Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
labourers in place of slaves - but their effort failed, and within a decade most had
returned to the States.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
LAMANAI
By bus
It's a challenge to visit Lamanai by bus.
Services
travel from Orange Walk to Indian Church (1.2 miles from
the site) generally three times a week, including Monday
and Friday afternoons; but the schedule can vary, so
confirm with locals. Note that the bus departs from Indian
Church for Orange Walk early in the morning, so, unless you
have your own transport, you'll have to stay at least one
night (see below).
By river tour
Undoubtedly the easiest (and most
interesting) way to visit Lamanai is via the river.
Numerous operators in Orange Walk organize day-trips
starting from Bz$150 per person, departing around 9am;
the price will usually include a picnic lunch at the site.
Note that nearly all Orange Walk hotels have an
arrangement with various tour companies, so you can
book trips directly at the hotel.
Hotel de la Fuente
(see
p.73), especially, offers an excellent array of tours, so you
can check with them even if you're not staying there.
Among the tour companies are Lamanai Eco Adventures
(
T
610 2020,
W
lamanaiecoadventures.com), Errol
Cadle's Lamanai Eco Tours (
T
610 1753,
E
errolcadle1
@yahoo.com) and Jungle River Tours (
T
302 2293; call to
confirm, as tours may be intermittent). Also, numerous
tour companies offer Lamanai trips from elsewhere in
Belize, among them Seaduced by Belize (see p.100) in
San Pedro and Dave's Eco Tours (
T
205 5597,
W
davesecotours.com) in Belize City.
By car
Head to the south end of Orange Walk and turn
right (west), where a signpost gives the distance to
Lamanai as 35 miles. Continue along the Yo Creek road as
far as San Felipe, where you should bear left for the village
of Indian Church, 1.2 miles from the ruins.
2
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Lamanai Outpost Lodge
Just south of the Lamanai
site
T
235 2441,
W
lamanai.com.
The finest
accommodation in the area, with very comfortable
thatched
cabañas
, each with a private deck, set in extensive
gardens sweeping down to the New River. The restaurant
overlooking the lagoon serves excellent Belizean and
international food. The lodge offers a wide range of tours,
including sunrise canoe expeditions, treks along Maya
medici
nal trails
and nature hikes under the light of the
moon.
US$175
Cuello
3 miles west of Orange Walk • Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm • Free • Permission from the distillery of
ce at 65 Main St, Orange Walk
(
T
322 2183) • A taxi to the site costs around Bz$15 each way
This small Maya site west of Orange Walk was excavated in 1973 by Norman
Hammond, who found structures dating back to 1000 BC, making it one of the
earliest sites from the Middle Preclassic Maya lowlands. That said, the site is more
interesting to archeologists than the casual visitor; there's not much to look at except
for a single small, stepped pyramid rising in nine tiers - a common feature of Maya
temples - and several earth-covered mounds.
The ruins sit near the Cuello Rum Distillery, on the Cuello family's land, so you'll
need to ask permission before visiting; ask at the distillery's small o
ce in Orange Walk
(see above).
Nohmul
Just off Philip Goldson Hwy, 1 mile west of San Pablo village, which is 10 miles north of Orange Walk • Hours vary, but generally daily
8am-5pm • Free • Buses between Corozal and Orange Walk stop at San Pablo
The Maya site of
Nohmul
(“great mound”) rises up on the boundary with Corozal
District. It was a major ceremonial centre with origins in the Middle Preclassic period,
but was abandoned before the end of the Classic and subsequently reoccupied by
newcomers from Yucatán during the Early Postclassic (known here as the Tecep phase,
around 800-1000 AD). The ruins cover a large area, comprising the East and West
groups connected by a
sacbe
(causeway), with several plazas around them. Note that in
2013, parts of the site were terribly damaged by a construction company bulldozer
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
CHAN CHICH LODGE
P.79
; BOAT ON THE NEW RIVER
P.74
; FOOD STALL, COROZAL
P.81
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