Where Sidewalks End Avis 132

It was a great experience. Khun Noi (Guide and translator) was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.

Where Sidewalks End does a great job at hiring local informative and friendly guides. They showcase women-led and indigenous-owned businesses and seek out really unique experiences in Oaxaca.

WSE was easy to communicate with, were helpful answering questions, provided an English speaking guide, Laura, who had family ties to the community. Everything went great and Nelson, the backstrap weaver was very friendly and informative. It was very interesting to see the Native Oaxacan cotton plants, the ancient Stele, learn how to spin the cotton with ancient tools. Most of the weaving is done with modern cotton, and even silk. Nelson weaves tiny intricate designs with silk. We then enjoyed a meal at a local eatery where blue corn tortillas were cooked on a wood fired oven with a comal. It was warm in the sun, and along a busy road. The one downside was the car provided was a bit tight for 6 people. (4 of us, the videographer and the driver). Two of us were squeezed in the back seat. We ran into a blockade and had to spend extra driving time weaving through dirt roads to get around it- but all part of the experience! and no fault of WSE. Laura did an amazing job.

I recently had the privilege of receiving a Sak Yant tattoo from the revered Arjan Suthin in Chiang Mai, an experience that left me deeply moved and spiritually enriched. The ceremony was a testament to the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of Thailand, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a meaningful connection with this ancient tradition.

From the moment I entered the sacred space, I felt a sense of tranquility and reverence. Arjan Suthin's expertise and dedication to his craft were evident in every detail of the ritual. The precision and care with which he performed the tattooing process were not only impressive but also reassuring, making the experience feel both safe and sacred.

The emotional and spiritual impact of receiving a Sak Yant cannot be overstated. It is more than just a tattoo; it is a symbol of protection, blessings, and spiritual growth. The ceremony itself was conducted with such respect and mindfulness that it felt like a journey of self-discovery and enlightenment.

If you are considering this experience, I wholeheartedly endorse it. Not only will you receive a beautiful and meaningful tattoo, but you will also be immersed in a profound cultural and spiritual practice that will leave you feeling transformed and inspired.

Our guide, Khun Noi, has been fantastic, he has accompanied us at all times, he has been of total support. Friendly and kind.

We had a fabulous experience going to Josephina’s home. The dyeing and weaving demonstrations were fun. We really enjoyed our own little weaving project. Lunch was simple and delicious. Josephina and her daughters were gracious. Our guide was excellent and helped us through language differences. We highly recommend this tour.

My experience with Ajarn Rung was authentic and made a beautiful memory and experience. The guide was engaging and enthusiastic and friendly!

My wife and I had a simply outstanding day with Christian as part of a private Artisanal Mezcal Tour in Oaxaca. Not only did we do a deep dive to learn all about the nuances of Mezcal but more importantly we met some amazing passionate people who are dedicated to this craft. We heard stories and shared experiences that will become lifelong memories

Our guide Christian was truly amazing and it felt like we were spending the day with a good friend and getting insights and having wonderful conversations that go far above a typical tour.

I would highly recommend taking a tour with WSE and ask for Christian - you will not be disappointed.

This experience was magical. I would recommend WSE with complete confidence!

When I made research to do a Sak Yant in Bangkok, your organization was the most recommended and I got my expectations up because of that and all the comments I read said the support in the experience was very fulfilling which is what I was looking for.

But my experience didn't meet the expectations. I had little to no discussion with the Ajarn before he proposed me a design and asked me for more money.

The woman-translator that was accompagnying me didn't really helped to make me feel at ease either. I had very little explanations whatsoever. She ate chips during my tattoo which felt weird since for me it was a sacred moment... Really if it would have been my first tattoo I would have left.

People were nice and I think the result is amazing and the emotional journey I had was very cool and transformative but no thanks to Where Sidewalks End really.

I'm grateful for the Ajarn, I feel he was gentle and caring but the connection that was supposed to be helped by WSE was not done properly and that did tinted the whole experience. I had very small explications on the design and the words I will have tattooed on me for all my life; when a map of my tattoo was promised, when I asked I never received it just few words and thats it. Really not worth the money I put in WSE for that service.

I don't regret anything and I didn't want to write a review because I felt like it would spoiled how beautiful it was for me appart of that bad companionship, lucky I was accompanied by a friend. If not I think it would have been way less smooth and I would have felt more uncomfortable.

