Best Belize Experience Gift Ideas

The Holidays are nearly here and trying to find the perfect gift can be a difficult experience. This year, avoid the malls, online shopping and non-eco friendly plastic packaging and give the gift of travel. We get it, giving gifts is hard so we will help you find the perfect holiday gift!

Here’s our top 10 list of the best Belize experiences to give to your family and friends (or yourself!) that will create memories that will last longer than any material gift.

1. Explore the natural waterfalls in the Mayflower Bocawina National Park

In this beautiful Belize national park, you can explore the lush rainforest, hike to hidden waterfalls and swim in the crystal natural pools of water with no one around. The sounds of the rainforest will ease stress and worry and being immersed in nature will help refresh and rejuvenate.

2. Discover hidden treasures while exploring ancient Mayan Caves.

Beneath Belize's forests and mountains are a network of limestone caves, sinkholes and caverns. The ancient Maya were drawn to these dark openings in the ground and they believed their gods lived. At times of strife and hardship, the Maya would descend underground with offerings of food, livestock, and even human sacrifice. Two of the most interesting caves to visit in Belize are the Chech Em Ha and Actun Tunichil Muknal cave system.

3. Spot a Jabiru Stork

The Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary offers some of the best birding and wildlife opportunities in Belize. The most famous resident at the sanctuary is the Jabiru Stork. It is the tallest flying bird of the area, with a body of about 4-5 feet in size and a large wingspan that can reach 7 feet, the Jabiru stork may look clumsy on land but is a graceful and strong flier.

4. Learn the fine art of cracking open a coconut with a machete

How do you crack open up a coconut? Our local Belize guides will happily climb a coconut palm tree to get the fruit and show you the fine art of cracking open a coconut with a machete. (Remember to never stand or lie underneath a coconut tree as you never know when one will come down.) Then, enjoy a quintessential Belizean beverage of fresh coconut water and rum!

5. Paddle the whitewater rapids on the Moho River

Located deep in the rainforests of Southern Belize, is the Moho River. Paddling the emerald waters and exciting whitewater sections of this beautiful river offers an opportunity to explore one of the last remaining untouched regions of the country.

6. Share a meal with a local Mayan family

The culture of the Kekchi and Mopan Maya not only exists in the ancient ruins and artefacts, but you will also find that the Maya are still a thriving culture in Belize. In the remote village of Santa Teresa, located in the Toledo District of Belize, you can experience a lunch at the home of a local Mayan family on our Epic Belize trip.

7. Go on a night snorkel and swim with the nocturnal sea creatures

A night snorkel in Belize is a great way to check out the creatures you do not see during the day. Corals can be magnificent at night. They are often closed up during the day, but at night they can transform blooming out in stunning colors and feeding with their little tentacle bodies.

8. Learn traditional Garifuna drumming

Music, song and dance are a significant part of local life in the Garifuna communities of Belize. The Garifuna drum is a connection to the people’s African ancestry. The Warasa Drum School in Punta Gorda offers interactive lessons in traditional Garifuna drumming, dancing and drum-making. It’s a hands-on opportunity for visitors to experience Garifuna drumming and explore the unique culture whilst having fun.

9. Spear a lionfish and cook it up for dinner

The lionfish is a non-native species in the Caribbean Sea, it has no natural predators and the best control method is to kill and eat it! Arm yourself with a speargun and a snorkel and help keep the lionfish numbers down. Lionfish are also healthy and delicious to eat. Guides at the Glover’s Reef Basecamp and Lighthouse Reef Basecamp will be happy to show you the best way to hunt for lionfish and prepare a gourmet dinner featuring your freshly caught lionfish.

10. Meet Belize's most beloved Jaguar - Junior Buddy

Visit the amazing Belize Zoo - home to the rehabilitated, orphaned and rescued wildlife of Belize and meet one of the most famous residents - Junior Buddy. Donations to the zoo are always greatly appreciated and help support the conservation efforts of the zoo, including their first ever of its kind Problem Jaguar Rehabilitation Program. For a unique Christmas gift, consider the Belize Zoo’s "Adopt an Animal" program. The funds contribute to the maintenance of a particular species.

**We are sorry to share this sad news from the Belize Zoo. Junior Buddy passed away on Dec 12, 2019. Many of our guests would have had the wonderful experience to meet this very special Jaguar and recall how he readily learned how to “allie up” and to “sumersault” . He loved doing these tricks for a bit of applause and of course, a bit of chicken treat, too! Jaguars are extremely intelligent animals and learning fun tricks was easy and a joy for youngster Junior Buddy.**