The Jungle Cowboy 8 Day

Day 1: Arrival.

Your van and driver will meet you at the Belize International Airport or any other pick up point in Belize and transfer you to your Jungle Lodge to begin your adventure.

Day 2: Sibun Valley Ride.

Cross the Sibun River and head for the cocoa fields of Hershey. The cocoa fruit, highly revered among the Maya, was eaten and enjoyed and the seeds traded like currency! Your guide explains how this Food of the Gods is cultivated and used today. Hershey is home to several unexcavated Maya temples and structures and archeologists have yet to discover all the mysteries that lie within. Ride around, between and atop these unexcavated ruins of wonder while learning about the ancient Maya civilization. Bring along your swimsuit and a towel for a refreshing swim in the Sibun River.

Day 3: Black Hole Drop.

This expedition starts off with a vigorous hike into the foothills of the Maya Mountains. The edge of the Actun Loch Tunich sink hole sits over 300 feet above the basin below, 200 feet above the rainforest canopy that grows out from the sink hole basin. Fully trained caving guides rig a system of rappelling ropes for your decent to the basin below. The first 10 feet provides the adrenaline, the next 200 feet provides an unforgettable experience and sights to behold, the last 100 feet takes you down through the rainforest canopy.

Or... River Cave Expedition. Don your headlight and grab an inner tube. This adventure requires a short paddle upstream to the mouth of the cave, and a hike within the cave system exploring remnants of the Maya past, before settling in for the glide downstream and out of the cave.

Day 4: Waterfall Ride and Jungle Trek. (Day Trip)

After breakfast you'll be transferred to the riverside meeting point where your horses will be waiting for the 8 mile ride to the Bush Corral. Terrain includes trails through orange orchards, across rivers, and through the jungle. We leave our horses at the Bush Corral and continue on by foot. A 15 minute trek up the mountain and through the jungle gets us to this amazing location. Enjoy this breathtaking waterfall in a secluded tropical jungle setting. Enjoy a packed lunch and swim at the waterfall before heading out.

Day 5: Xunantunich & River Kayak.

Your choice of van transfer or horseback ride gets you to this Classic period (300-900 AD) ceremonial center, with large plazas ringed with pyramids. The center is composed of six major plazas surrounded by more than 25 temples and palaces. We highly recommend that you make the steep, but short, 130ft climb to the top of "El Castillo." This vantage point provides a breathtaking, 360 degree, panoramic view over the jungle canopy of the Macal, Mopan and Belize River valleys, as well as a vast area of the Guatemalan Peten District, which is only a few miles away. Then grab your paddle for a kayak trip downriver. Seek out parrots, birds, and the sunning iguanas along the jungle lined river. Navigate gentle rapids and paddle along wide open stretches. A great opportunity for beginners or experienced paddlers.

Day 6: Barton Creek Cave Canoe (by Horseback or Van).

The ride to the cave is very scenic and passes through the Barton Creek Mennonite community, across the river and through the orange orchard en route to the Outpost. You may get a glimpse of the Mennonites as they go about their daily routines. Barton Creek Cave is an ancient Maya Indian burial site, and is accessible only by canoe. Glide through a remote underground water cave system in a canoes equipped with spotlights. Stalactites and Stalagmites hang high overhead as you float past impressive calcite crystal formations, skeletal remains and other cultural artifacts left behind by the Maya centuries ago. After the cave canoe trip, you may want to take a swim in the crystal clear Barton Creek, so bring along your swimsuit and a towel.

Day 7: ATM Cave and Jungle Hike.

After an exciting drive, you will trek for 45 minutes through dense Jungle in the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve and wade across three streams. At the entrance of the Cave you will be outfitted in the necessary equipment preparing you for the Caving Adventure ahead. Some swimming will be required and also climbing and Caving activity. This is a first class Caving and Archaeological experience. "Cave of the Stone Sepulcher" is one of the most impressive caves in the Maya Lowland. Located in the heart of the Belizean Rainforest, this cave was a sacred place to the Maya of Belize. The cave system consists of a series of chambers, ending in a large Cathedral where sacrificial ceremonies once took place. Here lay those individuals sacrificed to the gods of the underworld. Visitors to this cave have the opportunity to travel into the Maya past and witness a living museum where the human sacrifices and artifacts can be viewed in their original context.

Day 8: Return home

Your Belize adventure is at an end but with memories to last. Pack up and head over to your Municipal Airline Transfer to Belize City international airport for connecting flight home or equivalent transfer.