Discover Belize

Arrive in Belize City, the capital of Belize until 1970 at which time it moved to Belmopan. Its a typical Caribbean town, parts of the town are still largely built of wood and galvanised iron, with many of the original colonial style houses in an elegant state of disrepair. For those arranging their own flights our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6 pm for the welcome meeting. There are no other activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Belize City at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Belize's Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (airport code BZE), which is 16km, around 20 minutes' drive from the hotel. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If you have booked your flights through our office then you will spend the first night of the trip in Houston at an airport hotel. Our hotels have a frequent complimentary shuttle service from the airport that you will need to catch (further details about this will be given to you in the joining instructions section of your trip notes), and you'll have the evening free to explore. You will then fly on to Belize City tomorrow morning to meet the rest of our group and our local leader.

Heading along the northern highway, we pick up those joining from London at the international airport, before continuing to the atmospheric Maya ruins of Altun Ha. Those joining from London may wish to change into walking shoes and other comfortable clothing, as well as having sun cream and insect repellent accessible, before departing from the airport. The pyramids and temples in this compact site are a great introduction to Belize's diverse cultural history - within less than one hour we will have journeyed from the Caribbean vibe of Belize City to the land of the ancient Maya. Later in the afternoon we travel inland to the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, an important wetland habitat. Settling down for two nights we enjoy the hospitality of our local hosts on the shores of the Crooked Tree Lagoon. Established in 1984, this maze of waterways and lagoons supports a wonderful variety of wetland species, perfect for our first close-up encounter with Belize's famed wildlife.

Rising early this morning, we explore the lagoon by boat (in times of low water we will explore on foot). In this birdwatchers paradise we may spot wood stork, numerous herons, vultures, kingfishers, raptors and shore bird, and perhaps most notable of all, the rare jabiru stork - the tallest flying bird in the America's standing at 5ft with a wingspan of up to 9ft. We return to the lodge for breakfast and then set off by vehicle to the New River for the boat ride upstream to the 2000 year old jungle ruins of Lamanai. Water birds are abundant in the ancient rainforest cover and crocodiles may be spotted lurking along the river bank. Lamanai, the original name of these Maya ruins, means Submerged Crocodile, which helps to explain the numerous carved crocodile representations at the site. The ruins are located some distance off the beaten track and are still not reconstructed or cleared. We approach on foot following well-marked trails. The surrounding rainforest with its thick canopy of huge trees, and humid atmosphere adds an aura of mystery to the scattered and overgrown relics. A cache of children's bones has been unearthed from beneath one of the stelae, suggesting that the Maya practiced human sacrifice here.