Published on Dec, 2024

We did the Heartland Traditions Tour which is offered for the first time. First stop was a farm that grew the beautiful Heliconia flowers among mangoes and bananas. They make beautiful flower arrangements which are very popular for weddings and other celebrations. They are called Haliconias Flores Tropicale. Our guide, Mauricio Dominguez, did a great job interpreting the language and culture, allowing us to communicate with and ask questions of our hosts. The second stop on our tour was at a local farm to table restaurant called Rancho Las Parotas. The owner of this small farm produces the majority of the foods that he serves weekly on Sundays, primarily to the residents of the surrounding area. We had excellent discussions regarding the development of the concept, and how he operates, and participated as a group in preparing the salsa for our lunch meal. It was an entertaining, informative, and enjoyable experience. Our overall experience was excellent. This was our fourth tour with Human Connections will not be our last. It is important to remember that the families participating in hosting these tours will benefit financially, and that you are not an imposition.

Published on Nov, 2024

We loved learning about, grinding, and making chocolate. The guide was very informative. We were touched by Francisco's (potter) life story and passion for his art. It was fun learning to build a coil pot and observe him work his magic on the potter's wheel. The afternoon was topped of with an amazing lunch in an authentic Mexican restaurant. All of the Mexican people we met were gracious and welcoming.

Published on Sep, 2024

We did the Gifts of the Earth Tour with Mauricio. Incredible. We live in Bucerias and have lived in PV before, and this tour introduces you to a very non-tourist part of the area. I mean, it is a tour, and it is for tourists (and locals alike), but you get hands-on cultural contact that you won't get in PV or Bucerias centro. You make chocolate at Planeta Cacao; you don't just learn about it. You get a brief history of the cultural meaning of cacao and learn about the importance of the plant to the culture of Mexico. And, if you didn't catch what I said, you make, with your hands, your own chocolate, just the way that you want, that you can take with. They also sell some amazing products. And yes, everything tastes even better than you are imagining right now. After this you drive to meet Francisco, a local ceramist who was previously a brick maker. He now is the creative mind behind Casa de Iguana. You learn how he makes his own clay from a local river bed in a process that he devised (Who does that?! A real artist is who.) and he teaches you the basics of how to make, or attempt to make, a bowl. Or whatever you can think of. Or whatever your lump of clay becomes. The process is fun, and like making your own chocolate, you feel connected to the artisans, to the area, and to the culture of the people. You can't keep your raw clay item because there isn't enough time to fire it for as long as is needed, but you do get to keep the experience. Francisco also often has items for sale. And he takes commissions for those interested. After this, because it was just 2 of us in the tour, HC decided to try something new and take us to Restaurant Fernando to have a regional fish dish that was amazing and the perfect way to end the experience. I forgot the name of the dish (sorry!) but it is so good that during high season you will wait for hours to get in if you do not make a reservation. It is THE place to go for this dish and, as is usually the case, if you know, you know! Again, the fish is central to the culture of the bay as all the existing towns started off as fishing villages and this particular dish is seasoned and cooked in a way that is specific to this area. I can't recommend Human Connections enough and we are definitely going to have more experiences with them in the near future. Book your tour now!!!

Published on May, 2024

If you are into a drunken party, this is NOT the tour for you. If you are interested in learning more about Mexican culture and the people, and having an amazing home cooked meal, this IS the place for you! It's an up close and very personal look at local artisans/craftspeople who own their own business creating products and selling them to tourists. You are invited into the home of these people and get to spend an hour or so with each of them, learning about where they came from, why they moved to Bucerias, how they conduct their business operations. It is entertaining and educational, and it ends in the home of a local woman who has been working with Human Connections (HC) since they began, supporting them and the community, who makes an amazing home cooked meal for all the tour attendees. The HC tour staff (and in our case the director and founder) make you feel extremely welcome and, unlike most tours, keep you involved in the entire process. They are wonderful and friendly and you feel a real connection to them and what they are trying to accomplish. They give back to the locals who they work with, paying them for their time and they take no commission from them (like most tours do) if you decide you want to purchase something from them. This is a fantastic way to get a quick glimpse into real Mexican families and their work. I highly recommend it!

Published on Jan, 2024

This is our second tour with Human Connections. We enjoyed the first one so much we told our family who were visiting and they wanted to go on a tour as well. This one was especially chosen because of the workshops. It was called "Gifts of the Earth" and it included a pottery workshop with a master potter and a cacao workshop, making our own chocolate and learning about how to make it. Both of these workshops were taught by local artisans near Bucerias. It also included a light lunch and ancient chocolate water which was delicious. For a unique tour that gives back to the local community I can't recommend them highly enough.