mkhonzo

Well I am not the greatest at feeding back after a trip, so this is a rare account and one that I am posting after my original request for help that yielded little.

Flew from Dulles to Miami and on to Belize City with AA. Landed and was met almost instantly, checked in to Tropic Air and within ten minutes was above the azure ocean and on my way to Punta Gorda. A couple of stops and about thirty minutes later the steamy air of PG was in my lungs and I was chugging off by road with Nat to Belize Lodge & Excursions for a trip which I had quickly put together a few weeks earlier. In fact BLE had done the grunt work, all I needed to do was submit payment by card and get myself to Belize City.

I divided my time between Ballum Na, jungle lodge and Moho Cay. WOW. From the three suite ballum Na I was able to make a day trip out to Lubantuun, the Blue river and a half morning excursion to Nim Li Punit. I managed a few hours of hiking on the forest verge and then put off to Jungle Lodge by canoe.

Ballum Na was super comfortable, way more than I had ever expected of this part of the world. The staff a little shy, but warm and hospitable. The Jaguar and Puma were fascinating to see at close quarters as well as the howler monkey that are being rehabilitated.

Jungle Lodge was equally thrilling. Access is only by boat down the gently flowing Golden Stream. The lodgings are cradled in the canopy offering spectacular views out across the lowland jungle. Great birds. wonderful walks... I saw about a dozen different tracks of jaguar and or puma, but never crossed their path, which was a small disappointment.

Another boat trip down the stream took me to Moho as secluded one acre island in the middle of the Port Honduras Marine Preserve. I snorkeled, ate incredible seafood, snorkeled some more and then paddled, and lapped up the sun. I was to early or late for the whale sharks, so contended myself with the rays and black tips that buzzed around the island. Iguana on the beach, beneath the lodge were fascinating too.

To get home, a quick popwer boat trip from the island, 40 minutes to PG, a short drive from the landing and a smooth (few stops) flight back to Belize City and badda bing... home in Miami in a flash.

What a super place... I really enjoyed the mix of activity spread across the three lodges, plus the uniformaly great food and accommodation: It was worth every penny.

Patty

Glad to hear you enjoyed Belize and thanks for your report! Can you tell me what you saw in terms of wild wildlife at both Ballum Na and Jungle Lodge?

hopefulist

Thanks for taking the time to post a report for us!

JeanH

Thanks so much. After numerous trips to Belize, we finally hope to make it to Punta Gorda sometime this winter.

mkhonzo

Apologies for not getting back on this, the mundanity of life stepped in the way.
At Ballum Na there are a couple of cats that were rescued from a place in Mexico, so they are contained in a large enclosure, beautiful specimens and well treated. I t was great to see them at close quarters, particularly after hearing them call in the forest, spotting their tracks, scats and scrappings, but not physically seeing them.

I had the pleasure of seeing the "Jesus Christ" lizard, aptly nicknamed for its ability to skedaddle across water, a few tapir foraging along the banks of the golden stream, some rabbit like critters with proboscis like noses, also a great sighting of a tamandu, a nocturnal fish eating bat. Numerous sightings of spider monkey and a couple being reintroduced to the wild in the area of ballum na.

I saw the bubbles of a submerging salt water crocodile and then numerous birds, too plentiful to list.

Hope that helps?

Patty

Thanks for your reply! Between the holidays and my own trip to Belize I'd missed this earlier. A tapir, how cool! I hope to see one in the wild some day. Same with the tamandua. Was the rabbit like creature an agouti perhaps?

mkhonzo

YES, that was the little fellow, was quite cool as I saw it from the walk away conneting the rooms at Jungle Lodge.