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Top Rated
Product Reviews
Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
An approximately 45-minute drive up the Northern Highway brings you to Tower Hill, where you'll board a riverboat and head up the New River. While navigating the many little creeks and lagoons, it's easy to encounter hawks, kites and falcons. Dainty jacanas lightly walk on the lily pads while crocodiles bask in the sunlight. At the entrance to the New River Lagoon, the ruins of Lamanai (Mayan for 'submerged crocodile') rise into view. As you tour the site, huge masks depicting dead rulers and gods seem to materialize out of the rainforest, amid the chatter of birds and the haunting call of the howler monkeys.
Average:
(35 Reviews) 35
Rating Snapshot (35 reviews)
5 stars
24
4 stars
6
3 stars
4
2 stars
0
1 star
1
32 of 35(91%)customers would recommend this to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Review 1 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
5
out of
5
Adventurous:
5
out of
5
Family Oriented:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
Dreams2Knight
Location:Lynchburg, TN
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:April
Cruise Date Year:2013
Favorite port:Belize City, Belize
I want to go here next:Alaska
Date:April 22, 2013
Loved it!!
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
This was a great experience! I have always wanted to see Mayan ruins and this did not disappoint. We started out with a bus ride that was about 45 minutes. We had 2 guides. "Bean" was our guide on the bus and river. He was absolutely wonderful! Only 19 years old, but very knowledgeable and passionate about his country. We then got on a river boat and had a blast racing down the river. The boat driver was a pro! Beautiful scenery. The guides kept a lookout for wildlife, and we stopped several times to see some interesting animals. After docking, it's a short walk to the first set of ruins. They are really beautiful. Our guide for the ruins was Roberto. He was able to tell us a lot of interesting history about the Mayans and ruins. You could tell he cared deeply about the ruins and about preserving them. The second set of ruins you see are the ones you can climb on. It is one heck of a climb. Very steep, but I did it!! Wonderful view from the top. It is amazing the Mayans were able to build these structures so long ago. After the ruins you return to where you got on the boat and have lunch. It was very good. Then back to the bus and to the ship. Highly recommend this excursion. You won't be disappointed.
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Review 2 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
4
out of
5
Adventurous:
4
out of
5
Family Oriented:
4
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
Tman15
Location:Mansfield, Pa
Party size:2
I traveled with:Friends
Cruise Date Month:April
Cruise Date Year:2013
Favorite activities:Adventure
Favorite port:Roatan, Honduras
I want to go here next:Europe
Date:April 22, 2013
Worth the time
If you want to see, experience, touch, and tour ruins then this is your stop. The bus ride to the boat is approximately an hour but your guide fills its with with many aspects of culture and lifestyle specific to Belize which makes it go by fast. Our boat ride was amazing, the captain stopped to show us many different wildlife as well as displayed his knowledge and skills of the river. The ruins themselves were beautiful. You get the opportunity to climb one if you want (stairs are quite high and very steep) but allows for once in a lifetime picture opportunities. The meal at the end was delicious and the bus ride back allowed for some rest and down time. I would do this excursion again.
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Review 3 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
5
out of
5
Adventurous:
5
out of
5
Family Oriented:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
Tcruiser
Location:Wisconsin
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:March
Cruise Date Year:2013
Favorite activities:Family oriented
Favorite port:Roatan, Honduras
I want to go here next:Europe
Date:April 12, 2013
Great Guides made this the best adventure ever!!
I’ve read these reviews extensively and would only like to add that I agree with every single good point ever stated by every other reviewer! It’s all been said, no need for me to repeat it all! The guides on the bus ride, boat ride and at the ruins are outstanding! Be sure to tip them big they will deserve every dollar!! Lunch was amazing and there was a lot! Love, love, loved this adventure!! It provided memories for a life time! Belize is unbelizable!! LOL
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Review 4 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
3
out of
5
Adventurous:
5
out of
5
Family Oriented:
3
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
HRCroddick13
Location:New Jersey
Party size:3
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:March
Cruise Date Year:2013
Favorite activities:Adventure
Favorite port:Roatan, Honduras
I want to go here next:Hawaii
Date:April 11, 2013
Exactly what I expected!
