altun ha

[nicoleslp]

Has anyone used bze-trips.com for booking this tour? Are these good ruins to go and see or is there not much to it?

[FlaGrl4Evr]

We did the Altun-Ha and Belize city tour last year while on the Legend. We did however use the ship's excursion. I'm not trying to sway you one way or another as far as what tour company you use, but can tell you our experience.

 

We were the first tender off the ship. Once at the port, we were given a brief bathroom break and then led to 2 modern-air conditioned tour busses. The ruins are about an hour and a half away so during this time, our guide gave us a very detailed and interesting tour of Belize city. Once we reached the ruin area, we departed the busses and were given a bottle of cold water. At this point, the bus was locked-up and the driver stayed with the bus. This was kind of nice as we left our backback with some snacks on board. No valuables but it was nice to know someone was watching out. We were then given another bathroom break. Here is a heads-up -bring a small pack of tissues and some wet wipes and sanitizing lotion, and DON'T fill up any water bottles in their sink. The water here is NOT filtered and you will get ill. They told us this on the bus, so I am sharing this just in case you do not get the same information. After our break, we were split into small groups and given a very nice tour or all of the ruins with a chance to climb the Temple of the Sun God. We were also given ample time to ask questions and take as many pictures as desired. After the guided tour, we were given about half an hour to do whatever we wanted. You could continue to view the ruins, take another BR break or visit the small outdoor stalls that the locals have set up with items to sell. Here is another tip; they do not sell water, pop or any type of food or snacks here, so you may want to bring some sealed snacks and additional water. We packed a bottle of water, some packs of Crystal Lite and a few granola bars for the ride back to the ship. Our total time at the ruins was about 2 hours and then another hour and a half to drive back. We arrived with about 2 hours to do shopping or have a drink at the port area. It was a great tour and I would highly recommend it. ** Also, depending on what time of year you visit, you may want to bring some bug spray. We were there in early November and didn't have any issues but were told by the guides that the insects can get pretty bad during the warmer months.

 

This is JMHO, but considering this is a loooong tender port and Belize is a place where you really want a good, safe tour with modern busses, I would use the ship's tour. It is only a few $ more and you really do have the piece of mind getting back to the ship or having the ship wait if there is a problem. We had a few Military stops along the way, so this kind of tells you what type of an area you are driving into. We felt perfectly safe and the military that stopped our bus seemed to know it was cruise day and knew the tour reps so we were waved on after they peeked in the bus to take a look.

 

:)

[FlaGrl4Evr]

double post

[evandbob]

Has anyone used bze-trips.com for booking this tour? Are these good ruins to go and see or is there not much to it?

 

The Altun Ha ruins are small and quaint, they have been "refurbished" with modern concrete patches and walkways with rope guidelines installed on the steps - not exactly in pristine uncovered natural state. They are easy to get around, not overly tall or hard to climb. Vendors are available in a row of shops, nice to browse through. Tour took us to a roadsign inn for local lunch of rice & beans w/ chicken. I enjoyed the ride back on the river wallace, saw crocs & lots of birds.

 

I preferred Xanantunich however, those ruins were taller, more massive and covered a lot more area. The view from the top of the main pyramid was quite impressive. It is more difficult to climb, the stairs are uneven and narrow, and there are no safety guide lines. Anyone unsteady on their feet or with a fear of heights should not attempt. Well worth it for those who do!

 

I haven't been to Laminai yet, but the pictures I've seen of those ruins are impressive. Maybe on my next land vacay to Belize I'll spend a day or so there.

[groundcrew]

Was in Belize Dec 21/11. We wanted to see the Altun Ha ruins. Decided not to buy through the cruiseline. When we got off onto the shore, we walked all the way down to the end of the dock. We found the booth for AW Holiday, and found Winston. He has a nice green van that can hold about 14 or so people. He charged about $30 per person because we had a larger group. He gave us a city tour and a rainforest tour on the way to the ruins. He guided us through the ruins. He was very knowledgable and highly recommended. It took about an hour to get there, stayed for about 90 minutes, and an hour back. Winston's email is gholiday@btl.net

[Harriet369]

Just returned from a SilverSea cruise that stopped in Belize, Jan 2012. We skipped the cave tubing, but our excursion to Maya ruins at Altun Ha, with guide Roberto Botes from Vitalino Reyes excursions was a highlight. The destination was very interesting and Roberto was steeped in Maya culture and history. He pointed out many interesting places along the way and stopped to show us iguanas and turtles. He also took us to a lunch stop for some authentic rice and beans. Just delightful. You can find them at Cavetubing.bz .

[billnict]

We were there last week and did the "Altun Ha & Belize City Tour" booked through Carnival. It cost quite a bit more than what you could get on your own but we had the piece of mind knowing that the ship would wait for us if there was a problem. Anyway, the local tour operator was Chukka Caribbean Adventures and we were very impressed with our two guides level of knowledge. Incidentally our air conditioned bus DID break down on the rough road coming back from the ruins but fortunately Chukka had a back-up bus and driver stationed a short distance away so we only had a 20 minute wait...