Before traveling to Belize, we created a list of things we had to accomplish while there. If you've read my "A Guide To Belize: Snorkeling Tour" post, you've heard about this before.
We generated a list of places we had to see and things we had to do and one of the things on everyone's list: Mayan Ruin tours. I was in charge of booking all the tours/adventures we went on during our trip. I did lots of research, read lots of reviews, and compared lots of prices before eventually realizing none of the others came remotely close to matching what Tsunami Adventures could. They offered several packages where we could see both the ruins and also either zip-line or cave tube. Obviously, we chose to cave tube.
We ended up booking a full-day tour in Belize City where half the day was dedicated to touring Altun Ha and the other half was set aside for a cave tubing adventure in the Jaguar Rain Forest.
How We Got To Our Cave Tubing Location:
Here's what out day looked like:
-8am water taxi from Caye Caulker to Belize City
-45 minutes later we arrived (LATE) and were greeted by our tour guide, Major Tom
- 45 minute drive to our first stop: Altun Ha which will be talked about in a future post
- hour drive from there to the cave tubing location
We traveled in a decently clean/nice van with 3 rows of seating. Just like I talked about in previous posts, everyone drives like CRAZY PEOPLE. This was no different. Curvy, narrow, one lane roads at roughly 50mph were not my favorite thing about this adventure.
Cave Tubing:
Be prepared for a hike. It's pretty short and not too bad of a terrain, but it's still a good 15-20 minutes of walking in rainforest temps and humidity. You'll find yourself walking up and down muddy hills, through semi-fast water, and around ant nests the size of Texas. Oh, and I failed to mention this: you'll be carrying an abnormally large tube the whole time. (Tip: Carry it on your head like I did in the photos below. It's WAY easier.)
You'll stop at different locations to talk about the terrain and the plants in the rainforest. You'll learn why it's called Jaguar Rainforest (apparently they still have jaguars in there. yikes.) and taste the fruits along the path.
This is where I ate a termite (as seen in the photos where I look terrified directly above this). For reference, it's not as bad you'd imagine. They taste like a blend of wood, carrots, and mint. It's weird but again, you should try it.
I've said it before but I'm a different person on vacation and have major FOMO. "Vacation Morgan" tries EVERYTHING. Even termites.
Once you make it through the rainforest hike, you arrive at a grand opening where the river flows through multiple caves. It's an instant glance at what's to come.
Here's where the pictures turn minimal. Because of how dark the inside of the caves are, the amount of usable pictures you get are lacking. Take my word, it was magical. Everything you think about tubing in a cave is probably true. It's much colder, the water gets super deep, there are bats EVERYWHERE, and the stalagmites and stalactites are unbelievably stunning. The only downside, it's EXTREMELY dark so you really only get to see these things at a glance.
After about 15 minutes or so inside the caves, the terrain opens up to the most beautiful green rainforest. The forest is lush with palms and ivy that are native to Belize City. At this point, you are able to hop out of your tube (if you'd like!) and swim in the super clear, teal-colored water. It's about 8-10ft deep but you'll have your life jacket on. If you're not the greatest swimmer, don't worry!
You'll also get a pedicure. You know, the one's the Kardashian's made famous where you put your feet in a little container of water and tiny fish eat the dead skin off? Yeah, same idea. It tickles. That's all I really have to say about that. Not necessarily a highlight for me. Eek!
Howler Monkeys:
Spoiler Alert: They are as loud as they are cute. HOLY MOLY. It's truly something you have to experience to understand. We learned that the alpha male is the only one "howling" even though it sounds like it could be hundreds of them!
Tips:
- BUG SPRAY. Bring it.
- Invest in a GoPro or waterproof camera. Again, memories are priceless so a good camera is hard to leave home without.
- Water shoes are a must. They are featured on "A Guide To Belize: What To Pack" and here's another time when they are desperately needed. I recommend Chacos but any kind of water shoe will work. Bringing your own saves you from having to rent some at the location.
