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Xunantunich Mayan Ruin


1STTIMEATSEA
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I can't provide much detail. All I can relay is our experience. It rained very heavily the day before our Excursion and therefore our Excursion was cancelled because of the river that we have to cross to get to the ruins was too high. I have no idea how common that is.

 

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I went there a few years ago .great trip.7 hrs(200kms each way).very nice scenery.good ruins ,but not as great as chichen itza.depends how long your ship is in port.you may have some tropical storms that time of year.had some great food at a ranch.around 4 hrs.travel by bus.take care

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We did it 2 years ago and LOVED it. We went in August...so it was Hot Hot Hot. But the bus has a/c and the guides are wonderful. It is almost 2 hour bus ride there, but the guides give an incredible talk all the way there. We had 2 guys, one talked about history of the Mayans and how they survived in Belize, the other guy talked about modern Belize and how the current peoples live and work. It was really interesting and before we knew it we were at the bridge, where everyone has to get off and ride over the river on a little flat platform. Then vans picked us up on the other side and took us into the ruins.

 

The ruins are fantastic and still being excavated. While we were there several groups were working on separate areas so it was interesting to see them work. (Most of the archaeologists working there are from universities around the world, with the local experts).

After touring the ruins, they take you a short distance back to a small restaurant where you have a nice lunch. Drinks are extra. Some shopping there, but not much.

Then you are back on bus for the 90 ride back to port. Most people slept on way back, the tour guides didn't talk at all.

 

As far as comparisons with Chichen Itza in upper Yucatan of Mexico.... they are not the same, yes, CI is much bigger. BUT you are in Belize and asking about a tour in Belize. I have been to CI but I did it as a land tour and spent almost a day there, and still didn't see it all. Its that big. Doing it from a cruise ship tour out of Cozumel is a waste of time if you really want to see it.

 

Back to Xunantunich.... a few of my photos:

2015Xunantunich4-L.jpg

 

2015Xunantunich26-L.jpg

 

view from top of tallest pyramid

2015Xunantunich23-L.jpg

 

you do climb up to the tallest pyramid if you want...and it is well worth it.

 

When we got back to port, it was about 30 minutes before we had to be back onboard. Not a lot of time to buy things, unless you just want to run into one or two stores quickly. From what we saw, all the ferries back to the ship continued to run for awhile past that time, as there were so many people still on shore waiting. I would feel safe doing a little shopping after the ruins tour.

 

robin

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  • 5 weeks later...
For this excursion, has the group's visiting been large or are you pretty much with just your group? Any safety issues traveling through Belize?

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Forums mobile app

 

Zero problems traveling in Belize on cruise excursions. People are really friendly and since English is the language, no barriers when talking. Now I would not go wandering around Belize City after dark, but that is true with any city in US also.

 

When we were there, on the Carnival cruise excursion, our group was maybe 25-30 people. We saw 2-3 other groups, slightly smaller, and few independent tourists(not cruisers). One group was leaving as we arrived, one was already in the site so we didn't really encounter them at all until at the end saw them at the parking lot leaving before us. Is that what you were asking?

 

The tour guides for this excursion, as well as our cave tubing excursion last spring were so amazing and professional. My DH even commented to me the other day how much he liked them (more than any other excursion we went on in 7 cruises) as they really made us feel comfortable and welcome to ask anything. Yeah, they ask for tips at the end, but they really worked hard for them.

 

robin

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Zero problems traveling in Belize on cruise excursions.
All I can contribute to this discussion is that you should be aware that the excursion might be cancelled if there is a torrential downpour in the area the day prior. That's what happened to us - evidently there is a bridge toward the end of the journey from cruise port to ruins that is not passable after a big storm.
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When traveling to an excursion site via bus, be aware that there are stops along the way manned by military looking police with automatic rifles. Don't be afraid, Belize is trying to intradict the drug trade. The Belizian police are not rogue and will not attack tourist buses, where the country makes a ton of money.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Thank you. How strenuous is the climb to the top? Do they have stairs?

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Forums mobile app

 

You are lead up the front side of the pyramid about halfway, then over to the side where there is a grassy area. At that point you stop and rest while the guide explains the carvings on that side of the structure. From there you go around to the back side and climb up some very steep stone stairs to the very top. Only about half our group went the rest of the way up, the others went back down a wooden stairway on the side. My DH and A went to the top, and it was an amazing view. Well worth it, but if you aren't good with a little strenuous climb, you can skip it.

my photos show the climb back down stairway, and also the view from top.

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