This 11-day Belize trip is designed to offer you the best of Belize from water activities to exploring ancient Maya ruins. You'll sea kayak, snorkel, windsurf, climb into the rainforest canopy, explore Maya ruins and ceremonial caves, and descend an incomparable tropical river through canyons and lush rainforest.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive Belize City (D)
Arrive at the Belize International Airport and transfer to the Tropical Education Center, adjacent to the Belize Zoo. After checking into your accommodations you have the chance to experience the surrounding tropical pine savannah habitat through a network of trails and raised wildlife viewing platforms. Or you can enjoy a unique nocturnal tour of the Belize Zoo with one of the senior zookeepers. This day is your day to arrive before the trip starts, meet your fellow travelers and acclimatize to your new tropical environment.
Day 2: Maya Underworld (B,L,D)
Rise early to start today's extraordinary journey, which takes us deep into the Maya underworld known as Xilbalba (shil-balba), a mythical realm inhabited by spirits and powerful gods. Venturing underground into the caves, your guides shares how the caves played an important role in the ancient Maya civilization and about ongoing archaeological research taking place underground in Belize. After your cave visit, travel the Hummingbird Route to meet up with our motor charter in the town of Dangriga. Head out to the southern Barrier Reef and arrive at your camp in time to settle in, have dinner and plan our next two days on the barrier reef.
Day 3: Kayaking Instruction (B,L,D)
Enjoy breakfast on the beach. This morning you will get an introduction to the kayaks and get a review of the fundamentals of sea kayaking and ocean touring techniques. Test your new found skills with a paddle out to the main reef to snorkel along the inner reef wall or patch reefs. Depending on sea conditions, a snorkel along the outside reef edge may be possible. The paddle back to camp takes you past protected lagoons and mangrove ranges.
Day 4: Exploring the Reefs (B,L,D)
After breakfast and a morning of paddling and snorkeling, the motor charter returns to take us 20 miles east of the main Barrier Reef to Glovers Reef Atoll, a National Marine Park and designated World Heritage site. Land at park headquarters on Middle Cay, with boats rigged and ready to sail. Sail the kayaks along the eastern reef wall to our base camp at Southwest Caye at the southern end of the atoll, surrounded by rich coral reefs and beautiful turquoise waters. Tonight, enjoy an island feast!
Days 5-6: Glover (B,L,D)
The days at Glovers are flexible in order to respond to both group and individual desires and abilities. Glover's is one of only four atolls in the Caribbean Sea and is truly one of the most spectacular marine environments in Belize. Due to its isolation from the mainland the waters are exceptionally clear with an incredibly rich reef system that offers some of the best kayaking, snorkeling and diving in the Caribbean. Activities include: sea kayaking, snorkeling the inner and outer walls of the reef, kayak sailing and windsurfing. For those who are certified divers, we can also arrange dives on the outer walls. And you always have the choice of just kicking back in a hammock and relaxing on your Belize vacation with a good book and a cold drink. On the afternoon of Day 6, we transfer back to the mainland and continue south to our jungle lodge in the Toledo district of Belize.
Days 7-9: Into the Jungle (B,L,D)
The Lodge at Big Falls is situated on the banks of the Rio Grande river in Belize's southern Toledo District, a region of isolated villages lying amongst an unspoiled tropical wilderness. The location is superb. The lodge property is located on a meander of the river with almost a mile of river frontage. There are views towards the Maya Mountains to the north west while the south eastern bank faces the small village of Big Falls. In the afternoon, drive further south from Big Falls to our put-in point on the Moho river, stopping for lunch along the way and visiting either the Maya ruins of Lubaantun or the traditional Maya village of Santa Theresa.
Once on the river, the guides provide a brief boat and river orientation and we take as much time as we need to learn and practice our new boat-handling skills. Begin the journey along one of Belize's most beautiful rivers through some pristine rainforest to our first river camp. For these next days we break contact completely with the outside world and become a part of the mist-shrouded rainforest as we follow the Moho River through canyons and lush rainforest. Each bend reveals the dynamic nature of the river-from calm, meandering water that reflects the intense green of the jungle to stretches of rapids, pour-overs and spectacular waterfalls as the river descends from the Maya Mountains to the sea.
Depending on water levels, some days we may reach our bush-camp by mid-afternoon and switch to land-based activities. Hiking through the forest, birding, plant and animal identification, and photography are some of the many activities we engage in. During the trip with our Maya guides and North American leaders, we emphasize understanding the ecology of the rainforest, learning about the habits of the wildlife and gaining an appreciation for the rich Maya folklore which adds so much to our experience in the jungle.
Day 10: Return Belize City (B,L)
We continue paddling downstream and arrive to the river pull out in the afternoon and transport back to Dangriga and onto a Maya Airways domestic flight to our hotel accommodation to enjoy a hot shower
Day 11: Return Home
Accommodations: 2 nights rustic lodge, 5 nights camping, 2 nights tent-walled cabanas, 1 night hotel or lodge
Food Includes: All meals as indicated (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner); most of our hotels offer free continental breakfast.
Transportation: Private van or bus, charter boat, sea kayaks, inflatable river kayaks, local flight, your own two feet!
This is one of our most adventurous trips. Participants need to be in good physical condition and able to paddle up to 10 miles at a time or hike 3-4 hours. Due to the remote location, travelers need to be able to handle the unexpected.
Weekly departures. Please note that because of inclement weather and the risk of hurricanes, we don't offer this Belize trip from June through the end of October. Ask about our other great trips during these months!
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Personal Budgeting: Allow US$35 international departure tax, US$50 optional excursions, $40 meals/snacks not included and money for souvenirs.
Pre & Post Tour Accommodations: Share US$55, Single US$110
Arrival/Departure Transfers: 1 person US$50 each, 2 or more people US$25/person
Prices are based on a 3% cash discount
Also see tour packages in:
Central America and Caribbean
Belize
Multi-activity
Archeology/History
Email it to a friend:
Click here to email this vacation to a friend
|
