Enjoy the magic of Belize through the lens of a camera on this first-time IndiGo Birding photography trip! Bird photography takes patience, knowledge, skill, and equipment and requires a different type of tour format than our typical birding and culture trips. This 9-day, 8-night package incorporates day tours in search of spectacular tropical birds and moves at a relaxed pace that is ideal for photographers. In addition, most of our Belizean guides are excellent photographers themselves, which means that they know what it takes to get the perfect shot and can give tips and pointers as we go. Don't miss out on this amazing travel opportunity! 

One of the beautiful aspects of this trip is the variety of accommodations we use, particularly when it comes to each place's setting. We will spend the first two nights at Bird's Eye View Lodge in the village of Crooked Tree, located about an hour from the airport and a great place to get started birding! We will then visit the spectacular Lamanai Outpost Lodge for two nights. Our next two nights will be in the middle of the jungle at La Milpa Ecolodge. Our final two nights will be spent at Black Rock Lodge, an eco-lodge along the Macal River near the Guatemalan border. At each place we will eat well, see beautiful birds, and relax in beautiful surroundings with comfortable accommodations.  

Because we are traveling as a group, we require that anyone participating in this tour be up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters. We also encourage everyone to get their annual flu shots. All lodges that we stay at have been certified as Tourism Gold Standard for health and safety. 

Our meeting spot is in the connections lobby of the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) in Ladyville, Belize, preferably before 2:00 p.m. A driver from Bird's Eye View Lodge will be there to transport us to the resort, located on the edge of the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. We will enjoy the Vermillion Flycatchers (pictured here), orioles, and other birds just outside our doors. After dinner in the restaurant and observing Common Parauques in the parking lot, we'll get to bed to rest up for the big days ahead. 

One of the highlights of any birding trip to Belize is the morning boat tour of the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. This inland lagoon offers habitat to an amazing array of wetland birds and raptors, like the Black-collared Hawk and Snail Kite. This three-hour trip gives us up-close views of charismatic species like the Northern Jacana, Bare-throated Tiger-heron, and maybe a Sungrebe. While there's never a guarantee, we will try to find the Jabiru (pictured here - the largest stork in the western hemisphere) and the beautiful Agami Heron. The afternoon will allow time for personal photography exploration of the roads and trails near the lodge.

We start the day by birding the nearby pine savanna habitat that offers good chances at Yucatan Jay (pictured here), Yucatan Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, and Grace's Warbler. We will then pack up for our trip to Lamanai, which includes a 20+ mile boat ride down the New River and gives a shot at seeing numerous kingfishers, hawks, and wading birds. After checking in at Lamanai Outpost Lodge, we'll visit the nearby village of Spanish Church for more bird photography with Eduardo Ruano, one of the top photographers in Belize! Check out his photos here.

Lamanai Outpost Lodge is located within a short walk or boat ride of the Lamanai Archaeological Site, one of the most spectacular of the Mayan sites in Belize. We'll spend the morning touring the site and searching for Howler Monkeys (pictured here) and birds likes toucans, motmots, and woodcreepers. After another delicious meal at Lamanai, we will take some time for R&R before heading out into nearby farmland for photo opps of Wood Storks, kites, and one of my favorites, the Fork-tailed Flycatcher. After dinner we will do Spotlight Safari by boat in the lagoon. A day you'll never forget! 

Early morning plans: a birding tour of the savannah habitat in search of Aplomado Falcons, Yellow-headed Parrots, and Black-throated Bobwhite. After a late breakfast at Lamanai, we'll pack up and head by van through farm country to our next stop, La Milpa Ecolodge. La Milpa is home to numerous hummingbirds, Royal Flycatchers, and the endangered Ocellated Turkey. Great photo opportunities abound on the grounds, at the feeders (see the Green Honeycreeper above), and on the nearby trails. 

La Milpa is a remote Mayan archaeological site that is largely undisturbed and subject to ongoing research. We will have a guided tour of the site, learning about the history of the area as we photograph warblers, woodcreepers, and more. Hang out by the pond in hopes of seeing the American Pygmy Kingfisher and wait for the Great Curassow to wander the grounds in the evening. Because this ecolodge is located in the Rio Bravo Reserve, the bird possibilities are almost endless! 

Guide and photographer extraordinaire Isaias Morataya will meet us this morning for a little more birding around La MIlpa before driving us through the Rio Bravo Preserve towards Black Rock Lodge. Have your cameras at the ready, because Isaias has the "eye of the tiger" and will surely point out some awesome birds and other wildlife as we drive through one of the more remote parts of Belize. This is a section of Belize that I have never visited but am so excited for this opportunity! We will eventually drive through the town of San Ignacio and make our way to Black Rock Lodge, our amazing accommodations for the last two nights of the trip.

Today is a day of relaxation and birding as we enjoy the grounds of Black Rock Lodge. Birding guide Isaias Morataya (check out his photos) will offer several bird walks for us throughout the day on this remote property. We should be able to find honeycreepers, aracaris, hawk-eagles (see the Ornate Hawk-Eagle nest above), and other tropical birds. Nestled in a river valley between spectacular cliffs, Black Rock offers a variety of habitats and good raptor viewing, even from the dining area. Enjoy a freshwater pool, hike the trails, or get a massage during your free time. The best of Belize! 

Time to pack for home! After another amazing Belizean breakfast, we will load up the van for the 2+ hour drive to the airport. Schedule your flight home for early to mid-afternoon. On your way home, you'll likely be thinking... "how soon can I come back?!?"