Just returned from our fourth trip with Margaritaville Adventures, the Salty Piece of Land Expedition in Belize. It was the most adventurous tour yet, from floating on a pontoon boat in the jungle with nary another tourist in site to hiking to a waterfall, from tubing through spectacular caves to climbing Mayan temples, from cruising the New River Lagoon after dark looking for jungle nightlife to waking up to the sound of howler monkeys, and finally getting to the beach in San Pedro to snorkel the reef among rays, barracudas and even a couple of sharks. Looking back, it's hard to believe we did all that (and more) in just one week! The meals were wonderful, including a home-cooked meal on the bus, two more on boats and a five-star restaurant on the last night. We even had a lesson on making tortillas and tamales the Mayan way, and we learned some very interesting Mayan history.
Traveling with Margaritaville Adventures is not like going on a typical group tour; it's traveling with friends. This is clear by a few minutes into the first meal together, and throughout the trip when the group chooses to spend unscheduled free time and on-your-own meals together instead of going separate ways. When dispersing at the end of the trip it's not "goodbye," but "see you on the next one!" You really do stay in touch with the people you meet, you really do see them again on another trip and on your own, and the nicknames earned really do stick. Genuine, lasting friendships are made on these tours.
We started with Lost Shaker of Salt, and have done Creola-In-My-Soula and Southeast of Disorder in addition to Salty Piece of Land. We highly recommend all of them. Not sure which one will be next, but we will look forward to the sights, the adventures, the education, and - perhaps most of all - the fun time with old and new friends. read more