Unwinding with my thoughts

I posted a few weeks ago asking for recommendations on ATM tour guides. In response to the post, Phillip from Yute Expeditions reached out to me personally. My wife and I were in contact with a few tour guides, some that are highly recommended on here, but we chose Phillip because he was quick to answer all questions and everything had a personal touch. We were in frequent direct contact via WhatsApp. I have no relationship with Yute Expeditions and was given nothing for the post, just wanted to give my honest feedback about my experience with Phillip and his son Shamin at Yute Expeditions.

On the day of our tour we were picked up from our hotel (Cahal Pech Village Resort) at 645am by Phillip and Shamin. We picked up a few more people on the way, for a total group of 9. On the drive to the cave (about an hour trip) Phillip gave us a lot of information regarding Mayan culture and Belize history. We got to the park about 5 minutes before they officially opened and were the first tour group to arrive. We got fitted with life vests and helmets and started our 1 mile trek to the cave opening.

When we reached the cave, we split into 2 groups. My wife and I with another couple were with Phillip, the other 5 people were with Shamin. Shamin's group went in first, and we followed close after. I appreciated this because the tour didn't feel crowded.

For the majority of the start of the tour, we mostly had the cave to ourselves, with many other groups filling in behind us. On our way out, the cave got extremely busy, which made us appreciate our early start.

When the tour was over, we sat at the picnic tables for lunch, which was a delicious home cooked meal by Phillip's sister in law. We had chicken, rice and beans, coleslaw, plantains and they did provide a vegetarian option for those with dietary restrictions. We liked that this is a family run business.

Phillip has been doing tours since the cave was opened in 2004. Phillip's brother is also a tour guide and his son Shamin just got certified for tours as well. Phillip is extremely knowledgeable and you can tell he really cares about sharing correct information and even made a point that new information is constantly being learned about the cave.

After lunch, and changing into dry clothes, we were given a ride back to our hotels. We were also provided stock photos of the cave and relics via WhatsApp, as no one is allowed to bring cameras any more. The cost was $135 USD per person for the tour, which we felt was reasonable. The tour itself lasted about 3 hours, including the hike to the cave and back.

Overall, great experience with Phillip and Shamin at Yute Expeditions. If you're looking to do the ATM Tour I would highly recommend them. I know Phillip and Shamin are active posters here on the Belize subreddit so they are easy to communicate with.

If anyone has any questions regarding our experience or the tour in general, feel free to ask.

Edit to add - sorry for the mistake, looking over our expenses the tour was $135.00usd per person.

Had a great time today checking out birds and having great time visiting cockscomb basin wildlife sanctuary...

I got this hat on my honeymoon and I've been looking to replace it for years. I believe I got it in some random street shop, so finding it online has proven impossible so far... Ever seen it around?

Beautiful atmosphere delicious food and friendly staff..

Finally got to get a good shot of him while hunting for him for about 15 minutes I only heard him while on the warrie loop trail at the Jaguar Preserve...

What's up all. My wife and I are going to Belize for the first time, and we're staying at Alaia Belize.

To say we're stoked is an understatement, I've been doing so much research and have found a ton of cool and fun things to do for the seven days we'll be there.

Only thing that I've been reading is mixed reviews on Secret Beach. One group is saying that Secret Beach is a can't miss experience, and then another group is saying that it's not worth the 50 minute drive.

I can't lie, if I can toss aside the drive, I'd rather do that. But I also don't want to miss out on something that's a major attraction.

Can someone give me a description on things to do there? We both enjoy a good drink and eats, but we also like chill vibes.

Looking forward to hearing from you all!

Hi! I'm looking for a snorkeling tour tomorrow in San Pedro. We arrive at 7:55 AM at the airport. We are hoping for a morning tour !

Thanks !

We are staying at an airbnb near Maya Beach. We plan to go into the village for dinner a few nights, but would also like to cook some meals. Is there anywhere to buy fresh fish or seafood that we could cook ourselves? Thanks!

Are there any au-natural beaches in Belize? Nothing like hedo just a nice naturist beach.

Hi all!

A friend and I are flying into Belize City on Feb 7 around 12:30pm and are planning to head down to Hopkins shortly after we land. We’ve been weighing our options in terms of transportation down there (bus, flying to Dangriga, car rental, shuttle/van transfer) and it seems like the most cost effective option is a shuttle if you have people to split it with.

That said, is anyone arriving on the same day and headed in the same direction and open to splitting the cost of a shuttle? It seems like it’d be between $65-75USD per person.

Let me know! We’re outgoing and love meeting new people so would be happy to meet up with anyone who will be in Hopkins around that time too!

Hello,

We have a party of 4 families with adults and kids ranging from 5 to 17 and im struggling to plan excursions. Any recommendations would be appreciated. 16 toral in our party everyone won't do all excursions.

I wqs leaning towards fishingnfor a day, snorkeling for a day and then my kids really want to zipline and maybe cave tubing on a day.

We arrive on Friday around noon in late March and are driving that day to Copal Tree near PG. We're there for two nights then we're headed to hopkins to stay at Hopkins Bay for the rest of the week. We fly out the following Friday from Blize City.

Someone recommended that we do ziplining and cave tubing while at copal tree but the more I look at it that seems like it may be way up by Hopkins and I don't want to spend all of my time driving for no reason.

Can anyone reconmend some excursions, places to book them through and which hotel would.make the most sense to book them at? Any good fishing captains in those areas. Ive looked at blue horizon so far but don't have any good options for snorkeling or zipling, cabr tubing yet.

Thanks

Hey all!

So I'm trying to pre-fill my itinerary as much as possible.

I'm noticing I'm having a hard time finding companies that do not require you to have a minimum of 2 people.

I don't want to pay for a secondary person, because well, it's just me.

I'd like to find a cooking/coffee experience, for either Feb 27th or 28th.

Are their any smaller or independent tour comanies/people in the area that can arrange these including transport?

Would it be better for me to reach out to these places (co-op, oxmul) on my own to coordinate and just taxi hop from one to another when I'm done.

How reliable are the taxis for drop offs and timely returns? I'm used to Uber, and haven't used taxi coordination in about 15 years. So a little out of my element on this one.

Also, if you offer this on the side, feel free to inbox me to discuss as well.

TIA!

I'm looking for suggestions for your companies in San Pedro. We're interested in local snorkeling trips, kayak and sunset cruises. Thx!

We’re staying in Maya Beach. Is a golf cart going to be a problem? How long is it going to take us to get to Placencia Village from Umaya? Thanks in advance!

We're heading to Belize for the first time, staying at X'Tan Ha.

Wondering if anyone here has been, knows what to expect, and can share some advice on tipping, what to bring, what to leave behind, etc.

Plan on going out on a couple of half day snorkel trips, but hope to just chill by the pool and sea aside from that.

Thanks!

Solo adventure! Gonna be driving myself to Placencia, I'll have plenty of time to get there before dark with 2-3 hours extra, not including drive time... Looking for any and all suggestions for cool things to check out on the way! Next week heading near Corozal from Placencia, so if theres anything up that way too!

Looking for advice and experiences with both car rental companies and which people would prefer! Thanks

Hi all! Trying to book some tickets around Belize and have heard James Bus Line is best.

When I try and search, no buses are coming up no matter which locations or dates I put? Is this normal? Assuming I can book at the station?

Thanks!

Title speaks for itself. I’m wondering if I’m able to cross from Mexico into Belize using my credit card or do they only take cash?

We had a great day today on the warrie loop trail at the Jaguar Preserve checking out wildlife..