Honestly, I would ditch the Belize Zoo lodge for an extra night at Tikal. If you transfer directly between the airport and the Lamanai Outpost Lodge, you travel on an AMAZING boat ride* up the New River where you see all kinds of wildlife in addition to natural scenery and even a look into the back country culture of Belize.

To put it another way--I thought it was better than Cano Negro in Costa Rica--and would you trade a Cano Negro trip in for a visit to a zoo? I'm sure the Belize Zoo is nice. but it's still a zoo.

*The boat ride is free if you do their all-inclusive package.

Here's the kind of stuff you might see on the transfer to/from the airport:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31267353@N03/4384161145/in/set-72157623505136530/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31267353@N03/4384950990/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31267353@N03/4384204109/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31267353@N03/4386904364/in/photostream/

Flores is a nice little tourist town, but it's not a destination. It's a place people stay at night to explore other more interesting places during the day.

We were happy to have two nights at Tikal. There's so much wildlife around there. Plus, if you go in the rainy season, you'll want the best chance to see it in good weather. Our second sunset in the main square in Tikal wasn't any less magical than the first.

Also, the logistics of traveling between all of these places is somewhat challenging and you may want to build in some time for that. We wound up doing the reverse order of what you did, i.e.:

1) Land transfer from BZE to Cayo
2) Land transfer from Cayo to Tikal area
3) Flight from Tikal area to BZe; land/river transfer from BZE to Lamanai Outpost Lodge
4) River/land transfer from Lamanai to BZE for flight home.

I would be sure to do the spotlight safari at Lamanai Outpost Lodge--it was our favorite activity. We really enjoyed the sunset booze cruise, but if you're traveling with a <21 child it might lack some of the same magic.

Also, cave tubing could easily be done from the Cayo region, where you have more free time. We haven't done it, but my brother and his wife did. They liked it, but found it underwhelming.

Hi Rac -- Thanks for your comments. It was Dr. FeelAwesome from TA that recommended the night tour at the zoo and said it was pretty cool. I think it's supposed to be a really great zoo, but I hear what you're saying. I didn't realize I would miss the boat ride in if we stayed there and I definitely don't want to miss that! However, if our flight doesn't arrive until the afternoon then I suppose we would need to stay somewhere in order to take the boat in daylight...hmmm. Help!

Sounds like I should move the spotlight safari up on the list then. And ponder another night in Tikal. How much time did it take you to get from place to place? Is there any reason it would be better (based on above) for me to flip Lamanai and Cayo?

Oh, I think we were posting at the same time. I'm not that excited about cave tubing, but my 13 year old will probably say different. It's all about balance.

Oh, I see now why you said I'd miss the river trip to Lamanai...because of the tubing/x-fer. Ok, I'll have to check that.

We left for the LOL 12:00 or 1:00 pm--something like that. It's about a 2-3 hour boat ride, so as long as you're on the road by 2:30-3:00 you should be fine. I would contact the LOL and figure that out with them--they're extremely attentive and will make things work for you.

Travel time:

About 2.5 hours from BZE to Cayo and from Cayo to Tikal. About 45 minutes-1 hour from Tikal to Flores (airport). About 1 hour flight from Flores to BZE.

Planning the logistics of our trip was a real struggle. What finally solved it for us was the ability to fly from Flores to BZE.

Doing Cayo-Flores/Tikal-Lamanai allowed us to land, then head west on land in smaller increments, and then circle back by plane to BZE so we could get picked up by the LOL (they have their own lounge there with WiFi--across the road from BZE).

It might also make sense for you to do that kind of travel arrangement--that way you can take the free transfer from the LOL to BZE, and from there fly out to the Cayes.

Also, at Tikal don't forget there are two museums plus nature trails completely outside the archaeological reserve--including a small pond where we saw a crocodile, blue buntings, and a green heron spearing a fish. Staying one night wouldn't allow one to just kind of poke around the place and discover things.

