Action Belize Cave Tubing

[rockchalk]

Excursion Date: 21DEC04

Ship: CCL Glory

Snapshot - A fantastic experience. No problem getting off or on the ship. Roberto was a wonderful guide. Will highly recommend Action Belize to everyone.

Tendering in - Anchored in Belize around 7am. Carnival excursions started boarding tenders shortly after. We picked up a sticker for tender #1 at about 8:15am. There were very few people in Ebony Lounge to pick up tender stickers at that time. I didn't hear the announcement for #1 around 9:00am, but boarded tender #2 about 5 minutes after the first one left. (Times are shiptime, not local time)

On the pier - Walked past several vendors selling excursions and didn't see anyone representing Action Belize. We asked around and were directed to exit the pier. We found the Action Belize van right outside of the sliding glass doors exiting the pier shopping area. Action Belize had advised us to "ask around" for them on the pier, so that wasn't a surprise. We made our cash payment and met our guide, Roberto, as well as several others who were also taking this excursion. Excluding our guide, the group was 12 people.

The drive out - Roberto was very friendly, cheerful, and easy to communicate with. The van, a 15-passenger Ford, was in good shape and comfortable. The weather was cool when we arrived, but the A/C was on for most of the trip and it worked great. We began our drive from the pier, making two quick stops for lifejackets, headlamps, and tickets to the park where you begin the hike. Roberto was a fantastic narrator and driver, always making sure we were enjoying ourselves. It took us a few minutes to get out of Belize City and onto the highway. The majority of the drive is on a two lane highway and we were able to make good time. The last part of the drive is on a gravel road. Roberto guided the van around some large potholes, chickens, and goats, and continued to answer our questions and point out items of interest. The drive out was less than an hour.

At the trailhead – It appeared as though we arrived after the majority of the other tours. Several 50 passenger coaches, as well as a handful of other vans (and a schoolbus!) were already parked in the lot and unloaded. Roberto gave us a few minutes to change and then locked up the van. The park is behind a staffed security gate and we felt totally comfortable leaving items in the van. There was a new-looking restroom/changing facility just a few steps from where we parked. There were several vendors at the trailhead - selling food, underwater cameras, etc., as well as renting water shoes. Roberto handed out the tubes, lifejackets (wearing them is optional), and headlamps and we hit the trail.

Hiking in – Roberto made sure we never lost anyone in our group on the hike. We stopped several times to check out interesting plants on the hike in, as well as stopping to let a larger (louder) group pass us. After about 5 minutes of walking we crossed the river where we’d eventually take out after the float. This was a neat chance to see the water and check out the water temperature. We hiked for another 30 minutes or so before we got to the spot where we got in the river. The trail was rather easy, but slippery in a few spots.

Floating – We started at a point between two cave systems. Getting into the water was a bit tricky. Jumping is the easy way. Trying to maneuver to plop into your tube from two feet above was a bit more challenging. Roberto was there assisting everyone, and made sure nobody got hurt. The first cave was great. The ceiling was 5 to 10 feet above the water. Roberto noted that there had been a flood that last summer, which explained the occasional log suspended from the ceiling. After about 10 minutes we floated out of the first cave and past a rocky beach where the larger groups enter the river. One group of about 30 was getting started and we held up and let them go ahead of us. The second cave had higher ceilings and more rock formations. This cave also had a rapid that Roberto verbally guided us around. The water moved fast in a few spots in the cave and it was difficult to keep everyone together. Throughout the float Roberto reminded us to paddle and “Catch up!” whenever we were starting to spread out. The float did provide a good arm and shoulder workout. Cave tubing is not a lazy float down the river. It does require a good bit of work! About halfway through the last cave several of our headlamps died. It wasn’t a real big problem (There was natural light in this section of the cave), but it did make it more difficult to locate others in the group. The last 20 or 30 minutes of the float is out of the caves and on the open river. It’s slow water for most of the trip, but a few fast and shallow areas. The river never got really deep, I was able to stand up several times in waist deep water to walk away from a rock or wait for the rest of the group.

Driving back to the pier – We had to option to stop for lunch if we wanted, which we declined. We were back in the van with more than two hours remaining before the last tender departed the pier. The van ride back was quiet with most of us catching a little shut eye. We were dropped off right where we started and were on a tender heading back for the Glory only minutes later.

Action Belize – Roberto was a superb guide. He’s been leading the cave tubing excursion for 4 years! We saw several other guides silently wading through the caves pulling a chain of tubes behind them. I much preferred Roberto allowing us to link up or float free if we wanted to. The equipment (sans batteries) was in great shape. Roberto made sure we always stayed together and were safe. It took us a few minutes to find Action Belize once we arrived, but it didn’t take away from the great experience. My favorite part? Saving almost $30 per person by booking with Action Belize rather than booking through Carnival.

Shoes or sandals – Shoes! The hike isn’t difficult, but the true test of your footwear comes in the water. I wouldn’t have been as comfortable pushing off rocks and walking across the rocky riverbed in Tevas or aquasocks as I was in my old lawn mowing shoes. I planned on trashing them after use, but rather than throwing them away, I offered them to one of the locals who’s toes were hanging out of his old beat up shoes. If I were to do it again (and I would in a heartbeat) I’d buy a cheap pair of shoes at Target or Wal-Mart and hand them over to one of the locals at the trailhead after the float. I’m sure they know lots of people who would be very happy to receive a pair of wet shoes that had only been worn once!

Give Action Belize your business! http://www.actionbelize.com/ As Roberto said at the start of our trip “You’re going to have so much fun, you won’t belize it!”

I’ll gladly answer any questions!

[JHAWK22]

what's up justin?

gimme your email and we'll try to exchange some of the pictures taken on the trip.

J.

[rockchalk]

Hey Boss. How bout that KU-UK game?

 

j us ti n.me ye r@a ir tr an.c om

 

remove the spaces

[floridajourneygirl]

rockchalk, reading your post has brought back memories of when we went last year. And oh yes, Roberto, he was a great tour guide. He did a great job making sure our group stayed together. :)