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Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. Orientation followed by Welcome Dinner. Participants must book flights that arrive into Belize City, Belize no later than 4:30 p.m. on this day if they plan on attending the program orientation. See your program’s “Getting There” information regarding transfers.
Afternoon: Hotel check-in and room assignments. 6:00 p.m. Orientation at the hotel. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Transfers to and from program activities will be by air conditioned bus, unless specified otherwise. Meals on our program feature local cuisine. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner: At the hotel restaurant, we will enjoy a Welcome Dinner
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting in/out of a bus; driving about 102 miles, approximately 2.5 total riding time. Getting in/out of a motorboat; navigating about 62 miles, approximately 2 hours riding time. This is a very full day of activities; walking in hot/humid conditions, unpaved paths, ascending/descending stone steps without guardrails. Hat, sunscreen, repellent, lightweight clothes, walking shoes with closed-toe/heel suggested.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will transfer to the New River dock and embark on a scenic boat ride of about 31 miles upstream to the Mayan ruins at Lamanai. While navigating the calm waters of the New River, we’ll try to find and identify some of the many bird species found in the area, including black-collared hawks, mangrove swallows, olive-throated parakeets, and American pygmy kingfishers, to name a few. If lucky, we may even catch a glimpse of the rarely seen Jabiru Stork! As we get close-up views of mangroves and virgin forests flanking the narrow waterway, let’s try to spot the colorful orchids that grow along the river banks. We’ll disembark at Lamanai for a walking exploration of the more than 50 impressive structures found at the archaeological reserve. This large Mayan ceremonial center is set in a tropical forest on the banks of the New River Lagoon in the north central region of Belize. Some of the site's highlights include the Jaguar Temple, the High Temple, and the Mask Temple. A beautiful panoramic view of the lagoon and surrounding jungle can be seen from the top of the High Temple. It is believed that the ancient center was occupied during more than 3,200 years, and as recently as in the 18th century.
Lunch: At the ruins, we will enjoy a lunch of local creole food like Belizean chicken, rice and salad.
Afternoon: We’ll continue exploring the archaeological complex. In addition to protecting many fascinating Maya buildings, the reserve at Lamanai provides shelter to a large number of animals. Visitors are sometimes caught off-guard as the rainforest comes alive with the loud, guttural calls of howler monkeys perched high in the forest. Other animals occasionally spotted at the site include agoutis, jaguarundis, woodpeckers, toucans, aracari, trogons, and armadillos. We’ll transfer back to Belize City by boat and bus to return to the hotel.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare luggage for check out the following morning.
Activity note: Getting in/out of a bus; driving about 132 miles, approximately 3.5 - 4 hours total riding time. Walking at archaeological site, on sloped terrain, ascending/descending irregular stone steps without handrails, potentially muddy terrain and slippery rocks, crossing swaying hanging bridges. Walking shoes with lug soles, repellent, hat, sunscreen, and trekking pole suggested.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: After check out, we’ll board our bus and head in a southwesterly direction in preparation for our field trip to the Belize Zoo. Upon arrival we’ll accompany our Group Leader on a walking exploration of the zoo and its education center, located on 29 acres of tropical savanna. The Belize Zoo was founded in 1983 as a safe haven for rescued animals representing more than 40 different species native to Belize. Afterwards, we’ll begin our transfer to the Peten region in Guatemala, with a brief stop at the Belize/Guatemala border for an examination of group documentation.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We’ll continue our transfer to Flores, in the Peten region of Guatemala. En route, we’ll stop at Ixpanpajul Nature Park for an expert-led forest walk on trails and hanging bridges. The Ixpanpajul Natural Park covers an area of 9 square kilometers and has more than 200 species of trees, 150 plus species of birds and about 40 species of mammals. A walking trail with six hanging bridges provides multiple angles from which to observe and admire the park's abundant flora and fauna. We’ll learn about the layers of a tropical forest while walking on trails and hanging bridges that eventually lead to the summit of Miramás Hill and its rewarding views of Lake Peten Itza. We’ll then transfer to the hotel for check-in.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting in/out of a bus; driving about 76 miles, approximately 2.5 hours total riding time. Tikal activities include climbing steep stone and wooden staircases, and walking on irregular forest trails. Participants should wear sturdy walking shoes with good rubber tread, lightweight pants and t-shirt that are comfortable and allow freedom of movement. Also bring insect repellent/sunscreen. See packing list for more handy items.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We'll board the bus and ride to the ruins at Tikal. Once there, we'll accompany a local expert and our Group Leader in a walking exploration of the archaeological park. This site, with its massive temples rising above the rainforest canopy, conjures images of an Indiana Jones adventure. Once swallowed by the rainforest, Tikal is one of the largest excavated Mayan sites, with more than 4,000 structures. It also features some of the tallest temples in the Mayan world. An impressive network of causeways, aqueducts and canals, which not only served as an irrigation system but also provided drinking water for the city, are displays of some masterful engineering. Underground tunnels and new structures are still being discovered and excavated.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We’ll learn more about Tikal and its mysteries as we continue our visit after lunch. Afterwards, we’ll transfer back for a late afternoon arrival to the hotel.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare luggage for our check out tomorrow morning.
