Altun Ha or Xunantunich what is the drive like?

[twopugs]

We are debating going to either Altun Ha or Xunantunich. We are leaning towards Altun Ha simply because of the drive. The cruise excursions (though we may book private vendors) list the drive to Altun Ha at 1 1/4 hours and Xunantunich 2 hours. Are these drive times correct?

What is the drive like? (dirt roads, main roads, safe areas, etc.) Was there much scenary on the drive?

[wdowns9]

We went to Xunantunich with NCL Sun last Feb, we were on the first tender but had to wait about an hour once at the pier while things got organized. There were only 25 people on the tour and it took about 2hrs to get to the hand-crank ferry across the river then shuttle to the site. We sent about 2hrs there and climbed to the top of the main Castillo. On the way back we stopped for lunch before arriving at the pier before the last couple of tenders departed. The road was easily traveled but I didnt see many gas stations or emergency roadside service in the event of breakdown. We did not want to take the chance of being left behind so the extra $15pp was a good insurance policy. To me the trip was worth it and next trip we are going to Lamanai but going with the ship do to its length on time again.

[Jazzy Knots]

I have great difficulties walking very far without sitting to rest (chronic inflamation in the joints:( ). I really want to see Mayan ruins, but will have to take crutches (I expect my wheel chair would not be practical). Which of these two ruins might be more accessible for someone with limitations?

[driftwood]

Here is the lay of the land: Altun Ha is physically nearest to Belize City, the Port of Call for Belize. It is about thirty miles north. About half of the distance in on the Northern Highway, which is an excellent road in excellent repair. About half of the distance is on the Old Northern Highway, which is not an excellent road and not in excellent repair. Have your dental fillings checked before you go. Why it does not shake to pieces any vehicle which goes there I cannot imagine; I certainly wouldn't want to go there every day as many tour guides do--especially if I owned my own vehicle, as many tour guides do.

 

But Altun Ha is a beautiful site beautifully excavated, and it is no doubt the easiest site to walk about, or even to use crutches on. No Mayan site that I have ever seen anywhere will accommodate a wheelchair. The portion of the site that has been prepared for visiting is fairly compact as well, so there is not a great deal of walking to do to see "everything."

 

There is a good clean small restaurant that your guide may take you to if you are well-behaved, as the owner is a very nice lady who cooks up a big batch of rice'n'beans (with excellent barbecued chicken) every day, and sells it until it runs out. Then there is no food until tomorrow! She has Coca-Cola and a few other popular beverages, or you may ask for "lime juice" if you want, which is essentially the same as our "limeade" with two to four times as much lime juice in it--and sugar, of course. She is a little puzzled by tips, as so few United States citizens--or (more notoriously) Canadians either--leave one; but I am sure they do her and her family a world of good. Belize is very, very poor--but honest!

 

There is a herpetologist with a snake farm on the way to Altun Ha, and if you would like to see the snakes I suspect most tour guides will be happy to stop there, as most of them are pretty avid amateur naturalists themselves. Naturally donations to the support of the snake farm are solicited and appreciated; this is no part of the normal Altun Ha "package."

 

Magnificent and high, with a (reproduced, to protect the original) frieze and a roof comb crowning its summit, El Castillo (Structure A6) at Xunantunich lies at the far end of the Western Highway, a very short ferry ride across the gorgeous Mopan River, nearly at the border of Guatemala. It must be 65 or 70 miles inland from Belize City, past Belmopan (the national capital) and San Ignacio. The road is excellent from end to end--only an occasional speed bump has been introduced along the way. This is not the ideal site for those who have difficulty walking or climbing, as there is more verticality to it (apart from the pyramids) than there is at Altun Ha or even Lamanai.

 

Don't get obsessed with breakdowns--MOST vehicles used for the tourism industry are in very good repair (except, perhaps, for their seats and sometimes their air conditioners), and as I have noted countless times on this board, everyone and his donkey in Belize has at least one cellphone, and cellphone service in Belize is PROBABLY better than you have ever had at home. This is a country not bigger than Rhode Island, so although you may not "see" gas stations or repair facilities, they are much nearer than you think. It is true that gasoline is over $5 US per gallon in Belize, and EVERY tour requires a drive of at least thirty miles, so you may imagine that tips mean a lot more in Belize than for example in Cozumel. There is no one in Belize who does not want to get every cruiseship passenger back to his ship on time, no one who is not aware of the effect of cruiseships on the Belizean economy, and you can count on a nationwide and virtually seamless effort to take care of you. This is NOT Jamaica, not even Cozumel--despite what some others have said, you could safely walk the streets of Belize City at night if it were not certain that you would break your leg on the broken sidewalks in walking less than five yards. :D

 

Whatever site you choose in Belize, I can assure you (if you don't break a leg, or visit Caye Caulker for a day at the "beach") you will have a glorious day. DON'T FORGET YOUR CAMERA, YOUR WATER (although that can be supplied without much difficulty), YOUR SUNBLOCK, AND YOUR INSECT REPELLENT! Then get ready for a lifetime of stories to tell your grandchildren--unless they are with you on the trip! ;)

[Jazzy Knots]

Thank you! That was very helpful.:)

[driftwood]

Took up enough space anyway--missed one spelling error--I should have mentioned also: male or female, young or old, you should WEAR A HAT! Baseball caps are fine--in Belize the natives who wear them, wear them with the bills forward ALL the time, as I suppose it is some protection for their eyes; although otherwise some of them are fashion plates fit for any Rap Magazine. [Politically it is a good idea in Belize to wear red baseball caps, or at least not blue ones: but everyone will know you are a tourist anyway, and the elections are over.] Naturally women can usually come up with something cuter than a baseball cap, and that's fine. Of course many natives do NOT wear a cap or hat, but at the Mayan sites--although they have provided benches to sit on and have left trees for shade--and there is a shelter at every site as well--the sun is energetically focused on the top of your head when you are NOT under a tree. Mayan sites are great places for tans--if you have put on plenty of sunblock! It is HOT HOT HOT there. Which is another reason you are not on site all day. If you do not keep sipping (slowly) at your water you will soon feel quite exhausted. And it will take longer than you think to recover. ;)