Belize Maya Ruins Tours/Challenge T — Local services in Lord's Bank

On a Royal Caribbean western Caribbean Cruise we made a stop in Belize. I had always wanted to go there since serving a recall to Navy after 911 and a guy from Belize told me how great it was. Well, Belize was not all that great, but Mayan ruins were.

It was a long bus ride to the ruins, at one point on a road specifically built to the ruins to hunt for emeralds. A giant one was found and is now the National Treasure of Belize.

Our guides were great. At the ruins we were split into groups of 10 people and a guide, to keep tours running smoothly. They took the time to go over so much Mayan history. It was fascinating.

Ruins were amazing. Spectacular when you consider the tools they had to work with. Our guide said the Mayans, unlike the Egyptians, did they did build a pyramid to bury their dead leaders, but they bury their leaders and then build upon that to bury other leaders.

In the main area of ruins, there are three temples you can climb upon. I was there celebrating my 77th birthday. So I told the guide, I would only attempt to climb one, so I wanted to try the highest one. She pointed at the Sun temple as the highest, around 75 feet I think. Plus it was the only one with a semi handrail up the side.

The handrail made it a bit smoother but the steps were large and spaced high. So about a third of the way up I had to stop and catch my breath. I apologized to the young couple behind me but they said “No problem, we just hope we can do as well when we are 77!”

Well, one more rest and I made it to the top! Some were taking selfies on a ledge jutting out just below the top, but I have a slight fear of heights, so I declined. I did catch a gentleman going down and asked him to take pictures of me on top - from the ground below.

After the tour our side said in lieu of tip, please visit her parent’s stall, one of a dozen stalls just outside the entrance. I gladly went there and bought a cold soda, a BBQ sandwich and a bottle of hot sauce to take home.

A great tour, wonderful and educational guides, and a very...

Dennis Jr , was an amazing guide . The amount of history/ information I learned throughout my day with him is beyond. He was very knowledgeable, he kept me intrigued to want to learn more and ask questions and he really enjoyed sharing the information. You can ask him any questions LITERALLY!! And he will answer it to the best he can. We started off at the Mayans , he gave so much information, took pictures for me , had water along the way . Very Funny and humble guy . He made me feel comfortable right away, I traveled solo so it was just me and him , never a dull moment, . He's very Easy going did a lot of check ins to make sure I was okay . From the Mayans, we went cave tubing .. 🔥🔥 The EXPERIENCE! I LOVED IT. Learnt alot , he took his time , explained and showed everything in the caves , it was relaxing , breath taking views at both sites . I recommend to anyone who's in the Belize city to take this excursion with this company. Besides water , I also had food included, so we ate and then headed back to the city , it was last minute and he fit me in on his day off which I appreciate it because my trip just started but this already made it . 10/10 it was an amazing start and he definitely set...

Wonderful trip to Altun Ha with Dennis. He picked me up promptly from my hotel in the morning and had a comfortable drive to Altun Ha. We beat the main tourists upon arrival which was nice as it was quieter, Dennis walked me around the ruins, explaining in detail the history and culture of the place. We we’re able to walk up a number of ancient ruins which was a slight challenge but definitely worth it once at the top. All in all a nice half day trip and I would recommend for those interested in learning about the cultural heritage of Belize with a...