Belize Caves & Waves

Lost World Adventures itineraries can be tailor-made according to your plans and preferences: budget, hotel selections, travel dates, optional excursions, length of trip, etc.

Day 1 : Belize City – Cave’s Branch Jungle Lodge

You will be met at the Belize City Airport and transferred to Ian Anderson’s Cave’s Branch Jungle Lodge. The lodge is located 12 miles south of Belmopan, the capital of Belize.

Accommodations are in Luxury Treehouses or Jungle Suites, Bungalows and Cabanas.

As the premiere Adventure Jungle Lodge in the country, Caves Branch is a true oasis in paradise. The Lodge has a buffet-style restaurant serving up mouthwatering meals each day, a swimming pool, hot tub, professional massage center, and the largest botanical garden collection of orchids and Bromeliads in the country.

Although not a resort, Caves Branch Jungle Lodge specializes in organizing adventure tours of the surrounding nature. Guests can enjoy horseback treks through the jungle, bird watching expeditions, trips to ancient Maya cities, hiking and rappelling, and of course the Caves Branch famous cave tubing.

Developed by Ian Anderson- the founder and owner of Caves Branch Jungle Lodge – cave tubing is a unique experience that involves floating down vast underground rivers on an inflatable inner tube.

For adventurers looking for more extreme experience, Caves Branch Lodge offers night treks of the jungle in order to see the approximately 80% of wildlife that is only active at nighttime, overnight stays in nearby caves, and the popular Jungle Quest Expedition, a four-day, three-night experience where guests must rely on just a machete and bush skills in order to survive.

Although Caves Branch Lodge specializes in fun and exciting adventure expeditions, guests are treated to a truly five-star experience while on the property.

There are cheese tastings regularly held in the botanical gardens, and the lodge’s treehouse suites offer guests a unique opportunity to experience nature while enjoying all the modern comforts. With hot and cold running water and beautiful views of the surrounding jungle canopy, the Treehouses at Caves Branch Lodge are lovingly furnished with locally sourced marble and hardwood furniture.

Adventure packages include accommodations, all meals and your choice of full-day adventure excursions.

Days 2, 3 : Cave’s Branch Jungle Lodge

Each day you will choose your adventure.  Here is a menu of your options:

Signature Tours:

Waterfall Cave Expedition

Belize is so famous for its lush rainforest and tropical islands that it’s often forgotten that the country is home to the tallest and most majestic waterfalls in all of Central America.

Most of Belize’s most magnificent waterfalls are located in the country’s western Cayo District, including the Thousand Foot Falls that sends a tremendous cascade of water plunging more than 1,600 feet into the valley below.

Other waterfalls in Belize are less flashy, hidden away in isolated glens, their plunge pools serving as home to colorful clouds of butterflies.

Caves Branch Lodge offers guests a unique chance to brave six different waterfalls in a single day. By following an ancient river cave, participants must then gear up to tackle these waterfalls one at a time. Some include ancient Maya sites that were once used to perform sacred religious ceremonies.

This is no picnic. The Waterfall Cave Expedition is for physically fit individuals who are ready to tackle the ultimate climbing adventure. The tour begins with a vigorous 30-minute hike through the jungle followed by 45 minutes trekking through an enormous cave. From there, it’s up, up, and away until the top of the waterfalls is reached and the true fun begins, including a well-deserved plunge into the refreshing pools below.

Hundreds of feet under the limestone mountain ridge above, explore this river cave that must be challenged and conquered before days end. This adventure involves no cave tubing. Spectacular crystal formations loom above and ancient Maya ceremonial centers are hidden inside chambers as you explore this mist shrouded kingdom.

At the end of the day, you return by either jumping off each waterfall into the pools below, or for those less adventurous, you can be lowered down on belay.

You finish with a three kilometer hike through the forest to where a driver will be waiting to bring you back to the lodge for a swim or dip in the hot tub before dinner.

River Cave Expedition

Start off this amazing adventure with a 15 minute drive on our jungle buses to the caves branch river where you will tube along for 100 feet to the entrance of the cave system.Your underground expedition takes you off the beaten path to explore ancient Mayan ceremonial centers, pottery, artifacts, altars, obsidian blood letting blades, jade and the actual footprints of the Shaman and priests that date back to 400 A.D.

Imagine the experience as you float through an underground cathedral, turning your lights off and floating away into time as your professional guide shares with you the history of the caves and the Mayan world.

