Global Travel Club Independent Central American Travel Specialists Over 37 Years of Arranging Dream Holidays (1987 - 2024) Belize: A Taste of Paradise Adventure Tour An Exciting 7 night / 8 day tour. Departs any day of the Week. Explore the Emerald Mystique of the Rainforests of Belize teeming with Exotic Wildlife and Hidden Mayan Temples & Pyramids on a 3 day Inland Adventure Tour and then Relax on the Reef in lovely San Pedro on the idyllic Caribbean Island of Ambergris Caye. Day 1 - Off to the Rainforest! - (D) Meet & Greet on arrival at Belize International Airport and transfer up the Western Highway to the beautiful rainforest area of San Ignacio near the Guatemalan for a three night stay. There will be a stop along the way at the small and informal Belize Zoo. Whilst Europe was deep in the "Dark Ages", the inhospitable and hostile jungles of Central America were being transformed into the home of one of the World's great civilisations. Temples, Pyramids and Palaces were built by peasant farmers and slaves without the benefit of beasts of burden or even the wheel. These were painted in the sacred colours of the Maya; red, blue, yellow and green and were ruled over by immensely powerful Kings who were regarded as living Gods by their subjects. Day 2 - Mysteries of the Maya - (B,L,D) Your exciting day trip starts with a ride to the nearby village of San Jos Succotz. There you will cross the Mopan River by a nineteenth century, hand cranked ferry to the Mayan site of Xunantunich which is spectacularly perched on a hill overlooking the Belize River. Xunantunich, meaning "stone woman" in Mayan, has a commanding view of the entire upper Belize River valley. The largest pyramid, El Castillo, rises a towering 130 feet above the main plaza, and more than 250 feet above the river valley below. This main temple is visible from all parts of the valley today. Time to explore and climb the ruins which are great for panoramic photographs - the views from the top are incredible!! Next you will have the chance to try out the most exciting mode of river transportation - Tube Floating down the Mopan River to Clarissa Falls. You will see iguanas sunning themselves on the overhanging branches along the river banks and the tropical birds which populate the treetops. Maya villagers still bathe and wash their clothes in the river, giving you a glimpse of real life in this part of the world. The transportation will be waiting to take you back to the hotel for lunch. Note This is a very relaxing experience but if you prefer you can opt to return direct to the hotel by road from Xunantunich. This afternoon you will explore a small but fascinating Maya Ceremonial Centre and visit the tiny Museum. Situated on the hills above San Ignacio, right next door to the hotel, is Cahal Pech - once the home to a Maya Royal Family. The central acropolis is approximately 900 feet above sea level. There are 34 structures in a two acre area, the tallest of which is a temple that rises 77 feet into the air. Many of the buildings are Palaces, or Elite Residences, situated around seven courtyards. There are also two ball courts, five stelae, one altar, and one structure that may have served as a sweat house. Several jade objects, obsidian blades, shell and bone ornaments and pottery vessels were found in a Royal Tomb, the most interesting of which is a mosaic mask made up of jade and shell that was part of the belt worn by the entombed. CLIENT COMMENT: "Dear Ann, We have just returned from the most amazing holiday and much of the credit for its success must go to you. Everything you organised for us happened according to plan and was as described and just up our street. Thank you."  