Where is it they do the rapelling into a cave / speleunking tours? My boyfriend is interested in maybe trying that next year (not me.. I'll be by the pool with drink in hand) and we were trying to figure out what area that is in, and what the nearest town for accomodations is.

Andrea

Caves Branch is the only one I know that does the repelling its close to Belmopan and they have nice accommodations right on the property
http://www.cavesbranch.com
Chris

I believe Jaguar Paw Resort is also getting into it, and it is offered by Bol's Tours in the Mt Pine Ridge. You can also set up personal guides who specialize in the extreme adventure stuff including rappelling. Just be sure the guide has been certified by the cave rescue course they offer at caves branch. Feel free to contact me for further info.

www.barbsbelize.com

Ian Anderson's Caves Branch Adventure Camp is sensational. They do the adventure part really well, and with great concern for safety. We went on a sissy-cave trip (fabulous - "River of Caves" in their Brochure)....... for five cavers there were two guides. They carried all the right gear for emergencies. Also they brought along a really healthy and yummy lunch (served in the dark innards of the cave on a white tablecloth spread in the mud - it was soooooo cool and so welcome after paddling our tube and hiking and climbing). I did some extreme caving once (that was enough to alert me to my mortality) - including rapelling into a hole, spending hours supended over crevases traversing them in three-point contact mode - crawling through spaces so small we had to exhale to get around obstacles...... etc. - only afterwards did I appreciate the incredible risks involved, and the number of bruises a body can sustain!
Ian Anderson's has the right knowledge and right attitude to get you in and get you out in one piece.
The Jungle Cabana, with sitting room is just wonderful.
And their food ------ abundant and fabulous.
No pool. Nothing really to "do" once back in camp. If you are not into the "black hole drop" with your boyfriend, Cave's Branch offers some awesome "easy" adventures. You can do those whilst boyfriend earns his brass ....... well you know.
GO THERE - and enjoy!!!!!!!!!

andrea---

i read a travelogue by a woman named diane on the belize forums (may also be posted here on ambergris forum) describing her camping trip with patrick warrior near actun tunichel muknal cave. one day of their trip they rapelled another cave, past a high shelf of huge mayan artifacts (pots etc.) her travelogue is extremely informative and made me want to take the trip with patrick (who was already a friend of mine.) when i went on the trip i was too spent to rapel even tho i had planned on it and taken some lessons before leaving home so i'd have some semblance of a comfort zone. i ended up not doing it because my energy level was too low, and i'd have been completely spent. if you/the bf have enough stamina after the cave adventure, go for it. diane's description made it sound incredible and patrick is a fabulous guide. (i posted trip reports about the cave too. it rocked my world even w/out the rapelling.)

cheers
gogo