For lunch your guides will prepare a underground riverside picnic spread complete with picnic blanket, tortillas with cold cuts, juice, and fresh fruits and vegetables.  Eating your lunch by headlight, to the sounds of the underground caves while chatting with your fellow adventurers will be an experience you will not soon forget.

Lost World Ceremonial Cave Tour

In an age of mystical ceremonies and indigenous cultures that rules the Americas, the Mayan priests turned hidden caves into centers of spiritual rites and sacrificial offerings.  Enter now, if you dare, the world which was believed to be the ENTRANCE TO THE UNDERWORLD… the Realm … the Domain … The Kingdom of their God… XIBALBA.

This incredible adventure takes you back in time and starts off with a challenging 45-minute hike through the rainforest of the Caves Branch Estate.  You will follow the actual steps that Mayan Shaman walked as they entered Xibalba- “the underworld” in Maya… Feel the presence of the ancient Gods as we explore spectacular and breath-taking crystal chambers that hold 2,000-year-old ceremonial fire pits-still containing charcoal and ash, pottery, bowls, relics, altars, wall carvings, glyph writings and actual skeletons of sacrificial victims still lying among the ruins of this cave.

Guides will show you the relics with as much care and precision as possible in order to conserve the integrity of this sacred spot in the rainforest. While you respectfully tiptoe through the ruins, you can imagine when the ancient religion of the time was the dominating force for life, weather, crops and even health.

This is one of the most culturally based adventures located on our property and one you will not forget too soon!

The Black Hole Drop

The “Mother of all Caves”… Actun Loch Tunich! Start with a vigorous hike up into the foothills of the Maya Mountains to the mouth of the cave.  The edge of the Actun Loch Tunich sink hole sits over 300 feet above the basin below, 200 feet above the rain forest canopy that grows out from the sink hole basin.

Fully trained caving guides rig a system of rappelling ropes for your descent 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 rain forest canopy.

The sink hole is not actually black, but you can’t see the bottom from where you start.  Once you’re at the bottom you rest with a delicious picnic lunch. The next question is… how do we get you out??? Climb of course!  After a return hike including some rock climbing, ladder climbing, and a lot of sweating, it’s just a short ride back to the lodge for a dip in the pool with a well deserved cold drink.

Full-day Jungle Trek

Get out and enjoy one full day in the pristine jungle with local Bushmen guides. Learn of the many secrets that the jungle holds- from natural medicines, herbs, barks and many plants to native birds and wildlife and local hunting practices that are still used today by natural healers throughout Central America.

Hike past ancient ruins, burial sites, and altars which lurk below the shadows… hidden by time, as you trek through areas few have ever seen. Explore the Blue Hole River as it surges from below a 250ft cliff and take the opportunity for a refreshing dip in its aqua blue waters.

Your nature guide will spread lunch near the riverside and afterwards, trek back to the lodge- arriving in the early afternoon, in time for a refreshing cold beer and a swim in the pool before dinner time.

Birdwatching

You are officially in one of the best Birding Destinations in Belize. Caves Branch Jungle Lodge is the 2nd time winner of the Belize Bird-A-Thon competition that is held each year in Belize.

Caves Branch won in 2016 with 206 species counted in a given 24 hour period and for 2017, we won again with 208 species counted. Consecutive wins, consistent species counted! Your birding tours and adventures are guaranteed to be AWESOME!

These birding treks occur early in the morning, as this is a time when most bird species are feeding or are moving to new locations, making it ideal for viewing. As the night sky lightens and the jungle comes to life, you’ll start your walk down our 1km drive that shares three different and distinctive birding habitats. It is not unusual to spot over 100 species over a couple of mornings.

“Jungle Quest” Expedition

The ultimate challenge! This is a 4-day/3-night hard core adventure for the hardiest and most adventurous of people. No couch potatoes allowed! Trust us when we say that the two-day Overnight Jungle Expedition is just a teaser in comparison.  This is “Jungle Survival” at a premium.

Leave the Jungle Lodge with only a machete and your Bushman guide. Forge into the rainforest of Belize and in company with your guide you will search for your own meals, learn to make a shelter out of natural materials and survive on your own with little or nothing.

When you return you will have proven that you are tougher then nails and stronger then steel.  Certificates are awarded for this amazing accomplishment- Hey, you survived after all!

Note: this excursion requires a minimum 5-night package.

