What to wear on Lamanai Mayan & river cruise

We are going on the Lamanai Mayan Ruins & New River Cruise in April thru the ship & in the description of the tour the recommended attire is long pants. Do most people wear long pants or would shorts or even capris be ok. Are there alot of bugs, is that why they suggest long pants? Thanks to anyone who might know about this.

We are going on the Lamanai Mayan Ruins & New River Cruise in April thru the ship & in the description of the tour the recommended attire is long pants. Do most people wear long pants or would shorts or even capris be ok. Are there alot of bugs, is that why they suggest long pants? Thanks to anyone who might know about this.

The reason for the long pants is that you will be in a jungle at the ruins. The trails have trips hazards. If you climb the temple, it will keep you from getting scrapes from the stones. You will want a Deet product to keep from getting bitten from mosquitos. Do a search on the "Botfly". Not pleasant.

We had a great time on our tour.

Dave

I went to Lamanai about a month ago. Wore a bit of bug spray, but at that time the bug problem was minimal - no bites. You are either in AC in the van, or with a 25 MPH breeze on the boat, or mostly in the shade at the ruins, so heat is not that major a factor. Sunscreen is still a good idea. If you want to climb the ruins they are made of stone, they are steep, they are dusty, so long pants are a good choice.

Good walking footwear is also essential. It's a great tour, the ruins, jungle, river and wildlife are fantastic.

Thanks so much for your quick responses. It looks like it will be a better idea to wear the long pants & take the bug spray. We are looking forward to this excursion!

We just returned from our cruise on Saturday and did this tour through Princess. If they recommended long pants I missed it. Most of our party wore shorts and we were fine, however, both of our guides were in pants. Our guides said that later in the summer is high time for mosquitos, but definitely wanted us to use the bug repellant once we got to the ruins. Do wear good walking shoes.

This was a fantastic excursion and one that I can say was well worth the money. We saw lots of wildlife on the river including crocodiles, bats, tons of birds and then howler monkeys at the ruins. Climbing one of the structures was great although it sure didn't look as steep going up as it did getting down!

Have a great time

Thank you very much for sharing your experience. It sounds like alot of fun!

We all wore shorts--but honestly, were traveling in the spring. So, possibly the bugs were fewer then?

It was ridiculously hot though, and we all could have used a hat. Our tour guide kept stopping to talk about the ruins in the middle of the fields, so we could pivot around and see them all. And we were all just melting.

LOVED the tour though. Tons of wildlife and fascinating visit to the ruins.

ENJOY!--CeleBrat

Thanks for the hat tip. That is a good idea. I think my DH will wear shorts & I'm still deciding. Can't wait though. Too bad all problems in life aren't this minor.

You are either in AC in the van, or with a 25 MPH breeze on the boat, or mostly in the shade at the ruins, so heat is not that major a factor.

It depends on when you are doing this tour. We did it in July with temperatures of 95 degrees and 90% humidity. The heat was definitely a factor. Living in the desert climate in Utah the humidity was the major factor. I still loved the trip and would recommend it. Just be prepared to deal with the humidity.

You are right about that! Here in Utah we are used to the heat, but not the humidity!!

I have been in the jungle in many areas of Belize and the mosquitoes can be awful. Capri pants, leaving your ankles exposed, can get leave you with 50+ bites on your legs on your lower legs if you are somewhere with a lot of bugs! THEY ITCH!

Don't worry about the whole botfly scare tactic thing. Or Malaria preventatives. On your short visit it won't be a concern.

There are areas that have fewer bugs, and I found that some of the ruins are in very open areas without many jungly trees, and they didn't have as many bugs. But in the jungle- watch out!

Really lightweight pants plus a tank top with a light long sleeved buttone down shirt over it with a hat that gives you shade on your head & neck are good options. You can take off the button down shirt and tie it around your waist once you are in a bug-free zone. They make these fun convertible shorts/pants for guys that are good also- cheaper versions at Old Navy type places, more expensive at Land's End.

We are going on the Lamanai Mayan Ruins & New River Cruise in April thru the ship & in the description of the tour the recommended attire is long pants. Do most people wear long pants or would shorts or even capris be ok. Are there alot of bugs, is that why they suggest long pants? Thanks to anyone who might know about this.

on same cruise (apr 12th) and excursion, maybe we'll meet. a lot of good advice, glad to read people enjoyed the tour. nick & georgeann

We did this tour. It was over 100 degrees and over 100% humidity. Surprisingly, no bugs. Our guides were even wilting. You should wear gym shoes. We spent almost no time in the sun, lots of trees and boat is covered. It was interesting, but we all wish we had opted for a beach and snorkeling.