 Our
Trips in Brief
 Glovers Reef & River of Caves
 Lighthouse
Reef
 Coral Islands & Mayan Caves
 Coral
Jaguar Expedition
 Ultimate
Adventure
 Paradise
Islands
 Maya
World Extension
Glovers
Getaway Extension
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The best vacation in years! Great food, great people, great activities, great wildlife, great snorkeling, great water, great weather, great lodging, great variety. I'll be back.
Pat Owen
Soquel, CA
Glovers Reef & River of Caves
Apr 16, 2007
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Glovers Reef & River of Caves - 7 Days / 8
Nights: Updated Itinerary! |
On
arrival in Belize, before heading out to Glovers, we
have an opportunity to experience the diversity of the
rainforest and the rich Mayan culture of the interior.
Working with guides from the Belize Tropical Education
Center, our itinerary includes a rare chance to view
the nocturnal wildlife of Belize, and then, in the jungle,
we enjoy a leisurely float down a rainforest river with
inner large tubes, exploring a fantastic limestone cave.
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 to be one of the richest tropical
marine environments in the entire Caribbean. 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 six and a half days sea kayaking and kayak sailing,
snorkeling, diving, and fishing. After
our adventures each day we like to reward ourselves
with a bounty of fresh seafood, island baking, tropical
fruits and yes, even rich, decadent deserts! Glovers
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. Exclusive to Glovers,
is our underwater Sea-Breathe System (TM) which provides
air for divers and non-divers to depths of 25 ft. Also
available are optional Scuba certification courses,
resort courses and equipment rentals. |
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We had a great group. We all became family for the week. As mentioned before we just can't say enough about our guides. We haven't traveled very much this trip was in celebration of our 30th anniversary and it was everything and more that we expected. It truly was the trip of a lifetime for us.
Dewayne Greene
Mobile, AL
Glovers Reef & River of Caves
Apr 16, 2007
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Trip
Summary: |
|
Begin
from:
Belize City
End in: Belize City
Duration: 7
Days / 8 Nights
Trip Departures & Prices: See Trip Schedule at bottom of this
page
Group Size: 6-18
Guides: 2-4 North American & Belizean Leaders.
Accommodations: Tropical Education Center, Banana Bank
Lodge, Glovers Base Camp, Belize Biltmore Hotel. |
Trip
Route |
Activities:
Rainforest Hiking, Caving, River Float Trip, Horseback
Riding, Sea Kayaking (Paddling & Sailing), Snorkeling
(Conventional & with our Sea-Breathe System), Scuba
Diving (optional, cost not included in trip price), Fishing,
Birding, Photography, Natural & Cultural
History Interpretation, Garifuna Drum Night |
This trip was one of the best vacations (if not the best) I have ever had. Each day was filled with terrific fun, challenging activities and wonderful food. Our group of 14 was from all over North America and we had great rapport. The guides were so knowledgeable and clearly love their jobs.
Patricia Evans
Keansburg, NJ
Glovers Reef & River of Caves
Mar 19, 2007
|
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 $35 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. |
Scuba
Diving Rates... |
BC
and Reg Rental
|
$15 US |
Single
Tank Dive |
$50
US |
Two
Dives |
$75 US |
Discover
Scuba... |
Discover
Scuba Course |
$125
US |
|
|
"
Selected as one of the top adventure
trips by Outside Magazine in 2000 "
I really think this is one of the best trips I have taken. It had plenty of variety and a schedule that wasn't too aggressive. I was able to get in two wall dives at middle key and long key, while still keeping my wife company and involved in the trip.
Glenn Honeyager
Delavan, WI
Glovers Reef & River of Caves
Mar 26, 2007 |
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, destined for the
Old World. Today, the 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, and 25%
of the area and lagoon was protected 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 Glovers is
the best in Belize! |
 |
Excellent trip. If I have kids I will be back on the exact same trip. Excellent location...I miss it very much. Our group was great, in large part due to the cool guides. It will be difficult to top that vacation. This was one of the coolest experiences of my entire life...with each day bringing new discoveries challenges and friendship. The camp staff guides and food were all top notch. Discovering Belize and its atoll ecosystem and jungle was made easier by the friendly and competent staff. All and all an excellent value for an excellent experience. We will be back.
Lucie Brouillette
Oakville, ON
Glovers Reef & River of Caves
Dec 18, 2006 |
Typical
Daily Itinerary:
 |
Day
0 : Arrive at the Belize International
Airport where you will be met by an Island Expeditions
representative and transferred to the Tropical Education
Center, adjacent to the Belize Zoo. Here we are able to
explore the surrounding savannah forest through their
network of interpretative trails and wildlife viewing
platforms. There is also a wonderful interpretative wildlife
conservation center onsite. This is an ideal starting
point for the adventure ahead. After settling into our
forest cabanas, we have a chance to meet our fellow travelers
over dinner. This day is your day to arrive before the
trip starts, meet your fellow travelers and acclimatize
to your new tropical environment. Transfers from the airport
are included.
