Belize
The Natural Gem of Central America
March 21 to 29, 2012

Orange-breasted Falcon
©Ryan Phillips

Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, is truly an amazing country and a gem of Central America. It is the only English speaking country in Central America with a human population of less than 300,000, making it quite unique. Nearly 70% of the country is in undeveloped with nearly 45% protected through National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Areas, Forest Reserves, Nature Reserves, and Archaeological Sites. Being in the sub-tropical zone, Belize holds a vast variety of habitats and wildlife, including the largest reef in the western hemisphere and the second largest in the world. It is a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts, birders, photographers, and anyone with an appreciation for the beauty of nature. It holds the highest density of the majestic Jaguar and nearly 600 species of birds. Join us on this fantastic trip as we explore the wonders and friendly atmosphere of Belize.

At a Glance

Cost: $2,750 per person, double occupancy. Review cost details.

Leaders: Ryan Phillips and resident guides. Ryan has done many in-depth studies of raptors in Belize.

Size: 10 plus leaders.

Days: 9

Conditions: A non-smoking safari for people who are very interested in all wildlife and spending the maximum time in the field.

Update: This itinerary was updated in January 2010. View the plain text version, great for printing!

Synopsis:

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Detailed Itinerary

March 21, Wednesday Arrive in Belize
Arrive in Belize City, Belize, by late afternoon where our leader, Ryan Phillips, will warmly welcome you at the airport. Review flight details. From the airport, we will take a scenic three-hour bus ride to La Milpa Field Station, located in the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area (RBCMA). During the drive, we could find species such as the Jabiru, Wood Stork, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, White-tailed Hawk, Great Black-Hawk, Aplomado Falcon, Ocellated Turkey, Keel-billed Toucan, and Fork-tailed Flycatcher. La Milpa Field Station is nestled in the heart of the northern Belizean rainforest. Upon arrival, get settled into your private cabana and enjoy the nocturnal sounds of the jungle. This stunning 260,000-acre preserve is where we will spend our first three nights.
Lodging: La Milpa Field Station for three nights

Ornate Hawk-Eagle Nest ©Ryan Phillips

March 22, Thursday: Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area
We will start the day with early morning birding and get an introduction to the beauty offered by the lowland broadleaf forest. The stay at La Milpa Station give us the best opportunity to glimpse the elusive and majestic Jaguar. Recent studies have found that the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area (RBCMA) holds the highest density of Jaguars any where in the world. After your first taste of a Belizean breakfast, we will spend the remainder of the morning at the La Milpa Archaeological Site, which is the third largest Mayan site in Belize. Our local guide will explain the fascinating Mayan culture from some 1,500 years ago. Specialties that are often found at this site include Howler Monkey, Spider Monkey, Ocelot, the rare and threatened Crested Eagle (only first discovered in Belize in 1990), Emerald Toucanet, Tody Motmot, Crested Guan, Great Currasow, White Hawk, Central American Pygmy-Owl, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Black-throated Shrike-Tanager, and White-crowned Parrot, just to name a few. After lunch, we will take a 45-minute bus ride through the RBCMA, where we could see a plethora of species, to Laguna Seca Wetland, a large freshwater system located south of RBCMA in the Gallon Jug Private Reserve. Along the way, we will stop at an Ornate Hawk-Eagle nest to see if we can observe this regal bird of prey. At the wetland we could observe the endangered Morolet's Crocodile along with many wader birds and raptors. After dinner, we will enjoy a night safari, spotlighting for nocturnal species such as Kinkajou, Jaguar, Ocelot, Black-and-white Owl, Northern Potoo, Yucutan Nightjar, and Vermiculated Screech-Owl.
Lodging: La Milpa Field Station

March 23, Friday: Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area
On our second full day, we will start with birding around the lodge. After breakfast, we will depart for the Blue Creek rice fields outside RBCMA, which produces a large diversity of bird species due to the large tracts of wetlands. We will spend the entire morning looking for species like Jabiru, Aplomado Falcon, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Muscovy Duck, Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Short-tailed Hawk, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Gray Hawk and Laughing Falcon. After lunch you will have time to explore the area around the lodge on your own, relax or go on an optional guided hike. After a delicious dinner we will take a night hike in search of previous nocturnal species we missed the night before.
Lodging: La Milpa Field Station