This excursion was the reason we selected this itinerary. My 15-year-old daughter wanted to "climb" the Mayan ruins, not just "see" them so Belize was a must. I read an overwhelming number of the reviews before making the decision and decided to go with the NCL excursion as opposed to a local company because of the time involved in getting to and from the site. The bus ride was the expected 45 minutes and our tour guide, Tiffany, was fun and informative. The bus took us directly to the river boat dock which is adjacent to a lovely rest area with clean bathrooms, beautiful foliage, a bar area, tables, and a tiny gift shop. We would have lunch here on the return trip. We boarded our speed boat and headed out on a short search for wildlife with our skillful pilot "Rocky" at the helm. We spotted all sort of birds, Iguana, and even coaxed a spider monkey down to eye level with a banana! after about 15 minutes Rocky opened the throttle for a thrilling ride on the twists and turns of the New River. We arrived at the Lamanai site an expected 45 minutes later.From here our Mayan guide took over the tour and told us about some of the trees and plants while the Howler Monkeys made their presence known. They're harmless, and we never saw them, only heard their very loud voices. They sound like dinosaurs!!! The site was everything we hoped for! They ask you not to climb any of the ruins other than the High Temple, but some people were climbing all of them anyway. The Jaguar Temple is first and is breathtaking. then you move on to the High Temple. The stairs are not as narrow as I had heard. They are definitely wide enough for a person with a large foot to step comfortably on. It's the height of each stair that makes the climb difficult. Each stair is about the height of your shin bone so it takes a lot of effort for the 50+ crowd (like me) to climb the 90 or so feet to the plato just below the top. I stopped there. It took some time to catch my breath and without the rope for the final 10 feet or so, I was fine right where I was. My daughter did go up so I got some great shots of her at the top of the world, and I have no regrets stopping where I did. I was at the top of the canopy and could see the New river from way up there. On a side note, My husband came along for the ride, but did not climb the High Temple. He thought it was an enjoyable day as well. The river cruise was his favorite part. After ample time at the site we headed back to the boat and Rocky really opened it up! We were "racing" another group on the way back which made it a fun ride. Lunch was delicious, just beware the onion "salad" it's soak in Habanero juice!!! We picked up some T-shirts and got back on the bus. Some reviewers expressed a lack of time for shopping at this port. It's true, but you have to choose what's important to you. We're not big shoppers. We love history, so this was not an issue for us. Don't forget to factor in the time to tender back and forth to the ship...this adds another 15 minutes each way. If you want to climb the ruins while you still can, I HIGHLY recommend this excursion.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
5
out of
5
Adventurous:
5
out of
5
Family Oriented:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
LD007
Location:texas
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:April
Cruise Date Year:2013
Favorite activities:Adventure
Favorite port:Roatan, Honduras
I want to go here next:Europe
Date:April 11, 2013
april 2013
this was the best vaule tour we took the whole trip. other than the bus ride being very hot( the a/c was not working very well). 1hr bus ride to dock of riverboat was fun. the river ride was a blastand the tour guides were great. the ruins were awesome. the lunch was late at 2pm, but was all homemade and very tasty. AAAA++++
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Review 6 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
4
out of
5
Adventurous:
3
out of
5
Family Oriented:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
maztek
Date:April 7, 2013
Did I come this far not to climb?
A lot of the other reviews are dead on, so I will just do a few bullets:
- Went 3/27/13.
- It's a guided tour but when the guide talks at length, I'd wish they'd do so in front of a ruin and not the sign showing the trail.
- When others went off by themselves and the annoyed guide said they were welcome to not stay and listen, I took that as an invitation to leave the group as well.
- This allowed me to see, hear, and record the howler monkeys without a crowd.
- This also allowed me to spend a majority of my time on the main, high temple ruin.
- The trail is a single loop, so no getting lost. Bugs were not an issue when we went.
- It's been my preference to research beforehand, and enjoy such locations in silence, or at least in a non-rushed environment.
- The high speed boat ride was excellent.
- In foresight, I should have fibbed to the guide and say I'd been here before and want to go off by myself and set up a specific meeting spot (docks or restrooms or pavilions, etc) to rendezvous with the main group.
- Went 3/27/13.
