Our Island Expeditions Ultimate Adventure tour continued to live up to its title on its final few days. Adventure came in the form of experiencing Mayan culture and home cooking followed by roughing it in the Belizean rainforest along the Moho River. The weather wasn’t our friend a lot of the time. That combined with our beginner paddling skills meant learning to get comfortable with being wet … a lot.  

The Lodge at Big Falls

Those tour planners at Island Expeditions are smart. Just before we faced three days and nights of camping, with all the fun and lack of amenities that entails, they fortified us with a blissful night’s stay at the luxurious Lodge at Big Falls.

Verandah at Lodge at Big Falls

Situated on the banks of the Rio Grande River, The Lodge at Big Falls is a beautifully maintained resort surrounded by unspoiled tropical wilderness. Bay-leaf palm thatched roofs cover spacious cabanas. We scored a cabana directly overlooking the river.

View from cabana at Lodge at Big Falls

Once we were settled and had sorted out our clothing and supplies to take with us camping (the rest to be left in storage for pick up later), we headed to the river. The lodge provides large inner tubes for the floating pleasure of guests. With the sun out, surrounded by a canopy of trees, the 40-minute ride along the meandering river had a near intoxicating effect.

Steve tubing

The resort features a central formal dining room and lounge and a lovely sprawling verandah where we sipped before-dinner cocktails and scarfed delicious appetizers (the conch fritters were amazing). A badminton net on the sprawling front lawn enticed a few of us to play. We were surprised and delighted to be served an excellent Indian dinner complete with papadums and chutney. I think we all felt properly spoiled.

Badminton game

Rural Mayan Life

The following day after a hearty breakfast, we made our way south towards the Mayan village of Santa Theresa. We made a brief pit stop at our guide Pedro’s farm and home to gather some supplies and had a great time meeting his numerous free-range pigs and chickens.

Pigs on Mayan Farm

Lunch was at the home of another Mayan family where we were treated to spicy stewed chicken, hearts of palm, shoots of the plant jippi jappa (the leaves of the plant are used for traditional baskets) and the most delectable corn tortillas we’ve ever tasted. The two ladies making these warm, chewy wonders generously allowed a few of us to try our hand at forming one before it went on the grill. None of us was very adept at creating the perfectly round shapes we had been eating. The one I tried to make looked a bit like a blown out tennis ball.

Mayan ladies making tortillas

While we were waiting for a dump of rain to stop that began just as we were ready to leave, Pedro took some time to explain how the traditional Mayan home we were standing in was constructed. Made from local surrounding trees and their leaves, men from the community come together to construct the structure over the span of a couple of days.

Roof Construction

The few Mayan homes we visited all featured the same wide open construction. There were no interior walls or partitions and the room served multiple functions. At night, hammocks come down from the rafters for sleeping and get cinched up during the day. Smart.

A kitchen in the corner using an open fire serves the dual purpose of keeping the humidity level down, thus preserving the wood and leaves used in construction.

Open fire in Mayan Home Kitchen

Conquering the Mighty Moho River

Next to the ATM cave experience, paddling along the Moho River and camping along its banks was the portion of the trip with the biggest learning curve for us. As beginner paddlers, navigating the numerous waterfall drops and rapids helped us form deep bonds with our guides because they were constantly “rescuing” us. We capsized, we got stuck, we spun around in circles. At least we provided comic entertainment for our more seasoned fellow group members. Words can’t describe, so watch the video.

Ultimate Adventure Ultimately Satisfying

For us, it’s always satisfying to come back from vacation feeling that we’ve changed a little bit. When we’ve learned something about ourselves or the world around us or were exposed to a culture different from our own, we usually rate the trip positively.

The Island Expeditions Ultimate Adventure tour scored well on a number of fronts. From the time of booking to the time of departure home, we felt that our trip was well organized and that we were treated well. Having local tour guides and features of the tour that directly benefit local families as well as the Belizean economy definitely appealed to us. Our local guides (as well as our North American guide) were outstanding. They always put our needs first, were unfailingly upbeat and positive, and consistently succeeded at making our experience educational and fun.

Heading out on this tour?

The folks at Island Expeditions do a terrific job on their website in terms of info about how to prepare for each of their tours, but there’s always one or two things you wish you’d done differently once you’ve gone. See our insider tips to help with your planning.

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