Overnight Caving Expedition

The Black Hole Drop is day one of the two day overnight caving expedition.

Day one starts off by rappelling into the cave. Once you are in the basin of the sink hole, your guides then lead you into the incredible rim stone dam entrance of the Actun Loch Tunich river cave system. Camp is set up inside the entrance and dinner prepared.

Then on to exploring the upper crystal chambers which were the ceremonial sites of the ancient Maya. The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, you trek down another 400 feet along cave cliff walls on routes of the ancient Maya to the Actun Loch Tunich underground river, with over 24 kilometers of mapped passageways. Explore in the steps of the ancient Maya, past bubbling springs and an underground waterfall.

River of Caves – 7-mile Cave Tubing

This is where it all started! Ian Anderson’s first and still Belize’s longest and most spectacular “River of Caves” cave tubing float…over 7 miles underground.  Enter the exciting world of rivers disappearing into the underworld as you float on inner tubes with only your headlamp to light your way.

Floating past side windows that filter the jungle light through the mist as you swirl around stalagmites jutting from the river and stalactites looming from above. Float past underground waterfalls then into the crystal cathedral, a spiritual center to the ancient Maya.

Since Ian introduced Cave Tubing to Belize tourism, Cave Tubing has become Belize’s most popular adventure trip. The original and full 7 mile “River of Caves” tube float is only available through the Caves Branch Adventure Company.

Zipline Combination

Experience the full 7-mile cave tubing float, then after lunch-experience the adrenaline rush of a zipline aerial adventure through the tree tops of the tropical rainforest. This special Adventure Combination is only available through Caves Branch Adventure Company.

Overnight Jungle Expedition

Two full days and one night deep in the jungle, just what every adventurer needs to experience. Bushmen guides will take you out and teach you how to survive in the jungle on this mini jungle survival expedition. Learn to cook your meals by campfire, fish or otherwise hunt for things to eat and learn to clean and cook them too.

Tents? Nope! Learn how to build your own shelter then sleep in it. Upset stomach? Possibly! Special herbs and barks make great medicinal tea. Participants must provide their own full size backpack. All participants must be relatively fit and ready to experience some real adventure in the open wilderness of Belize.  Leaves at around 9am and returns to the lodge either mid-morning or by lunchtime.

Honeymoon Overnight Cave Expedition

You have taken a step forward in your lives together…why not make it more memorable by “taking the leap” with a thrilling and one-of-a-kind adventure: A romantic and unforgettable night, hidden deep within the mysterious underworld of Xibalba!

By popular demand, we offer you our fascinating Honeymoon Overnight Cave Expedition. This incredible adventure starts off with a 90 minute hike into the foothills of the Maya Mountains, repelling 300 feet into a natural sink hole (Black Hole Drop) and then off on an overnight experience you will recount for years to come.

Let your imagination run wild… a bed strewn with flowers and petals, beautifully set up inside the cave; candles illuminating the darkness and creating exotic shadows for just the two of you; the sound of bubbling waterfalls adds to the romance of your nest and to the subtle and tranquil feeling of being hidden away from the eyes of the world!

Enjoy champagne along with chocolates, fruit and other delectable bites as you spend this time connecting with the love of your life!

Emerge the following day from your night well spent in the cave. This is the opportunity that only the two of you will share and until then… just let your imagination create the pictures!

Jungle Safari After Dark

The Belize jungle is habitat for an incredible variety of fauna. Our wildlife adventures begin in the early evening with local bushmen as guides. Walk through the jungle in search of many of the elusive animals that feed under the cover of darkness such as howler and spider monkey, gibnuts, kinkajou, wild boar, deer, quash, armadillo, tarantulas, scorpions, leaf-cutter ants and of course snakes!

Belize Mayan Ruins Tours

For more than 2,000 years, the ancient Maya were the dominant civilization in Central America. The heartland of the Maya world lies in what is now Belize, and modern-day visitors can explore more than two dozen ancient sites that have been clawed back from the jungle. The Maya created an enduring civilization of incredible complexity and architectural prowess. Many of their finest temples, pyramids, and buildings have lasted virtually unchanged for thousands of years.

Today, archaeologists are still not sure what led to the large-scale collapse of their civilization and the abandonment of most of their still-intact cities, pyramids, and temples. Competing theories of climate control, civil war, and societal unrest have been put forward to explain how the Maya nearly vanished in the centuries before the arrival of the Europeans.