- It's a guided tour but when the guide talks at length, I'd wish they'd do so in front of a ruin and not the sign showing the trail.
- When others went off by themselves and the annoyed guide said they were welcome to not stay and listen, I took that as an invitation to leave the group as well.
- This allowed me to see, hear, and record the howler monkeys without a crowd.
- This also allowed me to spend a majority of my time on the main, high temple ruin.
- The trail is a single loop, so no getting lost. Bugs were not an issue when we went.
- It's been my preference to research beforehand, and enjoy such locations in silence, or at least in a non-rushed environment.
- The high speed boat ride was excellent.
- In foresight, I should have fibbed to the guide and say I'd been here before and want to go off by myself and set up a specific meeting spot (docks or restrooms or pavilions, etc) to rendezvous with the main group.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
5
out of
5
Adventurous:
5
out of
5
Family Oriented:
3
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
asyouwish
Location:PA
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:March
Cruise Date Year:2013
Favorite activities:Family oriented
Favorite port:Belize City, Belize
Date:March 30, 2013
Bucket List-check!
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
My daughter and I had "climb Mayan ruins" on our bucket list and chose this excursion on our recent cruise on the Norwegian Dawn. This was the highlight of our trip! We are: a 50 year old out of shape mom and a 20 year old fit college student. The bus ride was almost an hour but very interesting ...out guide spoke excellent English and told us lots of facts about Belize, it's culture, land and people. I quite enjoyed looking out the window of the bus and shooting photos of the houses and roadside markets. I felt we got to see some of the 'real Belize" beyond just tourist sites. Once at the boat landing, we were given some drinks--water or lemonade--and a cookie, and a chance to use the bathroom. yes, the water was purified and safe to drink. Then we got into the boats. The river was beautiful..lined on both sides with waterlilies in flower. We began slowly with the guide pointing out flora and fauna. Now I give this excursion a 3 for family oriented based on ages of children...a family in our boat had two very small children with them who were not very happy...this is a very long day and I wouldn't recommend bringing a child under the age of 8 on this trip.
After 15 minutes or so of slow motoring, the driver opened the throttle and we flew! The rest of the ride was quite fast...we stopped a couple of times to look for crocs, and say hi to some fisherman...after about an hour we arrived at the ruins.
Both of us had a wonderful time at the ruins. We saw 3 temples and were able to climb all three. The second one is the main temple and the steepest. You climb via a rope. I am deathly afraid of heights but I didn't travel thousands of miles NOT to climb so I did it! The experience was amazing! Only complaint was that I wanted more time there. There were several other groups and the main temple did have a lot of people there..however, we all encouraged each other in the climb!
I'm a photographer and when we came upon the last temple with no one climbing on it, it was like a gift!...i was able to capture photos without any people on them, and then we climbed the ruin and took pictures with us as the only people on the ruin. Amazing.
The boat ride back was a little shorter--50 minutes--and faster. Back at the boat landing we had lunch--barbecue chicken, rice and beans, brownies...Lunch ended up being late around 2 pm due to the distance we traveled.
Highly recommend this tour!
After 15 minutes or so of slow motoring, the driver opened the throttle and we flew! The rest of the ride was quite fast...we stopped a couple of times to look for crocs, and say hi to some fisherman...after about an hour we arrived at the ruins.
Both of us had a wonderful time at the ruins. We saw 3 temples and were able to climb all three. The second one is the main temple and the steepest. You climb via a rope. I am deathly afraid of heights but I didn't travel thousands of miles NOT to climb so I did it! The experience was amazing! Only complaint was that I wanted more time there. There were several other groups and the main temple did have a lot of people there..however, we all encouraged each other in the climb!
I'm a photographer and when we came upon the last temple with no one climbing on it, it was like a gift!...i was able to capture photos without any people on them, and then we climbed the ruin and took pictures with us as the only people on the ruin. Amazing.
The boat ride back was a little shorter--50 minutes--and faster. Back at the boat landing we had lunch--barbecue chicken, rice and beans, brownies...Lunch ended up being late around 2 pm due to the distance we traveled.
