Cave Tubing in Belize

Flying through the forest and floating through a cave seemed like a perfect way to spend an afternoon in Belize.  Turns out, it was the perfect afternoon.  If you like adventure, forests, caves, trees and nice people, you should consider this excursion.

We were provided a complimentary tour with Discovery Expeditions Belize Ltd., and we were thrilled to accept.  We went on the Cave Tubing and Ziprider Adventure with BBQ Lunch with Belize City Tours.  The cost is $70 a person, and includes transportation, cave tubing, zip lining and lunch. It’s really a bargain.  They had excellent reviews on TripAdvisor, which is why I wanted to go with this company.

There are a lot of companies that offer this same excursion (cave tubing + zip lining), so I wanted to say some of my specific observations of these companies.  Many of the other companies we saw had 10-20 people in the group.  That meant that if you were zip lining, you’d be waiting in a group of 16 people.  It would take a lot longer, and be more drawn-out.  Our group had 4 people.  It was the perfect amount.  I also saw large groups being ushered through the caves, and if you were in the back, it would have been difficult to hear.  With just 4 of us and a guide, it was more intimate, easier to maneuver and felt like a more private experience.  I highly recommend this tour company, which does smaller groups, as opposed to some of these other companies which try to cram 20 people together.

We were greeted by our driver at the cruise port.  We were given an exact location to meet them in an email.  We were told where to wait until the other couple was ready.  The four of us and our driver got in the air-conditioned van and started our hour long journey from the cruise port to the zip riding adventure.  Our guide was informative, spoke good English and was very open to answering any questions we had about the country.

Our guide stayed with us the entire time.  He helped navigate where to put our stuff, where to meet our zip lining guide, and then introduced us to our cave tubing guide.  We were really glad he was there and helpful.  I didn’t bring water shoes, so he showed us where we could rent them. Renting water shoes cost $3.  Make sure to bring Belize dollars.  He was attentive and polite, and we really were thankful to have someone show us the ropes!  Pun intended.

Zip lining

We zip lined first.  There were 6 main jumps.  One was very long over a river, and that was my favorite. We had two guides which lead us through the forest to the platforms.  Some of the platforms had cold water, which we appreciated.  You could hear the monkeys, and see the fauna.

At one point, our guide gave us a leaf to smell and asked to say what it was.  I guessed nutmeg or cinnamon, but turns out it was allspice!  I ignorantly thought allspice was a combination of many spices, but it’s not.  There are some natural uses for it as a treatment for nausea and vomiting.  It was just interesting to be in the forest and learn about new things.

We took GoPro videos, and some pictures with our phone, but at the end, they came and took pictures of you while you were zip lining.  They used a DSLR camera, and they were actually really good.  It cost $10 to receive a digital folder with all the images per person.  They offered a deal of $15 for both of us, so we took it.

Cave Tubing

Our guide was very informative and kind.  He took the time to explain things about the country, the water and the trees on our way up.

We waded through the water on the hike to the cave, which is why you need water shoes!

The hike was about 30 minutes, and then we floated back to where we had started.

When we got to the cave entrance, they connected our tubes together so that the guide could use paddles to guide us through.  We basically just floated while he did all the work. Which sort of made me feel bad, but then again, he knows where he’s going.  It’s also safer than a bunch of people bobbing about in a dark cave getting lost.

The water was chilly, and the cave itself was, too.  We saw various cave formations, bats and learned about some of the early people in the area.  The water was a beautiful blue-green color.  As you floated through, you could feel droplets of water hit you.  It was cathartic.  Some of the parts of the water were very deep.  There are some fish that actually live in the dark cave.  Very surreal to imagine.

After we tubed, we had an authentic Belizean lunch of BBQ chicken, coleslaw, rice and beans.

We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise port stop in Belize, and this tour made all the difference.  If you’re in Belize for a day, consider booking a tour with this company.  We were so happy to have the opportunity to do this!  Thank you Discovery Expeditions!