In summary, I'm happy for the tattoo, the chosen design and the work of the Ajarn. I'm really unsatisfied with the support I thought WSE would bring to the experience.

Our guide was wonderful. They picked us up from our hotel and took us to our destination. It is warm, just fans so wear appropriate clothing. Our guide asked us about our values, had us choose our top 5 (we did 5 diamonds sak yant) and our artist did a phenomenal job. I couldn’t be happier with the result! He blessed it, which was beautiful and made me cry (the tattoo didn’t, funny enough). It was an incredible experience, one I thoroughly enjoyed. He uses sterile tips (I watched him pull out the packages) and fresh ink, safety is a huge thing for me. I highly recommend this experience! It’s worth every penny!!!

I am so thankful for finding this website! WSE is a team of people who have done all the research for you, vetted the Arjan’s and given a very thorough description of what to expect with the experience from start to finish. There were no hiccups on my journey with WSE and I will for sure use them again. I left a review and someone immediately reached out to me about my experience and thanking me for a review! And not an automated email response either. I didn’t quite get the meaning of my tattoo and they offered to get a more detailed description from the arjan for me. Wonderful customer service in a day and age where that’s usually lacking, WSE goes above and beyond.

The ride to the Arjan is why it takes a few hours, the tattoo took only about 30 minutes. I left with goosebumps from my experience and shaking with joy. I would not have had that experience without WSE as they did all the legwork, research, transportation, guide and follow up! I recommend them completely and have in fact given the website to quite a few others.

Don’t tattoo in a foreign country without WSE!!

My tour guide, Tang, made the experience so comfortable for me. She was super friendly and knowledgeable. She often went out of her way to ensure I had a fulfilling experience. I felt really taken cared of by her. The tattoo experience it self was meaningful and such an amazing cultural experience. Highly recommend.

From the moment I booked my Sak Yant Bangkok the staff at WSE made me feel very comfortable and answered any questions I had. The morning of pick up from my hotel was easy and the guide very helpful. The entire experience was incredible and one of the most spiritual days of my life. Ajarn To was so pleasant and did amazing work that I could not be happier with. I already have plans to return to Thailand in January '26 and use WSE Chiang Mai for more Sak Yant.

We had amazing experience with our tour guide Laura and the family in the valley. Laura was so talkative and informed, and always had something interesting to offer. The family was more than generous. It was so wonderful to see you in generational craft. I lived in a in Mexico for a year so I was worried about non-authentic tour experiences. This fall, extremely authentic and intimate, and felt like we were contributing positively by going on this tour to the families life. We also learned a lot and my mom who is a weaver Was overjoyed by the experience

Although the idea was great, the implementation of it was poor. We booked two different experiences with them and both were disappointing, especially for the cost, as it was not cheap. (There were two of us)

The mask experience did not have much instruction or history provided. We started late because two people showed up very late and we still had to walk to the studio. We would’ve loved some history and perhaps some examples for inspiration. Instead it was a mad dash for the blank masks and there weren’t enough options. In the end, they did offer some help but it would’ve been nice to see different masks that the artists had made so we could get some ideas.

The face painting and the photo shoot sounded like an amazing idea. The face painting went well and the artists were local. The photographer was just okay (I am a photographer myself so direction is crucial to get amazing photographs). It then took forever to receive the photos, long after our experience especially for Day of the Dead itself. And to be honest, the editing was very simple and could’ve been done much quicker.

Communication was mediocre at best, and timing was not very good. Would I book them again or recommend them? I’m honestly not sure. Nothing to rave about, but yet the experience wasn’t exactly terrible. Perhaps o wouldn’t have had as high of expectations if it weren’t for the prices I were charged.

WSE responded to my questions in a timely and comprehensive manner, the booking process was simple and our guide and driver were both wonderful. This experience wouldn’t have happened without them!

We had a wonderful experience spending the day with a family of weavers. Our guide, Laura, was excellent! She not only showed us a bit of the town, but added so much to day due to her warm relationship with the family who shared their home and weaving studio with us. This day trip was a highlight of our week in Oaxaca.

Great tour guide Nong who went above and beyond. The tattoo artist Arjarn Ya was amazing.

Excellent tour. Our kids (aged 11 and 13) loved it too.

The tattoo turned out beautifullly. Easy pick up and drop off. The company is there for any questions/concerns.