Highly recommend this tour!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
4
out of
5
Adventurous:
4
out of
5
Family Oriented:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
4
out of
5
brlorlando
Location:Orlando, FL
Party size:4
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:March
Cruise Date Year:2013
Favorite activities:Educational
Favorite port:Costa Maya, Mexico
Date:March 22, 2013
Full /Day Excursion
Ride to safari comfortable with "Chatty Cathy" guide, needed for substance to culture/history on city/buildings/scenery. River safari was longer than expected but worth the time. Boat captain stopped many times to point out wildlife - crocodiles were out sunning themselves. You will need bug spray for hike to ruins. Also, this is not for the mobility limited. You must watch where you walk on this very rough, rocky path more than looking forward or sideways. At the ruins you will get about 15 minutes to view or climb. The guide stays on schedule. You must be up front to hear or see what he is telling along the way. He will leave you behind. Yet, the boat will not leave to return without you on it. The boat captain has extraordinary knowlege of the river without navigational markers. The tasty and very ample lunch was prepared by locals. Enjoy! You have enough time for restroom breaks and purchases from the local vendor. Nothing to write about on the return trip as it was same route and the guide took a rest. Guide was willing to answer questions, it seemed no one knew enough about the area to ask. You will have very limited time to shop at port upon your return.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
4
out of
5
Adventurous:
4
out of
5
Family Oriented:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
Anonymous
Location:Mississauga, Ontario
Party size:4
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:March
Cruise Date Year:2013
Favorite activities:Relaxing
Favorite port:Roatan, Honduras
I want to go here next:Alaska
Date:March 21, 2013
Great guides make the excursion!
As first time cruisers and only our second port this was our first time tendering but there were no issues. Ships anchor quite a way out but we were told Belize is very ecologically minded and do not want their reefs destroyed by cruise ships which we are very ok with! Again we were told to meet in the Stardust theatre on the Dawn and everything was well organized and we were on time and out quickly. The tender boat takes 10-15 minutes to get to shore. Once there we boarded our bus for the approximately 45 minute ride to the starting point of the riverboat cruise. Our guides were Shelton the bus driver, Jorge the animal expert and Geraldo our Mayan and Belizean expert. Athough the bus ride is fairly boring Geraldo kept us interested with lots of information about Belize its natural resouces, history and multicultural population. Once at the starting point we were given a quick opportunity to use the facilities (yay)and then on our way. Luis our dreadlocked captain and crew did a great job with the boat cruise. Although I wasn't expecting much (this is the jungle, animals don't appear on command) we did see an iguana almost immediately, a family of bats splayed open against a tree trunk, lots of egrets, cranes and other large birds and on the way back, yes, 3 crocodiles! I have to admit just following the curving, meandering course of the river, swaying back and forth was probably my favorite part of this excursion, but thats just me! All of us kept our eagle eyes open trying to find more wildlife to photograph, but we usually kept a good pace going. The cruise takes about an hour to get to Lamanai itself. Again Geraldo was a fountain of information and was open to any questions we had. There are still many mounds uncovered here but the 3 main large temples that you can visit and climb are quite impressive. Most of us saved our climbing energy for the largest temple, which when you get to the top, gives an amazing view over the jungle canopy. Or so I was told by my husband and younger daughter who went all the way to the top while my older daughter and I cowered in fear two thirds of the way up as we looked down at how steep the steps were! Funny, while you are going up you have the steps right in front of you that you can lean on with your hands to steady you so it seems ok! But get up there, turn around and look at your way down and my eldest was saying " ok there has to be another way right?" Beware folks, the steps are thin, VERY steep with only an unattached rope to hang onto. Most people went down on their butts! Anyway, you get about 1 hour 30 minutes at the site then another opportunity to visit the bathroom then back on the boat for a quicker trip back and lunch! By this time it was almost 2pm so we were hungry! Delicious chicken , rice, coleslaw and taco chips with delicious homemade salsa. Juices are included and you can grab some alcohol if you want for a reasonable price. There is a small gift shop which is noteworthy only for the Mayan calendar for sale carved by Geraldo himself! Then back on the bus where many of us indulged in a siesta. There was still about an hour to check out the shops in port if you were so inclined. All in all we would recommend this excursion.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
4
out of
5
Adventurous:
4
out of
5
Family Oriented:
3
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
4
out of
5
Palmas
Location:Ohio
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:February
Cruise Date Year:2013
Favorite activities:Adventure
I want to go here next:Hawaii
Date:March 4, 2013
Lamanai-Not Enough Time
Excursion date: Feb. 27, 2013
We have visited several other Mayan ruins, but have never been to this one in Belize. After an hour bus ride (Derek is an excellent host), we boarded the boat (all of the boats had canopies, so maybe this has changed from previous reviews) and about 10 minutes into the river trek, the boat broke down. they did their best to repair it, but it broke down again. Things happen, but this set us back about an hour. I was glad I booked the excursion through NCL, feeling more secure with 80 or so of their passengers.
