Q:
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Why do you only run trips from December through April? |
A:
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The dry season (winter and spring) has the
most reliable weather, although storms can occur at any time. |
Q:
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How can I find out what the weather will be like on my trip? |
A:
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We have found 2 good Central American weather
sites on the internet: Intellicast's
Weather Site and USA Today's Weather
Site. If you find other good ones, let us know. |
Q:
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Do I need kayaking experience to join your Glover's Reef trip? |
A:
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No experience is necessary; many groups choose
to spend as much time snorkeling as paddling. However, unpredictable weather
can create strenuous kayaking conditions, so you should be in good shape.
We recommend working out on a rowing machine or swimming laps before your
trip. Full kayak instruction is included, and the 80 degree water is an
ideal setting to improve your kayak skills. |
Q:
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Will the sea kayaking in Belize be too difficult for a beginner? |
A:
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The Glover's itinerary is perfect beginners
and our longest paddle without a rest out of the boat is 3 miles. We have
found that people in average shape have no trouble, especially with preconditioning
as mentioned above. |
Q:
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Will there be enough sea kayaking in Belize for an advanced kayaker? |
A:
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Depending on the group, your guide may either
lead longer excursions or advanced kayakers will be able to explore on
their own. There is more to see at Glover's Reef than one could ever cover
in one week. |
Q:
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Is Adventure Week suitable for beginners? |
A:
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No experience is required for any activity
(e.g. novice river-runners can go down the Macal in the paddle-raft with
our guide), but this is an action-oriented trip. We will spend up to six
hours a day participating in moderately strenuous adventure sports. If
a guest would like to skip one particular activity, they are free to join
the shuttle driver to drive around to pick up the group. In the case of
the mountain biking portion of the trip, the ride starts out easy and,
after 7 miles, the trail changes to an advanced route. Guests may either
drive around, or simply hike the difficult portion (2 miles) if they choose
not to ride their bikes on this part. |
Q:
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Do I need kayaking experience to join your Honduras trip? |
A:
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No experience is required, but it is recommended;
check into pool classes in your area. Due to the self-support nature of
the trip all participants should be in good physical shape. The weather
can cause some rough conditions. We recommend pre-conditioning before the
trip. |
Q:
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What do you do on the Honduras trip if a storm does occur? |
A:
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Our published itinerary is flexible, and weather
plays the greatest part in alterations to our schedule and our menu due
to boat transport for food. If necessary, we charter a boat to Barbareta
so we can continue our explorations unhindered. |
Q:
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Can I bring my kids along on your trips? |
A:
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Only one of our trips has a minimum age younger
than 15: the Sea Kayak Glovers Reef trip is great for kids age 3 and over.
Kids and parents love this trip, as guests may paddle as little or as much
as they like. There is a price break for children under 13, but there are
also some restrictions. Please request our "Kids Policy". |
Q:
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Do I really need to fly in a day early as recommended on your Flying
to Central America page? |
A:
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Most of our guests who do not have the additional
time to fly in early do not experience any problems on the way. There is
a percentage, however, (about 10%) who do experience problems. Being a
day late is not a good way to begin your relaxing vacation! If you can
arrange to get the additional time off work, arriving early is simply the
best insurance to avoid any problems in meeting the group on time. The
season when most problems occur are near Christmas and Easter, when the
airline industry is generally over-booked. If you do plan to extend your
stay by several days, we recommend you extend it before your adventure
with us, rather than after. Not only does it eliminate the possibility
of missing our meeting, but it allows you time to get used to the heat.
Our office staff has a total of over 25 years working in Belize and 6 in
Honduras; we are happy to help you plan additional days in the country,
give us a call. |
Q:
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Do you get tired of being out on the island for an entire week? |
A:
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No! Long Caye offers the ultimate blend of
adventure and relaxation. If you're anything like our past guests, you'll
beg to stay a second week! For those who need to keep moving, we created
the shorter six-day option as well as our Adventure Week. |
Q:
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Where do we sleep on the Glover's Reef trip? |
A:
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We have 2 options, cabanas or tents. Our cabanas
sleep two in single beds, and we provide foam-pad mattresses, linens &
pillows for both cabanas and tents. The tents are well-ventilated 2-man
tents under palm thatch roofs. Adventure Week participants are always housed
in tents as they are joining a group in progress on the island. Everyone
on the Sea Kayak Glover's Reef trip will get a cabana, but if singles prefer
not to be housed with someone else, they may choose a tent for more privacy. |
Q:
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How big are your groups? |
A:
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Belize: On the six and ten-day Glover's Reef
itineraries, our maximum is 16, and the minimum is 2. On Belize Adventure
Week, the maximum is 12 and the minimum is 3. Occasionally we overbook
by one under special circumstances. Because we will run trips for as few
as 2 or 3; we haven't canceled a trip with people signed up in over ten
years. On any 10-day trip where the 6-day trip is also offered, the Belize
Adventure Week guests will arrive on the boat that takes the 6-day people
off the island. When Adventure Week is full we lower the maximum on the
10-day Glover's trip to 12, so the total number of guests on the second
half of the week can total 24, with the staff totaling as many as 8 persons.