Collared Aracari

March 24, Saturday: Lamanai Archeological Site
After breakfast we depart RBCMA on a 1.5-hour bus ride through local villages, to Orange Walk where we will board a boat for Lamanai Archaelogical Site, the second largest Mayan site in Belize. By boat, we will be winding through the intricate New River Lagoon system where we will see Green Iguanas, Morolet's Crocodiles, Black-collared Hawks, Snail Kites and many more creatures. At Lamanai we will have lunch before touring the Mayan site. From the tops of the temples you have a stunning view of the lagoon and surrounding forest, where you can observe soaring raptors and songbirds gleaning in the canopy.

After our return boat ride from Lamani, we will board the bus and depart for Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. Crooked Tree is one of the best birding locations in Belize with a high diversity of species associated with water. Here we will spend two nights at the Birds Eye View Lodge overlooking the lagoons.
Lodging: Birds Eye View for two nights

March 25, Sunday: Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary
On Sunday, after an early breakfast, we will take a 2.5-hour boat cruise around the large lagoon system to view Jabiru nests, Morolet's Crocodiles, Black-collared Hawks and many more species. After lunch we will explore the scrub savanna habitat in search of specialty species like the vibrant Yucatan Jay. In the afternoon you will have time to relax and walk the lodge area. At night we will have an optional night boat safari to find Morolet's Crocodiles.
Lodging: Birds Eye View

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Bat

March 26, Monday: The Belize Zoo and Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
After breakfast, we will depart Crooked Tree and start our journey to Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. Along the way we will visit the Belize Zoo where you can view most Belize wildlife up close, including a Jaguar and Harpy Eagle. The Belize Zoo is the biggest supporter of conservation in Belize and has the largest education program in the country. We will eat lunch at the popular Cheer's restaurant. The drive to Mountain Pine Ridge will bode dramatic changes in habitat and landscape as we go through the lowland broadleaf forest and into the highlands. We will arrive in the afternoon at the Hidden Valley Inn, where we will spend the last three nights of the trip. After dinner we will go on a night walk in search of the rare Stygian Owl, since this is the best location to observe this species in Belize.
Lodging: Hidden Valley Inn for three nights

March 27, Tuesday: Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
We will bird around the Inn in the early morning in search of pine forest specialties such as Greater Pewee, Plumbeous Vireo, Plain Wren, Grace's Warbler, Hepatic Tanager and Rusty Sparrow. Then after breakfast we will visit the spectacular King Vulture Falls, Butterfly Falls, and Tiger Creek Falls, in the Hidden Valley Reserve. At King Vulture Falls we have a rare opportunity to observe a Black-and-White Hawk-Eagle nest, one of only five nests that have ever been discovered for this species throughout its range. We may also find the Orange-breasted Falcon, which nests in the cliffs near the falls. Other rarities that are often found in the area are Solitary Eagle, King Vulture and Stygian Owl. After lunch there will be an optional visit to 1,000 Foot Falls, which is the tallest waterfall in Central America. After dinner, we will go on a night walk and enjoy the beauty of the Mountain Pine Ridge night sky.
Lodging: Hidden Valley Inn

Royal Flycatcher
©Ryan Phillips

March 28, Wednesday: Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
After an early breakfast we will depart on for our 1.5-hour bus ride through the Mountain Pine Ridge and Chiquibul National Park to Caracol Archaeological Site, which is the largest Mayan site in Belize and by far the most impressive. This is where we will spend most of the day and will have a picnic lunch. On the drive we could observe any of the 5 cat species, Tapir, the endangered Harpy Eagle, Swallow-tailed Kite, Plumbeous Kite, Solitary Eagle, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Scarlet Macaw, Lovely Cotinga, Royal Flycatcher, White-necked Puffbird and Collared Aracari. At the site you will enjoy phenomenal views of the Maya Mountains from the temple tops, along with possible glimpses of the Harpy Eagle, rare Keel-billed Motmot and Crested Eagle. On our way back to Hidden Valley we will make a stop at the Rio Frio Cave and Rio On Pools. We will spend our last night in Belize enjoying our farewell dinner and going over the species we encountered throughout the trip.
Lodging: Hidden Valley Inn

March 29, Thursday: Return to Belize City for flights homeward
Depart Mountain Pine Ridge after an early breakfast for Belize City where we will say our farewells after our fantastic tour of this stunning country. Schedule your flight to depart no earlier than 2:00pm, though most outbound flights are later than that. Review flight details.