Once finally underway, the river trip was long, but beautiful, and we did get to see much wildlife.
The problem is that after arriving at the ruins, the tour guide (Wilfredo), although professional and knowledgable, spends way too much time talking, and you only get to see a fraction of the sites that have been excavated. I appreciate his information, but felt we were there to see as much as we could, especially when we may never get this chance again. We broke away from the group (frowned upon) and went with one of the assistants to see another pyramid that we would never have seen if we had stayed. we were also told that the tips are suppose to be shared equally among all the guides/crew..but that doesnt happen. So we chose to tip individually to ensure that the ones who went out of their way to help us, received something for their efforts. I think this excursion should be modified to allow for more time at the ruins.
Wear sensible shoes, take bug spray, and be able to walk a good distance over rocky paths. uphill and down.
Lunch was adequate local fare, and we werent there expecting an elaborate buffet.
We returned by way of the river, and another hour bus ride back, making it to the port at about 4:30.
I am still trying to decide if this arduous journey was worth it, but each Mayan ruins is unique, and we will remember the experience.
We have visited several other Mayan ruins, but have never been to this one in Belize. After an hour bus ride (Derek is an excellent host), we boarded the boat (all of the boats had canopies, so maybe this has changed from previous reviews) and about 10 minutes into the river trek, the boat broke down. they did their best to repair it, but it broke down again. Things happen, but this set us back about an hour. I was glad I booked the excursion through NCL, feeling more secure with 80 or so of their passengers.
Once finally underway, the river trip was long, but beautiful, and we did get to see much wildlife.
The problem is that after arriving at the ruins, the tour guide (Wilfredo), although professional and knowledgable, spends way too much time talking, and you only get to see a fraction of the sites that have been excavated. I appreciate his information, but felt we were there to see as much as we could, especially when we may never get this chance again. We broke away from the group (frowned upon) and went with one of the assistants to see another pyramid that we would never have seen if we had stayed. we were also told that the tips are suppose to be shared equally among all the guides/crew..but that doesnt happen. So we chose to tip individually to ensure that the ones who went out of their way to help us, received something for their efforts. I think this excursion should be modified to allow for more time at the ruins.
Wear sensible shoes, take bug spray, and be able to walk a good distance over rocky paths. uphill and down.
Lunch was adequate local fare, and we werent there expecting an elaborate buffet.
We returned by way of the river, and another hour bus ride back, making it to the port at about 4:30.
