Trip Itinerary
Day 1
Bocawina Rainforest Resort & Adventures: This boutique lodge in the midst of a 7000 acre Bocawina National Park offers guests a quintessential tropical rainforest experience. Over 150 species of birds, howler monkeys, peccary, jaguars and ocelots have been recorded in close proximity to the lodge. Enjoy the beautiful tropical landscaping on the property and dine in style at the acclaimed Wild Fig Restaurant.
Meals: Dinner provided
On arrival in Belize City you will connect for a scenic 20 minute flight south to the coastal town of Dangriga. Our first night is at Bocawina Resort & Adventures and a representative from Bocawina will be there to shuttle you and your group to the resort. Norm will meet you and your group for dinner where all trip details and packing will be reviewed. (Domestic Flight included)
Days 2-4
Glover’s Reef Basecamp: On the water edge, with dramatic views over the main reef wall and the open Caribbean Sea, is our dining area, with large raised verandah, lounge and resource library. The enclosed outdoor verandah is where your island guides give their fun and informative talks on the surrounding ecology each morning. The camp is powered by solar generated electricity with freshwater showers, modern compost toilets and solar powered refrigeration. Guests sleep in comfortable wall-tent cabanas with beds, wooden floors, a night stand, lighting and can be outfitted for singles, doubles and families. Delicious meals featuring Creole and international cuisine are prepared and served buffet style in our open air dining area by our beloved cooks.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We will depart from Bocawina Resort early on day two where we will shuttle back to the coastal town of Dangriga. From here we will travel by boat charter and hour and a half offshore of the mainland to Glovers Reef Atoll and the Island Expeditions basecamp at SouthEast Caye. We arrive here just before lunch where the camp manager will take you on an orientation tour of the basecamp. The guides will then lead you through an introduction to snorkelling prior to delicious lunch. The afternoon program includes a sup safety and skills clinic with Norm before heading out for an exploratory paddle.
Glover’s Reef is a spectacular marine environment and one that must be explored with a mask and snorkel. Our days will consist of half or full day paddles in combination with snorkelling and free diving on some of the most incredible reef systems in the Western Hemisphere. We will have the chance to see Eagle Ray’s, Tarpons, Barracuda ( no need to worry, they are harmless to humans), Sea Turtles and the incredible array of reef fish. You will also have a chance while snorkelling to take part in the harvesting of Queen Conch, Spiny Lobster and the invasive Lion fish by the local Belizean guides or to spend a morning hand-line fishing for Barracuda or Yellow Tail Snapper. All of the fish, lobster and conch will be cooked and presented for dinner that evening, one of the best seafood experiences you may ever have. Since it seem to be generally windy and there are not a lot of protected areas out a Glover’s Reef we will be using the support boat for to take us upwind for fun downwind runs along the reef. Glover’s is really is a multi sport adventure location with a lot of activities to enjoy.
Days 5-6
Tobacco Caye Paradise: Looking over the Belize Barrier Reef, Paradise Lodge has private, “over the water” beach cabanas on beautiful Tobacco Caye. The small, locally owned lodge is a perfect staging point to explore the many islands, mangrove ranges and spectacular snorkelling.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
For the next stage of the adventure we head to the 17,000 acre Southwater Caye Marine Reserve on the Southern Barrier Reef. Based fromTobacco Caye Paradise Lodge, our playground for the next two days is a fairy-tale setting of palm trees, coral islands, mangrove forests and abundant coral reefs. The back deck on your multi coloured cabana sits over the reef crest where you can watch Eagle Rays drifting by from the comfort of your hammock. There is amazing snorkelling here as well and on our first night you will be treated to a night snorkel where new and unique creatures like Octopus come out on their evening search for food. For paddling we will head to the calm and protected waters of the numerous mangrove islands that are nearby. Here we can search for resident Manatees that make their homes here in the crystal clear waters and above the sea grass beds. Each evening, back at our lodge, we take in the friendly laid back ‘Island Culture’ of Belize and enjoy some of the most beautiful sunsets in Central America.
Day 7
Meals: Breakfast
After another delicious breakfast our boat shuttle will return to pick us up for our ride back to Dangriga on the mainland where our trip finishes in time to make domestic or international flight connections.
Tour Reviews
Five Plus Stars! I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in Norm Hann and Island Expeditions Belize Coral Island SUP trip in 2017. The paddling locations were beautiful and accommodations were excellent. Norm’s outstanding instruction teaches you proper paddling form, improves your skills and really builds paddling confidence. This is an incredible opportunity to visit and experience Belize while improving your SUP skills with a phenomenal and enthusiastic instructor. Escape winter and head to Belize with Norm for a truly memorable paddling experience.
Your Belize tour was one of my favorite adventures…the best experience…
Very highly recommend!!! It’s a magical place for sup exploration and any trip with Norm is fantastic!!! Would love to do the trip again sometime.
What an incredible experience! Truly one of the best trips/tours I have done in my life. A great group of people, amazing guides, gorgeous scenery, abundant opportunities for learning to paddle better and more efficiently and a ton of fun! Can’t wait to do more trips with Norm!
This was a well thought out and orchestrated trip. I have to say it was the best tropical holiday we’ve ever done. Partly because we were doing what we love to do (SUP) and partly because of the people we were with and the staff that were there. Norm, Kimike and Maddie were very professional and if there were any issues it was dealt with and not even known to us. We are already talking about going back.
What an epic trip! Led by a professional but laid back group of instructors (Norm, Budge & Terrence) who weave one on one paddling instruction and local cultural history — all within the setting of the barrier reef! Amazing views and paddles, great accommodations and food. One of my top three ‘ocean sports’ trips ever.
How awesome to return again for another fabulous time with Norm and Island Expeditions on the Coral Island trip. Paddling through mangroves, snorkeling the coral reefs, downwinding and learning about the culture and reef environment from our knowledgeable IE guides was incredible. This trip is perfect for all paddling abilities and with Norms exceptional coaching you will find a huge improvement in your paddling skills and confidence by the end of the trip. The food and accommodations are excellent and the terrific people you meet on this trip make for a truly fun experience.
Absolutely amazing week paddleboarding and snorkeling! Norm is a great instructor and the small-group setting means a lot of one-on-one help. The Island Expeditions crew were extremely knowledgeable and provided great information on Belize and the reef. I definitely felt like a more skilled and confident paddler by the end of the week and would highly recommend this trip to anyone up for adventure!
The Belize trip was truly amazing. As a novice I learned so much about SUP, and feel more confident! Norm is an excellent teacher, and learning to paddle on open water is really challenging and very satisfying. Snorkelling around the reef was incredible. The guides from IE made the trip even better – very knowledgeable, outgoing and really fun. The accomodations and food were better than anticipated. This trip was one of my favorite experiences I’ve had, and I would highly recommend it.
THANK YOU soooo much for the MOST AMAZING trip! EVERYTHING was just perfectly fabulous. Please extend my thanks to the team as well—guides and support staff. I know how much behind-the-scenes work goes into making this all happen. And, being on the ground with us and day in and day out. It’s a lot, but was flawless. All of that hard work showed and made everything so special and wonderful.
Leave a Review