The canoeing on the Belize Old River begins with a 35 minutes drive from San Ignacio Town to the village of Ontario. The departing time will be discuss at the night when the guide goes and do the briefing about the canoeing. Most of the time the groups decide to depart at around 10:00AM. We will be doing a stop at a super market for the guest to buy their stuff which they are going to take for the trip (Rum, snacks and etc). Once we arrive at the village we will be diverting towards the Belize river. Depending on the road condition we can reach near the river bank if not then we would have to do a 10 minutes hike. We are going to have Lunch at the river bank while the guide and his assistance prepare the canoes and the equipments for the trip. We will be paddling for a 2 ½ to 3 hours to reach at our campsite. The camp site is located on a high river bank overlooking the Belize River. We would set up our tents and relax the rest of the day or have refreshing swim in the Belize Old River. For dinner the cook is going to prepare chicken Bar B Q. After our delicious dinner you can decide if you want to sit around camp fire, tell stories, sing, drink local rum, or go for a canoe ride to spot crocodile or other nocturnal animals.
On the second Day we could do a morning hour and a half jungle hike through the forest with a knowledgeable guide interpreting the usage of the plants and pointing out the wildlife within the area. After the hike you enjoy your traditional lunch on the banks of the Belize River and swim in the refreshing waters. The canoeing adventures continue down stream for another 3 to 3 ½ hour as the river whines through farm land areas and riverine forest to Banana bank campsite. For the night activity you can do a Night canoeing to spot crocodiles depending on the water level or just relax at the campsite and enjoy the stars by telling stories sitting around the camp fire. On this canoeing guests can encounter many species of birds and wildlife that inhabit this area. There are many species of water birds like King fishers, Night Heron, Boat billed Heron, Bare Throated Tiger Herons, Black Bellied Whistling Ducks, American Coot and many species of Raptors just to mention a few. Wildlife like the Black Howler Monkeys can be spotted on the branches of the Ficus trees over hanging the water and on the banks Coati Mundi foraged for food, while Green Iguanas and Morlet Crocodiles bask under the bright sun light. Depending on the time of year and weather conditions guest are sometime lucky enough to have sighting of tapirs crossing the river or even get to see a pack of Peccary rush on down for a drink of water. After the canoeing guests get change into their dry cloths and enjoy some fresh fruits, chips and salsa before an hour drive back to San Ignacio.
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