My husband and I stayed at Ian Anderson's Caves Branch Jungle Lodge (accommodations reviewed separately under specialty lodging) with our 11 and 13 year old sons. They make it very easy to experience all the wonders of mainland Belize.

First, I highly recommend bringing (and using!) insect repellent of at least 25% DEET. We had also treated our clothing with permetherin before coming and seemed to have many fewer insect bites than some other guests. This is a malaria zone so you should take insect precautions seriously and consider taking anti-malaria medication.

Meals are family style and dinner is a great opportunity to speak with other guests about their experiences with specific excursions (if you are not staying at the lodge call and talk to the staff). The staff check with everyone at dinner to see what excursions they want to sign up for the next day. There are a lot of options for excursions but it is important to understand your limitations. Advice from other guests was very important in helping us choose the right expedition.

Our first day all four of us chose the "River of Caves" Cave Tubing plus zip lining. Life jackets and headlamps are provided. If you want to take a camera, the lodge will provide a dry sac but it is not easy to access the camera for photos during the trip (plus it is dark). The trip to the river is on the back of a tractor with the tubes and it goes through the lodge's orchard.

I am claustrophobic and my husband began working on me a week before going to Belize because caves are definitely not on my bucket list. Upon arriving at the 'putting in' point, I began telling my husband about all the expensive jewelry he was going to have to buy me to make up for what I was about to endure. However, after getting through the initial "entrance" the caves were quite large and I never once felt claustrophobic. At times the ceiling might be low but the "rooms" are so wide that it did not feel small. Also, there are points throughout with openings to the jungle so there is natural light and foliage.

This is by no means a river float--you are actively paddling the entire time (I think it was about 2 hours for us). You will need to wear shoes so take something that can go into the river. Also, you may want to consider a long sleeve shirt to minimize abrasions on the inside of your arms from rubbing against the inter tube as you are paddling. At a minimum you need a short sleeved t-shirt otherwise the life jacket will rub. The water is cool but not cold (you will not find me in an unheated pool and I was comfortable). There are guides on both ends of the group and they will assist you if needed. My youngest son--mainly because of his height--found it difficult to paddle so one of the guides hooked his feet under my son's armpits and towed him the entire way. While they tell you always face forward, most people did paddle backwards at certain points because it seemed to work better. As you pass through rapids or where there are shallow spots, you definitely need to face forward and "butts up!"

The early part of the trip your group will be alone but about halfway through there is a point where other tour companies put in and it can get a bit crowded. The trip ends at a commercial site where you can change clothes (that you put in the lodge van before leaving--make sure you remember to bring a towel!) and eat lunch. The lodge also provides bottles of water.

After lunch, the zip line tour is right on the same property. I've done zip lining in the mountains of North Carolina and this was much better (although my son said his experience in Costa Rica was better). There are a fair amount of stairs in different sections but it was worth it. The challenge with any zip lining is to notice the beauty around you while paying attention to your imminent landing. The zip lining is an optional add on to the tubing but I do think it is worth doing. You will travel back to the lodge in a van.

I recommend a tip of US$15-20 per guide depending on how much they assisted you (the guide who towed my son got a generous tip). If you are staying at the lodge, a tip form is provided at check out and tips can be put on a credit card.
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The second day, our family split up and my 11 year old and I went horseback riding. The lodge arranged and transported us to Banana Bank where we crossed the river on a hand-pulled "ferry". We spent a morning with Sherman from Banana Bank Lodge on a jungle ride. Sherman is a wonderful guide and shared lots of information and humor along the way. The horses were healthy and good natured. The ride was mostly shaded but I suggest sunscreen as certain portions are out in the open. Sherman allowed us to canter several times during the ride which was a pleasant surprise because it is unusual for many trail ride operations. The lodge's property is beautiful and so large that the herd is unfenced. When they need horses for trail rides, the cowboys go out and round them up. As we were returning to the lodge, there were two cowboys rounding up a small herd--including lassoing a horse running at full speed.

The lodge also provided lunch for us which was delicious and plentiful. We had time to wander around the property before our ride came. They have a small menagerie of animals that have been rescued--including a jaguar. Wild howler monkeys were also nearby and quite vocal despite being in the middle of the day.

I recommend a tip of US$10 for the 2-hour ride (total not for each of us).
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My husband and 13 year old son chose to go on the Waterfall Cave Expedition. This was a very strenuous 5-6 hour trip that my husband described as the best expedition of his life. This is definitely not a trip for anyone claustrophobic--portions involved crawling on your hands and knees through caves. The highlight of the trip was climbing up a series of waterfalls and then jumping off them on the way back down. The two of them definitely needed a rest day the next day so plan accordingly if you are going to select this expedition.

I recommend a tip of US$10-15 per guide (again, more if a guide helped you significantly).
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The lodge's website has descriptions of all the expedition choices. I did not hear other guests express disappointment with any expedition.

THIS PLACE ISN'T SO MUCH AN ATTRACTION AS AN AWESOME JUNGLE LODGE. DON'T JUST VISIT FOR A DAY, STAY HERE.

