledge and passion for the environment. We will have a local cook, who will create amazing meals including fresh catch of the day. All we have to do is enjoy!
After transport back to the mainland we visit a chocolate factory if time allows, and head north for our final two nights at a river front resort near the baboon sanctuary. The luxury of poolside drinks and a fabulous restaurant will be delicious as you wash the sand from your body, while sweet memories remain. 
We will take the next day to explore northern Belize in the comfort of our van with our guide, visiting the Belize zoo and taking a leisurely float trip down a river which passes underground through spectacular caves. A tour of the howler monkey sanctuary and opportunities for bird watching will round out the day.
The amazing wildlife and natural beauty of Belize will provide unforgettable moments of connection, reminding us of what is important and what we need to protect. We will return home empowered and inspired!
This is for me! Here is my $500 deposit!
Venmo @Maria-Cook
PayPal kayakmariacook@gmail.com
Fabulous Fresh Food
As on all of our trips, we’ll eat delicious, whole foods (but we’ll also have chocolate and wine!)
Food will be prepared by the venues, Belizean style, but on the island we will have our own local cook, who is a master!
Fresh, simple meals of the finest ingredients, prepared with love and eaten outdoors…. truly divine!
There will be plenty of fresh fish and seafood as well as delicious fresh fruit and vegetables.
Healthy, plentiful food will nourish us, body and soul, and the occasional naughty treat will delight us!
Just imagine conch salad with the salty zest of the ocean, grilled fish caught and cleaned moments before it arrives in the kitchen, and coconuts galore.
Let us know your special needs. We will do our best to accommodate you!
We are total foodies! We will enjoy local cuisine and will make sure to keep your palates scintillated!
Is This Trip Right For You?
This Trip is Right For You if You …
• Are delighted to enjoy a Spa for Your Wild Soul!
• Are excited about the transformative experience of entering the deep jungle with Mayan elders to sit with the wonder and mystery of Mayan ruins?
• Would you enjoy 4 days on a deserted white sand island where you can renew and restore and play like a child? Glide in a kayak along a pristine coral reef! Snorkel in the most amazing underwater world!
• Are ready to feel the bliss and beauty of warm tropical water and stunning coral reef as you play in the sunshine, learning from experienced guides?
• Want the joy of finding the soul support of a group of wise women, ready to take a deep dive into empowerment, adventure, and connection?
• Feel ready for an adventure far off the beaten track where we can enjoy nature in comfort?
• Want to enjoy incredible natural wonders, unique cultural experiences, and the empowerment that comes as we feed our wild souls?
• Are ready to be your full self on a journey filled with delights for the senses and support the spirit?
What People Are Saying
A trip for women of all ages that want to deepen themselves by enjoying sisterhood in nature. ~Amy B.
Going on this trip was one of th best decisions I ever made! Thank you for creating such a safe, empowering, and inspiring space and encouraging us all to say yest to adventure! ~Brianna
If you are even a little bit curious and called to do something out of the ordinary, take this journey! It will change you—maybe a little, maybe a lot, but definitely for good. ~Althea P.
This “Transformational Retreat” MORE than transformed – it made friends of strangers, it brought us closer to Ma Nature’s amazing gifts, and it was filled with the magic of story-telling, belly laughs and very, VERY good food! Maria and Spring…your combined experience and passion for the outdoors shines a light for anyone wondering, “How can I jump in…?!?!”; thank you, THANK YOU! ~Kay J.
I hardly have the words to describe this most unique trip organized by Maria Cook. My testimony is reinforced with the fact that I went with her on her January 2016 trip and loved it so much that I signed up for this trip…This trip, like the other one, was particularly wonderful, unlike any kind of “tour”. We were asked to go beyond our comfort zones to participate in rituals…We were always reminded that we were “safe”. Interspersed between were wonderful sharing circles led by Maria where we were able to release to the group our inner experience and concerns. We sang beautiful songs. This caused us to become closer and closer as a group and love each other in more and more deeper ways…Besides the serious rituals and sharings, we had incredible fun! What a joyous, deep and shared experience! The trip was fantastic in all ways. We were more than grateful for our wonderful guides…and our personal leader, the one and only Maria!!! ~ Susan K.
What a beautiful experience! Thank you Maria for offering this amazing trip to a land of magic and the opportunity to connect with other like minded women (and men) and our ancestors. I’m forever grateful! ~Monica Q
Experience the Benefits!
Join Wonderful Women for 11 days of Boisterous Bliss in Beautiful Belize!
