Jungle trail at Indian Creek Lodge
Belize is one of the great undiscovered secrets of Central America. It has a multitude of Mayan ruins, the second largest barrier reef in the world, pristine rain forest and the lowest population density of any country in the Americas. It all adds up to an amazing photographic and natural history experience.
Jungle trail at Indian Creek Lodge
Our trip begins with our flight to Belize City where we are met by our guides. We'll travel to the Maya Mountains, to the famed Chaa Creek Lodge. From there we will visit the famed Caracol Maya ruins, a place often compared to Tikal in Guatemala. After another overnight at Chaa Creek we will depart for Indian Creek Lodge in the Toledo District of southern Belize. Here, and at the fabulous Jungle Lodge, we will begin our immersion in the wonders of the jungle. Finally our trip takes us to Moho Cay on the Caribbean coast of Belize to experience the southern end of the Barrier Reef and areas of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve.
Itinerary
Day 1 March 25 USA to Belize City to Chaa Creek Lodge
We leave the U.S. today for an afternoon arrival at Belize City International Airport. (Note: International flights to Belize are via Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Miami or Los Angeles. The major airlines servicing Belize are American, Delta, Continental and US Airways.) There we will be met by our guide and we'll make a three hour drive to the central Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve and our first destination, Chaa Creek Lodge. Situated on a lovely stream with waterfalls, this lodge is a popular tourist destination and is the jumping off place for visits to the famed Caracol Mayan ruins. Overnight Chaa Creek Lodge. D
Chaa Creek Lodge
Day 2 March 26 Caracol
Today we make an all day excursion, with picnic lunch, to Caracol. Situated near the Guatemala border, this citadel was first constructed in 300BC and was inhabited continuously up to 700AD. It once had a population of 150,000 (that's about half of Belize's current population).
Caracol
Together with nearby Tikal in Guatemala, Caracol is considered one of the premiere Mayan sites, though far less visited than its Guatemalan neighbor. We will have opportunity to climb the ruins, observe site restoration taking place, and photograph the various structures and mysterious hieroglyphs . Overnight Chaa Creek Lodge. B,L,D
Day 3 March 27 Chaa Creek to Indian Creek Lodge
After breakfast we
depart with our guide for a drive to Indian Creek Lodge in
southern Belize. Part of our route takes us along the famed Hummingbird Highway.
This drive is
leisurely and gives an opportunity to see and photograph the diverse land
features of Belize. We will arrive at Indian Creek Lodge in time for lunch.
Indian Creek Lodge is nestled at
the foot of the Maya Mountains and serves as the central lodge for land based
eco excursions within the region.
The architecture and grounds reflects
that of the ancient Maya culture with thatch covered buildings, stone walkways,
walls and terraces lined with tangled vines and flowering plants. Each cabin has
a private verandah with a spectacular vista of the nearby rainforest and is
nestled among trees and tropical gardens.
A cabin at Indian Creek Lodge
Just steps away from the lodge are the Maya archaeological ruins and museum of Nim Li Punit. The afternoon will be free to explore the grounds here, which includes some lagoons with great birdlife. Overnight at Indian Creek Lodge. B,L,D
Day 4 March 28 Indian Creek jungle and Maya ruins
Today you will have your first exposure to the tropical jungle (technically it’s known here as a moist tropical forest, as opposed to rain forest) by hiking on the Boden Creek trail. Your native guide can point out and explain traditional medicinal plants whose uses date back to Maya times and earlier. He or she can also identify the many birds and flowering plants found here. With luck you may spot such wildlife as the white lipped peccary or tapirs or maybe even a jaguar. Indian Creek Lodge and the companion Jungle Camp are part of a 13,000 acre private nature reserve. There is also here a large natural enclosure with two magnificent adult jaguars. While we normally don't encourage captive animals at our destinations, there is a compelling rescue story behind these two. The founder of Indian Creek and Jungle Camp, filmmaker Ken Karas, learned of two captive born jaguars in Yucatan that were to be shipped to a zoo in Nicaragua. Knowing that these two animals would be confined in small cages there and perhaps not treated well, Ken offered to take them and provide a more natural environment for them. (Being captive born, biologists determined that it was virtually impossible for the animals to survive on their own in the wild; most wild predators learn their hunting skills from the mother and practice these skills as they mature. These two jaguars had no opportunity to do that.) At great effort a huge natural area of forest was fenced and provided with boulders for hiding caves. In this ecological exhibit Ken has provided for them the closest thing to a wild environment. It may be possible to photograph these beautiful cats from certain observation points.