Accommodation: (forest cabanas)
Meals: Dinner is included on this Day |
 Day
1 : For early
risers, the Tropical Education Center has a wonderful
network of trails and wildlife viewing platforms for
exploration. There are exceptional birding opportunities
in the early hours of dawn as the pine savannah and
rainforest awakens with a diversity of feeding birds,
turtles and other creatures around the central lagoon.
After a hearty breakfast, we travel along the Hummingbird
Highway to our underground cave float. We take a short
hike through the rainforest to the river put-in where
we float on large inner tubes with our headlamps into
the ancient limestone caves.
|
 After
our tour of the caves, we continue overland to Banana
Bank Lodge. We settle into our accommodations, have
lunch in the lodge, and then make a choice of horseback
riding, a river float, or an interpretive birding walk
for the afternoon. Banana Bank Lodge is a resort and
an equestrian facility situated on over 4,000 acres
along the banks of the historic Belize River. Our location
is superb. For those who wish to stay behind and relax,
there is a swimming pool, a greenhouse with over 50
varieties of orchids, and a night-sky observatory for
our pleasure.
Accommodation:
(Lodge)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day
2 - 6 : We
depart early in the morning by charter boat out past
the main Barrier Reef to our private base-camp on Southwest
Cay, at Glovers Reef Marine Reserve. We are introduced
to our new environment and get settled 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
Glovers Atoll has to offer. Glovers 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).
Our itinerary is flexible in order to respond to both
group and individual desires and abilities.
|
|
 |
Activities
include: sea kayaking, snorkeling the inner and outer
walls of the reef, learning to sail a kayak for both novices and experienced paddlers. For experienced
snorkelers, guides can provide full instruction with
our Sea-Breathe Diving System: a free floating air pump
designed to provide air by hookah lines down to 20-25
feet.
In
the mornings and the evenings, we host informative sessions
on a range of topics, providing an opportunity for guides
to share their knowledge of Belize, the marine environments
and local culture. Perhaps a high stakes game of Hermit
Crab Racing to finish the day! 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.
Accommodation: (Tent-Walled Cabanas)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day 7: For our last morning at Glover's, the choice is yours. We may choose to don mask, snorkel and fins for a last visit to your favorite coral reef, or work the flats with your most productive Bonefish fly, before our motor charter comes to pick us up for the return ride to Dangriga. Here we arrive to a waiting vehicle that whisks us to the local airstrip for a flight to Belize City. Once airborne, we have the Manatee Lagoons over our left shoulder and the Belize Barrier Reef over our right, giving us an impressive view of Belize’s coastal topography from the Caribbean sea to the Maya Mountains. We end our journey with a comfortable night at the Belize Biltmore Plaza, where they have a wonderful pool-side courtyard and bar.
Accommodation: (Hotel)
Meals: B, L (Dinner is not included on this night) |
 |
Overall the trip was amazing and all the guides were helpful and knowledgeable. I really liked the education aspect of the trip and hope it will be certified as an ecotour in the future. I felt I contributed to the Belizean economy more than other companies offers. I learned more about the culture and it's wildlife and people in the process. I think I will have a greater respect for reef ecology and will try to do more to protect our oceans and nature.
Christine Mogle
Sunnyside, NY
Glovers Reef & River of Caves
Jan 15, 2007
I would absolutely encourage others to join your offering in Belize. The Trip ran extremely smoothly and people really enjoyed the pace. The food was outstanding! Belize needs to be visited via one of IEC trips.
Eva Cooper
Ottawa, ON
Glovers Reef & River of Caves
Mar 19, 2007 |
Equipment...
While at our private base-camp on Southwest Cay,
our guests have unrestricted use of the following equipment:
Double Kayaks (outfitted with special sails), Single Kayaks,
Sit-on-Top Dive Kayaks, Sea-Breath Dive System,
Complete Research Library, Field Marine lab including microscope
and Hand Lenses. On the island, we are in communication with
the mainland via VHF marine radio.
What's
Included...
- All meals (fully catered) while you are at our Southwest Caye base-camp
- Selection of chilled wines and rum are served with dinner, or as cocktails on some evenings
- Unlimited use of our Equipment and facilities
- Professional guide and sports instruction services with Belizean Guides and North American leaders
- All accommodations including lodge on 'Day 0' and hotel the night after the trip ends.