I am still trying to decide if this arduous journey was worth it, but each Mayan ruins is unique, and we will remember the experience.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
2
out of
5
Adventurous:
3
out of
5
Family Oriented:
3
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
4
out of
5
PCCM
Date:March 1, 2013
Mixed experience
Bus ride about 1 hour and boat ride to ruins also about 1 hour. Tiring and though tour guide gives local history, total travel time long. Ruins were amazing and can climb to highest structure with amazing view. Not sure whether this site is better when compared to other ruins but 4 hours of total travel and less than 1 hr at ruins may not make it to worth it. Also, food comes after return from boat and prebus, so prepare to be hungry.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
4
out of
5
Adventurous:
3
out of
5
Family Oriented:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
esh1965
Location:Richmond Heights, OH
Party size:1
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:February
Cruise Date Year:2013
Favorite activities:Educational
Favorite port:Belize City, Belize
I want to go here next:Panama Canal
Date:February 26, 2013
Worth the Money
This was a wonderful excursion however I would not recommend it for children. The bus ride was more like 1 hour and 15 minutes through some very boring scenery. The children on board were very bored and some fell asleep. My husband and I loved the ruins and the river ride but do not expect to see much in the way of animals. We saw one crocodile and many, many birds. There are other ruins you can see in a tour that isn't so long. The guides were absolutely fantastic. Couldn't believe how knowledgeable they are.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
5
out of
5
Adventurous:
5
out of
5
Family Oriented:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
AshleyR
Location:MN
Party size:3
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:February
Favorite activities:Adventure
Favorite port:Nawiliwili, Kauai
I want to go here next:Alaska
Date:February 16, 2013
Great Variety of Activities: Money well spent
My husband and I took our 1 year old son on this excursion. Because of other reviews, I was worried about the length of time this trip is, but it ended up being fantastic. The bus ride to the river doesn't seem long because the guide tells you about Belize and is very interesting. You get to the river and load into a boat with two 200hp motors... so you cruise. They start off slow to show you animal life, then after a little while they open it up and you cruise thorugh the river and it very thrilling as you wind around the bends in the river. They will stop if they see crocodiles or other interesting things. The boat ride isn't as long as I though it would be. I think other tours have smaller boats that is why it takes them 1 1/2 hour to get up the river. It took us probably an hour, but only 1/2 hour to 45 min back because we didn't look at as much animal life on the way back. The journey to the ruins is just as fun as the ruins themselves. Once there, it was a rocky, rooty hike but completely doable for many activity levels. There is some up and downs so we carried our child as a stroller wouldn't work well. The jungle hike was beautiful and the ruins were very impressive. Our tour guide liked to talk in depth about the meanings behind each ruin, so we were rushed at the last, and biggest ruin, which I was bummed about, but it was nice to have a knowledgeable tour guide who was passionate about the history. The howler monkeys are quite loud and are very fun to listen to. The ride back went quick. Booking through NCL is a must for this excursion. FIrst, you are 2 hours away from the ship and you want the guarantee that the ship will wait if something happens. Second, we definately had the nicest boat on the river. It had a large overhead canopy so everyone could be int he shade and we had the fastest, newest looking boat. Some of the other tour boats looked a little rickidy. The lunch was delicious. Baked seasoned chicken, rice, coleslaw, banana bars. They also give you a bottle of water when you get to the ruins and all water at lunch time is bottled. There are some unique souvoniers sold at the place where you get on the boat. There was a guy selling neat hand made bowls, but if home is in a not so humid climate, I woudn't recommend as we bought one and brought back to MN and I think the wood is drying out because it is cracking. The bus ride back is "nap time". The bus is a nice coach bus and very comfortable. They were also selling bug spray when we got off the bus, and we brought our own but never used. Bugs were not a problem, so don't waste your money on this. This was a very fun day and doable with children too. I felt I was able to really get a taste of the true Belize along with enjoying a variety of activites. A peak at Belize City/Belize history, seeing exotic wild animals, a thrilling boat ride, a hike through a beautiful jungle, Mayan ruins and history, another great boat ride, great lunch and a comfortable ride back to rest. Money well spent here!
