This itinerary is subject to change.
Travel demands flexibility. We will strive to balance adaptability with remaining on schedule. Please trust that, when it is not possible to follow the plan laid out below, your program leaders will work to find substitutions that retain the quality of this Study Travel program. Various details may be added or changed due to information obtained while making reservations, or perhaps on site, especially because of the weather. BLD indicated included group meals.
Sunday, November 5 Arrive Belize City
Flights departing your home town will likely arrive in Belize City the same day. Make your way to the group hotel. We’ll start the program with a welcome dinner. Overnight: Belize City, Meals: D
Monday, November 6 Belize City – Cayo Rainforest
This morning we’ll head for the nearby Cayo rainforest, one of the finest in Central America. Our first stop is a cacao plantation. Many of us love chocolate, but the story of how it’s created might be different than you expect. We’ll learn about growing cacao beans and try our hand at grinding them in the traditional method. We’ll also get a taste of the original Mayan-style “hot chocolate.” Then we’ll make our way to our eco-lodge that’s nearly hidden in the midst of its own private nature preserve. Lunch on your own. At our group dinner tonight in San Ignacio town, we’ll enjoy the foods of Belize: a melting pot of Indian, Chinese, Nigerian and Central American cultures. Overnight: Cayo Rainforest, Meals: B, D
Tuesday, November 7 Cayo Rainforest/Visit San Antonio
In San Antonio, the local women still make ceramics like the ancient Mayans did. We’ll visit their cooperative to see them at work, and they’ll show us the traditional way of grinding corn and making tortillas on a fire hearth. Add some roasted chicken and handmade salsa, and our group lunch is served. Just steps away, we’ll visit San Antonio’s local village school. Because our group is small, the school welcomes our visit, and we can spend time with the kids and teachers. (You may wish to consider packing pens, pencils, and notebooks as gifts for the children.) This afternoon, we’re headed underground. In the limestone bedrock of Belize, great caverns are common, and the Mayans believed they were entrances to the underworld. We’ll float aboard canoes through the cave in search of pottery and other artifacts amid the fascinating rock formations. Dinner on your own. Overnight: Cayo Rainforest, Meals: B, L
Wednesday, November 8 Cayo Rainforest/Visit Xunantunich Ruins
Fuel up on the hotel breakfast, because we’re about to have a fun and fascinating Indiana Jones kind of day. First stop: the cattle ranch and stables owned by the tour operator’s friend Carla. We have the choice of climbing into the saddle or taking a scenic walk through shaded forest, over the lazy Mopan River by a hand-cranked ferry, to the 1,500-year-old ruins of Xunantunich. Nobody knows for sure why the city was abandoned around 750 A.D., but we’ll learn a lot about its history on a guided stroll around the site. Right at the center, there’s a 130-foot-high pyramid called El Castillo, and from the top we can see all the way to Guatemala. Later in the village, we’ll enjoy an al fresco group lunch. Dinner on your own. Overnight: Cayo Rainforest, Meals: B, L
Thursday, November 9 Cayo Rainforest – Ambergris Caye
We’ll take a quick flight to Ambergris Caye, an island right next to the Belize barrier reef. Then, we have a mostly free day to take advantage of the many amenities and activities at our accommodations, including two pools, bocce ball, and bicycling. If you’d like, hop into a sea kayak on your own or with our guide to explore the coastline and its amazingly clear water. Then, we’ll come back together for a group dinner and share stories of our day with each other. Overnight: Ambergris Caye, Meals: BD
Friday, November 10 Ambergris Caye/Visit Hol Chan Reserve
This morning, we hit the water! From the decks of our tour operator’s friend Steve’s catamaran, we’ll follow him as he dives for lobsters and fish that one of his family members (and on-board chef) will turn into the freshest seafood lunch you’ve ever eaten! We’ll have an opportunity to try our hand at fishing if you choose. Timing our visit for when the tourist boats have all headed back to shore, we’ll stop at Hol Chan Marine Reserve. It is among the best snorkeling we’ll find anywhere – shallow, clear, and warm water. Our tour operator provides all the gear. We’ll come nose-to-fin with incredible sea life in the barrier reef. The coral forest is almost beyond words, with dazzling schools of fish flashing through clear water. Sea turtles, spotted eagle rays and docile nurse sharks are common sights. It’s an experience you won’t forget. Tonight’s farewell dinner is the perfect capstone to a fantastic day of sun and sea, and a superb week together. Overnight: Ambergris Caye, Meals: BLD
Saturday, November 11 Ambergris Caye / Belize City
A return flight to Belize City is included with the program fee. (The timing of this flight will be provided closer to departure.) Then, continue on your individually booked flights. Meals: B