What an experience, snorkeling in Belize. Though I've snorkeled in the BVIs and both the Caribbean and Pacific sides of Costa Rica, Belize tops my list of favorites. Hol Can Marine Reserve seemed to have a little bit of everything, schools of fish, moray eels, nurse sharks, rays, and an abundance of coral in all different shapes and sizes. The protected area is vast, but the region were pretty much everyone goes to snorkel is small. We were there with at least a dozen other boats which immediately made me a little weary. Once we were in the water through none of that really seemed to matter. We did come across a few other groups, but our guide was skilled at guiding us and I hardly noticed as I swam past humans because of just how much there was to see below.
If you've never snorkeled before, no problem, the guides instructed us in all the details of keeping our masks clear and sealed. We had the option to take life jackets or not and for those who like to dive down they gave a quick refresher on regulating your air. It was easy and fun and even Tim, an experienced diver, said he's never seen such a high concentration of species in one outing.
Pelican (Jessica Liles)
Our second and last stop was Shark Ray Alley where the nurse sharks immediately surround the boats knowing the a meal is coming. A bucket of chum is dumped off the back of the boat in the water and guests are invited to jump in and swim around with the sharks. The experience was thrilling and a little terrifying but petting a shark is definitely something I'll never forget.
Pro tip: Don't forget your GoPro! I was super envious of the guy who captured an underwater shot of himself holding a 3 foot nurse shark. That is one of a kind!
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
7 hours ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
22 hours ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
5 days ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
6 days ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.