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
5
out of
5
Adventurous:
5
out of
5
Family Oriented:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
Keggs
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:January
Date:February 15, 2013
Great way to spend a day in Belize
This excursion can be broken down into 3 different mini excursions. First is the ride out to the river. The guide we had was great. Throughout the trip he used a good mix of education and humor to not only teach you about Belize but to make the trip enjoyable. Once we got to the riverboat was the second phase. You will see many different kinds of animals on the river and the guides know exactly where to go to find them. The animals are very used to people. The crocodiles allow the boat to get very close and the monkeys will sometimes actually jump onto the boat looking for treats. When you get to the site of the ruins is phase 3 of the trip. We had a pretty formal style tour of the ruins with history and question/answer sessions at each main location. The tour was interesting. We stayed towards the back and spoke with another guide who showed us local plants and pointed out animals in the jungle such as birds and howler monkeys. I only say this to point out that there is alot to experience at the site in addition to to ruins, which IMO alone are worth the trip. After the tour it is back to the riverboat. The trip back to the dock was about 45min with far fewer stops. when you return, you are greeted with a traditional lunch (quite good) along with water and punch. There is also a bar with local rum and beer if you are so inclined. After lunch you get back on the bus and head to port. The trip back to the ship was much less eventful. You can take in the county, have a conversation about what you have seen or just take a nap. Overall this was a long but fun day. Off the boat on the first tender and not back to the port until about 4. Everyone we dealt with was very friendly and I would definitely recommend this trip to others.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
3
out of
5
Adventurous:
4
out of
5
Family Oriented:
3
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
Beans1
Location:Ohio
Party size:1
I traveled with:Other
Cruise Date Month:January
Favorite activities:Relaxing
I want to go here next:Caribbean
Date:February 14, 2013
Long day but interesting
There were some good things and some bad things. Firstly the cost was a bit much and we never got to see the ball court or the largest of the ruins, the High Temple. I never realized this until we returned and I looked up info on the ruins. My bad should have brought it up while on the tour. We did get to see a residence near the Jaguar temple, the Mask temple and a smaller temple in between. The whole thing dragged a bit due to all the info that the guide had. If I had a choice less info more ruins. But that is just my opinion. The bus ride was long, the river ride was long. What made the bus good was a great guide. The guide on the "temple tour" was fantastic even if we didn't get to see what was promised. Food was good rice chicken etc. Learned alot but just wish we could have gotten to see the High Temple and to climb the ruins themselves.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
5
out of
5
Adventurous:
5
out of
5
Family Oriented:
3
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
DebAl
Location:Tigard, OR
Date:February 8, 2013
Best one yet!
This was a fantastic excursion. The riverboat ride alone was worth the trip. Ruins were outstanding, and the tour guides were top-notch. Knowledgeable & attentive. The lunch was good & had an opportunity to try the local beer and rum. Would go on this one again in a heartbeat! Highly recommend going.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
5
out of
5
Adventurous:
5
out of
5
Family Oriented:
2
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
Honeybear
Location:New York, NY
Party size:2
I traveled with:Other
Cruise Date Month:January
Favorite activities:Educational
Favorite port:Cozumel, Mexico
I want to go here next:Europe
Date:January 31, 2013
Images for this Review
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Our guides were excellent. The bus ride through Belize was made interesting and fun by the guide on the bus. The riverboat pilot's experience on the river and keen eye allowed us to see and photograph the riverbank animals, birds and iguanas. Starting as a teenager our guide for Lamanai had worked there during the excavation of the site. His knowledge was beyond compare. The lunch was good but Belize beer was better. Due to the long travel time, trek through the forest, and difficulty climbing the ruins do not recommend this excursion to families with young children.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
4
out of
5
Adventurous:
4
out of
5
Family Oriented:
4
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
4
out of
5
HamburgerHelper
Location:NY
Party size:1
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:January
Favorite activities:Adventure
I want to go here next:Europe
Date:January 21, 2013
This was the best tour I took on the Western Carb cruise from NCL. This trip is great, our guides Elmer and Dino were great at describing all the locations to us and full of information about random facts.
But here were many long delays of enjoying the fun.
1) Waited around the terminal for 30 to 40 minutes waiting for us to get on the bus and for the other fairy that had tour group people.
2) The drive was about 45 minutes as stated in the info.
3) You get on the river boat right away. In our group we had many elderly people they had a very hard time getting on the boat.
4) Going around the river was great seem to be well over 1 hour of a ride, but didn't seem much wildlife in the river. Seen only a few birds, 1 monkey and 1 gator. We did get to see Mr. McAfee house on the river.
5) Getting off the boat took a very long time due to people having having issues raising there legs above there waists.
6) The tour was great Dino and Elmer told us many this as we walked around the area, but the tour group was slow and I think we did not see the full park. There are many paths we did not see nor other ruins we did not see.
7) Getting the the big ruin that you can climb is full of people many who seem to sit on the steps and get in your way. It is a very step climb. Going up is easy, going down takes away.
8) Once the tour was done at the site, that when things fell apart, Was told we can go to the bathroom, then wait someplace to board the boats. Many tours were there so bathroom had huge lines. I though I was waiting for the tour group to get on the boat and waiting for out boat, but it seem most of the tour group was on the boat, and the dock was filled with other waiting to get onto their boats.
