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Glover's Getaway
Glover's Getaway & Rental Combo
Wild South

Glover's Getaway & Kayak Rental Combo - 8 Days / 8 Nights:

A very popular tripping option, for experienced kayakers only, is to start with a 3 day / 2 night guided and catered stay at our luxury Basecamp at Glover's Reef followed by a 5 night self-guided kayak trip on the main reef!

Thirty-six miles offshore of the Belize mainland lie a group of tropical islands cradled within a turquoise lagoon and surrounded by a living coral reef. Glover's Reef Atoll is considered one of the richest tropical marine environments in the entire Caribbean Sea. Our private island base of over 13 acres is perched on the southern edge of the atoll with a dramatic view facing east over the main reef crest and the open Caribbean. Based from our comfortable field camp we are fully equipped to spend three days sea kayaking, kayak sailing, snorkeling, diving, and fishing.  Glover's is ideal for those who wish to enjoy the comforts of a well-appointed field camp yet want an active and flexible day-to-day schedule.  Also available are optional Scuba certification courses, resort courses, and equipment rentals.

Next you will be transferred to the Central Belize Barrier Reef to your waiting sea kayaks and gear. Then you will spend 6 days paddling unguided from island to island along the Barrier Reef, camping on remote islands on a self-guided adventure. You will need to prepare to be fully outfitted for this portion of the trip. Our staff in Belize will help you with route planning and trip logistics. For more information on planning a self-propelled adventure, please visit our Belize Kayak Rental website at the following URL:

<www.belizekayaking.com>

Begin from: Dangriga
End in: Dangriga
Duration: 8 Days / 8 Nights
Trip Departures & Prices: Weekly beginning with a hotel each Saturday (double occupancy)

• Glover's Getaway plus Rental Package - single boat $849 USD per person
• Glovers Getaway plus Rental Package - double boat $769 USD per person
• Also Available:
  • Deluxe Gear Rental Package – 1 MSR 3 person Tent, 1 Sleeping Pad, 3 Dry Bags and 2 x 2.5 gal Water Bags per person, Stove & Fuel - $25 USD per day or $39 USD per couple per day
  • Snorkeling Gear - Mask, Snorkel, Fins - $20 USD per week

See Trip Schedule at bottom of this page

Group Size: 2-18
Guides: 1 Belizean Leader at Glover's Reef Basecamp and self-guided on the Belize Barrier Reef.

Accommodations: Glover's Base Camp & Barrier Reef Island Camps

Activities: Sea Kayaking (Paddling), Snorkeling, Scuba Diving (optional - cost not included in trip price), Fishing, Birding, Photography

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Trip Route

The Setting...   

One of three atolls offshore of Belize, Glover's Reef was named after the pirate John Glover, who used this remote offshore ring of islands and coral reefs as a base from which to raid Spanish merchant ships. The shallow waters offshore of Belize, with innumerable coral reefs, mangroves, and small islands, were ideal waters for pirates and buccaneers to hide their raiding ships after plundering Spanish galleons laden with riches which were destined for the Old World. Today, the primary attractions found within the atoll (20 miles long by 7 miles wide) are the clarity of the water and the remarkable profusion of marine life. In 1993 the atoll was declared a marine park, which protected 25% of the area and lagoon from fishing and harvesting. To continue the conservation efforts to preserve this extraordinary environment the site was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1996. We travel and explore this area by sea-kayak, paddling and sailing the shallow 82 square mile lagoon with an unequaled variety of over 700 patch reefs. The reefs of Belize have long been known as the richest in the Caribbean and Glover's is the best in Belize!

