This is the best Howler Monkey viewing I've ever had. I was able to get right up close to a small troop of four, including a baby that was very interested in what us tourists were doing. The standard tour is quite brief, though - basically walk ten or twenty minutes to find some monkeys, watch them for fifteen minutes, then return. Given it's at least twenty minutes drive from anywhere, each way, that felt suboptimal. You can potentially negotiate a longer visit with your guide, depending on how many others are doing tours while you're there (generally there's just one guide working, but they'll leave you briefly with the monkeys to go fetch or return others, if needed). This might be a great thing to add to your itinerary if you're passing by anyway on your way to Lamanai via a tour operator out of Lemonal. I'm glad to see this kind of 'grassroots' eco-tourism, driven by community interest. Don't forget to bring extra cash for tips - I get the impression the guides are volunteers that don't earn anything other than what they receive in tips.

We dropped in for a quick visit on the way back to Belize city and had a wonderful time. A guide took us into the forest near the center where we immediately met a family of howler monkeys. It was very cool to meet and interact with the monkeys in the wild, a very special experience. The guide was interesting and knowledgeable. The Women’s Cooperative who runs it does great work. Highly recommended!

We went there on an excursion from our hotel. It was great to see the local community involvement to preserve forest for the howler monkey and other wildlife. The walk was questionable. The guide has clearly trained a troop of monkeys to come to him to eat banana. Howlers eat leaves, not bananas.

I give this sanctuary 4 stars because their mission is very good, and because if you really want to get close to some howler monkeys this is a great way to do it. We stopped here on short notice in early December 2022. I gave them a call and asked if they were open, told them our ETA since we were set to arrive there kind of late in the afternoon. They assured me they would still be open since they knew we were coming. The recent hurricane had done some damage here so its my understanding that not all their trails were open yet. But we had a short walk into the forest and indeed when called, a troop of monkeys appeared. The ones that came down low were given a small bit of banana. Our guide fed the big male, and I fed an adorable little one. I was excited on our short walk to also see some really cool birds (scarlet tanager, acorn woodpecker) and also a few agouti! Right behind this sanctuary building is the Nature Resort. We took a canoe trip there the following day and I reviewed that separately. The idea of this sanctuary is that locals have agreed to leave the forest intact for the monkeys to easily travel around in the canopy. In exchange for this, there is the expectation of more tourism. Toward that end, you are kind of expected to purchase some goods from local vendors that have their wares on display. We bought bird carved from a horn. There were wood carvings and canvas drawings available the time we went as well. The 'push local businesses' thing was a little disappointing to me in that I asked our guide where we might go for dinner - we were staying up the road a few miles, in Burrel Boom. He said there was really no place to eat without heading back to Ladyville. Turns out there is a pretty good restaurant in Burrel Boom (the Iguana Stop). I was surprised he didn't know about or let us know about it. I was also really dismayed that they just chased away what appeared to be a starving dog roaming around the area while we were there. I saw this dog again the next day. If you want to attract tourists, compel or help your neighbors feed their pets.

Our guide Robert was amazing and is a local who is heavily invested in the conservation of these amazing creatures. He worked very hard and got us an upfront view of a male howling loudly! They have a small museum that highlights how incredibly innovative this private lands partnership is in the world of conservation, originating in the early 1980s.

We walked outside the gate, met an official ‘orange shirt’ tour guide, he handed us off to a local ‘guide’ not sure at first but Belize is very safe. Casey our local guide took us to the Baboon Sanctuary area, where a ‘local’ guide took us along the Belize River where the Black Howler Monkeys were in a tree. Family of four, male at the top of a tree with two females and a juvenile male. Not quite a ship tour but once in a lifetime. Belize is very safe as a former British colony, local residents can be trusted!

This place is inspiring! It is truly an amazing work of conservation. Not only that, the accommodations were great. We were able to hike to see the howler monkeys but also much more because our guide was so knowledgeable. Come and see the howler monkeys here—you won’t be disappointed!

This small non-profit community sanctuary is a wonderful stop! Our guide, Robert, was informative and went above and beyond to ensure we saw the howler monkeys while we toured the area. The trust he has built over decades with these animals shows the commitment he has as a volunteer, dedicated to ensuring the preservation of the species and its natural habitat!!

This howler monkey protected reserve is a true gem in Belize! The guides are knowledgeable and will help you get great photos of the howler monkeys. They also add a Tour of medicinal plant life within the habitat of the howlers! Were the trip!!!