See the birds______Meet the people______Nothing fancy______Just real.

Crooked Tree Village is special because it is surrounded by the largest wetland system in the country and it is one of the oldest established village settlements still flourishing. A stay in Crooked Tree allows you to discover and explore an ecologically rich area teeming with birds and other wetland species while expanding your cultural experience with creole style village life. Tillett’s Village Lodge is pioneering the development of community based tourism by creating opportunities for visitors to participate in everyday, traditional activities with local villagers in their homes.

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary Lagoon Boat Tour
Over 16 thousand acres of lagoons, marshes and waterways reserved since 1984 as habitats for resident and migrating water birds have become the home of about 277 resident and 123 migratory species of birds and numerous important and endangered wildlife species including the Jabiru Stork (up to 5 feet tall), the Yellow-headed Parrot, the Central American River Turtle (Hickatee), Morelet’s Crocodile, the Mexican Black Howler monkey and the West Indian Manatee. Major bird groups include storks, herons, kingfishers, flycatchers, terns, ibis, rails, grebe, sandpipers, warblers, ospreys, hawks, vultures, ducks, crakes and limkins. Boating along the lagoon’s margines, shorelines and banks you can observe the freshwater’s version of the saltwater mangrove, the logwood or ‘bloodwood’, growing in thickets providing essential nursery areas for fishes. This early morning (6am) boat tour of the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary allows you to see the rich birdlife, aquatic plant life and experience the spiritual tranquility of the Crooked Tree wetland system.


Cost:
  • US$100. (1-4 pers)
  • US$25. each additional person

Add US$4. reserve entrance fee

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Jungle Survival Experience
A real and true contact with the jungle on horseback and foot, guided by native villager, ‘bushman’ and certified jungle expert Bruce. Learn how to feed from ‘jungle food’ and find clean water from vines and trees and lots of other interesting survival tactics. Tour leaves at 7 am and returns in time for lunch.

Cost: US$60. per person

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Nature Walks - day or night
These short tours take place on foot along nature trails within the village.

Cost: US$15. per person

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Guided Horseback Riding (max 4 pers)
A memorable 2 hour horseback ride through the less travelled paths of the village passing along the lagoon waterfront and through old village ‘back’ roads. Some villagers still use horseback as their main form of transport within the village.


Cost: US$40. per pers

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Meet Ava - Village Life Experience (max 4 pers)
Enjoy a morning or afternoon in the home of a villager and assist them in cooking up a traditional dish on their open wood fire hearth. Learn about what types of wood we use to bring desired flavours to our food, our hand-made firehearth cooking ‘utensils’, how to prepare a fire for cooking or baking... then open your own coconut and extract the cream ‘milk’ as it is an indispensable ingredient in creole kitchens.

Meet Ava, one of the active, leading women in our village: progressive without losing traditional stability, outspoken, dependable and generous. She is the contact person for the Crooked Tree Women’s Group (CTWG) and will assist in identifying an interesting recipe in the CTWG’s cook book ‘Silly Bug & Bittle Recipes’ that you can prepare and then sample.


Cost: $US30. per person

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Meet Mr. Gerald - Village Life Experience (max 4 pers)

Meet Mr. Gerald, a village elder with a passion for gardening and one who genuinely enjoys people. Spend mid morning or afternoon with him in his little vegetable garden and ‘back yard’ assisting him and learning about exotic tropical fruits such as banana and plaintain, breadfruit, cashew, avocado, coconut, casava, coco and the highly valued ‘noni’ for its precious medicinal values.



Cost: US$25. per person

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Lamanai Maya Ruin and River Escursion
Lamanai Ruin, meaning ‘submerged crocodile’, is tucked away in the middle of a tropical jungle near a huge river-wetland system. It boasts an extraordinarily long occupancy of over 3000 thousand years (as early as 16th century BC up until the 17th century AD) and it is one of the largest cities of the pre-classic period. While many structures remain still unexcavated, three of the most significant temples have been brought to light: the Mask Temple, depicting a 13-foot stone mask of an ancient Maya King, the Jaguar Temple and the High Temple, offering an unforgettable panorama across the jungle to the nearby lagoon. This day-long tour departs 8:30AM and returns around 3:30 PM. It includes a slow hour and a half boat ride up the New River to Lamanai, giving you opportunity to enjoy the river wildlife. You then take a guided tour, by foot, of the maya site after which you can lunch and browse around the on-site museum observing its rich collection of maya artefacts and animals. Tour is all inclusive (water, lunch, guide, entrance fee and transport).