Hip - the zoo is unique - yes it's a zoo, and you wouldn't miss much to skip it, but it's a nice place to go. We didn't do a night tour, so I don't know what would be different. It's small, and we stopped as part of our transfer to Chaa Creek. Our driver came in with us and acted as a guide in the zoo. We weren't there for more than two hours and I don't know if there were many more people there than just us! But all of the animals are native to Belize. They're all in very natural environment "cages". The signs are all wooden and hand carved and meant to be humorous or very light hearted - and carefree. You get very close to the animals. For me, it was a great introduction to the country and actually it was the most wildlife we saw in Belize - other than the sea life.

I don't think I'd give up other parts of your trip for a day visit, but if the night tour is something unique, it might be worth it.

Your trip sounds great! You definitely have a lot packed into it!

Shell - based on what you did do you think I'm trying to fit too much in?

hip, I think it looks great. You plan awesome trips. Be sure to take your daughter to D&E's Custard when you're on Ambergris.

I think it sounds great Hip! It's a lot of switching places, but I know you like to do that - so you'll be good with it! Glover's Atoll sounds really cool. I would have liked to get to Lamani, even for a day trip on our visit. But by the time we got to Ambergris, I wasn't up for any mainland excursions! It was all about the ocean for me at that point! I definitely want to plan a return trip to Belize. Are you going next summer, or sometime before that? I'll be looking forward to hearing about your trip to help out planning my next visit!

Regarding getting from Lamanai to Tikal:

Tropic Air has two flights--one at 7:45 am and the other and 3:00 pm. That would mean leaving the Lamanai Outpost Lodge at 4:30 or so--which would seem unpleasant. You could take the 3:00 flight, which would arrive at 4:00 in Flores. From there it would be about an hour to get to the Tikal Inn, plus check in time. So, that would be really pushing it for seeing the ruins in the afternoon--it gets very dark very fast in the forest there.

It's possible to drive out of Lamanai during dry season, but it's considered a poor idea to do so during the rainy season (roads get washed out).



If you do things in reverse--Cayo-Tikal-Lamanai, there are 8:45 and a 4:15 flights to BZE out of Flores. We took the 8:45 and then took the van/boat transfer to Lamanai from the airport).

I just got back from my whirlwind tour of Belize and I have to say only one word - DEET! I came back with bot fly larvae and still have ones to hatch. We were in the southern portion near Blue Hole National Park, Cockscomb and then over to Caye Caulker. If you type in bot fly stories you will see most of them are from Belize and from a lot of the places you are going.

Thanks RAC for all of the logistics details. Even though trip isn't until next summer I kind of want to know what I'm getting myself into especially transfer costs including flight to Flores if that's the way to go. Maybe flipping Cayo and Lamanai as you said would work better...I'll put it on paper.

Shell - Well, I don't necessarily like moving around that much it's more that I can't decide where not to go! I figure 3-4 nights will be fine...but there's still a chance I up 3 areas 1 night each and do away with one area. Also, if we love Glover's we can stay a week. The cost of paying for Ruby's vs. not having to pay for a boat from Glover's would actually save us $ so I'm leaving that option open...I do want to visit the zoo, because I heard it's pretty cool, but the main reason I included the night tour is because if we need to stay somewhere our first night I thought it would make sense anyway. However, if we can x-fer straight from the airport we might skip staying there and try to visit a different day. I'm embarrassed to say trip isn't until next August and I'm already planning.

vgirl - Thanks - Well, it's still in planning stages but getting there!

moneymoo - Ack. Sorry to hear that. Did you have a good time while you were there? Yes, my daughter and I have watched countless Youtube videos of botfly as well as "Monster Inside of Me" on T.V. My daughter's first response was "I'M NOT GOING TO BELIZE". Ha! She's changed her mind, but we'll stay slathered in DEET!

Another must do place on Ambergris is Manneli's or Marnelli's ice cream. Very small hole in the wall but the best coconut ice cream we've ever experienced. My kids still talk about it!

I'm a sucker for anything coconut and am always in search of it - adding to the list with D & E's. Yum! I figure we'll be able to have 3 lunches and 3 dinners so all restaurant rec's are welcome!

Wild Mango's, sometimes just called Mangoes, is really yummy. Nice cute little restaurant with a beach view. Portions were huge for what we ordered.

I thought one of the best things about Belize, and Ambergris in general was that there was a great variety of really good places to eat! It seems so often when you travel, especially in Central America, the food is just ok - but we found Belize to have really good food!

