We awoke early to loud howling, growling, and barking noises echoing through the dawn forest at Lamanai Outpost Lodge. Could it be a lion? My husband said, “There aren’t lions in Belize.” Wild pig? Tapir? (The Belizean National animal.) We creaked open the door of our thatch-roofed cabin. An outdoor light popped on, stopping the noise abruptly.
At breakfast, we asked our guide, Eduardo, about the noise, and he answered without hesitation, “howler monkeys.” Troops of howler monkeys are the roosters of Belize though their howls are mostly in annoyance with each other. Later, we spotted one in a tree, and it was much smaller than its sound.
After dousing ourselves in bug spray and sunscreen, Eduardo, who also leads bird-spotting tours, drove us to a local Mennonite farm, stopping frequently to photograph some of the small field birds. A black-and-white fork-tailed flycatcher was highlighted by the red backdrop of a sorghum field. A tiny vermilion flycatcher made the sorghum look dowdy, and a yellow eastern meadowlark was as bright as the sun.
With over 600 species of birds, hobbyists, serious birders and photographers all flock to see and photograph species indigenous to Belize including toucans, parrots and macaws. Even non-birders can’t help but be interested in the names that are as tropical as their surroundings.
We arrived at the farm of Cornelius and Anna, a traditional family among the 12,000 Mennonites in Belize. Their grandparents arrived from Russia, at the invitation of the government because of their expertise in agriculture. They started a farm growing sorghum for cattle feed. The Mennonite community now supplies most of Belize’s poultry, vegetables, cattle and dairy products.
That afternoon we took a short pontoon boat ride to the Lamanai Archeological Ruins. A visit to the ancient Mayan world is a highlight of any trip to Belize and arriving by boat adds to the adventure. The Lamanai site dates to 1500 BC and covers 900 acres along the banks of the river, surrounded by tropical jungle and is rich with birds, sun-bathing iguanas and crocodiles. Lamanai means “submerged crocodile.” The worn remnants of eight-foot-tall jaguar masks and the reconstruction of royal faces on the High temple take the visitor back to a time when the site was flourishing and instill a sacred feeling even today.
After sunset, we stumbled down to the river along ink-dark pathways to where Eduardo waited with a boat. Out on the New River Lagoon, Eduardo turned off the running lights and boat engine. Darkness has always discomforted me, so my heart started to race as the boat drifted. “Look up,” Eduardo said gently. I gasped and tears pricked my eyes because of joy, not fear, as I gazed at more stars than I have ever seen. After an hour spent in wonder, we were guided back by the North star.
The next morning, we flew to Dangriga in a four-seater plane—a common way to travel in Belize. Ian Avilez from Uncharted Jewel Belize drove us to the world’s only jaguar preserve at Cockscomb Basin. This rainforest preserve is also home to other beautiful and reclusive cats – ocelots, pumas, margays and jaguarundi — as well as tapirs, anteaters and armadillos.
Ian said that armadillo is the jaguar’s favourite food — crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy inside — and he and many locals eat it regularly.
No jaguars showed up, but the rainforest was true to its name. In a local manner, Ian cut large palm leaves to make effective umbrellas. We saw scarlet macaws, keel-billed toucans and egrets — only a few of the 600 exotic species. As we walked by the river, a flotilla of bright yellow inner tubes and their laughing passengers glided past — a different perspective on the preserve.
The following day we went through the forest from a different, exhilarating outlook, as we viewed Mayflower Bocawina Nature Park from Central America’s highest and longest set of zip lines. (Travellers that lack strength or confidence to zipline can tandem with a guide, as I did.)
The adrenaline rush continued later as we were whisked across the sea in a high-powered boat to the island of South Water Caye. The combination of small, simple, isolated cottages overlooking quiet beaches with waves crashing on the barrier reef, gave us the feeling of being on a deserted island. Traditional meals were simple yet exploding with flavour.
I spent the afternoon floating in the sea to soothe zipline-weary legs from the previous day, while my husband fly-fished off the dock for bonefish, catching none, his version of relaxation.
