After another hearty breakfast, we left at 7:30 AM and stopped by the Belize Zoo on our way to Belize City to catch our flight to Ambergris Caye. This was a great experience. We got there when they opened so we got there ahead of all the tour buses. The animals were in their natural habitat and I almost felt like I was seeing the animals in the jungle. We saw many different kinds of animals than what we see in the zoos in the states.
After leaving the zoo,we arrived in Belize City where we boarded a twelve passenger Tropic Air plane for Ambergris Caye. We bade Ben goodbye. He had been such a good guide. Our flight only lasted fifteen minutes. That was the first time I had flown in a puddle jumper. The water was beautiful as we flew over it.
We were met at the small airport and taken to our hotel (Potojo's) on the beach. It was such a beautiful setting, the beach and the water and palm trees. Two people in our original group traveled to a different destination but Sarah, myself, and two of the girls came to Ambergris. It had been a long time since we had eaten breakfast so we were very hungry. We started walking and looking for a place to eat. One can walk all the way through the village in fifteen minutes. We ate at Pape's. I drank a light coke(not called diet there) and ate a club sandwich. We explored our surroundings and then walked back to our hotel. I never really had a chance to sunbathe as the skies were cloudy and there were intermittent showers.
That evening we walked into town and ate and listened to music. There was a special kind of dancing called Punta. We were tired and went to bed early as we had arranged to go snorkeling the next day. I had never done this before, so I was very excited. So far, this had been a dream trip.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.