At the height of their civilization, it is estimated that the Maya had a population of more than one million, more than four times their current population. Although greatly reduced in numbers by the vagaries of history, the Maya continue to thrive in Belize, proud preservationists of their language, traditions, crafts, dance, music, and healing knowledge.

Beyond the impressive stone cities rising out of the jungle, other important Maya sites in Belize include sacred cave complexes. Believed by the ancient Maya to be a nexus between the world of men and the world of the gods, sacred caves such as Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) were the site of some of their most important religious rituals, including human sacrifice.

Perhaps the most iconic Maya ruin in Belize is Xunantunich in the country’s western Cayo District. The site of impressive pyramids and a panoramic view of the Mopan River, Xunantunich is where archeologists in the summer of 2016 discovered the largest Maya royal tomb ever unearthed.

One of the most famous Maya city states to have been rediscovered in the modern era is Tikal just across the border in neighboring Guatemala. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tikal is home to soaring temples measuring 154 feet (47 meters) high.

Belize Horseback Riding

With so many adventures in the rainforest and caves of Belize, why not spend time horseback riding with John Carr of the Banana Bank Equestrian Center. The Center boasts over 50 well-kept mixed breed horses, predominantly quarter horses.

The ranch’s team of trained keepers provide the sturdy but agile mounts necessary to negotiate river terrain and jungle trails. Ride with your guide along jungle trails, tropical rivers and past Maya mounds hidden under the foliage and enjoy the company of friendly people and exotic surroundings.

A hot lunch is offered at Banana Bank Lodge prior to return to Caves Branch (Lunch is additional to the tour itself). Your tour ends at about 12 pm, allowing you to have lunch and return to Caves Branch Lodge at around 2pm.

Zipline Aerial Adventure

For those interested in staying dry, the canopy top zip line adventure is available as a trip in itself. Zip lining is as close as you can get to flying over the jungle. As you soar from tree to tree- like Tarzan, experience a bird’s-eye view of the Belize jungle, and scenery that cannot be seen from the ground.

Some lines are longer than others, but all offer the same AMAZING adventure- cross over the lush rainforest and river and experience the thrill of the jungle.

You will be securely fastened to a harness that is attached to a cable by expert guides & platform directors.  With the push-off from each platform, which is situation up in a tree, the lines lead from one platform to another. If you’re not comfortable with heights, don’t look down!

Cave’S Branch Botanical Garden – Ecological Tours:

Guided Garden Walk    

Lose yourself in the wonderful world of plants! Let us help you explore the largest collection of orchids, bromeliads and ferns in Belize! See favorites such as lemongrass and pineapple. Duration approx. 60 minutes.

Guided “Senses” Tour

Discover a new side of your favorite foods! See the gingers in bloom. Smell the all-spice leaf. Touch the vanilla orchid. Taste the cacao fruit. Duration approx. 60 minutes.

“Be a Botanist” Tour

Be a botanist tour Experience the excitement of a botanical expedition.See how botanists discover new species. Join us on this family friendly tour and make your own discoveries! A special experience for students and children. Duration approx. 60 minutes.

Day 4:  Cave’s Branch – Belize City – San Pedro, Ambergris Caye

Transfer to the airport in Belize City for a short flight to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. You will be met upon arrival and transferred to Victoria House. Casual elegance is the very essence of Victoria House, one of the premiere resort hideaways on beautiful Ambergris Caye.

Set amongst mature stands of coconut trees and extensive gardens planted with hibiscus, bougainvillea and oleander, the resort offers an ideal mix of seclusion and easy accessibility to San Pedro and the rest of beautiful Belize.

Home of the world’s second-largest barrier reef (surpassed only by Australia’s Great Barrier Reef), Ambergris Caye is world-renowned for its superb Scuba diving and snorkeling opportunities, including the Hol Chan Marine Preserve. The town of San Pedro consists of three sandy streets lined with small shops and truly “laid-back” restaurants and bars.

All meals will be included during your stay, as well as a complimentary bottle of wine. Additional services include the use of a golf cart for a day, unlimited use of kayaks, two half-days of snorkeling or one half-day of Scuba diving with two tanks per person.

Days 5 – 7 : Ambergris Caye

Days at leisure.

Day 8 : San Pedro, Ambergris Caye – Belize City

Today you will take a short flight back to Belize City in time for your international departure.