Travel Program

Belize: Maya Ruins, Rainforests & Tropical Reefs

With Vassar College

and Professor of Geography Mary Ann Cunningham

March 6 -13, 2010

Join us on this journey to fascinating Belize. This program explores the biodiversity of the rainforest, the magnificent remains of the ancient Maya civilization and the rich marine life on the world’s second largest barrier reef. Joining us will be Vassar professor of geography Mary Ann Cunningham, who teaches courses in conservation, land use planning, mapping, and related aspects of environmental geography. As a geographer, Mary Ann likes to examine the ways landscapes can express both cultural patterns and environmental systems.

We will begin in the jungle-covered hills of western Belize and discover the secrets of the rainforest as we search for medicinal plants, monkeys, iguanas and exotic birds. You don’t have to be a birder to be amazed at your first sight of a Keel-billed Toucan, the national bird of Belize. We also float down jungle rivers and visit the ancient Maya site of Caracol.

Next, we travel into Guatemala, to the greatest of all the Maya ruins, Tikal, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Staying overnight close to the ruins, we are able to take in both the sunset and the sunrise over the massive stepped-pyramids, some towering more than two hundred feet.

Then, we travel to the coast on the Hummingbird Highway and by boat to South Water Caye, a secluded island right on the Barrier Reef. We explore the reef by boat, search for wildlife in the mangrove swamps, and visit the Smithsonian Research Center on an adjacent island. Of course, we also have a chance to swim and snorkel amid an astounding array of corals and tropical fish.

Itinerary

Day Destination:

USA/Belize City/Pook’s Hill Lodge
Caracol
Chaa Creek/Macal River
Tikal, Guatemala
Tikal, Guatemala/South Water Caye
South Water Caye
South Water Caye

Cost: $3, 695 per person plus air

› Request a brochure

For reservations or for more information, please contact Siemer & Hand Travel at 1-800-451-4321 (ext. 303) or at maec@siemerhand.com

Current Travel Opportunities

River Life along the Waterways of Holland and Belgium April 21 – 29, 2012	An Approach to the Roof of Africa: Trekking Mt. Kilimanjaro June 23 – July 5, 2012 Safari extension: July 4 - 10, 2012
Waterways of Russia August 19 – 29, 2012 Aboard the deluxe MS. Volga Dream