We stayed at Ka’ana from thurs-sunday in early May. The tone for the trip was set immediately when we arrived and were greeted with drinks as we stepped out of the van. The staff could not have been friendlier and more attentive. We truly felt like we were the only guests there and they attended to our every need. We met with the concierge Onil who walked us through our planned activities and asked what type of foods we liked for our arranged meals.
We did a horseback ride/river picnic as the lone excursion type activity. I heard a lot of great things about the ATM tour but didn’t try that out. The horseback ride was one of my favorite parts of the trip. After a 5-minute car rise we arrived at a horse ranch and were led by the owner of the ranch Santiago (request him if you can, he was awesome) through a long trail ride that ultimately led us to the Mayan ruins. These are simply incredible to see and should be visited. on our way back we stopped off at an area near a river and enjoyed a picnic right near the water. Oscar, our favorite Ka’ana employee, had set-up an incredible picnic area for us. It was an overall fun and relaxing experience and the food we ate (from a menu discussed the day before back at the hotel) was delicious.
We got massaged the last day which my girlfriend and I both enjoyed. Be sure to book them in advance as they are not full time employees on-site.
The last night we did the private five course meal on the yoga platform and again, Oscar helped serve us and did an incredible job ensuring that we were enjoying ourselves. He goes above and beyond with little touches like putting local flowers on the ground around our table.
The hotel grounds and rooms are very nice, the staff waits on your hand and foot and I would recommend the hotel for special occasion type vacations. You get almost every TV channel you can think of and there is WiFi on the grounds. The pool area is a little small but suitable for the size hotel. You should have no problem getting a chair.
Some note: As mentioned often, breakfast is the best meal of the day. Dinner is good too although not everything stands out. I will say that I had red snapper that was cooked on a cedar plank that was incredible. The only “Con” I would mention is that the hotel itself is a considerable drive from the airport. While this has nothing to go with the hotel and can’t be improved upon, it is something to factor in. It took us 2 hours to get from the airport to the hotel and while it was very interesting to learn about the country from our driver, we had come from NYC and were tired from traveling for so long. On the way home we had mentioned to Oscar (now one of our buddies) that the initial drive-in took a while and he forwarded our frustration along. The drive back was actually cut to about 1.5 hours thanks to an aggressive driver which was much appreciated.
The skeletal remains of an adult Maya, along with several artifacts and ceramics – reported to be over 2000 years old – was discovered during the replacement of drainage pipes on Burns Avenue: one of the busiest streets in San Ignacio, Cayo.
In addition, bone tools, ceramic vessels, conch shell fragments, deer antlers, obsidian blade fragments, peccary teeth and pottery shards were buried with the individual who, according to renowned archaeologist Dr. Jaime Awe, was a male. Of the ceramic vessels obtained, three were complete while the pottery shards included an etched Juventud-Red vessel which possibly dates the site as early as the Middle Pre-Classic Period. What’s more is that the situ, which may have been abandoned after being destroyed by flood waters, is believed to be a part of Cahal Pech, thus proving that the “Place Of Ticks” was as extensive a settlement as was originally thought.
The artifacts, ceramics and remains will be displayed in the Welcome Center which is currently under construction as part of the development and rehabilitation of San Ignacio Town. For the time being, though, locals and tourists alike flock to the site to offer assistance, speculation and support to the archaeologists who’ve halted public works until their excavation is completed.
Venture off the beaten path and explore the remnants of a civilization that once was.
Enjoy 3 nights at Ka’ana – your exclusive out-post for adventure, culture and history – as you dine on Belizean gourmet cuisine while reliving colorful periods in Maya tradition as seen by an animated Maya Chiclero Storyteller. Horseback ride across open pastures and rivers to Actun Can: a Maya Ruin which has since been reclaimed by nature. As the adventure continues, tour Guatemala’s excavated “City Of Echoes” – Tikal – one of the most impressive Maya Cities in Central America!
Actress Kathryn Felicia Day highlights her visit to the epicenter of inland touring – Belize’s Cayo District – having utilized Ka’ana as her exclusive outpost. From grazing pastures to diverse eco-tours, she depicts her journey to Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave and Xunantunich Maya City – two of the region’s most impressive and popular attractions.
“If the world had any ends, British Honduras [Belize] would certainly be one of them” (Jacques Cousteau) – and what better place to witness its end than atop a centuries-old Maya City in what was once the center of the Maya Empire?
The piece, written by Jamie Moore – author and freelance writer, describes the experience as an amazing “bucket-list trip to see the last page of the Maya calendar” and highlights features of the experience including the Caana Temple climb, Ka’ana room replica, Maya gourmet dinner, and private-guided, torch-lit tour.
