Wholesale FIT tour operator Avanti Destinations has expanded its offering for advisors’ independent travel clients going to Belize with two new customizable vacations, nine new hotels and resorts, and seven new tours and experiences. Avanti has also partnered with the Belize Tourism Board to create a new 32-page e-brochure, “Belize: Where Adventure Meets Paradise,” for advisors to share with their clients.
In Belize, Avanti offers a total of four customizable FIT vacations, 42 three-, four- and five-star hotels, lodges and resorts, and 35 tours and experiences, including the latest additions. Among the new accommodations are two five-star resorts, both on Ambergris Caye island, three three-star lodges located in or next to nature reserves in the Cayo District, and two four-star resorts in or near Placencia—one on a private island within a marine reserve.
Of the seven newest tours and experiences in Belize, five are private and two are shared.
Four are in the Cayo District: A seven-hour private tour in the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve (Cayo) of a cave system called Actun Tunichil Muknal (Cave of the Stone Sepulchre), a sacred place to the ancient Maya where ceremonies of human sacrifice took place; a seven-hour private cave tubing and zipline tour with lunch where clients float on inner tubes through the cave system once occupied by the Maya on the Caves Branch River and are then taken to a rainforest canopy zipline course; a shared six-hour jungle pontoon boat waterfall adventure tour with lunch; and a private nine-hour Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve tour with lunch in the largest and oldest protected forest area in Belize, boasting the highest waterfall in Central America (1,600 feet). One of the new lodges is in this reserve, located by a waterfall.
Two of the new tours are in Placencia, in the southern part of the country: A private seven-hour Living Maya Experience and Nim li Punit tour takes clients to a Kekchi Maya family’s home furnished with all natural materials where they can help prepare and partake of a traditional meal, then visit the ancient Maya archeological site, Nim li Punit, known for its 26 intricately carved stone stellae; and a shared all-day shared excursion to a private island 20 miles off the coast, Ranguana Caye, where music, a beach barbecue, kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkeling and other activities await.
Lastly, from Dangriga or Hopkins, center of Garifuna culture, Avanti offers a new seven-hour private Garifuna cultural and culinary adventure. One of Belize’s prominent ethnic groups, the Garifuna are descendants of the indigenous Carib-Arawak people and Afro-Caribbean people. On this tour, clients will learn about their history and musical and culinary traditions, including how to make a typical meal with a coconut-based soup, catch of the day, pounded plantains and dessert.
Avanti’s recommended vacations in Belize range in duration from eight to 10 days. All of the company’s vacations are completely customizable to include additional nights, tours and activities, transfers and other destinations.
The two new Belize FIT vacations each include two of the new tours and excursions, highlighting soft adventure, cultural, historical, and gastronomic experiences. More can be added. Those are:
- Cayo & The Coast – Eight days/seven nights in Placencia, San Ignacio and other locations in the Cayo District for clients looking for soft adventure, ancient Maya temples, wildlife spotting and beach time. Included: The new private seven-hour cave tubing and zipline tour with lunch; a private nine-hour tour of 75-acre Caracol—the largest known ancient Maya site in Belize—with its 141-foot high Sky Palace deep in the rainforest; a visit to the ancient Maya city of Xunantunich; the new all-day shared Ranguana Caye private tropical island excursion; private transfers; and choice of accommodations.
- Undiscovered Belize – Nine days/eight nights in Punta Gorda, Dangriga and Hopkins where the emphasis is on getting to know the cultures of today’s Maya and Garifuna peoples, as well as providing beach, reef and soft adventure activities. Included: A small group tour of Maya temples at Lubaantun and Blue Creek, and swimming inside the famous Hokeb Ha Cave; a small group half-day snorkel and reef tour to see coral, seahorses, turtles and rays at the port of Honduras Marine Reserve; a private jaguar reserve and chocolate tour at the 160-acre Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and a nearby cacao farm; a new shared cave tubing and zipline tour with lunch at St. Herman’s National Park; a new four-hour shared Garifuna cultural and culinary adventure with lunch; private transfers; and choice of accommodations.
For more information, log onto book.avantidestinations.com.
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