Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
beneath another rock face. A mile-long, self-guided trail, the
Hummingbird Loop
, sets off
alongside to undulate through the forest, with abundant possibilities of glimpsing
wildlife en route. To enjoy it in comfort, you'll need insect repellent.
ACCOMMODATION
THE HUMMINGBIRD HIGHWAY
★
Caves Branch Jungle Lodge
Mile 41.5,
Hummingbird Hwy
T
610 3451 in Belize,
T
866 357
2698 in US,
W
cavesbranch.com.
Just under a mile along
a dirt road that leaves the highway between St Herman's
Cave and the Blue Hole, this legendary lodge is set on the
banks of the beautiful Caves Branch River, in a 58,000-acre
estate of high canopy forest. Accommodation, all screened
for insects and thanks to extra bunk beds sleeping up to
four, ranges from fan-equipped
cabañas
with outdoor
showers, via tiled bungalows with private verandas to
luxurious “treehouse” suites. As well as a restaurant serving
family-style buffet meals, there's great on-site birding, plus
a pool and massage, but most guests come for its extensive
programme of adventurous tours - cave explorations,
tubing and rappelling were pioneered here. Multi-day
packages that include daily activities offer significant
savings on room-only rates. Although passing buses stop at
the entrance, without your own vehicle you're heavily
depende
nt on the lo
dge's own
tours and transfe
rs.
Cabañ
as
US$169
, bungalows
US$246
, treehouse suites
US$426
Between Belmopan and San Ignacio
West of Belmopan, on its 25-mile run to San Ignacio, the
George Price Highway
stays
close to the valley of the Belize River, crossing numerous tributary creeks and passing
through a series of villages: Roaring Creek, Camelote, Teakettle, Ontario, Unitedville,
Blackman Eddy, Georgeville, Central Farm and Esperanza. Along the way, the scenery
grows progressively more rugged, with thickly forested ridges always in view to the south.
Public transport here is restricted to the buses that ply the highway itself, which holds
few specific attractions. If you have your own vehicle, however, or sign up for one of
the many available guided tours, the unpaved roads that branch off to the south offer
access to some truly extraordinary wilderness wonders. The closest to Belmopan is
Actun Tunichil Muknal
, a cave system where intrepid visitors prepared to wade a mile
along an underground river are rewarded with millennia-old Maya remains. Further
west, the rough
Chiquibul Road
leads south to the cool slopes of the
Mountain Pine
Ridge Forest Reserve
, and the ancient city of
Caracol
beyond, and combines with the
Cristo Rey Road
to form a longer, looping route to San Ignacio that leads through some
delightful Maya villages.
4
Actun Tunichil Muknal
8 miles south of the George Price Hwy along a dirt road from Teakettle village, 8 miles west of Belmopan and 17 miles east of San Ignacio
• Guided tours only
The ancient Maya site known as
Actun Tunichil Muknal
- which means “cave of the
stone sepulchre”, and is usually abbreviated to
AT M
- is one of the most amazing places
you're ever likely to see. Discovered by Canadian geologist Thomas Miller in 1986, it
consists of a three-mile section of underground river, only accessible by swimming and
wading, and interspersed with vast subterranean chambers that contain remarkable
natural formations as well as thousand-year-old Maya relics - most notably, the
calcified skeletons of victims of
human sacrifice
.
ATM can only be seen on
organized tours
, which offer a wonderful combination of
adrenaline-filled adventure with astonishing archeological remains. A strenuous
wilderness expedition that involves hiking, prolonged immersion and clambering up
precarious ledges, it's utterly unsuitable for anyone prone to claustrophobia. Note too
that you can't take
photos
; as all cameras have to be left in your vehicle, it makes sense
not to bring one at all. And bear in mind that all tours may be cancelled for days at a
time between September and November, when heavy rains can render it unsafe either
to wade across the river or enter the cave itself.