The Mesoamerican Coral Reef stretches from Cancun, Mexico through Belize to Honduras. It is the largest reef in the western hemisphere and second largest in the world. In Belize this reef is a well formed wall and extends 185 miles (300 km) along the coastline. Along the Barrier Reef are over 225 cayes, ranging from small sand-fringed islands perched along the reef's edge to larger islands of partially submerged mangroves. Historically, ships avoided this area of the Caribbean because of inaccurate charts and the difficulty of navigating the shallow reef-strewn waters. Teeming with brilliantly colored fish, sea grass beds, and patch reefs, the reef systems have not seen nearly the level of human impact as witnessed in Mexico to the north and Honduras to the south. We travel in the less developed southern regions of Belize's Barrier Reef which remains a near-pristine marine ecosystem that is unparalleled in the Caribbean. It is in this region we find the best sea kayaking and snorkeling. Our Operation's Base, in the southern coastal community of Dangriga, is the ideal launching point for us to explore this spectacular region.

Typical Daily Itinerary:

Provision Day: Arrive in Dangriga, check into Pal's Guesthouse, then come down to the Island Expeditions' Operations Base with your chart in hand and plan the route for your self-guided trip. Our friendly staff will help you organize a shopping trip in town for dry goods and help organize a veggie order for the Tuesday boat run.
Accommodation: Lodge
Meals: N/A

Day 1 to 3: We depart early in the morning by charter boat out past the main Barrier Reef to our private Basecamp on Southwest Caye at Glover's Reef Marine Reserve. We are introduced to our new environment and settle into our accommodation. Once settled, the guides provide instruction, teaching the fundamentals of sea kayaking, snorkeling, and safety in the tropics. Then we paddle out to a nearby patch reef and start to explore some of the 700 sites that Glover's Atoll has to offer. Glover's is one of only four atolls in the Caribbean Sea and is truly the most spectacular marine environment in Belize. Due to its isolation from the mainland, the waters are exceptionally clear with inspiring scenery and a fabulously rich reef system that offers the best kayaking, snorkeling, and diving in the Caribbean. We spend the days exploring the atoll with both single and double kayaks (rigged for sailing). If all this sounds a little too busy, you always have the choice of just kicking back in a hammock and relaxing with a good book and a cold drink. On Tuesday afternoon you are returned to your rental boats waiting for you on the Central Barrier Reef.
Accommodation: Basecamp Day 1, 2
Meals: inc. at Basecamp only Day 1, 2; B, L Day 3

Days 4 to 8: You wake up on your own deserted island near Belize's Barrier Reef. Sea kayak to the nearby patch reefs, paddle to a nearby island resort for a cold beverage, or paddle numerous cuts in the reef to access the best snorkeling in the area - the choice is yours. We will sit down with you prior to you heading out to the cayes, to help you plan a route and let you know where you can camp, thereby giving you the best access to snorkeling in the area. Then end your trip by either paddling back to the mainland or pre-organizing a motorboat charter to bring you back.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is advised that any other travel arrangements you have in and around our departure and arrival schedule for Glover's Reef should have some time flexibility as weather and other factors may cause delays in the transfers.

Scuba Divers...
There are some great opportunities to scuba dive at Glover's Reef. Optional diving is available for certified divers on certain days of the trip. Single tank dives are available from $50 US, with further discounts for multi-tank dives. For first time divers we can offer a Discover Scuba for a subsidized rate or you may be able to take your Open Water Referral course. Please let us know in advance. We can also arrange a variety of dive packages before or after your trip. For further information please contact our office.

Equipment... 

While at our private Basecamp on Southwest Caye our guests have unrestricted use of the following equipment:

• Double Kayaks (outfitted with special sails)
• Single Kayaks
• Complete Research Library
• On the island we are in communication with the mainland via VHF marine radio.  

Accommodation...

On Days 1 to 3 at Southwest Caye, we are "base camping" - sleeping in tent walled cabanas. These spacious safari-style tents have ample headroom to walk around and are on raised wooden floors with double or single beds. On the island we have a fresh water collection system for drinking water, fresh-water showers, modern composting toilets, and a fully equipped kitchen. We also have a large dining area and resource library lounge.