I'm a really early planner too - as soon as we get back from one trip I'm already thinking about the next one! Although probably not quite so detailed as that so soon!!

I would alternate beach and mainland a bit more, perhaps start at Rubys and then move to Lamanai. But sticking to your schedule, just move Lamanai and the zoo.

Day 1/3 nights, Lamanai, great lodge, wonderful choice
Day 4-Fly BZE intl to Flores, overnight in Tikal
Day 5/4 nights-Transfer to Chaa Creek, another wonderful choice
Day 9/4 nights-Transfer Glovers. The atoll is spectacular.
Day 13/3 nights, Rubys
Day 16-cave tubing/ zip line and day and night tour of the zoo
Day 17-40 mins drive to Intl airport.

Great trip, truely memorable.

Thanks vgirl.

Shell- Yes, I'm looking forward to having some nice dining options. However detailed, I imagine this will continue to morph until close to when I leave. Hoping to pick up FF tix which will solidify the dates.

Thanks Katie! We were posting at the same time. RAC mentioned the flight options/times above from Lamanai to Tikal which made me think about flipping Lamanai with Chaa Creek. Do you see any negatives to this?

How long is flight vs. ground x-fer to Tikal?

Yea, I had a really good time. Didn't see very many animals in Belize in Cockscomb compared to Costa Rica. Caye Caulker was just amazing as far as the people go and the snorkeling. So helpful, friendly and the food was great! Can't wait to read your trip report as I've always wanted to go to Glovers. Also went over to Hopkins and it looked very interesting. Didn't use Deet - used "Quit Bugging Me" but you betta Belize it I will use it the next visit to Belize! Happy travels to you!

You can fly from LOL back to BZE and direct to FRS on the 50 mins flight or fly from LOL to Central Farm in Cayo, get a road transfer from there to Tikal. But not direct from LOL to FRS.

The boat ride is one of the best parts of the LOL experience--and it's a lot cheaper than flying.

Sorry I was unclear in my post--the flights I listed to Flores are from BZE, not Lamanai. Thanks for correcting that, Katie. In other words, it's ground/river transportation plus plane or plane plus plane to travel between Flores and Lamanai.

My suggestion would be:

Day 1: Arrive, transfer to Macal/Chaa Creek
Days 2-4: Chaa Creek
Day 5: Morning transfer to Tikal from Chaa Creek/other provider (this should be no problem, as every tour provider in town does this route) Leisurely explore grounds, museums, shops, swim in Tikal Inn pool, buy ticket after 3:30 and enter archaeological reserve--be sure to keep your eyes out for spider monkeys and bring a flash light for leaving.
Day 6: Sunrise tour of Tikal, followed perhaps by a zipline or more nature hiking. Return to the archaeological reserve by sunset
Day 7: Catch early transfer to Flores Airport, fly to BZE. Get Picked up by LOL transfer.
Days 8-9: LOL
Day 10: Transfer from LOL to BZE to catch your transportation to either Glover's or Ruby's.

I've been off the forum for awhile (camping followed by shoulder surgery) and WHOA!! this thread is making my head spin. Here are a few bits to toss in from my experience:

:: 7 places to sleep in just over 2 weeks is too many imo.

:: The zoo is really unique and worth the time, plus it's on the way coming and going - you ought to be able to fit it in even if you don't do the night tour.

:: I agree - don't miss the Lamanai boat trip. Our daughter did the land route and it was not memorable in a good way.

:: Flores isn't all that but makes a good stopover for those taking an early morning flight or bus.

:: If you arrive by mid day, one night is plenty for lots of folks at Tikal. You can visit the museums and visitor center, take a swim, and then buy your ticket after 3:30 (some guards are stingy and it's 4pm). The next morning try to get a quality guide for a sunrise tour; my strong recommendation is Roxy Ortiz, a really wonderful archaelogist who guides out of the Tikal Inn when she's not on a dig.

:: Glover's is a lloooonnng way out there for just 3 days imo; a week never seems long enough for us but there are others whose reports I've read who couldn't wait to leave so to each his/her own.

