Swim with Sharks in Belize
Belize
April 18 - 20, 2015
After an extremely relaxing time in Bacalar, Mexico, we decided to extend our trip, and hop over to Belize for a couple of days. I made arrangements with Belize VIP Transfers and Tours to have us picked up at Rancho Encatando, and dropped off at the Corozal airport in Belize.
But before we get into more details, first I really want to recommend Belize VIP Transfers and Tours. They were extremely reliable and affordable!
Overall, we paid $70 for 3 people to be picked up from Bacalar to the Corozal Airport, $50 from the Airport to Orchid Bay where our Airbnb was located, and $80 to be taken back to Chetumal.
So how did we get there?
I really want to expand on our journey, vs just telling you what affordable airline to get. As this journey was probably one of the most intense ones I've done so far. We were short on time, and needed to cram all the activities we wanted to do in just THREE DAYS..
The morning we decided to head to Belize, we were picked up by Belize VIP Transfers and Tours at 8:45 AM, Mexico time (Mexico is one hour ahead of Belize), to take us to the Corozal Airport. Now, here is the stressful part! Everything was planned to the T. One missed connection and everything would've fallen apart.
The drive from Bacalar to Corozal Airport was about 50 mins long. Not counting the time we'd spend crossing the border and going through customs.
We had a 9:40 AM (Belize time) flight to catch over to Ambergris, to make our 10AM snorkeling appointment over to Hol Chan. Luckily EVERYTHING went according to plan. We flew Mayan Island Air, and were at Caye Ambergris in 20mins.
At our arrival at San Pedro Lorne & Jolene (who I will talk about more later) were waiting to take us on a boat to the Marine Reserve.
Our tour ended a little after noon, which gave us enough time to get food, rent a golf cart and explore San Pedro before catching our 4PM flight back to Corozal.
Once we landed, our driver was waiting to take us to our Airbnb in Orchid Bay. Needles to say this was one of the longest, yet most adventurous day of my life.
Our Stay.
In Corozal I booked a Waterfront Casita, that faced the Caribbean thru Airbnb. Jeff and Debi were great hosts, and the Casita was spacious.
The casita is located in Orchid Bay, a small residential community in Northern Belize. The casita comes with plenty of amenities, such as paddle boarding, kayaking, a pool, there's also a nearby restaurant in the community, and a small corner store.
Must Do’s.
Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley
At our arrival in San Pedro Lorne & Jolene from www.grumpyandhappy.com were waiting to take us snorkeling to Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley. At the Marine Reserve I got a chance to swim with sea turtles, all kinds of fish, stingrays and not to mention shark rays. Swimming with sharks was my favorite part of the trip. Scary yet an incredible experience. I know swimming with sharks sounds terrifying to most people, if not everyone. These sharks are completely harmless. Something that my parents couldn't understand. As Jolene kept asking me to jump into the water with the sharks, I kept hearing my mom yelling "Please don't do it!". I have never seen my parents so freaked out in my life. Because I am a great daughter, I completely ignored my parents and jumped in with the sharks. I felt an immediate adrenaline rush, hoping the sharks were indeed harmless and they were. They didn't bite. They just pushed me around. Their skin was really rough, and it was hard to take any good pictures because of all the movement.
Lamanai Mayan Ruins
Mask Temple, Lamanai, Belize
The following day we took a boat tour to Lamanai. This was also booked thru Belize VIP Transfers and Tours. Getting to Lamanai was a unique experience! The tour was about an hour or so, but it felt so much longer than that. The ride through the Belize New River is quite unbelievable, because the whole way you are surrounded by jungle. I got to see birds I've never seen before, and even bats that live by the river. Thankfully we caught one sleeping , and to make things even more thrilling, we saw a baby crocodile. Luckily the big crocodiles where at the bottom of the river... yikes!
Through our journey, we got to get a glimpse of the Mennonite community that lives in Belize. A group of them stood by the the river to say hello as we went by.
Tip: Bring lots of water. We went in April and the weather was HOT! Not to mention extremely humid. You don't need to worry about food, as food is provided at the end of the tour. Defiitely bring cash if you want to buy souvenirs. There are a couple of shops at the entrance of the ruins, where you can find beautiful handmade items.
High Temple, Lamanai, Belize
Lamanai which means submerged crocodile in Yucatec Maya, is an archaeological site, that was once occupied by the Mayas. The site dates back to 1500 BC. Three of their main temples remain standing, Mask Temple, Jaguar Temple and High Temple. At the High Temple you are able to climb all the way to the top and get an amazing view of the New River and the jungle that surrounds it.
High Temple, Lamanai, Belize
Best Must Eats.
Stew Chicken and Rice & Beans is the typical dish of Belize. It's delicious! They also have plantains, and their famous local beer is Bilikin. I don't have a specific place to recommend, because everywhere we went the food was amazing. The tour to Lamanai provided homemade food, which was THE most amazing meal we had.
ADDED BONUS-
Belizean Rice and Beans Recipe
Before leaving Belize, I made sure I had that bean & rice recipe. So I am gladly sharing that with you today!
Rice and beans is a delicious Belizean dish that you can find anywhere in Belize. Hopefully this recipe will allow you to bring it home! It's super easy (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 cup red kidney beans (soaked and drained)
2 cups rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 garlic clove
1 medium onion sliced
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme
Prepping
Soak the beans for 4-6 hours
Boil the beans with garlic and onion until tender
Season beans with thyme, black pepper and salt
Add coconut milk. Let it boil. Stir and taste
Add the rice to the seasoned beans. Stir and cover. Cook until the water the rice is nice and tender and the water is gone. Add water *only if needed*
Don't forget to enjoy the beer!
Try a Belikin!
USEFUL THINGS TO KNOW.
People in Belize speak both English and Spanish.
2 Belize Dollar = 1 US Dollar
Passports are required to enter Belize. No Visas needed.
QUICK LINKS
Transportation: Belize VIP Transfers and Tours: http://www.belizetransfers.com
Transportation: Mayan Island Air http://www.mayaislandair.com/
Activities: Snorkeling: www.grumpyandhappy.com
Activities: Lamanai: Belize VIP Transfers and Tours: http://www.belizetransfers.com
Airbnb: http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1177282?euid=ac71de21-ccc6-2e09-41cd-f3402896b843
OVERALL COSTS
Transportation & Tour with Belize VIP Transfers and Tours: $550 for 3 people
Package Description: 18 April 2015 Transfer Bacalar to Corozal Apt Maya 9:0am flight then transfer at 4:40pm Maya Air to Orchid Bay 19 April 2015 Transfer Orchid Bay to Lamanai Day Tour 20 April 2015 Transfer Orchid Bay to Chetumal Fiesta Inn
Maya Air Flight: Round Trip Flights $364.50 for 3 people ($115 pp)
Airbnb: $336 - 2 nights - 3 people ($56pp/night)
Snorkeling with Lorne & Jolene: $360 ($120 pp)
Total: $1610.50 for 3 people ($536 PP)
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