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Belizey Does It: Camping, Hotels and More

While Belize is best known as one of the world's top diving spots with the second largest barrier reef on the Western Hemisphere, its jungle interior has plenty of beautiful properties and vacation possibilities for deal seekers, adventure travelers and luxury vacationers alike.

The jewel of Belize travel properties is owned, founded and created by a familiar face to film-loving travelers. Famed director Francis Ford Coppola who made The Godfather films and Apocalypse Now found the gorgeous interior property while traveling through Belize in 1981 with his wife. A known wine connoisseur who owns vineyards in Northern California, Coppola's love of the vine and haute cuisine is the trademark of his Blancaneux Lodge (tel. 800/746-3743; www.blancaneauxlodge.com). Tucked away in the Western Mayan Mountains, the lodge overlooks a winding river and has horse stables, a river front spa, exceptional hiking and trekking trails, and a full-scale Italian restaurant complete with wood-burning stove and a full wine cellar. Probably the most luxurious of Belizean travel alternatives, the lodge does have travel deals. A four-day land-only package with travel good from January 4 to May 31, 2005, costs $1,910 plus $224.32 per couple in taxes and service charges. No charge is added for tours but tipping guides is optional. When booking at the Blancaneux, a $500 deposit is mandatory with the balance of this package deal due 45 days before arrival. All transportation to and from Belize International Airport is included in the price.

Capricorn Leisure Corporation (tel. 800/426-6544; www.capricorn.net) has a Southern Ecological tour of Belize that offers travelers three days in the jungle and three days at the beach. The eight-day/seven-night all-inclusive air and land package starts at $1,324 with travel out of Miami. Travel is good through January 5 to April 30, 2005, with a $110 addendum for travel from East coast cities and $216 from Midwestern departure points. Inland accommodations are at the Lodge at Big Falls with beachfront stay at Calico Jacks on the quiet atoll of Placencia. In the rainforest, all meals are included. Air taxes and security fees are not included in the price of the tour. Cheaper still, is their "Reef and Rainforest" package that starts from $972 out of Miami for an eight-day getaway.

Seakunga Adventures (tel. 800/781-2269; www.seakunga.com/belize/profile_trip7.htm) has a Belizean "Jungle Explorers" vacation that includes hiking, swimming, floating down the jungle rivers on rafts and some light caving. The three-night land-only jungle expedition costs $399 for the camping only option and $549 for accommodations at rustic lodges. All gear, outfitting equipment and guides are included in the price. The tour takes you through a Jaguar reserve and up into the Mayan Mountains.

Seakunga also offers an air-inclusive adventure special that extensively explores Belize's rainforests and rivers (www.seakunga.com/belize/profile_trip6.htm). The eight-day trip costs $999 for the half-camping half-lodge package. Activities include sailing, inflatable river craft and jungle hiking. Listed as moderately difficult, this trip is fine for the novice explorer. It offers plenty of downtime just sailing along the intricate rivers. Departure dates are available from February through May. Call Seakunga for prices from your departure city.

Getting to Belize can be pricey, but it's easiest and cheapest from Miami, Dallas or Houston. Intratours (tel. 800/334-8069; www.intratours.com), an Internet discount airfare site has round-trip flights to Belize for $395 from Miami and $382 from Houston. Flights to Belize from Atlanta and Boston are listed at $488 without air and security fees included. Departures are mid-week with a Saturday required.

Talk to fellow travelers on our Belize Message Boards.


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