Raiders of the Lost Mayan Cave

[tinabinab]

I left the DSLR on the boat for this excursion -and am very glad I did. That photo was one of the 10 or so that was on my CD - very much worth it for $20! I checked out the metadata and they were using a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ28. It was in auto mode, f/2.8.

 

We were using a thin, older model, 5 mpx Sony that I threw around my neck - some of picts look pretty good, but most, just so-so or worse. :)

 

When you look at the pictures and see the white spots on the ceilings and such, that was actually condensation. Looks like diamonds in the surface and it's actually quite stunning when you're there looking at it in person.

 

 

[burm]

Wonderful photos. Terrific memories for you! When I look at them I want to yell "keep your feet up". It looks like you are about to crash into rocks.

[okwriter]

Glad to find this...I think!

 

I actually came to check out excursions for seeing some ruins when I stumbled onto this. DH repelled many years ago and says it's a blast! I was intrigued by all of your descriptions until I read it isn't really repelling. *sigh* Still sounds fun!

 

Decisions! Decisions!

[karonius]

My major concern with this excursion is that we will be on a small ship and most passengers are not young. This would probably be the first excursion to be cancelled. :(

 

Burm, This is my worry too. I see you will be on the Regatta's Mayan Mystique in March. I will be on the February cruise. I am not getting my hopes up too high as I understand a lot of excursions get cancelled. We have book private tours in the other ports but booked this one with the ship. Hope there will be a good substitute if it does get cancelled.

[karonius]

My major concern with this excursion is that we will be on a small ship and most passengers are not young. This would probably be the first excursion to be cancelled. :(

Burm, This is my worry too. I see you will be on the Regatta's Mayan Mystique in March. I will be on the February cruise. I am not getting my hopes up too high as I understand a lot of excursions get cancelled. We have book private tours in the other ports but booked this one with the ship. Hope there will be a good substitute if it does get cancelled.

[burm]

Burm, This is my worry too. I see you will be on the Regatta's Mayan Mystique in March. I will be on the February cruise. I am not getting my hopes up too high as I understand a lot of excursions get cancelled. We have book private tours in the other ports but booked this one with the ship. Hope there will be a good substitute if it does get cancelled.

 

Be sure to let us know what happens. :)

[clintaustin]

My wife (64) and I just did this in Belize on 11/24 with NCL Spirit. It was awesome! It starts out with a moderate trek up the hill (easy for trekkers, not too hard for the average cruiser - not for anyone with a cane or walker), passage through an open cave where sacrifices were performed and then into the cave. We went in the dry season - in the wet season, there is water up to your waist and they still do it - I imagine the difficulty goes up then. there are some low overhangs where you have to stoop and not bang your back on a stalagtite and some squeezes where a little gut-sucking is required (imagine a pretty young thing is watching you). I'm claustrophobic but in all, there's enough open space that I was ok though there was one small chamber that was uncomfortable and I stayed by the exit. There are two short zipline passages, the first is under your control and the second is under theirs - they do the braking. Two suspension bridges, one rope with lots of ropes, and one slats where you walk on the slats. Neither were high - just spanning a rough cave bottom - maybe 20 ft in the air. In all the more dangerous sections, including the bridges, you are tied to a safety line, so while it may seem a little scary, it is safe if you slip. There is a vertical rappel and they control the braking on that - you just step off. That one was my only concern - they did not have a second safety rope for that one, but I looked at the rope and judged it ok for the 20 seconds I'd be on it. I highly recommend the experience - they seem like a very attentive group of guides and they pay attention to the people who have more trouble getting through it. It would be more challenging in the wet season. For us, it was a highlight of the entire cruise.

[burm]

Thanks, Clintaustin, for an excellent review. You have answered a lot of our questions.

[lissybelle]

I will be doing this excursion in October, rainy season. would it be better for me to wear tennis shoes or water shoes?

[tricky_tink]

I'm doing this one too. :) I would think water shoes would work fine. Just make sure they are comfortable and have some grip.

[z6joker9]

Hey guys, I'm planning on doing this in September. Would these classify as "Closed-toe"? My three small toes can be seen from the side.

 

http://www.keenfootwear.com/us/en/product/ss11/shoes/men/waterfront/kanyon

[karonius]

They are the exact shoes I wore on our trip and they worked out fine. Enjoy.

[xanelle21]

My husband and I are not very outdoorsy people (we are mid-30s) but figured we wanted to do something adventurous on this trip for a change. We had a blast and this will be one of those excursions that will be talked about for awhile!

 

I was apprehensive before the cruise (travel was 08/07-08/14/2011, on the Carnival Legend) about particular elements of this excursion (rappelling, ziplining) but they were so fun that I would do this all over again.

