Erin 
 
2022-02-19
 
 
  
A fabulous stay in San Ignacio
Our family had a fabulous stay in San Ignacio thanks to Luis and Belize Nature Travel. We all agree they were the absolute best tour company we have ever worked with. We kicked off our stay with a half day tour of Xunantunich. Having worked in archaeology for many years, Luis was an incredibly knowledgeable guide and was patient with our many questions. He has a wealth of fascinating life experiences, and we loved learning about his career and family. The next day, we planned a tour of ATM. When one of our family members decided at the last minute not to do the cave tour, Luis was more than accommodating to suggest a cave canoe tour for him instead. He raved about this experience. The rest of our family enjoyed the ATM tour with Patrick. Only a few guides are trained to do this tour, and we enjoyed Patrick's knowledge of local culture, plants and animals. This is a physically demanding tour, but Patrick is safety conscious, and we were able to take our time enjoying the tour. Lisa, Luis' daughter, was easy to communicate with while we were planning. Highly recommend planning your stay with them - we are still talking about what a great time we had months later and would have stayed longer to do more tours with them if we could!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 sheadogOregon 
 
2022-02-13
 
 
  
ATM caves and Belize Nature Travel - the perfect combination!
Belize Nature Travel is awesome! They took us to the ATM caves and we had an incredible day! Our guide Patrick was very engaging and super knowledgeable. He is one of just a small group of guides that have been trained to lead tours into the caves. He was very safety conscious of each of us, giving us great information as we went through the caves. We went first thing in the morning so we didn't have to wait for other tour groups as we went through the caves. We also weren't rushed at all and had plenty of time for Q and A. Our home cooked lunch was delicious too!

Thank you to all the posts before mine as it helped prepare me for this adventurous day. Two additions to previous posts: The roads to ATM are much better now and Belize Nature Travel had secured vehicles where we could leave our things. 

This is a physically challenging adventure because you are swimming in a river and crawling up and over rocks and through narrow spaces. Patrick was excellent at keeping us safe and had plenty of light to get us through everything. I am 60 and don't exercise much but didn't have any problems.

If you are in San Ignacio I strongly recommend Belize Nature Travel (Luis and Lisa are amazing!) for your tours in the area. They are knowledgeable, kind and very respectful of the land and antiquities. I give them a 6 out of 5!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Denise W 
 
2021-12-24
 
 
  
Excellent Guides
We did the ATM tour with Ben and are so glad that we had such an experienced leader to take us on the tour.  He had a deep understanding of the history and the area and, most importantly, an appreciation of what was needed to protect the area.  We saw other guides stepping over the protective tape, which put the artifacts at risk, but Ben kept our entire group in check.  He made sure that we stepped in approved places to keep both the artifacts and our group members safe.  The lunch we had at the end of the tour was delicious and if we return to the area we will use Belize Nature Travel for our next adventure.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 janetwD4656GQ 
 
2021-10-24
 
 
  
Knowledgeable, Personable, Prompt and Full-Service
Belize Nature Travel helped us to set a 5 day itinerary for visits to various Mayan sites in the area.  They picked us up from the Aggressor IV after it docked in Belize City, and delivered us to the airport 5 days later.  They arranged our hotel, which, due to current circumstances around the covid pandemic, involved finding a hotel that would open for just 2 guests.  We had a number of Mayan sites that we wanted to see, and they arranged guides and tours for each.  They also assisted with our Covid test in San Ignacio.  A very pleasant and memorable experience.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 realestateguy 
 
2021-06-24
 
 
  
Fantastic trip to ATM we will remember forever.
We had a fantastic adventure today organized by Belize Nature Travel. Lisa was very efficient on booking our trip. The guides were at our hotel promptly at 7:30 and got us to ATM early enough that we were the very first group inside. Our guides were incredibly knowledgeable and took the time to answer all of our questions. Lunch was someone and delicious and was the perfect cap off to a perfect trip!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 IlariaK 
 
2021-06-17
 
 
  
