8 Day Best Of Belize - Deluxe & Private

Welcome to Belize! Your driver will be waiting for you outside Belize City International airport and drive you to Chaa Creek in the Cayo District - your accommodation for tonight (approximately 2hrs drive).

Cayo District
Rugged and remote, the Cayo District is a vast stretch of highland rainforests, cattle ranches, and pinelands. Located in western Belize and bordering on Guatemala's El Petén region, you'll find no beaches here, but you'll have countless opportunities to explore the great outdoors on foot, by horse, or via kayak, raft, or canoe. Belize's oldest and largest national park - Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve - offers caves to explore, cool rivers for swimming, and a seemingly endless forest that is home to myriad tropical birds. Cayo is also home to Chiquibul National Park, the largest intact tropical forest north of the Amazon. Here, you'll find endangered (and often elusive) animals like jaguars, Baird's tapirs, red -eyed tree frogs, and Morelet's crocodiles. Chiquibul also surrounds Belize's most expansive and popular archaeological site, Caracol. Belmopan, the country's capital, is also located in Cayo, although the real hub of the district is San Ignacio, a small town located 110 kilometres (68 miles) from Belize City. It features rustic, colonial -era streets, an eclectic mix of restaurants and shops, a lively weekly market, and Maya ruins like Cahal Pech, Xunantunich, and the caves of Actun Tunichil Muknal only a few kilometres away.

Chaa Creek
Located in the central Cayo District of Belize, Chaa Creek is a private 365 -acre nature reserve set along the banks of the Macal River in the foothills of the Mayan Mountains. It offers a variety of luxury accommodations and has a top restaurant, bar and spa on the large, landscaped grounds. The lodge is famous for its medicinal plant trail and its unique Natural History Centre. The owners of the lodge are strong advocates and practitioners of sustainable tourism and the lodge has won many eco -tourism awards as well as being benchmarked by Green Globe. Its location offers excellent access to the many sights of the area and there are also a lot of on -site activities such as horseback riding, canoeing, biking, nature hikes and bird -watching that guests can enjoy. It's a very family friendly lodge with excellent packages for families.

Facilities - Restaurant, bar, pool & internet

After a tasty breakfast, begin your private tour of Caracol & Rio Frio Cave. Experience two ecosystems in a long but fascinating day of exploring the largest known Maya site in Belize followed by a refreshing dip in pristine pools formed by waterfalls. The 2.5 - to 3 -hour drive starts out on paved road from San Ignacio in western Belize and continues off -road through the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, a sprawling national park featuring dramatic falls and pristine rivers and pools.

Notice the change from pine forest to tropical rainforest as you enter the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, which surrounds the stunning Caracol ruins. Covering 78 square kilometres (30 square miles) of thick jungle, Caracol contains five plazas, a cosmic observatory and thousands of structures. Follow the footsteps of Maya rulers by climbing up the steps of the massive Caana pyramid and browsing the three temples sharing its lofty peak. Enjoy a panoramic view of rainforest canopy as you look out from 43 metres (140 feet) above the jungle floor. Because the ruins lie within the Chiquibul reserve, you may encounter exotic birds and wildlife as you meander through the ruins.

On the way back to town, stop at the alluring Rio Frio Cave and take a refreshing dip in the Rio On Pools. Although the tour may take 10 hours, you'll enjoy lunch, snacks, cold beer and soft drinks, along with cold, moist washcloths to wipe your face and hands.

Enjoy a heartful breakfast before setting off on a full day exploring Actun Tunichil Mukna. On today's tour, you will drive to the trailhead and trek for 45 minutes through the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve, walking across three streams and learning about the flora and fauna of the jungle. At the entrance of the Cave you will be outfitted in the necessary equipment. Some swimming will be required and also climbing and caving activity. This is a first class caving and archaeological experience.

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 pre -hispanic Mayas of Belize, who first began to use the entrance during the early classic period (300 -600AD.) The cave system consists of a series of chambers, ending in a 300 by 50 meter Cathedral where sacrificial ceremonies once took place. Visitors to this cave have the 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.