 

Tried to pre-book this direct through Chukka Carribean Tours (they also own Bak-a-Bush Tours), but they did not offer it online. I do not how much it would have cost off ship, but Legend charged us $125 each, but I think it was worth the money. At least, we didn't have to worry about getting back to the ship on time or figuring out travel arrangements. Getting ready for our tender into Belize City, we were also warned by someone whose husband is from Belize, to be very careful booking tours off the ship. Belize is not known to be one of the 'safe cities' in Central America.

 

It is about a 45 min bus ride to where the caves are, with the last 10 or 15 min of the ride, as a bit "bumpy" (unpaved road). On reaching the outpost, you are equipped with your helmet, light, gloves, and harness and briefed about safety. Before donning your equipment, I would spray some more of your bug spray--those mosquitoes are huge and aplenty! There is about a 15 min hike, through the jungle (some uphill climbs, over rocks and fallen trees), to the entrance of the cave. We were split up into groups of 13 with two guides for each group. I believe it is roughly 2 miles long through the cave but it seems longer. I forgot how long the entire thing took but I would probably say close to an hour. Fortunately, there was only one cruise ship in town, so we weren't rushed through, which apparently does happen when several ships are at port.

 

Water is provided at the end of this hike before you enter into the caves, as well as at the very end of your spleunking adventure. Lunch, consisting of chicken or beef kabobs with beans, and soft tacos, is included in this excursion--which in my opinion were not that good but was enough to tide me over until I got back on the ship.

 

I wore aqua shoes and were fine walking in them especially that there were muddy areas we went through. My husband wore his Skechers shoes while other people wore tennis shoes and one wore aqua 'feet'! I would just make sure that if you were to wear aqua shoes, make sure they have a good grip, as there were areas that were a little slippery. We were told that during rainy season, there is water in the caves, which can get up to waist high--so if you don't want to ride home with wet shoes/socks, aqua shoes are the best way to go especially during the wet season.

 

It is advisable to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts but you will be hot and sweaty going through the cave. Some people on the tour wore shorts and tank tops and I'm sure they didn't mind getting bit by the mosquitoes :cool: or getting muddy and dirty since you do get on all fours in some areas (only a short, less than a minute distance).

 

Not one to leave my camera behind, I did bring a point and shoot, zoom lens camera with me(Kodak Z650)--no DSLR for this excursion! You have to have both hands free for the entire length of this excursion...so I put mine around my neck...it got its fair share of banging up because of the harnesses for ziplining/rapelling but my camera is still around:p. Unfortunately, I have no pics of me...because I was the self-appointed token photog. So, if you do want pics of yourself, and are traveling as a pair/group, I would bring at least two cameras--you have to be fast as the group keeps constantly moving.

 

There will be 'photographers' who will be tagging along. They will be charging $25 for 20 pics (about $2/pic), burned on to a CD, which you will be able to see/check out at the outpost where you will be having lunch at. You can probably try to negotiate--there were more than 20 pics between my husband and I, and I asked if could pay only $20 for all of them.

 

The first element is going down to a different level of the cave via "ferrata", or iron handles, serving as a ladder. Next is rappelling, which is a 'freefall' by the way, of about 20 feet, then the ziplining probably up to 300 feet, the rope suspension bridges, then one last zipline to exit the caves.

 

For me, the rappelling was more scary because you have to step off a platform with all your weight on that rope (you sit on the air)--they do control your speed and descent (one person is at the top, and one is at the bottom). They apparently, also test all the equipment day of, so I guess that's a relief (I asked,'what if the rope breaks?'). My husband thought that the ziplining was scarier but I "wheeeeeeeeeed" all through that ride:D. For that one, you control your speed...make sure your hands are behind the pulley, and keep your knees/legs up as you near the end platform. Going through the suspension bridges, you will still be harnessed, so it is relatively safe if you slip and fall, but God forbid that happens to you.

 

All in all, I would rate this excursion a 5/5...not to be missed if you like adventure. I heard the cave tubing was somewhat boring but I guess that depends on what you're looking for. While I did say I would do this excursion again, the next time we are in Belize, we will be checking out Xunantanich, as I heard some excellent reviews for it as well!

 

Hope this helps you in deciding which excursion to do while in Belize.

 

Happy Cruising to All!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

My husband and I are not very outdoorsy people (we are mid-30s) but figured we wanted to do something adventurous on this trip for a change. We had a blast and this will be one of those excursions that will be talked about for awhile!

 

I was apprehensive before the cruise (travel was 08/07-08/14/2011, on the Carnival Legend) about particular elements of this excursion (rappelling, ziplining) but they were so fun that I would do this all over again.