9) About 40 minutes to get back on boat to the boat house. Then that when you eat food, this was about 1:30pm. The food was OK, had much better food on NYC corner food venders. Again the boat house was packed with people, by the time you got your food had few minutes to eat and get on the bus to go.
10) Bus trip was 45 minutes. By the time we got back we were the last fairy to go back to the cruise ship, no time to look at the port and the stores they have.
But here were many long delays of enjoying the fun.
1) Waited around the terminal for 30 to 40 minutes waiting for us to get on the bus and for the other fairy that had tour group people.
2) The drive was about 45 minutes as stated in the info.
3) You get on the river boat right away. In our group we had many elderly people they had a very hard time getting on the boat.
4) Going around the river was great seem to be well over 1 hour of a ride, but didn't seem much wildlife in the river. Seen only a few birds, 1 monkey and 1 gator. We did get to see Mr. McAfee house on the river.
5) Getting off the boat took a very long time due to people having having issues raising there legs above there waists.
6) The tour was great Dino and Elmer told us many this as we walked around the area, but the tour group was slow and I think we did not see the full park. There are many paths we did not see nor other ruins we did not see.
7) Getting the the big ruin that you can climb is full of people many who seem to sit on the steps and get in your way. It is a very step climb. Going up is easy, going down takes away.
8) Once the tour was done at the site, that when things fell apart, Was told we can go to the bathroom, then wait someplace to board the boats. Many tours were there so bathroom had huge lines. I though I was waiting for the tour group to get on the boat and waiting for out boat, but it seem most of the tour group was on the boat, and the dock was filled with other waiting to get onto their boats.
9) About 40 minutes to get back on boat to the boat house. Then that when you eat food, this was about 1:30pm. The food was OK, had much better food on NYC corner food venders. Again the boat house was packed with people, by the time you got your food had few minutes to eat and get on the bus to go.
10) Bus trip was 45 minutes. By the time we got back we were the last fairy to go back to the cruise ship, no time to look at the port and the stores they have.
I would rather have the tour skip the lunch part and have us go directly back to the ship after the tour was done.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 19 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
5
out of
5
Adventurous:
5
out of
5
Family Oriented:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
arkansastraveler
Date:January 7, 2013
Great adventure. Long day, but worth it. Our guide, Wilfred, was very knowledgeable about the history, culture, and natural areas of Belize. He was never stumped by a question. He was very personable and made us feel comfortable. The lunch was tasty in a picuresque setting. At the end of the day, we felt like we had really experienced the country of Belize.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 20 for Lamanai Ruins & River Safari
Overall:
Fun:
5
out of
5
Adventurous:
5
out of
5
Family Oriented:
5
out of
5
Cultural/Educational:
5
out of
5
dabrad26
Location:Albany, GA
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:December
Favorite activities:Adventure
Favorite port:Belize City, Belize
I want to go here next:Alaska
Date:December 30, 2012
Great Trip and The Ruins were amazing
First off we had a great guide. He was fun and kept the mood peppy and fun with jokes and interesting facts about the area. The trip was long to get to the ruins, but we saw so much of Belize that it was worth it! You start on a nice bus ride (it had AC) and than you change over to a speed boat (open) that takes you through the river to get to the Lamanai ruins. It is a long boat ride, but a great trip. The wind felt great and we had excellent weather. We saw a lot of wildlife (birds, crocodiles...) and it was very scenic. The guide stopped and talked about special areas and showed us some neat stuff along the ride. When we got to the ruins, it was a little walk to the first ruin (a lot of walking through the jungle, it was very humid, and not much of a path, but it was truly authentic). The first two ruins you can climb on, and the last you cannot (however, after climbing on the first two your exhausted). The first one has some stone stairs to climb on, and that made it a tad easier, but the second one was very steep and very high. I am glad I climbed up it (beautiful view), but I started to regret it when i looked down. I recommend climbing it, but it is very steep so make sure you are up for the challenge. The ride back was fast and they had some delicious food (grilled chicken, beans, salsa, chips) and it was very delicious!! This was the best trip I saw for the Belize excursions and I had a great time!!!
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
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