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Tacogirl Belize blog Est. in 2007

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Fastest Way to Lamanai

by tacogirl 28/11/2016
written by tacogirl 28/11/2016
lamanai maya ruins

Some people do not mind a longer adventure and some prefer the shortest most direct route the “treasure.” This was the case with today’s guest poster, Barbara Hickman. She and her crew opted to do the popular Lamanai Maya Ruin tour by plane versus a longer day taking the tour by boat.

My best friend, my daughter, and I took a Spring Break trip to Belize. The highlight of our trip was the Tropic Air Lamanai tour. From start to finish, it was seamlessly organized, fascinating, and worth far more than we paid for it.

We caught our 8:00 AM Tropic Air flight at the San Pedro airport, and a half hour later we landed on a gravel air strip in Orange Walk. The plane was tiny and full, and the pilot was wonderfully humorous. One of the passengers was instructed by the pilot to sit in the co-pilot seat because it doubles as a passenger seat when necessary (but you probably shouldn’t touch the controls, HA HA). I think she actually sat on her hands so she would be certain to do what he asked! When we landed, it was a little breezy, and the little plane weaved and bobbed in the wind all the way down, but just before it touched down it straightened out and set down as smooth as glass. The pilot grinned and turned around to us all and said, Pretty awesome landing, eh? We all cracked up!

Our driver was waiting for us at the Orange Walk airport to take us to the place where we would be boarding the boat to take us up river to Lamanai. He took us by sugar cane fields and a sugar processing plant, and promised that when he picked us up in the afternoon that he would let us spend some time looking at those places in more detail (my best friend and I are both engineers, so we have a strange notion of what is interesting, compared to some tourists). In the meantime, he did a very nice job of explaining a bit about the history of Orange Walk and how sugar fits in and he was not even our tour guide!!

We arrived at the boat and met our guide, Carlos Godoy and headed upriver toward Lamanai. The ride up the river took quite awhile, but we saw an amazing number of birds and plants, and Carlos knew the names of every single one! He stopped frequently to show us interesting things, such as John McAfee’s riverfront estate in Orange Walk, termite mounds in trees, bromeliads growing wild, and Carlos’ favorite spider monkey that comes running for a banana at the sound of his boat motor! We saw children playing in the river (and also alligators in the river!), fishermen catching their daily haul, an Amish family fishing, and so many more things before we even got to Lamanai.

When we finally arrived at Lamanai, it was early enough in the morning that we had the entire site to ourselves! On our way to the ruins, Carlos showed us the national flower of Belize (the Black Orchid), and and allspice trees and we smelled their leaves. We also saw strangler figs, kahoon trees, and howler monkeys.

The temples at Lamanai were incredible, and it was amazing to me that you can actually climb them (unlike those in Mexico). They were beautifully maintained and preserved given as remote as the site is. Not far from the ruins is an old abandoned sugar mill that we also explored.

It was a fantastic trip and everything was as smooth as glass. Every transfer, boat to van, van to plane, etc. was flawless. I cannot recommend Tropic Air highly enough for their flights and for their tours!

Belize

Flying to Orange Walk

Orange Walk Airport

Landing at Orange Walk

Orange Walk

Fishermen we saw along the way

Lamanai Maya Ruins

Carlo’s Spider Monkey

Orange Walk Belize

More people on our river tour

Belize

Abandoned Sugar Mill

Lamanai Maya Ruins

Mask Temple

Orange Walk Belize

Ball Court

Lamanai Maya Ruins

High Temple

Lamanai Maya Ruins

Stella 9

Lamanai Maya Ruins

Jaguar Temple

Click through to Tropic Air Tours page to see more great tour options by plane.

Related

tacogirl

Laure Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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Corey Holm
Corey Holm
04:38 25 Feb 20
I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
Carol Taylor
Carol Taylor
15:53 24 Feb 20
Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton! I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
20:01 20 Feb 20
Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s... always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
20:58 30 Nov 19
I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and... local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
Sandra Godfrey
Sandra Godfrey
15:58 23 Nov 19
I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
William Jones
William Jones
13:39 06 May 19
Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do... what everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
Kimberly Robinson
Kimberly Robinson
18:28 03 May 19
Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
Michael Rieck
Michael Rieck
20:22 21 Apr 19
Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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THE ORIGINAL BELIZE BLOG

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation.

If you have any questions or want Belize discounts, Contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

3 childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age.Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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