Formerly British Honduras, Belize lies on the Caribbean Coast of Central America and is bounded by Mexico to the North, and Guatemala to the West and South. It is the second smallest country in Central America, roughly the size of Massachusetts, and the only English-speaking of the seven. With its population a little over 350,000, Belize is a true melting pot of cultures, rivaling that of its neighbors with an influence of Creole, Garinagu, Maya and Mestizo to name a few.
Its westernmost region, the Cayo District, is the largest and most populated of the six, and the epicenter of inland touring. Swathed in almost untouched jungles, it is dotted with ancient cities, riddled with underground passages and supports diverse ecosystems ideal for adventure as well as nature lovers. Its most popular archaeological sites include Actun Tunichil Muknal, Barton Creek, Cahal Pech, Caracol, Che Chem Ha and Xunantunich.
Cave Tube & Zip Line
Feel the adrenaline pumping through your body as you zip-line above the jungle canopy from treetop to treetop and relax while floating along cool waters on inner tubes, gently pushed by a current through a series of caves.
Visit The Region’s Popular Maya Cities
Cahal Pech, small as it may seem, is a 3,200 year-old Maya City where the architecture of these ancients is visible to the fullest.
Caracol, located in the heart of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, is Belize’s largest Maya Ruin and home to Caana – the tallest structure in the country!
Only a 10-minute drive from Ka’ana, Xunantunich – one of the most popular sites in the region – is accessed by a hand-cranked chain ferry, providing panoramic views of Guatemala and the surrounding valleys from atop El Castillo.
Explore Portals To The Maya Underworld
You’ll be amazed by the many artifacts, including human remains, strewn about and experience the chills of sloshing in ice-cold river water – all inside Actun Tunichil Muknal, sure to be the highlight of your vacation!
Hidden within a Mennonite community, canoe into the Maya Underworld while listening to the history of Barton Creek Cave unfold.
Unlike ATM and Barton Creek, Che Chem Ha is a dry cave that offers a nine-layered journey into the Maya Underworld using ladders and ropes, as well as a refreshing dip in a 214-feet waterfall located only a few minutes away.
With numerous spectacular attractions, there are plenty of adventures to discover and explore the ultimate destination that is Belize!
The Mopan River, once used to transport chicle and logwood, originates in Guatemala, flowing into Belize to meet with the Macal River and form the Belize River – Belize’s major fresh water source.
Float along cool waters on inflatable inner tubes, pushed by light currents or rapids from the Benque Viejo Del Carmen Town – only a 10-minute drive west of Ka’ana. As you continue floating along the jungle-lined river, your guide will point out various native flora and fauna, including Green Iguanas lounging on Succotz tree branches. Villagers of San Jose Succotz still fish, swim and wash their clothing using flat granite rocks as scrubbing boards in the shallow pools of the river, giving you a glimpse of the local culture in Belize’s westernmost region.
Tucked into a limestone ridge in the Upper Macal River Valley of the Maya Mountains in Belize’s Cayo District is Che Chem Ha (Poisonwood Water). This quarter-mile dry cave was first discovered by William Playtez, ranch owner and tour guide, while harvesting Xate leaves in the 1980s.
Accessing the cave involves a 40-minute drive on an unpaved road and a 35-minute hike along jungle-lined trails. Once in the cave, journey into the underworld – Xibalba – through nine levels using ladders and ropes. View ancient altars and undisturbed artifacts, including the largest ceramic vessels recorded in caverns, some of which are set high above the floor level and are accessible only by ladders. The descent into the ceremonial chamber is worthwhile as it displays the silhouette of a woman carrying a pot carved into its stone wall.
Upon exiting the cave, continue hiking for approximately ten minutes through farmland to a 214 feet waterfall. Climb down a steep incline and take a refreshing dip after a half day of hiking, climbing and even crawling in one of Belize’s leading caves.
A number of terms come to mind when we think of Road Warrior Lily Girma’s overnight adventure at Caracol: awe-inspiring, life-altering, once-in-a-lifetime – and the list goes on. Step into her shoes and imagine being seated at a table for two atop a centuries-old stone plaza, on the edges of an almost untouched rainforest filled with the sounds of nocturnal wildlife, as she wines and dines in what was once the center of the Maya Empire.
Lebawit Lily Girma – a published travel photographer and writer – is Belize’s newest and second Road Warrior for the Belize Tourism Board and the Matador Travel Network. Her time in Belize will focus on adventure travel so be sure to follow her on Twitter at @sunandstilettos, like her on Facebook at Lily Lily Images, and read her Blog at Sun[Shine] And Stilettos.
Perhaps the only thing better than visiting a waterfall on a hot summer day, is visiting and having the entire place to yourselves. We think Big Rock Falls is one of the treasures of the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve because if you don’t know where you’re going you could literally drive past it. Set at the bottom of a semi-steep hill, you’ll know you’re close when the rush of water becomes a roar. Today, we’re sharing images from past guests Whitney and William whose recent private tour to the Big Rock Falls has us falling in love with this site all over again.
