We will start the day with breakfast and birding at Black Orchid, a great place to see the Montezuma Oropendola (pictured here). Our guide for the first several days, Philip Balderamos, will pick us up at Black Orchid. Philip is a legendary Belizean birding guide that you will find to be fun, friendly, and knowledgeable. We will stop by the Belize Zoo to get acquainted with some more of the native fauna. The zoo is more of a educational and rehab facility that plays an important role in Belize conservation. After a tasty lunch, we will drive south to get to Marie Sharp's, the headquarters of the best hot sauces in Belize. We will get a tour of their small factory and then get to taste (and buy??) many of their varieties. Our lodging destination is Bocawina Rainforest Resort, located in the middle of Mayflower-Bocawina National Park, where we will see truly amazing tropical birds! 

After birding and breakfast at Bocawina, we head into the town of Hopkins for a Garifuna cultural experience at Palmento Grove. The Garifuna, people of Afro-Caribbean descent that live along the Caribbean coast of Central American, have a unique culture of music, dance, food, and spirituality. We will learn about the medicinal uses of many herbs, prepare the traditional Hudut meal for lunch, and work on our drumming skills. Afterwards we will bird the Hopkins wetlands before heading back to Bocawina for dinner and a night hike. 

Rise and shine early today! We are heading to the Sittee River for an early morning birding-by-boat tour. It's a great way to see birds and other wildlife. We'll spend the mid-day back at Bocawina, relaxing and exploring the national park. However, there will be one more thing to look forward to.... dinner at Chef Rob's Gourmet Cafe! Many of the ingredients are sourced from local farmers for the meals at this amazing restaurant. 

The day begins with birding and hiking at Bocawina. Then we pack up and head to the village of Maya Centre, where we will have a traditional Mayan lunch at Nuuk Cheil. After lunch we transfer our luggage and leadership to Steve Choco, the lead guide at Tanager Rainforest Lodge, where we will spend our last four nights. On our way to Tanager, we will stop at the Belize Spice Farm for an exceptional tour where we learn where many of our spices originate. 

Today is a day to enjoy the lodge and the surrounding village of Big Falls. Big Falls is located in Toledo, the southernmost district in Belize and the one where the majority of Mayans live today. We will spend the morning birding the area around the lodge before heading to Pearleens restaurant in town for a typical Belizean lunch. After lunch we will visit the Maya Arts Women's Group for craft making, basket weaving, and learning about the day-to-day lives of Mayan women in today's society. A fascinating and unique day in Belize!  

We will get up early to head to the Tunich Ha birding hotspot near the coast for some awesome birding and breakfast. Our mid-day activity is a chocolate-making tour at Ixcacao which includes lunch. After returning to the lodge for some well-deserved R&R, we will bird another hotspot in the evening: a local rice field that hosts all kinds of grassland and wetland species. A great day of birding and chocolate! 

Our early morning birding today is at Nim Li Punit, one of the Mayan archaeological sites where we could find Plumbeous Kite, Black-headed Trogon, Masked Tityra, or a Barred Antshrike. We will also learn about the history of the site. Mid-day outing will be to the Mayan village of Blue Creek, where we will have a cooking class and cultural activities. We finish the day with some birding around the Blue Creek cave. 

We have saved a bit of adventure for our departure day! After one last Belizean breakfast at Tanager Rainforest Lodge, Steve will take us to the Punta Gorda airport, where we will board our Tropic Air flight back to the international airport. This short flight is included in the cost of the tour and will provide amazing views of the coastline and areas that we have visited on the tour. Please schedule your flight back home for the afternoon. Details and guidance for booking flights will be given after registration.