 

Tried to pre-book this direct through Chukka Carribean Tours (they also own Bak-a-Bush Tours), but they did not offer it online. I do not how much it would have cost off ship, but Legend charged us $125 each, but I think it was worth the money. At least, we didn't have to worry about getting back to the ship on time or figuring out travel arrangements. Getting ready for our tender into Belize City, we were also warned by someone whose husband is from Belize, to be very careful booking tours off the ship. Belize is not known to be one of the 'safe cities' in Central America.

 

It is about a 45 min bus ride to where the caves are, with the last 10 or 15 min of the ride, as a bit "bumpy" (unpaved road). On reaching the outpost, you are equipped with your helmet, light, gloves, and harness and briefed about safety. Before donning your equipment, I would spray some more of your bug spray--those mosquitoes are huge and aplenty! There is about a 15 min hike, through the jungle (some uphill climbs, over rocks and fallen trees), to the entrance of the cave. We were split up into groups of 13 with two guides for each group. I believe it is roughly 2 miles long through the cave but it seems longer. I forgot how long the entire thing took but I would probably say close to an hour. Fortunately, there was only one cruise ship in town, so we weren't rushed through, which apparently does happen when several ships are at port.

 

Water is provided at the end of this hike before you enter into the caves, as well as at the very end of your spleunking adventure. Lunch, consisting of chicken or beef kabobs with beans, and soft tacos, is included in this excursion--which in my opinion were not that good but was enough to tide me over until I got back on the ship.

 

I wore aqua shoes and were fine walking in them especially that there were muddy areas we went through. My husband wore his Skechers shoes while other people wore tennis shoes and one wore aqua 'feet'! I would just make sure that if you were to wear aqua shoes, make sure they have a good grip, as there were areas that were a little slippery. We were told that during rainy season, there is water in the caves, which can get up to waist high--so if you don't want to ride home with wet shoes/socks, aqua shoes are the best way to go especially during the wet season.

 

It is advisable to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts but you will be hot and sweaty going through the cave. Some people on the tour wore shorts and tank tops and I'm sure they didn't mind getting bit by the mosquitoes :cool: or getting muddy and dirty since you do get on all fours in some areas (only a short, less than a minute distance).

 

Not one to leave my camera behind, I did bring a point and shoot, zoom lens camera with me(Kodak Z650)--no DSLR for this excursion! You have to have both hands free for the entire length of this excursion...so I put mine around my neck...it got its fair share of banging up because of the harnesses for ziplining/rapelling but my camera is still around:p. Unfortunately, I have no pics of me...because I was the self-appointed token photog. So, if you do want pics of yourself, and are traveling as a pair/group, I would bring at least two cameras--you have to be fast as the group keeps constantly moving.

 

There will be 'photographers' who will be tagging along. They will be charging $25 for 20 pics (about $2/pic), burned on to a CD, which you will be able to see/check out at the outpost where you will be having lunch at. You can probably try to negotiate--there were more than 20 pics between my husband and I, and I asked if could pay only $20 for all of them.

 

The first element is going down to a different level of the cave via "ferrata", or iron handles, serving as a ladder. Next is rappelling, which is a 'freefall' by the way, of about 20 feet, then the ziplining probably up to 300 feet, the rope suspension bridges, then one last zipline to exit the caves.

 

For me, the rappelling was more scary because you have to step off a platform with all your weight on that rope (you sit on the air)--they do control your speed and descent (one person is at the top, and one is at the bottom). They apparently, also test all the equipment day of, so I guess that's a relief (I asked,'what if the rope breaks?'). My husband thought that the ziplining was scarier but I "wheeeeeeeeeed" all through that ride:D. For that one, you control your speed...make sure your hands are behind the pulley, and keep your knees/legs up as you near the end platform. Going through the suspension bridges, you will still be harnessed, so it is relatively safe if you slip and fall, but God forbid that happens to you.

 

All in all, I would rate this excursion a 5/5...not to be missed if you like adventure. I heard the cave tubing was somewhat boring but I guess that depends on what you're looking for. While I did say I would do this excursion again, the next time we are in Belize, we will be checking out Xunantanich, as I heard some excellent reviews for it as well!

 

Hope this helps you in deciding which excursion to do while in Belize.

 

Happy Cruising to All!

 

 

Wow! Thanks for the review. It was great! I will be doing this excurssion when I am on my cruise (alone) in October. I am even more excited now!!:D I just hate I couldn't get any of my family or friends to join me on this adventure. They are going to be jealous when I get back!!

[kessdarln]

Returned from this tour last week. Posted it here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=31115178#post31115178