duPlooy's Students Package

Fully Guided Itineraries to Belize

You will be met at the Belize City Airport and accompanied by your guide throughout the trip. All Itineraries listed here are for 8 nights, 9 days. For custom itineraries, contact duPlooy’s

*Prices are effective from May 1-December 19. Add 20% to prices between December 20 & April 30

When you arrive at duPlooy’s and have checked in to your room, you will meet on the deck for a short orientation and Q&A session. Dinner will be in duPlooy’s dining room at 6pm each night. Your dinner will often feature local fruits and vegetables and dishes which may be new to you. Remember that part of the experience is to try local foods. duPlooy’s buys "homegrown" products as much as possible in order to help support our Belizean farmers. Take a stroll out to the deck after dinner and see if you see a kinkajou hanging around in the trees...

Accommodations are double rooms in duPlooy’s Belize River House (7 rooms, 4 baths) and triples in jungle lodge rooms. If you would like to reduce your price by using triple rooms in the Belize River House or quads in the jungle lodge, let us know. Persons wishing a single room pay an additional $50 per day. Prices are per person, US $.

To confirm space, send a deposit of $100 per person to duPlooy's, P.O. Box 180, San Ignacio, Cayo, Belize. The balance is due 60 days prior to arrival. Deposits are per person, not per group. For custom packages, please contact us. Please advise if you would like International Air Fare included.

Itineraries include the use of classroom space, microscopes and power point projector if needed. A variety of lectures on subjects such as archaeology, sustainability, botany,
etc. are available on request. Please let us know your needs.

The two tours listed below, Actun Tunichil Mucknal and Tikal are not included in all of duPlooy’s itineraries. You may add one of these on your free day for an extra charge of $90.00 per person . Leaders need to pay for these trips as well.

Actun Tunichil Mucknal: This huge cave, filled with ancient Mayan artifacts
provides an adventure you’ll never forget. The rough drive over dirt road, wading through streams, hiking for hours, is worth the effort and you will be enthralled as your guide conjures up visions of life as it was for the people who used this cave.

Tikal: The magnificent Maya site of Tikal in Guatemala, is a trip worth making with its many temples, park filled with wildlife and well-versed guides who will help make this visit memorable.

Coast Extensions: On itineraries where a visit to Belize’s coast is not included, you may add on days to any one of our coastal areas such as Hopkins, South Water Caye, Tobacco Caye, Placencia, Caye Caulker or San Pedro. Ask for a quote.

Visits to other parts of Belize: duPlooy’s can also arrange visits to any part of Belize not included in the itineraries below.

Choose from the following itineraries or create your own:

A Little bit of everything - 8 Nights, 9 Days

Day 1 – Pick-up at Belize City Airport for Transfer to duPlooy’s Jungle Lodge. If time permits, stop enroute at the Belize Zoo. Cold Drinks and snacks will be provided along the way. D

Day 2 – Today is for learning about Belize’s people and plants. Breakfast at 7:00 followed by a guided walk (8am sharp) in Belize Botanic Gardens to view some of the plants you will see during your trip, learn about native useful and medicinal plants, visit the native orchid house, rainforest trail and view it all from the lookout tower. Try your hand at helping to prepare a local food item such as tamales, recado, cohune oil, coffee and learn a traditional craft such as roof thatching, broom making, or basket weaving and learn the importance of sustainable harvest of useful and medicinal plants. During your walk you will also see many birds and learn about Belizean Cultures at BBG’s Visitors’ Center. BBG is located adjacent to duPlooy’s. You will be served a traditional Maya-style lunch at the Botanic Garden or at duPlooy's, depending on group size. BLD

Day 3 - It’s worth getting up early to join duPlooy’s bird guide on the deck as you can see many exotic species while drinking your morning coffee or tea.(see bird list elsewhere.) If you want to sleep a little longer, be at the dining room by 7:30 for breakfast, all ready to spend the day exploring Barton Creek Cave where you will canoe through stalactites and stalagmites seen only by flashlight while your guide imparts tales of ancient Mayan History. After a picnic lunch visit Green Hills Butterfly Ranch just up the road, followed by a cooling swim in the cascades of Big Rock Falls located in Belize's Mountain Pine Ridge. BLD

Day 4 – A big adventure day today! – Travel by road or horse to Flour Camp Cave (If you go by road, there is a hike of about 45 minutes to the cave), explore the cave and enjoy a picnic lunch in the forest. (don’t forget to bring flashlights and good hiking shoes) Return to duPlooy’s by inner tube, stopping for a snack and swim along the way. BLD

Day 5 - Learn about the Maya people by visiting 2 nearby sites – Xunantunich and Cahal Pech, both located within 10 miles of duPlooy’s. But first make your way down the Macal River by canoe, viewing in situ some of the plants and trees you saw in Belize Botanic Gardens already, looking for large iguanas and toucans in the trees. Eat lunch in San Ignacio town before taking off for the ruins. BLD

Day 6 - Free day to explore the area. Use of BBG, canoes, horses, innertubes are included. Or choose Actun Tunichil Mucknal or Tikal. (The whole group does not
have to go on one of these trips, but we need at least 4 for Tikal. Leaders need to pay
for this one too). Garifuna or Mariachi Band Tonight or contact duPlooy's for lecture topics. BLD

