My husband and I journeyed to Caves Branch after spending 3 days diving out at the Cayes. What a remarkable experience!

We stayed in a Jungle Cabana which was very interesting. The main room had a comfortable Queen Bed and a set of bunks. We had an electric light in the bathroom and learned to light kerosene lamps for the main room. The “windows” were just screens – the “window” in the shower was the same way! While it was wonderful to sleep with the sounds of the jungle, Belize had a cold snap while we were there and we were glad to have the extra blankets from the bunks. This would truly be an incredible experience in warm weather though.

The food was good and there was plenty of it. We especially enjoyed the lunch provided on the day trip. Do be sure to bring plenty of bug spray and your own flashlight as the paths to the cabanas are only lit by tiki torches – we got by, but after hearing about the wildlife in the area we wished we had a flashlight!

We did 2 full day trips with Caves Branch. The first was the cave tubing and zip line combo. This was a ton of fun, although with the cool weather I was glad I wore my wet suit.

The real highlight of our trip was the Mayan Ceremonial Cave Tour. We hiked about 45 minutes uphill (not for the out of shape!) and then down in to an amazing cave. The cave was discovered by Caves Branch guides in 2000. We saw altars where the Mayans had performed sacrifices (including animal & human!) and also saw their artistry on the various potsherds and pots. Out guide, Ching, told us quite a bit about the history and culture of the Mayan people and about the plants life we say on the hike – he truly made the trip!

Caves Branch is not the place if you are looking for luxury. But if you are looking for adventure and to learn more about Belize, the jungle, and the Mayans you won’t find a better group! Also if you get the chance to talk with Ian, his lovely wife or their son Gabe you'll really enjoy it – what a neat family!

The Cayo District of Belize is far more visually appealing than Belice City, so we recommend getting to the jungle. We did not know exactly what to expect before arriving so when we saw that the rom had only one electrical fixture, a fan over the bed, we were surprised. No lights, no outlets. Nevertheless, this was fine. This is an authentic jungle lodge. Everyone gathers in the main dining area and bar for discussions of the day's events.

The main attraction to this propert is its proximity to such a diverse selection of exceptional natural and ancient manmade landforms. We only stayed in the jungle for a few days, but they were well spent. Arbel, one of the guides, took my family and I to the ancient cit of Xunantunich, a former Mayan City, and explained the supposed origin and demise of the city. On the return, we stopped for lunch and also visited the Mennonite community and had some fresh made ice cream, and lastly got a tour of Belmopan.

The following day, after breakfast, we took the jungle limosine (a tractor and flatbead trailer), through a neighbor's orange grove to a river, where we paddled up into a cave system where we learned the about the ancient ceremonies of the Maya people. Neko, the guide, had packed a lunch which we ate on a small level patch beside the river, in complete darkness, except for our head lamps, which was another treat. Learning about the history of the people, seeing the cavernous expanses of the cave system and floating down river in complete darkness was incredible.

Don't miss the jungle showers, they are the best. The kids had a great time too. We would definitely stay here again, and for much longer so we could go on more adventure tours.

My 15 year-old son and I went to Belize in July 05 and stayed at Caves Branch which is in the jungle region. We chose to stay in the jungle the whole time and had no beach time so we were a little nervous about not seeing the ocean there.

We decided to have a vehicle pick us up from the airport and transport us there and it was reliable and the driver was really friendly! Arriving at Cave's Branch was amazing! It is nestled in the jungle on the Cave's Branch river right across from the Blue Hole national park. It is rustic, cabanas with no electricity and a beautiful lodge. There are toilets and sinks in all of the rooms and ceiling fans. The showers are "jungle showers" in a central spot about 50 feet or so down a path from our cabana. There were beautiful, LOUD parrots showering with me every day -- how amazing!

The staff was really friendly and knowledgable about the area. We picked a package that included 4 "adventures". We went cave tubing the first day and went on huge innertubes on a river through caves, lit only by our headlamps. We saw lots of great places in the cave and even got off the tubes for a picnic lit by our headlamps and served by our guides. We explored the inside of the caves on foot as well -- pretty amazing! We then were able to swim in the river and jump off a little cliff into the water. The second excursion was a trip to the Belizean pyramids -- gorgeous! Toucans flying around and wonderful pyramids. A bird hike was really cool, not a ton of birds on the day I chose to wake up at 6:00, but win a few and loose a few! The ultimate was the "Black Hole Drop"! A 300 foot rapel from the top of a cliff through the jungle canopy! Talk about AWESOME! The 90 minute hike up was rigorous and the rappel was just amazing -- I was scared out of my wits but did it for the kid and will never regret it!

Make sure you take a flashlight -- a big one! Lots of deet and spare shoes and socks because they'll get drenched in the tubing and won't dry because of the humidity. Also, you don't want to have to rent the hiking boots because they won't fit you correctly and the hike is vigorous. If you plan to do the Black Hole Drop make sure to wear pants -- lots of bugs and lots of scraping on the very narrow path up the hill that you want to avoid really doing a number on your legs.

The staff are fantastic and helpful! Please don't forget your flashlight, I did. I ran into several snakes on the path to my room at night that a flashlight might have helped to scare away, but I guess want you can't see doesn't hurt you! :0)