Activity note: Getting in/out of a bus; driving about 86 miles, approximately 2.5 - 3 hours total riding time. Walking approximately 2 hours; mostly flat terrain, unpaved, grassy paths. Ascending/descending stone steps without guardrails.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will board the bus and ride to Yaxha National Park in preparation for a walking field trip in the ruins led by a local expert. The Yaxha ruins are part of the Maya Biosphere Reserve along with the sites of Nakum and El Naranjo. Findings indicate that the city was occupied throughout the pre-classic and post-classic periods and that it was allied to Tikal. Yaxha has more than 500 buildings, including a twin pyramid complex not seen anywhere else save in Tikal.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We’ll begin our transfer to the Cayo District in Belize with a stop at the Guatemala/Belize border for inspection of travel documentation. Late-afternoon arrival at the lodge. Check into rooms and freshen up before dinner.
Dinner: At the lodge.
Evening: At leisure. Get a good night's rest in preparation for tomorrow's activities.
Activity note: Getting in/out of a bus; about 32 miles, approx. 2 hours total. Jungle and river walk/hike about 45 minutes. At cave entrance swim a short distance through the mouth of the cave to enter site. Cave floor mostly wet/rocky. Some wading in ankle-to-shoulder-deep water required. In fragile sections, participants will need to remove shoes so as not to damage the cave floor and/or artifacts. Wear bathing suit under comfortable, older clothing, closed-toe shoes, and old socks that can get wet/dirty.
Breakfast: At the lodge.
Morning: After breakfast, we’ll ride to the starting point for our exploration of Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave. This arduous but rewarding activity will begin with 45 minutes of hiking that includes river crossings and wading in knee-high water. Once at the cave entrance, we will swim through the opening and start a 3.5-hour journey in the cave. This activity will require endurance, strength, agility and balance. The “ATM Cave,” Actun Tunichil Muknal, is an important archaeological wonder of the Mayan world. This living museum full of important artifacts is a fragile system which requires strict instruction for the preservation of this site and for the safety of all participants.
Lunch: On site, we will enjoy a self-serve meal; select from a variety of ingredients to create your own kind of burrito.
Afternoon: We will return to the lodge. Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner: At the lodge.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting in/out of a bus; driving about 132 miles, approximately 3 - 3.5 hours total riding time. Black Hole requires high level of physical fitness; 2 hour uphill hikes on dirt trails, repelling 300 feet into a sink hole, rock climbing and ladder climbing. Hot/humid weather, potentially muddy trails. Sturdy walking shoes with lug soles, lightweight hiking pants, t-shirt that allows freedom of movement, repellent and sunscreen suggested.
Breakfast: At the lodge.
Morning: After check out, we will start the day with a transfer to Cave Branch for a full day of hiking and rappelling activities at Black Hole. Upon arrival at Cave Branch, we’ll take part in an instructional session before driving to the base camp and starting our 1.5-hour hike. The hike comes to an end at the hilltop at the edge of an enormous sink hole. After donning harnesses and receiving the necessary instructions, we’ll rappel into the 300-foot sink hole. Once at the forested bottom, we can reward our efforts with a well-deserved break for lunch. Those who do not wish to take part in the Black Hole hike/rappelling will have the option to participate in a moderately strenuous river cave expedition. The cave activity begins with a 15 minute drive to a drop off point at the river's edge. Sit in a rubber inner tube and float through the entrance to the cave. Continue floating through the dark chambers, enjoying views of the sparkling mineral formations overhead with the aid of headlamps. Once the water becomes too shallow, put aside the inner tubes and set off on foot. The cave floor is rocky and wet and at times it will be necessary to climb over rocky formations.
Lunch: On site, we will enjoy a meal of self-prepared burritos with many options for ingredients.
Afternoon: We’ll continue to explore the sink-hole floor as we make our way back to the camp site. The hike takes approximately 45 minutes. Once at the camp site, we will have the opportunity to clean up before we begin our transfer drive to the Caribbean coast. We will arrive at the hotel by late afternoon for check-in.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting in/out of a motorboat; approximately 2 hours total riding time. Snorkeling equipment will be provided on-site.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll board a boat from the Placencia Pier and enjoy a 45-minute ride out to Belize’s Barrier Reef in preparation for a snorkeling field trip at a protected caye. The morning will be spent snorkeling around reef patches to view multicolored formations and thriving marine life. Belize’s impressive barrier reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of an even larger coral system, the Mesoamerican Reef System that runs for hundreds of miles along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. Reefs are important living organisms that provide shelter and food to fish and other marine life such as algae, sea turtles, mollusks and crustaceans.
Lunch: Aboard the boat.
Afternoon: We’ll continue snorkeling among the reef in search of tropical fish and interesting coral formations. At the appointed time we will navigate back to shore and return to our accommodations to freshen up and enjoy some free time until meeting for dinner.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting in/out of a motorboat; approximately 2 hours total riding time. Snorkeling equipment will be provided on-site.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll board a boat from the Placencia Pier and enjoy a 45-minute ride out to Belize’s Barrier Reef in preparation for a snorkeling field trip at a protected caye. The morning will be spent snorkeling around reef patches we didn’t explore the day before.
Lunch: Aboard the boat.
Afternoon: We’ll continue snorkeling among the reef in search of tropical fish and interesting coral formations. At the appointed time we will navigate back to shore and return to our accommodations to freshen up and enjoy some free time until meeting for dinner.
Dinner: At the hotel, we’ll talk about our week with new friends during a farewell dinner.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Hotel check-out by 7:50 a.m. The 30-minute flight to Belize City is expected to arrive at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport at approximately 10:30 a.m. Participants making their own international flight arrangements should book flights departing after 1:00 p.m. to ensure good connection times.
Breakfast: Early, at the hotel.
Morning: After an early check out, we’ll ride to to the Placencia airstrip and catch a short flight to Belize City's Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!