During the night, a heavy tropical storm made the cottage cozy. Dark shades of gray-blue lightened to bursts of buttery, soft yellow as dawn broke drying puddles on the porch. An invigorating hour-long ride on the choppy sea, two flights and a cab ride through the bustling streets of San Pedro took us to our final stop on the trip: Las Terrazas Resort on Ambergris Caye, a luxury resort with a restaurant featuring gourmet food at every meal.
Ambergris Caye shelters behind a barrier reef, part of which is protected as the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, a short 15-minute boat ride from San Pedro. I snorkelled its gin-clear coves able to spot angel and parrotfish, puffers, snappers, barracuda, eels and enormous green turtles in the healthy reef more than seven metres below.
In a section called Shark Ray Alley, I was nervous to swim with sharks, but they ignored us completely. My husband held my hand and didn’t let go, and the romance of the moment was not lost on me.
Our final adventure was a morning of fishing for jacks, snapper and bonefish. As I relished the sun, this saying came to mind, “Any time spent on the water is not deducted from your total life span.” All adventure time in Belize should be similarly credited.
IF YOU GO:
WestJet has direct weekly flights to Belize City. TropicAir has small planes that make it easy to travel within Belize to make a quick trip from coast to interior or to some of the smaller islands.
Where to stay: we started at Lamanai Outdoor Post, an ideal introduction to the rainforest jungle of Belize. Comfortable thatched roof cottages. Meals are served in a central restaurant.
Dangriga is on the coast 100 km South of Belize City, a short flight in from Lamanai in a four-seater plane.
Pelican Beach Resort, next to the airport, is a comfortable small resort right on the ocean. The location is a great base for several local activities, and its ocean-front restaurant is perfect a relaxing dinner.
Get whisked across the sea in a high-powered boat to the island of South Water Caye, sister resort to Pelican Beach Resort. Its isolated cottages overlook quiet beaches, with waves crashing on the barrier reef, give guests the feeling of being on a deserted island. Snorkel equipment, kayaks and paddleboards are all complimentary.
Our final stop was at Las Terrazas Resort. This luxury resort features small villas complete with full kitchens to give you a choice of visiting local markets and doing some cooking or you can eat at the onsite restaurant and be spoiled by upscale meals from Chef Nolvin. The ensuite washer-dryers help keep on top of laundry or for dry bathing suits.
Relax poolside with service for drinks or snacks. Complimentary kayaks, paddleboards and Hobie cats are fun to choose from, if you can tear yourself away from the beachfront hammocks.
Insider tip: To explore the island of Amergris Caye, golf carts are available to rent from the concierge. Everyone on the island drives them including locals. It takes a while to get used to no stop signs or traffic lights, but as they don’t reach over 15 mph, accidents are few. They are fun to take to nearby shops, other beaches, restaurants and cafes or simply to explore the island.
Currency: Belize currency is the currency of choice; however, US dollars are readily taken everywhere.
Responsible Tourism: For me, it is important to ‘pack to give back’ when travelling. When I travel to destinations that are impoverished, I make space in my case for extra items. Working with the charity, Pack for a Purpose, I took an extra 50lb suitcase containing much needed items for Ambergris Caye Hope Clinic.
The clinic run by Dr. Gonsalez works with mothers who live with extreme poverty and have newborns who leave the clinic with a baby and nothing else. The case we took had diapers, sleepers, receiving blankets, baby soap, wipes and hand-knitted teddy bears. We flew with WestJet and with proof of the humanitarian purpose, we were able to take the extra case at no extra charge.
We also visited the Lloyd Coffin preschool where we donated books, crayons, glue sticks, scissors, construction paper and hand-knitted teddy bears.
“Teddies 4 kids” is run out of Duff’s Presbyterian Church in Puslinch, Ontario. Hand-knitted teddies are donated by women from across Canada for the purpose of cheering up children in need. They have put smiles on many faces in the countries where I have distributed them over the last 10 years.
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