besides cave tubing, any options??

[halos]

We took a cruise last month that stopped in Belize and did the cave-tubing (and loved it!). We're cruising again in March and are again stopping in Belize. We would like to do something different this time.

Does anyone know of any really interesting tours that don't include cave tubing?

[nasvhillecruise]

We are planning on doing the Lamanai riverboat tour. They say the boat tour is really fast & exciting down the river, but they stop to show wildlife & such. The ruins at Lamanai are a challenge if you try to climb to the top, from what I hear. I haven't been, but I've yet to see anything negative about the tour (except for tours taken when raining, sounds like that wasn't too much fun).

Debbie

[halos]

thank you. :)

[murphy4]

did you book your cave tubing thru Carnival or independently? we are looking at the same excursion.

[pjpurple6]

We just went last week, The Girls at our Dinner Table, went to the lamanai tour and enjoyed it. We went Horse back riding, and there was Atv Riding and Zip Lining.

 

Some other cruisers went to Bannister Beach and loved it. Have fun! Wish I was going back!

[halos]

did you book your cave tubing thru Carnival or independently? we are looking at the same excursion.

 

We booked independently. (cave tubing dot com;) ) In fact, we took our last cruise on the NCL Spirit, it was a 15 day repo with 8 ports and did not have even one tour booked through the cruise line. That was a first for us.

It worked out well.

Thanks to these boards, you can get some great feedback on who is reliable and who isn't. :)

[murphy4]

thanks for the advice on cavetubing.com, I have read other posts that said they are the best.

[lastdon87]

My wife and I were just down to Belize the first week of December and booked horseback riding through Smuggler's Run Plantation. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for an excursion that is not your typical "booked through the cruise line" experience. We were treated like VIP's all day starting with when we were met at the dock by Melanie. She was holding a sign with our name on it, so it was super easy to find her. From there we got into a newer and very clean van driven by Trevor, the owner of Smuggler's Run, and were off to the Jungle! The ride took around a half hour, but was very pleasant and interesting. Trevor and Melanie told us all about Belize and answered all of our questions we we're wondering about. Once we got to the plantation, they showed us around a little bit, we put on some bug spray, and we were ready to meet our horses for the ride (my horse was named Pinto). They were saddled and ready, so after a short session to make sure we were both comfortable riding and controlling the horses, we were off! Our guide was first, me second, my wife third, and Melanie brought up the rear. Our guide was wonderful (can't remember his name, shame on me), he told us all about the plants and animals living in the jungle while were riding through. The insects were really not a factor at all, and the sun wasn't either, since we were under the canopy of the treetops 90% of the ride. We spent around 2 hours on the trail ride, and then at the end we came out onto an open field where we were able to trot and gallop some if we cared to. Then Trevor met us at the stables and showed us most of the rest of the horses, including a few newborns, which was really neat. After that, we rode up to their palapa kitchen/banquet area and had a traditional Belizean Sunday meal of chicken, rice and beans, fried plantains, and lime pie for dessert. Trevor's nanny/cook from home prepared the meal, and let me tell you she really knows what she is doing. The entire meal was delicious. After the meal, we walked around the plantation a little more, and Trevor showed us a few pets that they had on the farm (wild hogs, and some creature that looked like a cross between a rabbit and a rat). Then we had a relaxed ride back into the city, again with Trevor and Melanie telling us all about the local area and answering our many questions. We were back to the port area with plenty of time to shop around or go take a cat nap before dinner :) I'm sorry this post is a bit on the lengthy side, but I had such a great time on this tour that I feel obligated to let others know all about it. Good luck on your search for a fun activity in Belize, and if you have any questions about Smuggler's Run I didn't cover in here, I'll try to check this board every so often.

 

Ryan

[Toyz711]

lamanai is excellent...an hour bus ride and an hour boat ride, each way. the ruins are in great shape and they have 1 you can climb. the only thing, the path around the ruins is very rugged, over tree roots, steep climbs, mud...it's worth if, but if you have any problems walking, it's not one i recommed. we did have this great kid with us, he helped those having problems...and ran up the steps of the temple when one of the climber had trouble...i think his job was that of "group protector".

we didn't see a lot of wildlife, just a couple of baby crocs, a januana (the bird that walks on water), howler monkeys had the site and more birds.

[emd9112001]

Be sure to wear some old clothes/shoes if you plan to do the ATV's its MUDDY FUN!!!

[pjpurple6]

I mentioned I did the horsebackriding and I also went with smugglers run just as ryan stated, they were excellent, and they do other tours also besides horse back riding, check out the website and see if there is something else you would be interested in, Have fun in whatever you decide to do! :)