Just great!
We chose Belize Nature Travel after reading all the reviews and we're so happy we did! I had very specific requests and lots of questions and Lisa helped me come up with the itinerary I wanted. All the guides were great (Israel, Patrick and Luis himself, and also Carlos, his brother). Everyone was nice, fun to be around and super knowledgeable. They were also very accomodating.
We spent 4 days with them: cave tubing, Barton Creek, Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, ATM  (I was nervous but felt very comfortable with Patrick). Highly recommend!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Paul S 
 
2021-05-20
 
 
  
So highly respected- we felt privileged to learn from his years of experience
Luis led us on two separate excursions that were truly unforgettable.  He is so much more than a guide, he is so highly respected by such renowned archaeologists, researchers, and academics, we felt privileged to learn from him with his insight and deep knowledge of Belize, its culture and history and environment.  He has worked with National Geographic mapping caves, bringing major birding groups to find over 280 different bird species , taking medical teams to learn about Mayan healing practices..such a wealth of expertise and knowledge that he so generously shared with us.

Our tour to Xuanantunich and Barton Creek was like a dream, climbing the ruins, learning about their jaw dropping astrological knowledge and the fascinating religious and political systems.   Paddling deep into the cave where ritual offerings were made, was such an adventure as we approached the entrance, we felt we were journeying into the past

Our trip to Lamanai felt like something out of Hollywood movie..23 miles on a speed boat through a wide, winding river..like James Bond jungle chase scene, to an ancient  Mayan temple complex, complete with howler monkeys that we thought sounded like Jurassic park dinosaurs coming at us.  And all along the way Luis and Carlos pointed out r unusual flora and fauna including spotting a rare potoo bird that looked exactly like the branch of the tree, till we finally could see it.  Only an experienced eye could find such a thing.

Highly highly recommend Belize Nature Travel, we will remember these experiences forever!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 CarDrach 
 
2021-03-19
 
 
  
A un-Belize-able day with Luis!
My partner and I booked Xunantunich and Barton Creek Cave canoeing with Belize Nature Travel a couple of months before our March trip. When we needed to make last-minute changes to the schedule, they were super understanding and flexible—so glad they were able to accommodate us! They do custom tours/itineraries for all types of travelers (e.g., solo, couples, large groups), so definitely contact them and they will put something together that works for you.

Luis was part of the original excavation teams at Xunantunich (and other ruins) and the mapping teams at the ATM and Barton Creek caves! This man is a legend. OG Mayan. His knowledge of these sites, culture, and history is incredible. He has trained hundreds of Belize’s tour guides over the past several decades and is super passionate about eco-tourism. He grew up in the jungle and knows all about herbal medicine and the wildlife. He has so many good stories—ask him about his childhood! We thoroughly enjoyed our [private!] tour with Luis. He was pleasant, energetic, and professional, and his extensive experience is truly unparalleled. 

Also to our surprise, BNT had no problem accommodating our dietary restrictions (vegetarian, allium intolerance). We had been in Belize (Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, San Ignacio) for 10+ days and every other tour operator and restaurant struggled. Not BNT! Lunch was delightful—compliments to Luis’ wife! We will definitely be connecting with him again next year!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Diane C. 
 
2021-02-02
 
 
  
Xunantunich/ Barton Creek cave with Luis
Luis was our guide to Xunantunich, Benny’s Kitchen for lunch, and canoeing in Barton Creek cave. It was a fantastic experience. Luis was knowledgeable and shared many stories, culture and history. He was also relaxed and easy going making for a perfect day. BNT also did a great job with quick and complete communication. Recommend!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Cowboy Joe 
 
2021-01-12
 
 
  
A magical ATM Cave tour
the trip started out with them picking my fiancé and myself up at our resort.  From there it was a nice car ride through the rain forest.  Once we arrived at the hiking trail, Ben Cruise, our guide, made sure we were prepared, comfortable and ready for our adventure.  The hike started with a rope pull through the river, then a nice trail leading to the caves.   Once at the cave, Ben made sure our water bag was sealed and we jumped in the water and swam into the cave.  Along the way, Ben stopped us to show us the magical formations in the caves.  He was also very aware of all things under water and was very attentive, making sure we didn't slip or hit under water rocks.   When we got to the ruins, you could see how much Ben loves the history and beauty of everything the ATM ruins represent.  He was very knowledgeable and informative. We could not have asked for a better guide on this trip!  We highly recommend this trip to anyone up for the adventure.