Honduras: The maximum is 10 on our Honduras trips. If the size of your
group is important to you, simply call us up and we will be happy to keep
you posted about the size of any particular trip. Those intending to travel
at peak times (Christmas, Presidents' Day, Spring Break or Easter) can
expect full trips. |
Q:
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Why don't you offer the 6-day option for the Glover's Reef trip
every week? |
A:
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The 6-day itinerary is tied to the Belize
Adventure Week itinerary by the charter boat ride; the launch that picks
up the 6-day guests on Wednesday brings out the Adventure Week guests.
As the price of the 6-day reflects this shared charter, we do not offer
the 6-day when there is no Adventure Week option. |
Q:
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Is there an extra charge for a single? |
A:
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No, there is no extra fee for guests traveling
alone. All guests are booked double occupancy if possible, which means
guests traveling alone are booked in hotel rooms with other guests of the
same sex. If there is no other single person of the same sex without a
roommate, we pay for the extra cost of putting you up in a single. On the
island if there is an odd number of males and females on a full Glover's
Reef trip someone will end up in a tent. Also, depending on the couple/single
breakdown there may not be enough two-person cabanas for everyone at Ian
Anderson's Jungle Camp, in which case we use the bunk house. We do our
best to accommodate everyone, but as these are small, remote lodges we
have to go with what is available. When in a tent on the island, single
travelers do not have to share with anyone else. |
Q:
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Why do I have to bring my own snorkeling equipment; don't you have
some for rent? |
A:
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No, because your mask and fins must fit your
body. We recommend fins that can be worn over shoes, for better foot protection.
If you use prescription lenses, call Mr. Diver at 800-532-2228 for inexpensive
prescription masks, they also sell other snorkeling gear. |
Q:
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Should I bring gloves for diving and snorkeling to protect myself? |
A:
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No, you should never touch coral. Even gloves
can smother live coral, degrading the pristine nature of this National
Marine Reserve. We encourage everyone to be conscientious about preserving
an area we feel fortunate to have access to. |
Q:
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Do I really need to bring a sleeping bag? |
A:
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Yes, you definitely need to bring a light
bag or a medium-weight blanket. When the tropics experiences 'cold' weather
(no lower than 55 degrees) you will want more than a sheet (which we provide)
to sleep under. |
Q:
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Do I really need to bring long underwear? |
A:
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Yes; in "cold" weather, the extra layer extends
the warmth of your other clothes. Also, when snorkeling, even though the
water is 82 degrees, after about 45 minutes in the water you can start
to chill. Wearing a polypropylene top can extend your session considerably. |
Q:
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What kind of food do you serve? |
A:
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Our menu at Glovers Reef was designed to take
advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables available in the market. Fresh
seafood is served daily on the island, and our cook is a native Belizean.
During Adventure Week, we eat home-style Belizean and Mayan meals. In Honduras
our guide is more than happy to accommodate special diets. Remember there
are no health food stores in the Third World, so if you are particularly
fond of a special food, like rice cakes, you would need to bring those
with you. Please request a copy of our menu under
Order Further Information. |
Q:
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Is there a possibility of cold beer or soda out on Long Caye? |
A:
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Yes! We have a propane refrigerator which
chills our beer and soda. Regarding alcohol, we supply beer and a moderate
amount of rum; insurance prohibits our supplying more, but you can purchase
some once you arrive in Belize. |
Q:
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Is it necessary to treat the drinking water? What do you do about
drinking water on the island? |
A:
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You don't have to treat the water in Belize
because rooftop rainwater collectors provide safe drinking water. On Long
Caye we have 1000-gallon rainwater capacity which provides plenty of drinking
water. In all our years here, no one has had any adverse reactions to the
water on our island. And in Honduras, fresh water is in abundant supply
on the Bay Islands. We carry our water with us and re-supply on Barbareta. |
Q:
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What are the bathroom facilities like on these trips? |
A:
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Out at Glovers Reef we have composting toilets,
and bathe with well-water using outdoor solar showers. Adventure Week facilities
range from standard guest lodges with bathrooms or pit toilets in remote
jungle camps. In Honduras we use pit latrines when camping and our Roatan
and Barbareta hotels have regular flush toilets. |
Q:
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What kind of sea kayaks do you have? |
A:
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Singles - Sea Lion by Aquaterra, and Sea Yak
by Prijon (plastic) and doubles - Seascapes by NorthWest Kayak (fiberglass).