Christopher Wilson-Clarke (and family) Day 3 - Mysteries of the Underworld - (B,L,D) Today you are in for a real treat! An adventurous drive towards the Mountain Pine Ridge area from where your guide will row you deep inside Barton Creek Cave (about 1 to 2 miles depending on water levels). Sit back, relax and direct your 1,000 candle lamp at the amazing formations inside the huge cave believed by the Maya to be the Underworld, "Xibalba", (pronounced SheeBALba) the Kingdom of their Gods. Float under stalagtites, see ancient skeletons and pottery and prepare to be awstruck by cathedral-like caverns. Marvel at the 5 million year old crystalline structures over 50 feet in length as your friendly guide shares his incredible knowledge with you of the Maya's beliefs about the underworld. Continue further into the Mountain Pine Ridge area for a packed lunch and visits to the highlights of this region. The area is dotted with beautiful waterfalls, streams and the amazing Rio Frio Cave that you can walk through. The Rio On Cascades and Pools is a cascading river which tumbles over some of the oldest rocks in all of the Americas. The water has eroded numerous pools that are perfect for bathing. Most of the pools are connected by small waterfalls that have a massaging effect if you lie underneath them.The water is clear enough to drink. Deep within the reserve is a 1000 foot falls, a spectacular ribbon of water which drops from pine forest to tropical forest below. An overlook allows you to see the top part of the falls. Rio Frio Caves Rio On Cascades 1,000ft Falls Click on any of the above photographs for larger images of the Mountain Pine Ridge Day 4 - Barrier Reef Bliss - (B) After breakfast transfer back to Belize City to connect with a short (15 minute) air taxi with spectacular aeriel views of the Belize Barrier Reef en route to San Pedro on the lovely island of Ambergris Caye - made famous by Madonna in her song "La Isla Bonita" - "The Beautiful Island". Relax and unwind during your 4 night stay at the lovely Sunbreeze Beach Hotel in San Pedro which is laid-back and friendly. We have not included meals in order to give you the freedom to choose from the many great restaurants in San Pedro. You can enjoy a Belikin Beer in any number of beachfront hang-outs and thatched roof bars or a gourmet dinner in a first class restaurant. Do it all or do nothing at all on this sun-drenched island where even the palm trees sway to the beat of Punta Rock and Reggae music! Note: There are many hotels in San Pedro to choose from and we will happily let you have a quote for this tour staying in any hotel of your choice in San Pedro. Check out our Hotels List for more suggestions. CLIENT COMMENT: "We thought the Sunbreeze Hotel in San Pedro was the best possible place we could have stayed at there, having walked the length of the beach in both directions! Very comfortable, quiet, central so ideal for evening activities, good pool, friendly staff, excellent breakfasts - in the evenings we ate out in the town in a variety of different places. Throughout our holiday we felt welcomed by the friendly Belizeans and no time did we feel like tourists ready to be preyed upon, which sadly happens in so many countries now. We will certainly consider another holiday there and will recommend you to our friends. Thank you agan." Chris & Tanda Wilson-Clarke Underwater Adventure During your stay we have included a fascinating half day snorkelling trip to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark-Ray Alley where you can swim with the sharks and manta rays! SCUBA Divers may like to schedule this trip for their last day which is, of course, a non-diving day. Scuba Diver Package The dive package offers two days of two tank local dives plus one night dive including tanks, weights and belts. You can upgrade your local diving to the longer dive trips to the outer atolls on paying a supplement locally. If you want to dive Jacques Cousteau's world famous Blue Hole, Lighthouse Reef, Half Moon Caye or the Turneffe Islands just let the dive shop know and they will advise on the schedules. The Belizean Barrier Reef parallels Belize's east side for nearly 185 miles. The offerings of the Barrier Reef are as varied as its length ranging from wall to massive spur and groove formation. The marine life is always prolific and unafraid of divers because the animals do not see many divers. Since the government outlawed spearfishing on SCUBA, many years ago, the fish do not see divers as a threat. On Ambergris Caye, the massive spur and groove formations are the home to large pelagics and tiny macro life. The Barrier Reef is very close to land off Ambergris Caye so the dive sites are quickly reached with a minimum of hassle. Day 8 - Departure - (B) Unfortunately