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Flying over the Great Blue Hole with Belize Concierge Excellent

By 11/27/2018 5 minutes



The Great Blue Hole is one of the most iconic natural monuments in Belize. It is a part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve system, a UNESCO world heritage site. The Blue Hole is located in the Lighthouse reef atoll which is about 40 miles east of Belize City (see image below). I would argue that it is as iconic as the various Ancient Maya cities that can be found all over Belize. Great is no understatement because the Blue Hole is more than 1000 feet across and 400 feet deep. To put this into perspective, if you were to stack the tallest building in Belize (Caana from the Maya site, Caracol) upon itself and place it inside the Blue Hole, Caana could fit almost 3 times. That’s crazy deep. The Great Blue Hole originally developed as a dry cavern as evident in studies of the stalactites and stalagmites found in it today. However, it was fully submerged around 10, 000 years ago after the last ice age.

Over the past few decades, the Blue Hole has become known for being one of the best diving spots in the world. It is also one of the best places to snorkel in Belize. Ever since learning about the Blue Hole as a kid, it has been on my bucket list of places to visit. That is why when I learned that the belizing.com team would get the opportunity to visit the Blue Hole with Belize Concierge Excellent, I was ecstatic! 

Who is Belize Concierge Excellent?

Belize Concierge Excellent is a private tour company in Belize that specializes in private tours for groups of all sizes. They are one of the few tour operators that provide translation services for Japanese and Mandarin speaking visitors to Belize. In addition, they have over 15 years of experience as a tour operator and they are well known for their aerial tours to the Great Blue hole and Belize’s Barrier reef. As a result, Luis and I were confident that we would be safe on our trip and that we would receive excellent (pun intended) service from Belize Concierge Excellent.

The journey to Belize City from San Ignacio

As the official photographers and videographers for Belizing.com, we were excited from the minute we learned about the tour. The day before the tour, we made sure to charge our batteries, clean our equipments, and pack our bags. We could could not afford to miss our shot at capturing one of Belize’s iconic scenery.

Since belizing.com is based in San Ignacio, our journey to the Blue Hole started from around 4:30 A.M. We needed to be at the Belize City Municipal Airport by 9:00 A.M to board the plane that would take us over the Blue Hole. Unfortunately, since we were far away, we could not make use of the complimentary pickup service Belize Concierge provides for guests within Belize City. In the end, we managed to get a private shuttle (courtesy of Belize Ground Shuttle) to drop us directly at the pickup location.

The journey to Belize City took about two hours. Luis and I attempted to catch up on our sleep. However, if I’m being honest, I was way too excited to sleep. Luis did get some rest though. We got to the airport by 8 A.M (talk about being early birds) and spent the time watching planes take off and land. We also grabbed some breakfast from a Deli inside the Maya Island Air building at the airport. 

The tour of a lifetime with Belize Concierge Excellent

At 9:00 A.M sharp, Miss Eden Cruz from Belize Concierge greeted us at the Tropic Air office at the airport. She introduced us to 3 Japanese guests who would be accompanying us on the tour. She gave us a short briefing about the Blue Hole and the tour we were about to embark on. The aerial tour to the Blue Hole takes 1 hour roundtrip. You fly east from Belize City to Lighthouse reef where the Blue Hole is located.


Miss Cruz was very friendly and we talked about anime for about 10 minutes while waiting for the pilot to get ready. The Japanese guests were delighted that we were all interested in anime. Luis and I also mentioned that it would be our first time flying in a plane and, as a result, we were both excited and terrified. Miss Cruz assured us that the trip is safe and that we should not worry too much.

When it was time to board the plane, we grabbed our bags, took out our equipment, and marched confidently towards the plane. The cool sea breezed blessed our faces. I looked over at Luis who was trying to tie his long hair that was being swung by the wind. The tour of a lifetime was about to begin. The trip would be done in a Cessna 6-seater airplane. As a result of this, when the got to the plane, the pilot assigned the seating arrangement to keep the plane balanced.


When we were all comfortably seated, the pilot moved the plane unto the runway. I glanced over at Luis and we both had the biggest smiles on our faces. The plane took off and we were greeted with a new perspective of Belize City. I did not realize that the city was that big. A few minutes into the plane ride, the pilot pointed to a heart shaped island off the coast of Belize City. I definitely saw the heart shape. Here’s a picture. Can you see it?


We continued our journey to the Blue Hole and eventually we were informed that the Blue Hole was 4 minutes away. Our eyes were then glued straight ahead. In the distance, you could see the Blue Hole creeping into view. It was massive and magnificent. The blue hole itself seemed to be a perfect circle with the bluest water I have ever seen. The plane started to circle the Blue Hole in a clockwise direction giving Luis and the others on the right side of the plane a stellar view of the Great Blue Hole. For a minute, I was jealous. However, after circling a few times, the plane changed to an anti clockwise direction and then I was greeted by the Blue Hole. I snapped as many pictures as I could and enjoyed every minute of it. For a bit, I put down the camera to soak in the view. I was in awe. Here are some pictures we took.