- Glovers Reef Marine Park fees of $25US per person
- Belize 9% Hotel tax
- Belize 10% Sales Tax
- Cave Entrance Fees
- Comprehensive pre-trip information package
- Financial Support for Conservation and Education programs in Belize
- Charter flight from Dangriga to Belize City after the trip
What's
Not Included...
-
Gratuities
- International Flights & Airport Departure Tax
- Snorkeling or Dive Gear & Scuba Diving fees
- Extra
costs due to late Arrivals and other circumstances beyond
our control
Accommodation...
On ' Day
0 ', we will be spending the night at the
Tropical Education Center. The Education Center has comfortable,
rustic accommodations in a beautiful pine savannah setting.
The Center is right next to the Belize Zoo and has a interpretative
center with Belize's largest collection of tropical animal
specimens, and a network of trails and wildlife viewing platforms,
perfect for exploring this unique tropical pine forest environment.
| On
Day
1 , we will be staying at Banana Bank Lodge,
located at the gateway to the Cayo District. This spectacular
resort is spread over 4,000 acres, and houses a restaurant,
a main lodge, and a number of small cabanas. Our accommodations
for the evening are beautifully furnished, thatched, roofed
cabanas, outfitted with ceiling fans and hot water showers.
On the premises, there is also an Orchadia which houses
more than 50 varieties of orchids and bromeliads, a swimming
pool, night sky observatory, a two-story birding platform
overlooking the lagoon, as well as an art gallery. |
 |
 |
On Day 2 to 6 at Southwest Caye, we are "base camping", sleeping in tent-walled cabanas. These spacious safari-style tents are 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, access to fresh-water showers, modern composting toilets, a fully equipped. We also have a large dining area, resource library lounge, and a field marine lab.
On the final night we will be staying in Belize City. Our accommodations are at the Belize Biltmore Plaza www.belizebiltmore.com, a comfortable, modern hotel with a inviting pool-side courtyard and bar. The Belize International Airport is a short cab ride from the hotel, which can be arranged through the front desk. The hotel also has a tour desk that can help you arrange activities if you are planning on staying longer in the Belize City area. |
A
Note About the Ecology...
Flora...
 |
Belize's
Barrier Reef is the largest in the northern hemisphere,
second largest in the world, extending 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; 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 Cay, 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 and (in season)
the spiny lobster. |
 |
Getting
back to Belize City...
At the end of your trip, we will provide you with a charter flight back to Belize City. The final night is spent at the Belize Biltmore Plaza, 3 1/2 miles north of Belize City Central. This is a great point to make extra arrangements to travel further on in Belize, or to return to the International Airport the following morning, which is just a short taxi cab away.
Thinking
about seeing other parts of Belize with Island Expeditions Co?
The Glover's Reef and Mayan Caves combines well
with an inland adventure. The
Maya World Extension is a popular addition to the Glovers
trip to explore the ancient world of the Mayan people and
the wildlife-rich habitats of the interior, plus it gives you a great opportunity to visit some of the ancient ruins of Belize and the Crooked Tree Bird Sanctuary. Or, experience both of Belize’s spectacular Atolls in one trip to Belize! The Lighthouse Reef trip itinerary takes you even further offshore, on beautiful Half-moon Caye National Monument.
Thinking
About Traveling Independently, Before or After Your Trip?
With over 20 years of exploration in Belize, our very knowledgeable and experienced office staff can offer you a wealth of travel information to help you plan the best vacation possible! However, we do recommend that you read up on the country and find what interests you. Once you find an area of interest, give our office a phone call.
Hey Teachers & Parents!
Did you know Island Expeditions Co. has been operating custom educational trips for high schools and colleges for over a decade! For more information, please call our office. www.educationaltrips.org
What
about adding a 2 night weekend at Glovers Reef to other trips?
Contact
us at 1-800-667-1630 for details.
| |
| 7
Days / 8 Nights |
$1798.00 USD & CAD
incl $130 Gov't Fees & Taxes
|
2008 / 2009 Season
Weekly
departures starting on
Sundays (Day 0) from Dec to May |
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1 -
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Day 7 -
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8 -
Fly Home Date |
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When
Planning Your Trip...Think of "Day 0"
With
Island Expeditions Co. a seven day trip means seven days in the field, not 2 days
of airline travel and 5 days of vacation. So on all IEC adventures we meet you
the day before the trip is scheduled to begin. This is "Day 0" and has
been conceived for your convenience and comfort. "Day 0" is your day
to arrive in Belize before the trip starts, meet your fellow travelers, and to
acclimatize to your new tropical environment. From there be it a short flight
or a boat charter, your transportation to meet up with your group on this day
and your accommodation on this night are included in the trip cost. |
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