it is time to go home! Transfer to the San Pedro airstrip for the flight to Belize International to connect with your homebound flights. For those with a little more time we can easily add on a few more days in San Pedro or extend your stay in another area of Belize. Please Note: For those whose flights arrive too late in the afternoon on Day 1 to take full advantage of the stop at the Belize Zoo, we will re-schedule this stop for Day 4 en route to San Pedro so you do not have to miss the visit. An Escape You Will Always Remember... To a Place You Will Never Forget. A Place of Yesteryear's History, Today's Hospitality and Tomorrow's Hope. A Taste of Paradise - 7 nights / 8 day 2024 and 2025 Rates SEASON Low Season ( 01 May - 14 Dec ) High Season ( 15 Dec - 30 April ) ACCOMMODATION Relax Package SCUBA Package Relax Package SCUBA Package DOUBLE OCCUPANCY 1,595 1,769 1,795 1,990 SINGLE OCCUPANCY 2,095 2,245 2,240 2,495 NOTES: All rates are PER PERSON in US dollars. No Minimum number of people required. Tour can commence on any day of the week. CHILD RATES: Under 2 years old. No Charge. 2 to 9 years. Half Price if sharing accommodations with two full paying adults. Over 10 years. Save 30% if sharing accommodations with two full paying adults. INCLUDES: All accommodations (with private bathrooms) All road transfers Domestic Flights All tours with experienced and licensed tour guides All Meals from Dinner on Day 1 to Breakfast on Day 4 No meals included in San Pedro to allow freedom of choice. Hotel tax and sales tax All applicable service charges DIVE PACKAGE: 2 days x 2 dives daily 1 night dive Upgrades to longer dive trips available DOMESTIC FLIGHTS: Flights from Belize City to San Pedro are INCLUDED in the above rates. Flights from San Pedro to Belize International are INCLUDED in the above rates NOT INCLUDED: International Flights. See Getting to Belize for discount flights Departure Taxes Beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) Items of a personal nature Gratuities - at your own discretion Contact us by E-mail    info@global-travel.co.uk OR globaltravelann@gmail.com   Telephone from the United Kingdom: 01268 541732.   Telephone from the United States or Canada: 011 44 1268 541732   Telephone from the Europe, Central or South America: 00 44 1268 541732 Tours & Packages Belize Info Belize Districts Home Page Copyright 2024 Global Travel Club - All rights reserved. Some of the Hotels in Belize we work with: Ambergris Caye : Sunbreeze Beach Hotel Mayan Princess Hotel Blue Tang Inn Banana Beach Resort Portofino Beach Resort Mata Chica Beach Resort The Palms Corona Del Mar Captain Morgan's Retreat Victoria House Hotel Portofino Caye Caulker : Tropical Paradise Resort Seaside Cabanas Turneffe Islands : Blackbird Caye Resort Turneffe Island Resort Southwater Caye : Blue Marlin Lodge Tobacco Caye : Ocean's Edge Lodge Tobacco Caye Lodge Reefs End Lodge Glover's Reef : Manta Resort Dangriga (Stann Creek District): Belizean Dreams Villa Rentals The Jaguar Reef Resort Hamanasi Resort Coco Plum Caye : Coco Plum Caye Gales Point: Manatee Lodge, Gales Point South Stann Creek: Kanantik Resort Placencia (Stann Creek District): Inn at Robert's Grove San Ignacio (Cayo District) : San Ignacio Hotel Cahal Pech Village Belize City : The Radisson Fort George Hotel The Great House Orange Walk : Lamanai Outpost Lodge Corozal : Tonys Inn Belize Tours List : Inland & Island Adventure tour Tropical Treasures Tropical Highlights of Belize Tropical Honeymoon Rustic Reef Tour Romancing the Stone Coral Cayes of Belize Indiana Jones Adventure A Walk on the Wild Side Touch of Class A Taste of Paradise Mayan Experience Realms of the Rainforest Reef & Rainforest Caribbean Coast Essence of Paradise In the Path of the Jaguar Echoes of the Past Temples and Temptations World of the Maya Escape to Paradise Mayan Mystery Tour Rainforest Spa Resorts In the Footsteps of the Rain Gods Temples of Tikal Peten Paradise:Temples of Tikal and Isla Flores Lakes and Temples: Yaxha, Tikal and Flores Survivor Guatemala :The Maya Empire Belize: Information Pages : Getting Married in Belize Wedding Packages Hotel List Car Hire Domestic Flights Discount Flights Belize Information Belize Districts Belize Events