- Expect to spend more time in the car than on the adventures. It's not as big of a deal as you'd think and you truly do not spend all that much time tubing or hiking.
Want More? Check out the video below for GoPro clips from our day of cave tubing in Belize City! The first 10 seconds are my favorite: "That about took my shorts off. No exaggeration." Thanks for the videos (and the commentary) Eddie K!
How We Got To Our Cave Tubing Location:
Here's what out day looked like:
-8am water taxi from Caye Caulker to Belize City
-45 minutes later we arrived (LATE) and were greeted by our tour guide, Major Tom
- 45 minute drive to our first stop: Altun Ha which will be talked about in a future post
- hour drive from there to the cave tubing location
We traveled in a decently clean/nice van with 3 rows of seating. Just like I talked about in previous posts, everyone drives like CRAZY PEOPLE. This was no different. Curvy, narrow, one lane roads at roughly 50mph were not my favorite thing about this adventure.
Cave Tubing:
Be prepared for a hike. It's pretty short and not too bad of a terrain, but it's still a good 15-20 minutes of walking in rainforest temps and humidity. You'll find yourself walking up and down muddy hills, through semi-fast water, and around ant nests the size of Texas. Oh, and I failed to mention this: you'll be carrying an abnormally large tube the whole time. (Tip: Carry it on your head like I did in the photos below. It's WAY easier.)
You'll stop at different locations to talk about the terrain and the plants in the rainforest. You'll learn why it's called Jaguar Rainforest (apparently they still have jaguars in there. yikes.) and taste the fruits along the path.
This is where I ate a termite (as seen in the photos where I look terrified directly above this). For reference, it's not as bad you'd imagine. They taste like a blend of wood, carrots, and mint. It's weird but again, you should try it.
I've said it before but I'm a different person on vacation and have major FOMO. "Vacation Morgan" tries EVERYTHING. Even termites.
Once you make it through the rainforest hike, you arrive at a grand opening where the river flows through multiple caves. It's an instant glance at what's to come.
Here's where the pictures turn minimal. Because of how dark the inside of the caves are, the amount of usable pictures you get are lacking. Take my word, it was magical. Everything you think about tubing in a cave is probably true. It's much colder, the water gets super deep, there are bats EVERYWHERE, and the stalagmites and stalactites are unbelievably stunning. The only downside, it's EXTREMELY dark so you really only get to see these things at a glance.
After about 15 minutes or so inside the caves, the terrain opens up to the most beautiful green rainforest. The forest is lush with palms and ivy that are native to Belize City. At this point, you are able to hop out of your tube (if you'd like!) and swim in the super clear, teal-colored water. It's about 8-10ft deep but you'll have your life jacket on. If you're not the greatest swimmer, don't worry!
You'll also get a pedicure. You know, the one's the Kardashian's made famous where you put your feet in a little container of water and tiny fish eat the dead skin off? Yeah, same idea. It tickles. That's all I really have to say about that. Not necessarily a highlight for me. Eek!
Howler Monkeys:
Spoiler Alert: They are as loud as they are cute. HOLY MOLY. It's truly something you have to experience to understand. We learned that the alpha male is the only one "howling" even though it sounds like it could be hundreds of them!
Tips:
- BUG SPRAY. Bring it.
- Invest in a GoPro or waterproof camera. Again, memories are priceless so a good camera is hard to leave home without.
- Water shoes are a must. They are featured on "A Guide To Belize: What To Pack" and here's another time when they are desperately needed. I recommend Chacos but any kind of water shoe will work. Bringing your own saves you from having to rent some at the location.
- Expect to spend more time in the car than on the adventures. It's not as big of a deal as you'd think and you truly do not spend all that much time tubing or hiking.
Want More? Check out the video below for GoPro clips from our day of cave tubing in Belize City! The first 10 seconds are my favorite: "That about took my shorts off. No exaggeration." Thanks for the videos (and the commentary) Eddie K!
Going to Belize? Have more questions? I'm your girl.
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