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Costs

Costs, Payments and Cancellations: Upon receiving your deposit, we will send complete trip materials. Deposits are refundable before the final payment date, except for $150. The $150 may go toward another tour if a reservation is made within six months of the departure date of this trip. There are no refunds given after the final payment date. Trip cancellation insurance applications are available. Trip options, if any, and singles are extra.

Included:

• Meals from dinner on March 21 through breakfast on March 29.
• Lodges from the night of March 21 through the night of March 28.
• Airport transfers on March 21 and March 29.
• Entrance fees to parks and reserves.
• All activities described in the itinerary, unless listed as optional.

Not Included:

• Airfare - Please let us know if you need help arranging your own air flights. Approximately $550 to $700 from the US to Belize City (quoted January 2010). See flight schedule details.
• Gratuities: Tipping is, of course, discretionary, however we suggest budgeting a total of $50 per participant to be distributed among all the resident naturalists, drivers and porters. The gratuity will be collected at the end of the safari. Our leader, Ryan Phillips, does not receive a gratuity.
• Any departure or airport tax if not included on the international flight tickets.
• Bottled beverages and items not on the regular menu.
• Personal items such as laundry, etc.
• Travel insurance.

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Sign-up

Reservations: Please contact us to assure space availability and to let us answer your questions. Then, print our reservation form, fill it out, and post it to us in the mail with your deposit:

Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris
20800 Kittredge Road
Saratoga, CA 95070

Toll Free: (800) 527-5330
Local: (408) 741-5330
Fax: (408) 741-0358
Email: info@cheesemans.com

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Other Details

Ryan Phillips

Leader: Ryan Phillips fell in love with wildlife at a very early age as he accompanied his mother during her studies of wildlife at home and abroad. He later earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of California, Davis, in Wildlife and Conservation Biology with a specialization in Ornithology. While in college, Ryan worked at the California Raptor Center studying and caring for raptors. After graduating, he moved to Belize for four years to work for The Peregrine Fund on the Belize Harpy Eagle Restoration Project. Currently, he teaches ornithology and conservation biology at De Anza College in California and continues to research raptors as the Executive Director of Belize Raptor Research Institute, which he founded. Ryan's long passion for wildlife will energize you during our tour.

Flights: Please let us know if you would like help arranging your international flights and we will put you in contact with our excellent ticketing agent. Arrive at the airport in Belize City (BZE) by 4:00pm on March 21. (Based on the current schedule, the latest flight into Belize arrives at 3:45pm.) There are direct flights from Miami International (MIA). Depart from Belize City (BZE) after 2:00pm on March 29. We would be happy to assist you in booking extra hotel nights in Belize City if you would prefer to depart the following day or extend your stay longer.

Travel Insurance: Emergency Medical Insurance is optional, but encouraged, for this tour. Read about travel insurance and our recommendations and requirements.

Mailing List: If you would like to be on our mailing list or request information, please use our online information request form or send us your name, address, email address and phone number. Please note we will never share your personal information with anybody!

Responsibility: Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris, Saratoga, California, act only as agents and shall not be responsible or become liable for any delay incurred by any person in connection with any means of transportation, nor for the loss, damage, or injury to person or property by reason of any event beyond the control of the agency or default of such agency suppliers. We reserve the right to cancel the tour prior to departure in which case full refund will constitute full settlement to the passenger. No refund will be made for any unused portion of the tour unless arrangements are made at the time of booking. All rates are based on current tariffs, exchange rates and fuel prices and are subject to adjustment in the event of any change therein. By sending your initial deposit, you agree to accept our payment schedule as a contract. If payments are still outstanding two weeks after the due date, your space may be forfeited. Baggage is at the owner's risk.

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All material © Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris.
All photos © Doug or Ted Cheeseman, unless otherwise credited.
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