We had the opportunity to change accommodations to visit the Tides Resort which is located on the north end of San Pedro. I liked the area where Tides was located, and this is a great locally-owned and operated (I have been told it is the only locally-owned hotel that is located on the beach). It is not as fancy as Xanadu, but it is clean, comfortable, and safe. The staff was very nice and welcoming, and they arranged an afternoon snorkeling trip to Hol Chan and Shark Alley, two of Belize’s premier sites. We had a great guide who was an older gentleman who grew up on the caye, and he had a great perspective having seen the development and changes over the year. Despite having done this same trip probably 1,000 times, his enthusiasm really showed, and he led us on a phenomenal excursion. Hol Chan is a protected marine reserve that is located where there is a break in the reef, allowing the cool water to flow behind the reef. There are many fish species that come to this area to feed, and we had a great time swimming around the reserve. We were fortunate to see a sea turtle. We had heard so much about Shark Alley, and it was weird putting on the gear and dropping into an area where we would expect to swim around sharks. The sharks were certainly there, but they are nurse sharks that seemed to keep their distance from us since we weren't using bait to attract them. The highlight for me was the rays, both stingrays and eagle rays. We followed a school of stingrays, watching their graceful movements as they skimmed the bottom. What a day!
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.