For Belize I enjoyed the excusion to Xunantunich. Its a bit of a bus ride but the trade off is you get to see a lot of the country. I think there is a decent snorkeling excusion thats available if the Mayan ruins arent your thing.
Costa Maya isnt my favorite place. Its completely built to host cruise ships, meaning its a bunch shops selling all the same crappy souvineers. Dont waste the money on the off road animal safari or whatever they are calling it now.
In hind sight I would just head down to the pubic beach and hang out under an umbrella with a drink till its time to sail on.
R
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When I went to Belize I did the horticultural tour. I think seeing live Tucans and being in the butterfly tent on the tour was the best part for me.
Oh.. also eating freshly picked bananas was a plus too!!
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A couple of years ago my wife and I visited Costa Maya and Belize on the Carnival Miracle.
In Costa Maya we went to the Mayan Ruins of Chacchoben which was only opened to the public in 1999. There are over two dozen structures but only about 5% has been excavated.
In Belize I wanted to do the cave tubing but my wife wasn't as excited about doing it as I was. You do have to walk through the jungle and wade through some rocky river beds so wear either aqua socks or aqua shoes. Later they do provide lunch. After our journey she converted and this remains one of our favor excursions.
We took the San Pedro Express over to Caye Caulker (45 min ferry ride) and then spent the day on the little island. Flew back on a island hopper which was incredible and the best part of our day! The flight was $35 per person, 10 minutes...wish it would have been longer! You would want to book your flights as soon as you arrive at the island. Look up the little island on-line before you go as it's not for everyone! No roads...only golf carts and bikes drive around sandy white roads. No beach chairs or loungers are available so you have to be able to enjoy the calmness and very laid back atmosphere. Also, the latest hurricane did some damage and you will see remnants of old concrete bridges. It is a little paradise and step back in time. You won't be harassed by people trying to sell you anything...I never saw a single local trying to push souvenirs. Have fun whatever you decide!
We took the San Pedro Express over to Caye Caulker (45 min ferry ride) and then spent the day on the little island.
This is what I'll do if I ever return. Sounds awsome. We went on a cave tour (on foot) then we drove Range Rovers through the muddy Jungle. This was one of my favorite excursions ever.
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It was really a very cool place that didn't compare to any other island I've ever visited. I loved the very laid back atmosphere not to mention super clear water. The island was hit by a hurricane a while back but they have done a great job of cleaning things up. There's lots of small quaint hotels from $15- $150 per night which were absolutely adorable if you decided to go for several days or maybe a day pass? It's not the typical island excursion and if you like to visit off the beaten path, away from the crowds - go here. Also, I cannot stress the plane ride....absolutely one of the most memorable parts of our cruise!
Oh...if you get dropped off at the public beach area (bridge ruins) go get a rum punch at the bar but be careful - very strong!
Go and be ready to relax and also be sure to take LOTS of pictures of this amazing little place!
In Belize, the best tours are Belize Xstream Cave Tubing and also the Lamanai tour with Belize Cruise Excursions.
In Costa Maya we have been on the Beach Break at Pez Quadro with Costa Maya Cruise Excursions and it was excellent and this new Costa Maya Zip Line & Mayan Experience looks incredible too
We enjoyed the river tour and the trip to the Belize Zoo. It is a very different experience to what our zoos in the US. It is really a rehab type facility since all the animals are local to Belize and were injured or bred in captivity. They have all manor of cats from Ocelots to Pumas and Jaguars. Lots of monkeys in the trees on the river tour and crocs in the river. It was a very easy excursion. We did the tour of the C&D ruins in Costa Maya so this was a nice relaxing time compared to that all day event (which we also enjoyed-it was just tiring).
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I've heard great things about that zoo too, what is D&C ruins?
Chacchoben & Dzibanche
They are two large well excavated ruin sites that are fairly close to each other. If I remember the bus ride to get to them from Costa Maya was about 90 minutes.
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