:: No mention of the ATM cave? It's the highlight of Belize for many travelers and blows cave tubing out of the water imo.

Good luck deciding and happy trails to you!!

Thanks for the input Hope -- I'm totally doing ATM, I missed including that above. Everyone's input has been really helpful on what the do not misses are. I'll take note of Roxy too.

I definitely need to work some things out and lay out the travel time and prices better, but I think we'll be fine with 2 places for 3 nights each and 2 places for 4 nights each (Cayo, Lamanai, San Pedro and Glover's) per the above as far as the number of nights themselves. This trip is meant to be an introductory to for Belize for us. Tikal is a one nighter so there's not much I can do about that but I hesitate NOT going to one of the other areas because of a 1 night stay in Tikal. If I don't have to spend 1st or last near airport I won't - I just didn't know how late I could transfer to hotel so I'm looking into that and hopefully visit the zoo at some point as you said.

Once I lay out all the travel time if it seems like too much I WILL cut one area out but I'm used to moving around more than you do.

Yes, that's way better than the 7 in your 1st post. We're splitting nearly 4 weeks between Guatemala and Roatán next summer and will spend a week each at 3 places; the other almost week's worth of nights will be split between small peeks of new places and the comings and goings - sometimes that can't be helped.

I'm still glowing from this summer's travel and already have flights booked for next summer - oh my! I think we're alike in loving the planning and dreaming almost as much as the travel. Well, not quite, but you know what I mean...

Okay, chicky, here's your input: All advice you have received so far sounds phenomenal! Our 7 nights were a simple blend of Ambergris and Chaa Creek. It was amazing, every bit of it. What you are planning is way more and sounds absolutely fabulous, so just do your usual planning thing and I'm sure it will be a great time for you two!

I found that there is enough time after arriving to x-fer to Chaa Creek (but not for the road/boat to Lamanai) so I think I should take RAC's advice and start our trip at CC, then Tikal, then Lamanai.

The boat to Glover's departs at 9:00am. Is it possible to get from San Pedro to Sittee River by then (hence flipping Glover's with San Pedro as well) or should I plan on spending the night there? Seems difficult to impossible to get there by 9:00am especially from Lamanai.

Katie or Jean -- Do you know about how much it costs for a taxi from Chaa Creek into town to catch tours? PACZ is much cheaper for tours than CC and wonder if it's worth booking through them and just taking taxi. I haven't asked PACZ yet if they will pick up at CC or how much extra they will charge.

PACZ picked us up right at Chaa Creek; there was a slight charge for it.

Just heard back from Pacz and they said $10/pp round trip, which isn't too bad for 2 people. Tours are still much cheaper than CC unless you have a group and it's a group price.

Really unlikely to get from San Pedro to Sittee River Village that morning in time for the boat. The 1st flights arrive in Dangriga around 8:30 (IF they're on time) which wouldn't leave you time to grab your luggage and a cab and make the drive to Sittee before 9am. The boat might not leave right at 9am so there's a theoretical chance you could make it but all the stars would have to line up and if they didn't, you missed the boat. Sorry!!

Any rec's on where to spend the night before catching the boat?

Absolutely: The Hopkins Inn
http://www.hopkinsinn.com/

We really loved our time there and it's only 5-10 minutes from Sittee River; they gave us a lift over for $10.

You'll be able to take in a wild drumming show (we donated about $10/pp) at the Lebeha Drumming Center, too - worth the trip!
http://lebeha.com/

Oh cool! I wanted to visit Hopkins but wasn't sure how far it was. I love drumming...in fact gave up my drum set years ago. Yes, I know they're different types of drums! That sounds great!

Hi hip,
Hope you see this because I'm looking at similar plans for next May. Did you go to Belize? If so, I have some questions about your transportation.

Hi Hip,
Did you get to go? Would love to know your thoughts now about getting from A to B. I did not see a trip report, did I miss it?

xyz...hip didn't make the trip.

I think hip ended up going back to CR.

Thanks, ladies, I know how hip feels about CR, so I would not be surprised

Hey everything sounds good, I would look into a few more hotels on Ambergris Caye. Maybe Holiday Hotel, Sun Breeze, Hotel del Rio, Banana Beach.