After lunch at the
lodge, we will visit Nim Li Punit, the Mayan ruins nearby.
The Mayan
civilization reached its peak from about 250AD and lasted almost seven hundred
years. Though sparsely
populated today, this region once had hundreds of thousands of Mayan inhabitants
living in such places as nearby Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit. Nim Li Punit means
“Big Hat” and was so named because one of the intricately carved stelas
(standing monoliths created by the Mayas for ceremonial purposes) depicts a
chief wearing a huge hat. The longest Mayan stela yet discovered is found here –
33 feet in length. If time allows there may be a visit to Lubaantun ruins.
Overnight at Indian Creek Lodge. B,L,D
Day 5 March 29 Indian Creek to Jungle Camp
In the morning you will have time to do some more exploring by short hikes or spend some time at the ecological exhibit described above. After lunch you will begin your kayak journey on Golden Stream to Jungle Camp. Each kayak is manned by an expert guide, freeing you to observe and photograph. This pleasant trip takes about three hours on the quiet waters of the stream as it flows through the heart of pristine tropical forest. Because of the quiet mode of travel, it is often possible to slip quietly up on bird or animal life for great photographs. There have even been sightings of a jaguar swimming in the waters of Golden Stream. And tapirs have been observed drinking at water's edge.
Kayaking
on Golden Stream
Jungle Camp is a new eco-lodge and though isolated and accessible only by boat or trail, it has all the amenities one could ask for. Between the cabins and the main lodge are a series of elevated walkways that not only minimize impact on the ground, but provide an elevated view of bird and animal life in the jungle.
Overnight Jungle Camp. B,L,D
Days 6, 7, 8 March 30, 31, April 1 Jungle Camp environs
During our stay here we have numerous options for photographic explorations. A network of trails brings us through the forest for possible encounters with birds and such animal life as white lipped peccaries, tapirs, and, if we are lucky, jaguars. We can also explore by kayak both upstream and down the wonders of the forest from Golden Stream. Downstream, closer to the Caribbean coast, the ecosystem changes and there are large areas of mangroves with different bird and animal species. We can also utilize an electric (nearly noiseless) boat for some of our explorations.
Howler monkey
Overnights at Jungle Camp. B,L,D
Day 9 April 2 Jungle Camp to Moho Cay
This morning we will depart Jungle Camp by electric boat and head downstream to the Caribbean coast. There we will transfer to one or more power boats for a short ride out to Moho Cay Lodge. Located at the southern end of the Barrier Reef, this small island has a new lodge built by the founders of Jungle Camp and Indian Creek lodge. We will arrive in time for lunch and relax for the afternoon. This will be our base for exploring some of the photographic opportunities of the Caribbean. Overnight Moho Cay Lodge
Day 10 April 3 Moho Cay and island exploration
Today, depending on weather, we will have a chance to explore by boat some of the fascinating island ecosystems. Many of the smaller cays nearby are part of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve, a protected area. There will be opportunity for snorkeling or for photographing the multitude of subjects where island plants and animals meet the white coral sand beaches and blue Caribbean waters. Overnight Moho Cay Lodge. B,L,D
Day 11 April 4 Moho Cay to Belize City International to USA
Today, with an early start, we will leave Moho Cay and head back to the mainland, there to be transferred to Indian Creek and a flight back to Belize City International Airport for connections back to the U.S. B
Cost: $3995 per person, double occupancy Single supplement $825
Price includes: All lodge accommodations based on double occupancy. All scheduled domestic air, private land and river transportation. All private transfers. All scheduled excursions with English-speaking guide services. All entrance fees. All meals as indicated.
Price does not include: International flights, international airport departure taxes or visa fees, excess baggage charges, additional nights during the trip due to flight cancellations, alcoholic beverages or bottled water, snacks, insurance of any kind, laundry, phone calls, radio calls or messages, and items of personal nature.