I chose this trip because of the different experiences offered: nature, wildlife, walking, ruins, beachtime & snorkeling, etc. Though I'm not much of a birdwatcher, the variety of activities made this trip much more than just a nature/birdwatching holiday. Our tour leader, Chris, was a fantastic guide and leader, well knowledged of the country and extremely passionate about Belize! Silvino, our driver, was much more than just a driver; in fact we often thought of him as our second guide, participating in many of the activities with us. The itinerary was extremely well organized and interesting, with just the right combination of activities at the right times, concluding with three days of quiet, casual beach time in Caye Caulker. Advice I'd give to others: Don't bother booking an extra day for yourself in Belize City - there is nothing much to see and it's known to be dangerous (especially after dark). Booking an extra day in Caye Caulker at the end is to your benefit, however. If you choose to participate in the snorkeling and manatee excursions with the tour, you might want one extra day to just lie on the beach and read a book. :-)

Well it was a little bit of a drama when we arrived at the first hotel a day before the tour actually started as we lost our passports but Chris (tour leader) had just arrived and calmed us down and we managed to get them back (they had been left at the airport!) after a trip back to find the taxi driver and searching through luggage before finding they had been locked away by passport control. Two of our group hadn't made it due to bad snow in NYC! But Explore were able to fetch them when they finally arrived on 22nd December! There are many highlights and if you are a twitterer (bird lover!) then this is also the tour for you. Both the driver and Chris the tour leader are brilliant at spotting lots of various amazing birds including the toucan, hummingbirds, sea birds,etc. The Mayan sites are brilliant everywhere including in Guatemala and the famous Tikal! If you ever do this tour and get Chris and Silvino you will have an amazing time especially the yummy (secret recipe) banana bread! Caye Caulker - the highlight of my tour especially the snorkeling! We saw loggerhead turtles, green turtles, sting rays, eagle rays and a school of nursery sharks. So if you fancy walking in the jungle, exploring Mayan cities and snorkeling then this is the tour to go on as would do this one again! Amazing! (BL- 18th December 2009)

We picked this trip because of the variety of experiences on offer, and it certainly didn't disappoint. The leader, Chris Siviter, was passionate about the country and its people, and the relationships he had built up gave an important added extra. For example, while chatting to the staff at our Belize City hotel he discovered that the Supreme Judges were being sworn in that day, and consequently we went to the church service (you could just walk in....) and procession through the town city. Fascinating! Our group was mostly made up of birdwatchers, and those that weren't at the start of the holiday certainly were by the end of it. This was was partly because the stunning examples on display, but also because of the enthusiasm and expertise of Chris, Silvino the driver and even the local guides. I think the area has ornithology in their blood!  I think the highlight was snorkeling off Caye Caulker with dozens of stingrays immediately beneath us, but the mayan ruins were also fascinating and I can vouch for the rum cocktails too! (BL- 16th January 2010)