Day 7 - Get up early and head South for the Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Preserve. You probably won’t see a jaguar, but this area is rich in plant biodiversity and it’s a good opportunity to see more of Belize’s important plants in situ. After your hike, cool off in a lovely waterfall and be hosted for the night by a Mayan Family at their small hotel.
OR
Go directly to your beach destination BLD

Day 8– Continue South for a short distance to your beach destination at Hopkins Village where you will spend the day snorkeling and enjoying the beach on Belize's barrier reef. (This package includes a day of snorkeling. Diving is available for certified divers, but not included in the price). BLD

Day 9 –Transfer to the Belize City airport for your return home. B

Mostly Maya - 8 Nights, 9 Days

Day 1 – Pick up from Belize City transfer to duPlooy’s Jungle Lodge, check in, orientation. D

Day 2 – Ease into your trip with a guided tour of Belize Botanic Gardens with an emphasis on useful and medicinal plants used by the Maya. Learn to thatch on BBG's
demonstration project, enjoy a lunch of typical Mayan food in the garden’s Maya area, try your hand at tortilla and tamale making. Evening Archaeology lecture in BBG’s Visitors’ Center. BLD

Day 3 – After breakfast head for Caracol where your guide will take you through one of the Maya world’s most important sites. Discover how members of this ancient culture lived. Learn a few Mayan words from your Mayan guide. Picnic at the ruins and stop on the way back to duPlooy’s for a cooling swim in the cascading pools of the Rio On in the Mt. Pine Ridge. On the way back to duPlooy’s you will pass through San Antonio village, a modern village where you will learn about today’s Mayan people. BLD

Day 4 – Canoe the Macal River to San Ignacio town, look around the town, eat lunch in a local restaurant and visit Xunantunich Maya site before returning to duPlooy’s. BD

Day 5 - Take your time this morning and get ready to experience Tikal in Guatemala. Drive about 1-1/2 hours to this magnificent site where you will enjoy a guided tour and explore. Spend the night near the site and get up early to view the sunrise from the top of an ancient temple. BLD

Day 6 – Take a short drive to Flores, Guatemala where you can practice your Spanish and explore this tiny island town accessed by a causeway. You might want to take some money along because the town is full of shops selling handcrafted items items from Guatemalan villages. (Not included but fun – a boat trip around the lake). BLD

Day 7 – Return to duPlooy’s and relax for the rest of this day. Swim, canoe, ride horses,
take a walk through the garden, go for a hike. BLD

Day 8 – Today leave early to visit Altun Ha ruins just north of Belize City, spend the night at the community baboon sanctuary in Burrell Boom where you are guaranteed monkey sitings. We call these monkeys baboons, but they are really howler monkeys and some of the few remaining in Belize. BLD

Day 9 – Return to the airport for your trip home. B

Totally Adventurous Tour - 8 Nights, 9 Days

Day 1 – Meet your guide at the Belize City Airport for your transfer to duPlooy’s Jungle Lodge. Stop at the Belize Zoo on the way if time permits and visit with some of Belize’s indigenous animals such as the Jaguar, Tapir, Scarlet Macaw. Short orientation and evening free to explore or relax. D

Day 2 – Head up the Macal River by road to a hiking, caving and canoeing adventure at Flour Camp Cave with a canoe trip back downstream to duPlooy’s. BLD

Day 3 – Visit Actun Tunichil Mucknal Cave for an unforgettable adventure. Spend the day exploring this cave chock full of Mayan artifacts while you learn about Belize’s oldest culture. BLD

Day 4,5 & 6 – Overnight camping trip starting at Ya-Xache ruin, just inside Guatemala, spend the night in the jungle and arrive at Tikal the next day, returning on the 3rd day after spending the night at Tikal. (Or you may choose to drive to Tikal after spending the night at El Sombrero Lodge near Ya-Xache) (Optional zipline tour on the return trip, not included in price). BLD

Day 7 – Arrive back at duPlooy’s for a restful afternoon or enjoy activities on the property – riding, canoeing, tubing, hiking, tour of Belize Botanic Gardens. Night canoe ride on the Macal River. BLD

Day 8 – Kayak trip down the Mopan River starting at Xunantunich with a visit to the
Ruin and ending up at Bullet Tree Falls. Lunch at Clarissa Falls along the way. BLD

Day 9 – Transfer to Belize City Airport for return home. If there is time, stop for a tube trip through caves on the way. B

For the Birds! - 8 Nights, 9 Days

This trip is for serious birders. If you don’t want to spend all of your time looking at our
feathered friends, sign up for one of the others because you will still see plenty of birds. A guided early morning bird walk on the property and/or a night walk is included whenever you choose. (see bird list on this site)

Day 1 – Pick up in Belize City, bird your way back to duPlooy’s with a stop at the Belize Zoo if time permits. Optional evening bird walk around the property. D