After circling the Blue Hole, we were taken to a shipwreck south of the Blue Hole. A rusty cargo ship was on the reef. The waves were hitting it. It was an interesting view. However, I could not help but think of the corals that were damaged when the ship found its resting place. Yet, the submerged parts of the ship is probably home to various aquatic animals today.



We headed back to the airport after circling the shipwreck for a bit. Our energy was still high even after we got off the plane. We greeted each other and talked about our experience. Firstly, I think that my first time on a plane went so great! It was definitely what I had expected and the view did not disappoint. Speaking of views, I don’t think I’ll even forget seeing the Great Blue Hole from above. Seeing the Blue Hole from above is truly a one in a lifetime opportunity.

If visiting the Blue Hole is on your bucket list, I definitely recommend that you visit it from above and that you choose Belize Concierge Excellent. They were extremely professional for our trip and made sure that we had a comfortable and safe ride. However, if you are also interested in diving or snorkeling at the Blue Hole you can book also book with Belize Concierge on belizing.com. I can’t wait to visit the Blue Hole again. Hopefully next time, I’ll get to go in it.


Let’s go Belizing!! :)


Learn More
Tours/Activities
$
130
/ Person
$
575
/ Group
Departs From:
Belize City
Get a chance to see the Mayan World with the famous Mayan ruins of Altun Ha, and after enjoy guided sightseeing through Belize City (This is a 6-Hour Tour).... more

Your Tour Guide will meet you at your hotel, cruise terminal, Water taxi, or the Municipal in Belize City. You will be transported in an air-conditioned vehicle. Altun Ha is about 45-60 minutes From Belize City; 

Altun Ha Mayan Ruin (Rock Stone Pond) is the Mayan Ruin which is the temple of the “Green Tomb.” Altun Ha consists of two plazas that include four ceremonial temples and two residential complexes. At this Maya site in Belize, you can still climb to the top of the temples and enjoy the view of the Belize forest. The highest temple is approximately 16 meters. It was considered one of the wealthiest Maya sites in Belize as a result of the biggest carved Jade head which was found in the masonry temple which is the highest temple.

After the guided excursion to Altun Ha, your Guide will take you to a local restaurant to enjoy a traditional Belizean lunch. if you wish, we can take you to interact with Snake, accompanied by a famous snake man in Belize. After lunch, we head back to Belize City to continue our day tour of Belize City. 

On this fully guided tour around historic Belize City, where you will enjoy this educational tour to visit several locations. Such as the ancient swing bridge over Haulover Creek, then we head through busy downtown streets of the city to the Anglican cathedral in Central America, St. John’s Cathedral built from bricks used as ballast in sailing ships of old. Directly across the street, you, will visit Government House, once home to the colonial Governors and now a museum. As we make our way through the city, we will be making 5 stops:

Museum of Belize (Previously the Old Belize City Prison)
Baron Bliss Lighthouse and The Belize Sign
St. John’s Church 
Old Government House (Now the House of Culture)
Downtown Belize City (Albert Street Shopping Central)

Throughout the tour, guests will have the opportunity to take pictures, buy souvenirs, eat the local cuisine, and meet local fruit/food vendors.

After, we return to your hotel, cruise terminal, Water taxi, or the Municipal in Belize City
$
195
/ Person
$
750
/ Group
Departs From:
Belize City
 (1)
There are only a few places in the world where the elusive manatee is found. One of those places is in Belize. Start the day by making our way to Swallow Caye where we will see the ... moreendangered West Indian Manatee in their natural habitat from the boat. (No swimming with the Manatee).

Then head on to Goff’s Caye for the ultimate island experience, where sand and coral surround this mysterious island to snorkel the reef. It is located right on the edge of the barrier reef and has an abundance of tropical fishes and marine life. Thereafter have a picnic lunch and pull out your beach towels and relax under the swaying coconut palms on the pristine white beaches.

Perfect for cruise ship passengers and visitors staying in Belize City

**Kindly make booking request 1-week prior to your requested Tour Date to ensure availability of seats**
$
295
-
$
345
/ Person
Departs From:
Belize City
 (3)
See the world-famous Great Blue Hole in the best way possible … from the air with our Blue Hole Aerial Tour from Belize Concierge Excellent in Belize City. Hop on board a Piper Pa-32 ... moreCherokee Six and fly to Lighthouse Reef Atoll, and witness This natural wonder of the world. On the way, you will see the Belize Barrier Reef (the longest in the Western Hemisphere), and Turneffe Atoll. While flying over the largest sea-hole in the world, keep an eye out for various sea wildlife such as Manatees, Rays, Sharks, Dolphins, and much more!!

This is a 1-hour tour that departs from the Belize City Municipal Airport to fly over the Blue Hole and returns.
**Kindly make booking request 1-week prior to your requested Tour Date to ensure availability of seats**
New
In this episode we speak with Dorian Rivero, owner of Private Belize Adventure and tour guide of over 20 years, to discuss what activities are available to visitors in and around Belize ... moreCity. Take a virtual walk-through of cave tubing destination Nohoch Che’en as well as the Mayan ruins of Altun Ha.
Guest Name:
Dorian Rivero

AuthorPicture

Derrick Bol

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