Belize Adventure

Itinerary

Day 1 Belize City

Meet and greet upon arrival at the Belize International Airport. Transfer to your hotel for the night.

Day 2 Pook's Hill Lodge (B,L)

After check-out and breakfast, transfer to the hotel’s marina and board a 4-person customized speedboat and cruise via inland waterways to Northern Lagoon. En route you will spot crocodiles, observe nestling birds on “Bird Caye”, and hopefully glimpse the gentle Manatee in their natural breeding grounds. Upon arrival at Northern Lagoon enjoy a picnic lunch and leisure time on the beaches of Northern Lagoon. After lunch return via inland waterways to Belize City and board your tour bus for the 40 minute drive via the Western Highway to Peccary Park Adventure Centre in Gracie Rock Village. Upon arrival your experienced guides will brief you on safety procedures, outline the route to be taken and issue protective helmets. It is now time to explore the jungles of Belize on trails laid out over 100 years ago by loggers in search of precious Mahogany trees. The trails are a good mix of various challenging terrains leading to your first stop of the day – the Maya Caves. Explore caves once used by the Maya thousands of years ago. To the Maya, caves were sacred places where important ceremonies were conducted to appease the gods of the underworld. As you explore the cave be on the look out for ancient ceramic pots forgotten for centuries. After this stop, it is time to loop back to home base via jungle trails. You will then board your tour bus for onward transfer to Pook's Hill Lodge. On this tour, you are invited to assist in the conservation efforts at the Peccary Hills National Park by planting a Mahogany Tree in the rainforest.

Day 3 Pook's Hill Lodge (B,L)

A visit to Actun Tunichil Muknal involves a 45-minute jungle hike to the opening of the cave, wading across a river three times before the adventure begins! Inside the cave, you’ll find a Mayan cermonial site. There you will be amazed by the natural museum of Mayan relics left just as it was by the Maya 1400 years ago. Ceramic pots, skulls, and calcified skeletons will enthrall even the most experienced speleologist.Actun Tunichil Muknal "Cave of the Stone Sepulcher" is one of the most impressive caves in the Maya lowland. Located in the heart of the Belizean rainforest, this cave was a sacred place to the prehistoric Maya of Belize, who first began to use the entrance during the early classic period (300-600 A.D.). It was not until the late terminal classic period (700-900 A.D.) that the Mayas traveled deeper into the cave to conduct their ceremonies. The cave system consists of a series of chambers, ending in a 300 by 50 meter cathedral where sacrificial ceremonies once took place. Here you will be exposed to the individuals sacrificed to the gods of the underworld. Visitors to this cave have the unique opportunity to travel into the Maya past and witness a living museum where the human sacrifices and artifacts can be viewed in their original context. This is a premier, world-class caving and archaeology experience that is unexploited and generally restricted to limited visitation.

Day 4 San Ignacio (B,L)

Leisurely morning to enjoy amenities at Pook's Hill Lodge including early morning birding and guided trail walks. After lunch we continue via the Western Highway en route to the Cayo (pronounced Ky-o) District and the impressive Maya site of Xunantunich. Before reaching the entrance of this ancient city, you are taken across the Mopan River by a 19th Century ferry. “El Castillo” (the Castle), is the largest temple at Xunantunich and shows its dominance by its towering height. From the top of “El Castillo” view the panoramic vistas of the surrounding rainforests in the Cayo District as well as the bordering towns between Belize and Guatemala. Spend the night in San Ignacio.

Day 5 San Ignacio (B)

Free day to choose your own adventure. Optional activities include excursions to Caracol, Barton Creek Caves, Tikal, horseback riding, and river canoeing. Overnight in San Ignacio.

Day 6 Ambergris Caye (B,L)

Start your adventure of Rainforest Ziplining (Aerial Trek) at Caves Branch National Park. The zipline tour features an intricate harness system of pulleys on horizontal traverse cables, supervised by experienced guides, which lets participants swing 100 - 240 feet between platforms 70 feet high in the trees at leaf level. The tour begins with a ten minute hike through the rainforest to the starting platform up in the canopy of the forest. The next hour is spent flying through the forest with the birds – a truly unforgettable experience. Return drive via the Western Highway to Belize’s Wildlife Habitat known as The Belize Zoo which was created as a sanctuary for the protection of the country's indigenous species. The Belize Zoo was first intended for animals which were injured or donated to the facility and could not be returned to the wild. The Zoo is now home to an impressive array of large cats, primates, reptiles and birds, which gives you the opportunity of viewing Belize's prolific wildlife in one location. Continuation drive to the village of Burrel Boom where you will board a riverboat and enjoy a leisure cruise on the scenic Olde Belize River. Observe basking crocodiles, iguanas and sunbathing turtles and overhead, troops of Howler Monkeys may be spotted. The river foliage of Bamboo Forests and Cohune and Royal Palm trees is home to many species of birds. Upon arrival in Belize City you will take a short commuter flight to the quaint seaside village of Ambergris Caye. Overnight in Ambergris Caye.

Day 7 Ambergris Caye (B)

Enjoy a morning snorkel tour to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. You will snorkel in incredibly clear waters and have a personal encounter with nurse sharks and graceful stingrays. Spend the afternoon at leisure and the night in Ambergris Caye.Hol Chan (Mayan for 'little channel') was the first marine reserve established in Central America. It's the most popular diving site in Belize, and rightly so, because it's swarming with fish of all shapes and sizes. The park encompasses about 5 sq miles (13 sq km) of protected area. Shark Ray Alley is now considered part of the marine reserve. This is an amazing chance to get up close and personal with nurse sharks and southern stingrays who will swim right up to greet you.

Day 8 Ambergris Caye (B)

Morning at leisure. Airport transfer and connect with commuter flight to the Belize International Airport.

Trip Details

Accommodation	Comfortable hotel (7 nts)
Brochure Notes	Minimum 2 people.Blackout Dates: Dec 16/08 - Jan 02/09
Departure	Thurs, Sat and Sun.
Group Size	Minimum 2 passengers
Meals Included	7 B, 4 L
StartFinish	ex Belize City
Transport	Bus or Van, Speedboat. ATV, Local Flight

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