HIGHLIGHTS
Immerse yourself in the avian diversity of Belize. You will be guided by expert birders along freshwater lagoons, streams, forest and savanna of the Lamani, Mountain Pine Ridge and a glance at the itinerary will reveal your potential sightings.
A great itinerary for the independent birders, this tour takes you to three very comfortable jungle lodges in differing habitat.
HIGHLIGHTS
Enjoy 4 nights in the Cayo District, located in the western interior of Belize. This area encompasses a large portion of the Maya Mountains and has more than its fair share of ancient Maya sites to visit and explore, such as Caracol, Xunantunich, and Cahal Pech.
HIGHLIGHTS
The Spa at Chaa Creek offers a tranquil and extraordinary sensory environment that promotes harmony between inner and outer self. Specialized therapists will help you choose from a variety of personalized treatments designed to enhance individual beauty while promoting health and a sense of wellbeing. Sunny and sensuous. Rejuvenate your body and your spirit!
HIGHLIGHTS
More than 30 percent of Belize's land is protected. This small area supports some 543 species of birds. No destination or birding site is too far away and the birding here includes hiking along pristine jungle trails, canoeing quiet lakes and rivers, and climbing ancient Mayan ruins. You will stay at Hidden Valley Inn in the Mountain Pine Ridge area of Central Belize and the Lodge at Big Falls in the southern part of the country near Toledo, two lovely and comfortable lodges, each with a resident birding guide who will show you local birds and get you on the endemics.
The Concept
Hidden Valley Inn, a luxury boutique hotel with only 12 cottages, is located on a 7,200 acre private reserve in the Mountain Pine Ridge area of Belize. This intimate eco resort offers quality accommodation, delicious food and attentive service in a natural unspoiled environment. The flora and fauna here are like no place on earth.
Winner of the 2006 Caribbean Tourism Organization / Islands Magazine 'Sustainable Tourism Award"
The Concept
Read about our 2009 visit!
The Lodge & Spa at Chaa Creek sits on a private 365-acre nature reserve set along Macal River in the Maya Mountains foothills. Chaa Creek has provided a unique adventure travel experience for many modern-day explorers, while maintaining an unspoiled ambience. Chaa Creek caters to the traveler looking for both physical and intellectual challenges, and a range of activities have been designed to stimulate interest in the environment, culture and archaeology of Belize.
The Galapagos Islands offer a unique interaction with nature and their name is synonymous with survival and the celebration of the diversity of species on earth. It has been more than 450 years since their discovery and the islands remain largely intact thanks to the conservation efforts of the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station. From your comfortable base aboard the M.V. Eclipse, you will be able to explore the best visitor sites.
M.V. Eclipse is a Conde Nast Top Small Cruise Ship and a 2012 Andrew Harper Signature Tour of the Galapagos Islands!
There are many opportunities to hike, swim, snorkel, kayak, bird-watch and take great close-up photographs of the flora and fauna. For land visits, passengers are divided into groups of a maximum of twelve people, each with its own naturalist guide. Groups can be divided according to the physical conditions of the passengers. On the islands you will follow trails, walking at a leisurely pace, with your guide explaining the unusual sights you see. Afterwards, there is often an opportunity to swim and snorkel before returning to the Eclipse.
HIGHLIGHTS
Guatemalan folklore is possibly the most interesting and varied in the world. One of the best expressions of this can be seen in local textiles, which incorporate more than 325 variations of styles and color schemes, each one with its own historically symbolic meaning. Markets dot the countryside and offer a fascinating insight into the Maya Culture, and a great opportunity to see the Maya people dressed in their traditional textiles.
HIGHLIGHTS
In Guatemala, the land of eternal spring, we invite you to commune and comtemplate.
Each day includes a yoga session and healthy food, but also offers a glimpse into local life. We spend 3 nights each in Antigua, the cultural center, and Lake Atitlan, the heart of the Guatemalan highlands.
We also visit a local women's textile coop to see the backstrap method, the natural dye process, and the symbolism of the articles they weave, so much a part of the lives of the local population. And we visit the famous Chichicastenango Market.
On the way to Lake Atitlan, a chance to participate in a shaman ceremony may be the highlight of the week. Indeed you will find your center here.
Highlights
Guatemala is a small exotic country in Central America located just below south-west Mexico and also bordering Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. It is made up of 22 different departments (states) with a diverse geography including 33 volcanoes, highland areas, cloud forest, rainforest and even desert. The country offers visitors a unique cultural experience as well as access to some stunning scenery and the world’s most important Maya archaeology sites.
HIGHLIGHTS
During Holy Week, Antigua, Guatemala hosts the most beautiful religious celebration in the Americas, when huge processions wind their way through the town’s streets. Actually, the celebration begins on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, and reaches its climax on Good Friday, when Antigua streets are thronged with processions and reverent spectators. The processions consist of big floats, or 'andas', bearing statues of Christ with a cross, that are carried by hundreds of purple-robed men. A float with the Virgin Mary follows by women dressed in black clothing.
HIGHLIGHTS
Imagine … walking to a symphony of birds after a peaceful rest, to the platform that awaits among the mist covered hills. You will join with others for a day of meditation, spiritual journey, yoga, and the boundless space of the ancient valley below. This is just the beginning …
THE CONCEPT
Adventure, nature, and luxurious comfort, this is The Lodge at Pico Bonito. A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, National Geographic Adventure named it one of the top 10 Jungle Ecolodges in the world, Must be good! The Lodge at Pico Bonito is located only 10 minutes from the Caribbean town of La Ceiba and 95 miles from San Pedro Sula. But it is a world away!
HIGHLIGHTS
This is a superb African adventure that breaks the regular safari mold. While at times providing moments of sheer adrenalin exhilaration, this safari will also afford you an intimate and privileged access to the culture, wildlife and extreme geography of Kenya that the majority of travelers to this region fail to see. You will be able to give your time and love to the orphans of Makuyu. And witness the life changes that have taken place in Mithini after one year since Well Aware's 4th water installation in Kenya. We will have the honor and thrill of going to a Liani to witness the drilling of a new water well. Then off on Safari to 3 unique regions of Kenya.
December 1 - 8 and 8 - 15, 2011 SOLD OUT
HIGHLIGHTS
For a birder with an interest in history, Belize is it; likewise for the amateur archeologist with an interest in nature. Our 8-day/7-night itinerary takes you to this small English-speaking country, just a two-hour flight from Houston.
Operates any time, contact us for reservations and quotes.
Panamá is an easy flight, under 4 hours from Houston and 4 ½ hours from Dallas. The country is a stable democracy, uses US currency, has comfortable hotel accommodations, excellent food, good drinking water, and as the land bridge of the Americas, Panamá is one of the best birding locales for Neotropical birdwatching.
December 15 - 22, 2012
HIGHLIGHTS
This extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime tour features some of the world’s leading Maya archaeologists, scholars, epigraphers, and archaeoastronomers, who will present the latest breakthroughs in how the ancient Maya thought about 2012. It will also introduce you to the living Maya of Honduras, as well as to ceremonialists, who will welcome us into their lives and sacred rituals.
EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT: Deposit by March 1, 2012 and save $125