Please note - For this tour, guests you have a good level of physical mobility, be able to swim and be comfortable in small spaces. You must wear comfortable, light -weight long pants or shorts and shirt that allow for easy movement and can get wet, and bring a full change of clothes. Swimsuits are acceptable but you may get cold. Well -treaded sneakers, hiking boots, or high -quality river shoes with covered toes, and socks are required footwear. Mosquito repellent is prohibited because it washes off immediately when you get into the water to enter the cave. Cameras are strictly prohibited inside.

Today is free for you to relax at the lodge or make the most of the resort's facilities, which include -

• Entry into the 365 -acre Rainforest Reserve
• Guided tours of the Natural History Centre and Butterfly Farm
• Access to the Ruta Maya Trail System
• Canoeing
• Early Morning Bird Walk with one of the Naturalist Guides
• Guided interpretive tour of the Rainforest Medicine Trail at Ixchel Farm

After breakfast your driver will transfer you to Belize Airport. On the way, you will stop to visit the Community Baboon Sanctuary located 35 miles northwest of Belize City. Here you can get an up close encounter with the howler monkeys of Belize, locally known as "baboons" in English, or "saraguate"in Spanish. The sanctuary consists of approximately 20 square miles along the Belize River and embodies a combination of dense jungle, pasture, farmland, and small villages. Howler monkeys which can be seen within a short hike through the jungle get their name from their loud, guttural howls that can be heard up to five miles away. Male howler monkeys use their big voices to defend their turf. Howls by one troop are answered by other males within earshot. Every -one starts and ends the day by checking out where their nearest competitors are. In this way, they protect the food in their territory. After the tour, enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before continuing on to the airport.

Once at the airport, check in to your included flight San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) where hotel representative will be waiting for you and transfer you to your accommodation for the night.

San Pedro (Ambergris Caye)
Snorkelling and diving is nothing short of phenomenal in Belize's Barrier Reef, which runs parallel to Ambergris Caye. In the crystalline Caribbean waters, octopuses, nurse sharks, spotted eagle rays, and even sea turtles play among beautiful corals. But that's just the beginning. On this 40 -km/25 -m island, you can also sail, fish, kayak, bicycle or snorkel. This laid -back island has almost no cars, but you'll have no trouble reaching the many restaurants, tiki bars, and snorkel/dive shops in San Pedro Town on foot, by bicycle, or even by golf cart. Choose the north end of the island for a quieter experience.

Victoria House
Victoria House is a luxurious beachfront resort world -class accommodations. Perched at the edge of the Belize Barrier Reef, the resort features extensive and lushly landscaped gardens, an inviting pool and the beach just outside your door. Its new spa, at 325 square metres (3,500 square feet) is the largest of its kind on the island. For your culinary experiences, choose from formal dining in the main restaurant or casual settings at the poolside patio or delightful palapa bar on the beach. Ideal for a romantic getaway, a dream beach wedding or a family vacation, Victoria House delivers an unforgettable experience with first -class service.

Facilities - Pool, 3 restaurants/bars, spa.

After breakfast at your resort, gear up for a half day privately guided snorkelling tour to Mexico Rock. Today you will enjoy a visual feast of thriving marine life as you go snorkelling at Mexico Rocks, just off North Ambergris Caye. View a delightful collection of sponges, sea fans, and star, elkhorn, and staghorn coral formations in this superb reef patch. Giant brain coral formations create miniature undersea habitats and islands for spiny lobster and yellow tail. As you bob about, look for angelfish, butterflyfish, flounder, green moray eels, nurse sharks, and stingrays, all of which take shelter in the coral's nooks and crannies. Its relatively calm and shallow (3.7 -meter / 12 -foot) waters make Mexico Rocks an ideal spot for snorkelers of all levels.

Important - Shoe size information is required in order to operate this tour. Please provide this information in advance.

Today enjoy a free day to continue explore Ambergris or to relax by the pool and enjoy your resort's facilities.

Enjoy one more breakfast in paradise. At the appropriate time you will be transferred to the airport to take your included flight to Belize International Airport. Your Inspiring Vacations tour finishes upon arrival to Belize International Airport.