We continue raising the bar on Adventure travel
Celebrating 35 years of adventure
We are so happy to celebrate a new milestone. As "the Belize experts" for the last 35 years, we have helped tens of thousands of travelers experience the best of this beautiful country.
When you choose to travel with Island Expeditions, you can expect personalized service from our team of local experts. Our expeditions include a wide range of activities for you to enjoy: kayaking, snorkeling, paddleboarding, hiking, birdwatching, and cultural experiences - we have something for everyone!
The story of Island Expeditions and its founder, Tim Boys, began in 1987 when Tim and a couple of friends decided to visit Belize in search of an adventure. They were attracted to the country's unexplored rainforests and pristine coral reefs, as well as the sense of the unknown it offered. It wasn't long before Tim realized that Belize was an undiscovered paradise for travel and decided to start an adventure travel company specializing in the country.
“ There was so little information about Belize that it really intrigued me. And best of all, it promised to have this incredible barrier reef and virtually unexplored rivers and rainforests in the interior.” - Tim Boys
In the early days of Island Expeditions, there were many challenges to overcome. One of the biggest was finding proper communication channels and the high cost of making international calls. Keep in mind back then, there was no internet, and booking lodges, and booking people were all done on paper and by mail.
“In Dangriga Town, where we set up the operation there were only 2 or 3 working telephones in the entire district and you had to line up to make a call. We were paying like $3 or $4 a minute for international calls back then, so we’d bring a bag of coins and every couple of minutes you’re plunking money in and hoping you don’t lose the call, frantically scribbling notes and hoping that you got it all" - Tim Boys
Despite these challenges, the Island Expeditions team persevered, and what began as small kayak trips began to transform into a variety of adventure tours, destinations, and journeys such as Glovers Reef & Maya Cave, Paradise Islands, and Lighthouse Reef Adventure. These trips offered travelers the chance to experience the beauty and adventure of Belize, whether it was snorkeling on the barrier reef, hiking through the rainforest, or exploring ancient Mayan ruins.
"The sense of the unknown is the first thing that attracted me, the geography of coral reefs and rainforests. However, it was the people of Belize that captivated me. I didn’t go to Belize with the intention of starting a business. I was just a Canadian kid, looking to escape the cold and continue paddling into the Winter months.” - Tim Boys
Today, Island Expeditions is a well-established adventure travel company offering a wide range of trips to travelers from around the world. It has come a long way since its humble beginnings, but the passion and dedication of our founder, Tim Boys, remain unchanged.
From its beginnings, community involvement and sustainability at every level of our operations. have been crucial cornerstones in our company’s history. Although we are a Canadian company, the majority of our staff are Belizean. Our relationship with Belizean staff (guides, cooks, drummers, boat operators, etc) and their families and our relationship with landowners, NGO’s, and conservation groups have been heart and center for all our operations.
In terms of conservation, Island Expeditions has been a trailblazer, not only recognizing the value of aligning and supporting the conservation movement in Belize.
Each year we’ve been able to contribute over $100,000 to organizations that are actively involved with protecting the coral reefs, wildlife management, education, and advocacy for sustainable development in Belize.
Today, we continue to evolve, developing new trips, reaching new markets, and increasing our sustainability efforts, and increasing our outreach to Belizean communities. When you travel with island expeditions you know you are traveling a good way.
You can trust that we know what we're doing when it comes to creating unforgettable travel experiences in Belize, join us in the celebration of 35 years of Adventure!
