Such a privilege it was to meet Cesar and his beautiful family, all of whom were generous and good humored with my terrible Spanish, and taught me words, culinary techniques, and cultural practices of the Zapotec. I've been studying Zapotecas through literature for many years, and this experience crystallized their culture in a way no book ever could. I learned about how they take care of their community and the infrastructure of their society. I learned about local topography and medicinal poultice. I learned about their ancient mezcal technique and explored the many flavor profiles. I learned more about cacao than I ever thought I would; they even gave me the special opportunity to help them prepare it! As someone who is very particular about who I let in my kitchen, I understand what an honor and a treat it was. The food was impeccable, the location was gorgeous, and the experience thrilling, informative, and I highly recommend!

César is such a lovely and considerate guide. It was a pleasure spending time with his family and walking around the neighbourhood

If you are seeking a very personalized adventure into a local town, then this experience is for you! The day is as described - ride a collectivo, breakfast/snacks with Cesar’s family, walk around town to explore local places, tuk tuk ride up the mountain for mezcal and views. What can’t be described are the personal touches and the random experiences that come along with the flexibility of something like this, such as stopping when we see a friend plowing the agave field, or trying additional mezcal varieties not on the menu. Cesar made sure that I was never wanting for anything, and his family was so friendly and welcoming. All and all I would recommend this experience for anyone who wants something more than the regular heavily curated tourism experience. This is no hotel tour - so be open to new experiences and book this once in a lifetime experience with Cesar.

My experience with Cesar was wonderful! It was quite the adventure! It turned out to be a private trip, so it was personalized to what I wanted to do. We drove out to his village in a taxi (which takes about an hour). From there we had a breakfast of bread and chocolate. His mother was making the tortillas for the day, and his brother also joined us. From there we explored the town center and went to the shoe factory, which was very interesting. I bought a pair of "farmer's sandals", just like all the men had in the village. We had some home-brew mezcal at his house and met his grandfather who was shucking corn by hand. I felt like part of the family! From there, his mother made us lunch (tortillas with cheese and herbs), and went to the mezcal factory. Which wasn't really a factory, but a local shed where mezcal was being distilled the old fashion way. It was very interesting to see! After that we took the tuk-tuk up the mountain a bit on a dirt road (the drive was also very fun) to admire the beautiful view of the surroundings! After that, we went home where his brother showed me some of his hand-drawn artwork. Following that, we drove back to Oaxaca city.

All in all, Cesar made sure I was comfortable the entire time, and his family accepted me as one of their own. Definitely a personal experience that I will never forget, and will be the highlight of my trip to Oaxaca!