On this retreat, as we safely travel far off the beaten track to remote locations, we are going to laugh, play, and challenge ourselves in the most creative ways, so that you can return home ready to shout out yes to the adventure that is your life!
The awesome women that you share this experience with will touch your heart, as you touch theirs, and you will experience that life changing authentic connection, so that you will know you are never alone.
Throughout the time that we spend together we will practice empowered listening skills. You will learn to cultivate radical compassion so that you can create better boundaries, ask for what you need and deserve, and speak your truth even in difficult circumstances.
The peace that you will find in nature, as well as the indigenous teachings that you will experience will help you to drop in deeply to a sense of trust and connection to your own inner wisdom so that you can move forward confidently towards the life of your dreams!
This adventure will be an empowerment retreat, supporting you in the experience of real transformation.
All inclusive! Everything taken care of! You will be whisked seemlessly from one incredible experience to another, with plenty of time to pause, breathe, and drink it in. Show up for yourself and let everything unfold beautifully. It will be more wonderful than you can imagine!
This trip is for women of all ages who are ready for something more, is that you?
Do you feel the whisper of a longing to explore and experience?
Do you want to tend to your soul’s love for adventure?
Do you have the courage to gift yourself an incredible out of the box experience?
Do you want to do something just for yourself, finally?
Are you up for going places most tourists never go?
Would you like to experience the power of authentic indigenous ceremonies?
Do you need a chance to really rest, renew, restore and just really have time for some fun?
Would you like to feel support for living into your wildest dreams?
Free yourself with Empowerment, Adventure, and Connection!
Your Hosts
Maria Cook has been leading Women’s Transformational Journeys together for more than 30 years!
Maria is an acupuncturist, retreat leader, energy medicine practioner, medicine woman, qi gong teacher, and facilitator of transformational adventure.
She is an advanced practitioner of Compassionate Listening. She has taught for Outward Bound and led women’s groups and journeys for over 30 years. Her humor and depth create a unique opportunity to experience Sacred Play and to enjoy the challenge of growth and adventure in a gentle, joyous way.
She will lead you in creative exercises that will free your spirit, sharing circles that will open your heart, activities that will feed your soul, and classes that will enhance your life.
Her wonderful team will support you totally. There will be guides, a cook, a driver, an assistant, an outfitter, and so much more. So many people are going to contribute to creating this fabulous experience.
This will be a dream trip, where you can safely adventure knowing that your needs will be met, your challenges will be meaningful, and your days will be a perfect balance of doing and being with everything taken care of so that you can relax, enjoy, learn, grow, and relish all the amazing experiences!
Cost
$4450- all inclusive
$4250- Early Bird Special. Save $200!
Valid through Feb 15th
$500- deposit to reserve your place
Single Supplement: ask about availability for first and last nights hotels
On Moho Cay: tents or Hennessey Hammocks (great for sleeping!) Ask us about camping cots.
Space is limited to 10 women! Don’t wait!
Have questions? Call or text Maria (206) 842-7706
Save $200 with the Early Bird Special
Details You Need to Know
Who:
Women ages 18+ You don’t need any special skills or experience but you must have a certain level of fitness to be able to visit off the grid places where there is limited accessibility. We will be walking on and off trails.
What’s Included:
All inclusive! Airport transfer, in country transportation, all meals; all hotels and accommodations; boat transportation to and from island; camping, snorkeling, and kayaking gear; kayaking instruction; day trips by boat; guides and cook; entrance fees; medicinal garden tour and class; fire ceremony; tour of Mayan ruins and ceremonial experience; waterfall tour; jaguar reserve tour; Belize zoo tour; river rafting tour; baboon sanctuary tour; chocolate factory visit.
What’s not included:
Airfare to and from Belize, tips, alcohol, soft drinks, snacks, COVID test for return to US, paddle board rental.
When:
April 13-23 2024
Cancellation policy:
$500 nonrefundable deposit reserves your spot.
Trip cancellation insurance suggested!
Refunds available, except for deposits, until Jan 31st with a 10% administrative fee.
50% refund Feb 1-March 1
No refunds available after March 1.
We reserve the right to cancel the trip if we don’t have minimum registration. All funds will be returned if the trip is canceled.
Itinerary:
We will send a detailed itinerary when you register, or you’re welcome to request to see the itinerary before registering.
Participants are encouraged to come early or stay longer and see more of Belize. You make your own travel reservations to and from Belize, we’ll take care of everything else! Experience places that you can’t get to on your own, in the company of a fabulous group, with all the details handled. Relax and enjoy a superlative adventure!
Secure Your Spot with your $500 deposit
Venmo @Maria-Cook
PayPal kayakmariacook@gmail.com