Tour Reviews

Margaret Kennedy
Wilton Connecticut
Dzibanche Ruins Premier
Norweigan Sun

Amazing Tour

Our tour guide Joel, driver David & assistant Maria gave us a wonderful day. There were 8 of us on the tour together. The bus was comfortable & air conditioned as advertised.

On the way to the ruins, 2 hour drive, Joel kept us all entertained with information about the Mayan culture and stories. The ruins themselves are unbelievable - a must see. We climbed to the top of 2 temples. The views are spectacular. There is even a portion of the plaster, color and drawings preserved on one of the buildings. We were at the ruins by ourselves, no other tours there at that time.

One suggestion, the bugs were terrible. We had brought bug spray as suggested, but it did not do much to slow down the swarms. Wear light weight long sleeved shirt and pants to help prevent some of the bites. Besides the bugs, Joel had to compete with the howler monkeys which was initially a bit frightening until he explained what the noise was.

Overall, this was a spectacular excursion. Native choice runs a professional operation at a great value. Highly recommended!

Matt
Massachusetts
Chacchoben Extreme
Norwegian Sun

Amazing!

98.118.52.50 This company was exactly what we were looking for. When we started to look at the options available from our cruise ship for Costa Maya, we just weren't impressed. Instead we booked with this local company and had a truly memorable experience.

The only "bad" part of the day was the walk to the local office, which is a pretty good distance from the cruise port (the port apparently keeps a monopoly on the tour companies that can work "inside" the port itself). It was totally worth it though, as the experience from check in to drop off was simply perfect.

We were taken in a comfortable, spacious van to the Chacchoben Ruins, about 45 minutes away from the tour company. Our guide, Raquel, was extremely well informed and knowledgeable about her country, local area, and history of the Mayans. Instead of the large tour bus companies with over 50 tourists, we had a nearly private tour with only 9 people (we were a group of 5). She made things interesting for our young son, and showed us some interesting spots that the other tours were skipping over. By far though, the best part of the day was the trip to the Bacalar Lagoon Resort. This resort is located on a huge, pristine lake. Amazingly, it was nearly undeveloped except for the one resort the tour company works with. The resort provided lunch, drinks (beer, soda, mixed drinks, etc.) kayaking and swimming, all included in the tour price. We spent several hours at the property just relaxing. They dropped us off right at the port in plenty of time to do a little shopping in Costa Maya (long enough to see that we didn't miss anything).

We were so impressed by the company and the tour guide we asked for her recommendation for the next day's stop in Cozumel. She arranged for a tour with her company which was just as impressive.

Overall a huge thank you to Native Choice and especially Raquel for making the cruise stop so perfect.

Susan Hancar
Montreal, QC Canada
Mayan Experience
Carribean Princess

Best Time EVER!!

My husband and I were so impressed with this personalized tour. We had the pleasure of meeting David who took his time to explain the Mayan history as well as his own childhood history. He was so attentive and so eager to answer any questions we had. He really had a way of helping us understand how interesting the Mayan's were and STILL are. He brought us to his own village and we were cooked a fantastic typical Mayan feast and we even got to know his relatives and get a taste of his own cocoa beans which he crushed for us!! The Mayan ladies helped us create our own tortillas to bake on a griddle - they were delicious!

David and all the ladies were great hosts and we look forward to returning soon.

Thank you so much for giving us a true local experience. This tour was worth every penny and more!

Cathy W.
Greensboro, NC
Chacchoben Ruins
Sunshine

Wonderful tour!

We completely enjoyed the Ruins Tour through Native Choice. Our tour guide, Erick, provided us with so much information about the area as we drove to Chacchoben and then again as we toured the Ruins.

I would definitely recommend Native Choice to any and all of my friends.

Rob and Renee
Madison Maine
Mayan Experience
Carnival Cruise

Best opportunity available A+++++

I have never had such a pleasurable time on vacation before. Our guide Joel was so informative. I learned things I had missed at other ruins on our trip. Our hosts for lunch were attentive and gracious.

The meal was pure delight and authentic to the experience. Everything we hoped for and more.

Thank you so much for what you added to our vacation. Highly recommended.

Michelle and Family
Oviedo Florida
Chacchoben Ruins
Carnival Sunshine

Excellent Tour

Tour guide was Kasi and Soul (driver)

The short walk from the port of call was easy. The check-in process was simple and the wait was short. We boarded an air conditioned bus and headed out. Kasi was very knowledgeable about the area and keep our attention until we arrived. The fresh pineapple and spices from the side of the road were amazing!

The ruins were great with lots of shade and we had a great time. This tour was excellent and we would recommend it to all especially families traveling with children.

Thank you for the awesome memories!

Lauren C.
Madison Maine
Mayan Experience
Carnival Liberty

Superb

We went off the beaten path here. Booking with Native Choice was the right choice for us. The guided tour of the Chacchoben ruins and an opportunity to explore the local culture at the Mayan community villages inland was better than we could have expected. .

The first thing we were told is that the Mayans are not extinct. The culture was altered by invasions of other cultures but the Mayan people are alive and well and living in Belize. They are making every effort to resurrect as many of the old traditions as possible and keep them alive for future generations. What we saw and learned was presented by the community itself and offered an inside look that is rare and very special for just a one day journey. Our guide Joel gave us so much to think about and feel when showing us the ruins. They were very extensive and exposed a view of the realities of Mayan life historically.

The drive into the countryside to the villages laid out the contemporary lifestyle the Mayan people are living. You can’t get that from a short drive around a city. The lunch and quick lesson in cooking local cuisine was fun and our hosts were so kind. The kitchen was old traditional woodstove and gave great flavor to the food. The level of cleanliness and care was impeccable. I wish my kitchen were always that clean and organized. I also wish carnival would give back by hiring this company for their excursions, they did a great job.

Matt Martindale
Phoenix, Arizona
Dzibanche Ruins Premier
Carnival Glory

What an incredible site

This remote site felt untouched and very well preserved. In fact, there are so many surrounding ruins that are still being excavated! Our guide Erick was great. He gave us a history lesson on the Mayans and was very knowledgeable.

My favorite story he told us was how the Yucatan peninsula was named. The Spanish asked"What is this land called?", to which the Mayans replied "I hear you speaking, but I don't understand you". This sounded to the Spanish like "Yucatan".

Great tour!