Surf kayaks - sit-on-tops are Scupper by Ocean Kayak and our surf playboats
are Whiplash by Perception. |
Q:
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Can I reserve a specific kayak? |
A:
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No, our guide tries to make everyone happy,
but it is only possible to make these kinds of decisions after meeting
everyone. |
Q:
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What about your equipment on Adventure Week? |
A:
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Mountain bikes: Trek 950 with front suspension.
Rafts: Super Puma by Aire. Inflatable kayaks: Cherokee by Riken. Hard shell
kayaks: Perception Corsica S and Matrix. |
Q:
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What happens if I get hurt? |
A:
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Guides are trained in First Aid to give preliminary
treatment, and radio contact with shore is maintained at all times. Evacuations
to the mainland of Belize or Roatan in Honduras can be arranged, but you
will have to pay all expenses incurred. If inland on Adventure Week, transportation
to Belize City is easily arranged. Bring your own medications for specific
concerns; be sure to put anything unusual at the top of your luggage for
customs to see. |
Q:
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Can my family contact me if there is an emergency? |
A:
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Yes, through our Utah office. Due to our remote
location, it could take up to 2 days to get through. |
Q:
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Do I need to bring any fishing equipment for Glover's Reef? |
A:
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Our local guides fish for our seafood and
many people enjoy accompanying them while they hunt for our dinner. Serious
fly-fishermen should bring their own equipment as bone fish, barracuda
and jack can be caught in the flats near the caye. Bring a lot of lures
because they often get caught on coral or lost to big fish. Because this
is a national park, it is catch-and-release only for guests. |
Q:
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Where can I get good maps of Belize? |
A:
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We have recently found a great source of maps
and guidebooks about Belize. Equator has an impressive collection available
by mail order. We especially recommend their maps for those extending their
trip (up until now they have been hard to find!) Contact them by fax: 704-667-1717,
e-mail: 74763.2254 or by mail: 280 Beaverdam Rd., Chandler,
NC 28715. |
Q:
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Will insects be a problem? |
A:
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We are lucky - biting insects aren't a problem
on the island except during rare periods of calm (4-5 times per year).
Still, we advise you to bring bug spray for those moments. Adventure Week
guests can expect mosquitoes in the evening in the jungle, but our accommodations
are screened. |
Q:
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Why do we need to bring extra money if your trips are all-inclusive? |
A:
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We cover everything except alcoholic beverages,
Belize exit tax, taxis from the airport and the Glover's Reef visitor's
fee which is collected on the island ($5/day/person). However, if you or
your luggage are delayed, an already difficult situation would be greatly
compounded if you were relying on your credit card or ATM machines (there
are no ATM machines in Belize). Depending on how late you are, it can cost
up to $300 to catch up with the trip. Please see "If Late or Delayed" in
our printed information. |
Q:
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Is it OK if I bring travelers checks instead of cash? |
A:
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No, travelers checks do not work very well
in Belize. On most of our trips you are only in 'civilization' during the
weekend when banks are closed. Travelers checks take approximately 6 weeks
to clear in Belize, so small business owners such as taxi and boat drivers,
and restaurant/ hotels in rural areas would in effect be giving you a 6-week
loan by accepting them. Getting cash is difficult for even our staff so
we cannot cash them for you. Tipping your guides with travelers checks
causes a problem for locals; as personal checking accounts are not common
in the country. It is best to bring cash only, with some of your cash in
your money belt, and the rest of it worn under your clothing when moving
about the country. All valuables are safe on the island and in the hotels
we use on our trips. |
Q:
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Is it customary to tip the guides? |
A:
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Tipping is normally organized as a "group
tip" at the end of the trip. A typical amount for each guest is $1-2/day
per crew member. Tips should reflect your satisfaction with crew performance.
Our crew includes a kayak guide, 1-2 Belizean guides and a cook. |
