Belizean Treehouse Retreat
Belizean Treehouse Retreat
Belizean Treehouse Retreat: Your inner child will love sleeping in the trees amongst tropical birds and howler monkeys while your adult-self will appreciate all the creature comforts of a luxury hotel. Wake up in the rainforest canopy and enjoy a bird’s eye view from your treehouse’s windows, porch, and doorstep. Spend three nights inland exploring Mayan ruins, hiking through the rainforest, and taking part in numerous adventure tours such as rappelling, ziplining, cave exploration, and the famous Black Hole Drop. Then head to the turquoise waters of the Caribbean for powdery white sand and endless water based activities, including snorkeling, diving, sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and fishing. While water-based activities are of the norm while staying along the coast, there are also many land based day trips that include a hike to the top of Antelope’s 1000-foot falls, searching for jaguar tracks in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, and bean-to-bar chocolate workshops (samples included!).
Destinations: Belmopan, Hopkins Village
Duration: 8 days
*Price Range: $$$ – $$$
*Rates inclusive of full vacation experience – hotels, tours, domestic transfers, and tax (excluding international airfare). Actual price based on length of travel, number of travelers/rooms, seasonal rates (high, low, peak), number of tour activities, and mode of domestic transportation.
$$$: At or under $1,200 per person
$$$: $1,200 – $1,800 per person
$$$: $1,800+ per person
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Day 1
Fly into Belize Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE). Outside the airport you’ll find your private driver who will be holding a sign with our logo and your name on it. They will then assist with your luggage and drive you an hour-and-a-half from Belize City to Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch. During your private ground transfer, feel free to stop at any time for photo opportunities, lunch, restrooms or to simply stretch your legs. About half way through the drive, stop at the Belize Zoo to learn about the native species of Belize as well as the zoo’s conservation efforts. Continue onwards after your visit to the zoo to your tropical jungle retreat at Caves Branch. Enjoy a family-style dinner while talking about travel adventures with fellow guests.
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Day 2
Wake up with the howler monkeys in the trees outside your treehouse and enjoy coffee in the main lodge (served at 7am) followed by a hearty breakfast (served from 8-9am). Today is your adventure day! Choose between one of the many signature adventure tours: waterfall cave expedition, Black Hole Drop, or a ceremonial cave exploration. For more moderate paced adventure tours, choose between birdwatching, cave tubing, a full day jungle trek to learn about the surrounding rainforest, or a horseback ride on one of 50 horses from Banana Bank Equestrian Center. Depending on the length of your tour activity, enjoy lunch on the tour or back at the lodge. Socialize with fellow guests in the main pool with a cold drink before dinner and then enjoy another delicious family-style dinner before a restful night’s sleep.
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Day 3
Today, enjoy another on-site signature tour at Caves Branch or explore Xunantunich and Cahal Pech Mayan ruins in Western Belize. Climb atop the second highest Mayan structure (130-feet) in Belize at Xunantunich. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in San Ignacio and then visit a residential Mayan ruin site, Cahal Pech, to learn about the living habits of the ancient Maya. Return to Caves Branch in the late afternoon and walk through the botanical gardens before dinner.
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Day 4
Today you’ll make your way from inland Belize to the Caribbean Coast. If you’re up for a challenging trek with a gorgeous panoramic view, stop in route at Antelope Falls in Mayflower Bocawina National Park. This 1.5-mile uphill trek goes to the top of Antelope Falls, a 1000-foot waterfall. Make it an adventure tour by rappelling a portion of the falls and/or enjoy Belize’s longest zip-line after the hike. Continue onwards to one of the top hotels in all Central and South America, Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort. Check into your treehouse room located 12-feet off the ground and surrounded by trees, orchids, and birds. Enjoy live music at dinner with local musicians along with Garifuna drummers and dancers.
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Day 5
Enjoy a tropical breakfast of fruit, locally made yogurts, granola, homemade sweet breads, eggs, coffee, tea, and fresh juice. After a hearty breakfast, spend the day on the water exploring the marine life on the barrier reef. Whether you choose to dive or snorkel, you’ll enjoy warm waters, calm currents, and clear visibility averaging between 60-80 feet. Return to Hamanasi Resort in the early afternoon to enjoy the rest of the daylight hours by the pool or on the beach. Take out complimentary kayaks or paddleboards or bike into town to explore village life.
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Day 6
Spend another day on the water sailing, fishing, snorkeling or diving. For land based tours, hike through the 120,000 acre Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the world’s only jaguar reserve. This rich, tropical rainforest is home to jaguar, jaguarundi, margays, ocelots, pumas, deer, howler monkeys, tapirs, and over 290 species of birds. On the way to or from the reserve, stop at the Maya Center to shop for arts and crafts and enjoy a quick bean-to-bar chocolate demonstration (samples included)!
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Day 7
Enjoy your last full day at Hamanasi Resort on the beach, in the pool, or lounging in a hammock. Head out on a sunset cruise to celebrate a wonderful vacation up in the trees!
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Day8
Take a short, two-hour private ground transfer back to Belize City for your international flight home.If there is time, stop at Marie Sharp’s factory where you can take a quick tour and purchase sauce and jelly souvenirs to bring back home.
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- See Belize’s native animal species while learning about conservation efforts at The Belize Zoo
- Sleep in the canopy amongst howler monkeys and birds in two unique treehouse hotels
- Spend a day in Western Belize visiting Xunantunich and Cahal Pech Mayan ruins
- Receive an adrenaline fix with the Black Hole Drop and Antelope Falls waterfall rappel
- Scuba dive nearby atolls or snorkel off white sandy cayes
- Search for jaguar tracks within the rainforest at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
Best for: Family, Couple, Eco-Tourism, Nature/Marine Lover, Barefoot Luxury & Luxury
Bucket list experiences: Belize Zoo, Mayan ruins (Xunantunich, Cahal Pech), rainforest, monkeys, birding, cave tubing, Inland Blue Hole, Black Hole rappel, zip-line, waterfalls, waterfall rappelling at Antelope Falls, snorkel, dive (Glover’s Reef Atoll, Turneffe Islands, Gladden Spit, and The Great Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef Atoll), spearfishing, whale sharks, Garifuna community, Garifuna drumming, Mesoamerican Reef, beach, Marie Sharp’s
Accommodations & Location:
- Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch, Belmopan
- Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort, Hopkins Village
Every Central America Vacation itinerary includes 24/7 in-country support. We’re here with you every step of the way to insure the best experience possible, from the initial planning stages to the moment you’re on your flight home!