We stayed at Ian Anderson's Cave's Branch Lodge for 6 nights on one of their inclusive packages. Our 8-year-old daughter LOVED this place, as did we. Each guide we had was professional, friendly, knowledgable, and was terrific with our daughter. We went cave tubing, rappelling at the Black Hole Drop, zip-lining, and visited Mayan ruins and the lovely Belize zoo. We also enjoyed Mr. Chan's very thorough tour of the grounds, including the bromeliads and orchids in his botanical garden, and other flora. Be sure to get up early one morning and go on a bird walk with Abel and Esperanza.

We stayed in a tree-house room, and words just cannot do it justice. The room was GORGEOUS, had plenty of space for the 3 of us. We especially loved the outdoor shower and being able to hear the birds and monkeys in the rainforest all around us.

Food at the lodge was very good and plentiful, especially the breakfasts -- loved the fry jack! And the kitchen staff were great at coming up with a yummy snack for our daughter each afternoon. Eddie makes the freshest, most delicious pina coladas ever.

Finally, if you are traveling with kids, be sure to find the "petting zoo" and Chuck, the critter caretaker. We visited it on our last day there, and wished we had found it sooner. Bottom line, Ian Anderson is an animal lover, a skilled cheese maker, and a heck of a nice guy.

We stayed at Caves Branch with our 11 and 13 year-old sons. We stayed in a lovely Jungle Suite which was surrounded by screened windows from about knee-high. It had a front patio which a bench, a living room with wicker couch and bunk beds, indoor bathroom with hot and cold running water, shower and toilet, ceiling fans, and a bedroom with a queen-size bed (but no door). There was a small, walled garden area and outdoor shower as part of the suite. Each bungalow has a lot of privacy because the lush jungle surroundings create a significant boundary. The photos on their website were accurate.

They repeatedly point out that they are not a resort but the accommodations are very comfortable. There are no electrical outlets in the bungalow but there is one public computer with a very slow internet connection in the lodge. People who needed to recharge electronics would plug them into the power strip where the computer is. Soap and shampoo are provided but no other toiletries. Filtered water is provided both in the bungalows and at the lodge. There is a safe in the room to keep passports and other valuables while you are out on excursions. (I will review our specific excursions in the Attractions section of TripAdvisor.) They will do laundry--which I recommend you plan for (if staying at least 3 days) because nothing dries on its own in the rain forest and your clothes will be very dirty. They also dried our shoes/boots for us whenever we needed.

I highly recommend bringing (and using!) insect repellent of at least 25% DEET. We had also treated our clothing with permetherin before coming and seemed to have many fewer insect bites than some other guests. This is a malaria zone so you should take insect precautions seriously and consider taking anti-malaria medication.

Meals are family style at fixed times. Breakfast and dinner are standard and lunch can be provided, if requested. Most guests have lunch during their excursions. Dinner is a great opportunity to speak with other guests about their experiences with specific excursions. The staff check with everyone at dinner to see what excursions they want to sign up for the next day. There are a lot of options for excursions but it is important to understand your limitations. Advice from other guests was very important in helping us choose the right adventures.

We only stayed two nights but would stay for more if we had it to do over. I recommend at least 3 or 4 nights and buying one of the packages (accommodations + excursions). If you are going to be there 4 or more days you may want to plan a "rest day" depending on the excursions you choose. My husband and son were wiped out after the Waterfall Cave Expedition and definitely need a day to recover (but my husband said it was the best excursion of his life). The packages are also nice because it gives you a certain amount of bar (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) privileges.

There is a beautiful botanic garden on the property and a lovely (unheated) pool and hot tub. The staff and guides are incredible. Tipping specific individuals is encouraged but is usually done at checkout and can be put on your credit card. We tipped between US$5 - 20 per person depending on what role they played. For example, the guide that pulled my youngest son through the 7-miles of cave tubing got a generous tip!

We rented a car and drove to Caves Branch ourselves. We did not need the car in the time we were there (we stayed other places on the mainland also) but it provided nice flexibility for us. Had we stayed longer, we would have used it to explore on a "rest day".

Overall, this is a great place to stay and I recommend it for adventure travelers.

We've lived in San Pedro, Belize for 2 years, been visiting for 5. This was our first trip to Ian Anderson's but definitely not our last. We used to stay in Belize City while we took friends/relatives on mainland excursions...No more. We will use Ian Anderson's as our base "camp" for all future mainland visits. It is perfectly located in the center of the country and amidst some of the best jungle/rainforest, (you never know you are just a few miles from the Capitol and within walking distance of the Hwy). The tours are phenomenal and the guides are great. I am not a big fan of communal eating, but we met great people at every meal and the food was excellent. The setting is beautiful, the resort well maintained, and the screened windows on the lodgings give you the feel of sleeping in the jungle without all the creepy crawlies, awesome. It didn't hurt that they gave us a double upgrade because they had a suite available. Damn, just writing this makes me want to go back...

Dee & Rhonda Dillon
Caribe Island Resort
San Pedro, Belize