Day 2 – Early morning birding in Belize Botanic Gardens where there is a variety of habitat to support field, forest and pond birds. Relax a bit and enjoy lunch in duPlooy’s dining room or on the deck. After lunch and a rest, drive 6 miles to Xunantunich to explore the ruins and look for a few more species. BLD

Day 3 – All day trip to the Mountain Pine Ridge and Caracol Maya site where you may see Orange Breasted Falcon among the others who live in the pine trees. On the way back, cool off in the lovely cascading pools of the Rio On. BLD

Day 4 – This morning after your walk, get into a canoe and head for San Ignacio Town, looking for river fowl and iguanas along the way. Enjoy a leisurely lunch at a local restaurant and spend the afternoon birding at nearby Cahal Pech Maya Site. BLD

Days 5+6 - Bird your way into Guatemala and to the Tikal Ruins. Spend the day wandering through this impressive site and park. Your bird guide will be with you and also an archaeology guide from Guatemala. Spend the night near the site and get up early for sunrise and more birding before heading back to duPlooy’s. BLD

Day 7 – This is your free day to wander through the gardens, around the area, canoe upstream, ride horses around the area, on-site activities and your bird guide are included with your package. If you group would like to book an off-site excursion, this is not included. BLD

Day 8 – Head South for the Cockscomb Basin and another whole eco-system where you
will add to your list. Spend the night at a nearby Village and get up early to wend
your way back to the Belize City airport for your return home. BLD

Day 9 – Transfer to the airport. Leave early because we stop for birds. B

Low Impact Choice - 8 Nights, 9 Days

Feeling guilty and want to exchange some carbon? Take a look at this one. 10% of the cost of your trip will be donated to Belize Botanic Gardens and used to help reforestation projects at the Golden Stream Conservation area in Belize's Toledo District or Runaway Creek in the Belize District. You will be issued a certificate showing the location and numbers of trees planted in your name. These trees will be left to mature in the forest for a minimum of 30 years, replacing some of the carbons created by your travel.

This trip, in an attempt to be as low impact as possible includes as little travel by vehicle
as possible, so bring good hiking shoes.

Day 1 – Road transfer to duPlooy's Jungle Lodge with a stop at the Belize Zoo enroute if time permits, settle in and orientation. D

Day 2 - Traditional Knowledge Workshop at Belize Botanic Gardens. Learn how to make a traditional food item, experience the Healers' Walk in the Plants of the Maya area and enjoy a local lunch served at the Maya house in the gardens. After lunch try your hand at a local craft such as thatching, plastering with white lime, broom making, basket weaving, etc. After the workshop, there should still be some time left for swimming,
tubing or canoeing in the Macal River in front of duPlooy's. BLD

Day 3 – Join your guide on the deck for morning coffee and easy bird watching. After breakfast, get on a horse or take a short ride in the back of a truck upstream to a trail from where you will hike about 45 minutes to Flour Camp Cave. After a picnic lunch, return to duPlooy's by innertube. (You may be exercising some little-used muscles today, so we have included a yoga class before dinner if you wish) BLD

Day 4 - Morning bird walk this morning – 6am sharp! Come back, enjoy a leisurely
breakfast and spend the rest of the day and exploring duPlooy's and the gardens, swimming in the river or just relaxing in your hammock. Because this is all about sustainability, there will be a lecture tonight at the Garden Room at BBG. BLD

Day 5 - Optional morning walk, breakfast at 8 and then travel 6 miles to the Xunantunich Maya Site because, after all, you can't come to this part of the world and not see a ruin. Tour the ruins and then go across the road to Tropical Wings where you will have lunch and a tour of their butterfly house and small museum. After lunch, Kayak down the Mopan River to Clarissa Falls. Night Walk tonight to see what prowls and have an uninterrupted view of the stars. BLD

Day 6 - It's always good to have a look at your surroundings so today, we're going to
head in to San Ignacio. You can do this by canoe or road, your choice. Walk around town, see what's going on in everyday life for Belizean people, have lunch in a local restaurant. If you want to see another Maya site, Cahal Pech is located right up the hill
or you can visit the Green Iguana project at the San Ignacio Hotel. BLD

Day 7 - After breakfast, head back toward Belize City with a stop for a hike in Runaway Creek, a conservation reserve where trees may be planted in your name. Eat lunch at a local restaurant. Arrive at the Marine Terminal for a short (45 minutes) boat ride to Caye Caulker where you will spend the next two nights and your days on the shores of the beautiful blue Caribbean. The first night includes a presentation on reef ecology. BL

Day 8 – Explore the island, lounge around on the beach, go snorkeling, just enjoy the
day. A snorkel trip is included, but meals are not on this day. No Meals

Day 9 - Your final day. Take the water taxi (included) back to Belize City where you
will be transferred back to the airport for your trip home. No Meals.

The Prices:

Comps:

• With 7-10 Paying – One;
• 11-15 – Two;
• 16-21 – Three;
• 21+ 1 per 10 Paying

duPlooy's is the perfect place to bring or send a group of any type. With our expert
staff guides there is no need to bring an additional guide and with our efficient, friendly office staff to cater to your requests and vehicles to suit any size group, you can just relax and leave everything to us.

Please contact us!