On Days 3 to8 you are camping on small remote islands in your own expedition ready tents. You should be prepared to be fully self-sustained with your own tent and kitchen gear. Island Expeditions can rent you gear, which is outlined in the following options:

• Deluxe Gear Rental Package – 1 MSR 3- person Tent, 1 Sleeping Pad, 3 Dry Bags and 2x 2.5 gal Water Bags per person, Stove & Fuel - $25 USD per day or $39 USD per couple per day
• Snorkeling Gear - Mask, Snorkel, Fins - $20 USD per week

A Note About the Ecology...

Flora...

The Mesoamerican Coral Reef stretches from Cancun, Mexico through Belize to Honduras. It is the largest reef in the western hemisphere and second largest in the world,. In Belize this reef is a well formed wall and extends 185 miles (300 km) along the coastline. Nineteen miles seaward from the eastern border of the Barrier Reef lies Belize's most spectacular atoll - Glover's Reef. The oval shaped reef walls of the atoll climb from the ocean floor and surround a central lagoon. The surrounding reef is primarily made up of two kinds of coral - the hard hydro-coral (reef-forming coral), such as brain coral or elkhorn coral, and the soft corals, such as sea-fans and feather plumes. The sheltered lagoon at Glover's Reef harbors one of the world's most diverse sea environments with an extensive community of fish, shellfish, and patch reefs. One mile off the eastern shore of the atoll the reef wall quickly drops 2600 feet to the ocean floor below. The interaction between the deeper open waters of the Caribbean Sea and the sheltered lagoons of the atoll results in a diversity and abundance of marine life which is unsurpassed for sea kayaking, snorkeling, and diving.

Fauna...

From our base on Southwest Caye we will have the opportunity to view a diverse range of sea-life and tropical birds. While exploring and snorkeling the atoll and the many patch reefs there are opportunities to see grouper, bonefish, angel and parrot fish, stingrays, eagle rays,conger, moray eels, goatfish, just to name a few. Some of the bird-life includes osprey (the Billy hawk), sea gulls, brown-footed & white-footed boobies, frigate birds, hawks, mangrove warblers, and white-crowned pigeons. Around the atoll and the Barrier Reef there are nesting sites for loggerhead, green, and hawksbill turtles. If we're lucky we may see them while out snorkeling or kayaking. We will definitely have a chance to see and sample the main staple for Belizean fishermen - the queen conch.

Single Traveler Pricing
Many of our guests travel on their own. Our style of trip is ideal for single travelers combining the benefits of group camaraderie and group security with lots of individual flexibility in what you want to do each day. Single supplement options vary by trip style. Standard trip pricing is based on double occupancy. Solo guests can request either to share twin accommodations with another traveler or request single accommodations for an additional fee. If you are willing to share and we are able to match you up - no problem and no extra cost. If we cannot match you up then we have a simple, affordable $99 supplement fee for trips of 6 nights and longer and $45 for shorter trips. This fee will be applied at the time of booking, but will be reimbursed just before your departure if we are able to match you up.

Should you prefer private accommodations, we can provide you with your own room and the following charges apply.

Costa Maya Explorer - $275
Glover's Reef & River of Caves - $220
Lighthouse Reef - $250.00
Paradise Islands - $322
Ultimate Adventure - $368
Glover's Getaway -$65
Lighthouse Getaway - $65
Glover's Getaway & Kayak Rental Combo - $60
Maya Reef Explorer - Glover's - $160
Maya Reef Explorer - Lighthouse - $195
Rainforest Canopy Extension - $75
Maya World Extension - $130

NOTE: The number of single rooms available on most departures is limited, and may not be available at each location. If we are not able to provide your own room throughout the trip, we will pro-rate the supplement fee.

Family Travel

At IEC we enjoy traveling with families. Children lend a refreshing perspective to the experience, which adults sometimes take for granted. Knowing that travel budgets are especially important we offer a price break to families with children. Not all trips are suitable for younger children however, we find that age is not a definite restriction; rather the size, weight, experience, and ability of your children are the main determining factors in choosing which trip is right for your family. Click here for our Children's pricing policy...

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