Cost: US$80. per person (min. 2 pers.)

Tour All Inclusive (transport, guide, entrance fee, lunch and water)

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Altun Ha Maya Ruin
This ancient Maya city flourished during the Maya Classic Period (250 to 900 AD). It houses two main plazas with thirteen temples/residential structures. A magnificent ‘Jade Head’ (approx. 5 kg) depicting the Maya sun god, Kinich Ahau, was discovered in one of the temples; a significant find throughout the entire mayan area. This tour includes archaeology, onsite flora and fauna and medicinal plants.
Tour leaves 8:00AM or 2:00PM and returns in time for lunch or dinner respectively.

Cost:
  • US$50. per person (min. 2 pers.)
  • US$35. per person (4+ pers)

Includes transport, guide, fees.

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Bermudian Landing Baboon Sanctuary
A comunity-based reserve formed to protect the endangered Black Howler Monkey, locally called ‘baboon’, this sanctuary has demonstrated that environmental protection can create new forms of income for locals while enhancing awareness and respect for wildlife. This half day tour takes you to the small, isolated village of Bermudian Landing where you get to see the baboons close up in their natural habitat.


Cost:
  • US$50. per person (min. 2 pers.)
  • US$35. per person (4+ pers)

Includes transport, guide, fees.

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Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center
The best way to familiarise yourself with native animals of Belize and learn about their habitats is by visiting the Belize Zoo. It houses over 125 animals all native to Belize in a spacious 29 acres tropical forested area. The zoo’s inhabitants were either orphaned, borned at the zoo or rehabilitated. Highly recommended for families with children. This half day tour leaves at 8 am.


Cost: US$65. each (min 2 pers)

Includes transport and entry fees.

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Cave Tubing and Zip-Line at Caves Branch Archaeological Reserve
Take an easy and interesting ½ to ¾ hour jungle hike to the river where you enter an underground river and cave system once inhabited by the ancient Maya who considered caves entrances to the sacred underworld. Float for 1 ½ hours on inner tubes through this natural, spectacular geological museum and if you dare to turn off your head torch for a few seconds you will relish the exhilarating sensations of the underworld. During your hike guides will provide information about the tropical flora and fauna and about the caves and it’s Mayan history. Small children are equipped with life jackets and can ride on a tube with a parent or alone on smaller tubes.

The zip-line tour also takes place at the Caves Branch site. After you are fitted and geared, the tour takes about 30 to 40 minutes, zipping along the tropical forest canopy on 7 zips (varying bet. 50 m to 200 m) and 10 platforms. Once you can fit into the harness you can zip-line. Children 3 yrs or older are allowed and if preferred, could zip-line together with the guide. The climb is facilitated by steps with secure railings.


Cost:
• Cave Tubing only US$110. each (min 3 pers)
• Cave Tubing and Zip-Line US$150. each (min. 3 pers)

Includes transport, guide, entrance fees, equipment/gear (tubes, life-jackets, headlights, harnesses, helmets, gloves ) and lunch.

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Rentals
Canoe Rental


Bicyle Rental

US$15. for ½ day
US$25. all day

US$12. for ½ day
US$20. all day

Transportation (prices in US Dollars)
International Airport pickup

Belize City


Crooked Tree Junction

US$75. (1-3 pers)
US$20. each (4+ pers)

US$90. (1-3 pers)
US$25. each (4+ pers)

US$12. (1-3 pers)
US$3. each (4+ pers)

We recommend:

Amigos del Mar Dive Center

For your Diving

Banana Beach Resort

For your Island Stay