Xunantunich Maya Ruin

  We had Orlando as our ATM cave guide. He was a wonderful guide, and happily answered all my questions, made sure the group was doing ok at every turn, and... read more gifted us with so much knowledge about the rainforest, the caves, the Mayans - truly everything. His experience is unparalleled, and his passion really helps you appreciate the history and our amazing environment. Thanks Orlando, for an incredible, otherworldly experience!

  Orlando took us on an amazing trip to the ATM caves!! We enjoyed the day with him learning about the jungle, caves and history of the Mayan people. Orlando was... read more so knowledgable and friendly. Book with Orlando, you won't be dissapointed.

  Have you ever walked away from something and said to yourself "WOW!! that experience could not have been any better and it's all because of the person who was gracious... read more enough to share their love of their country and their knowledge with me!"

Well, that's Orlando!!! From the moment we got into his vehicle and headed down the bumpy road to the ATM Cave Tour path, we knew we were given a gift. It was just the two of us with Orlando and we felt so special to have our own guide on this tour. What an intimate experience and I can't imagine experiencing this adventure any other way.

As we headed towards the parking lot, Orlando explained what we were about to experience during our time with him. He gave us all the information during the ride to the entrance with all the history and knowledge only a local Belizean who loves his country, could possibly do.

There are guides and then there are knowledgeable, educated, enthusiastic and caring people who bring the experience to the next level. You could hear in Orlando's voice and see it in his eyes, how passionate he was about sharing this amazing experience with us and how touched he was by what the Mayans went through back in the day, to do whatever was possible to care for their families and please the Gods.

I know this is a long review but I can't express enough with my words how grateful both Jo Ellen and myself were with what Orlando shared with us and how thankful we are that he came into our lives and was our guide for the day. In the end, we now consider Orlando our friend and we would totally reach out to him the next time we're in Belize just to stop by and see his smiling face.

Wait!! Did we mention we had the most amazing lunch with him when we came back out of the cave that his wife prepared!!?? It was incredible and he even had a white linen table cloth that he put over our picnic table. Yes, the thoughtfulness of this man and his wife was incredible.

Ok...I need to end this review but I need to say one last thing...if you go to San Ignacio to with the hopes of going on the ATM tour and you don't book Orlando as your guide, you've missed one of the most amazing experiences and one of the world's treasures in listening and watching Orlando express the love for his country and for the bravery of the Mayan people.

Enjoy!!!

PS Orlando...we love you!!

  Excellent! Orlando explained the history and cultural relevance of the site! Highly recommend this personalized tour of this Underground Maya Ruin

  We went on this adventure with an expert on the ATM cave who told us a lot of interesting facts and stories about its magical history. Any question we asked... read more him he could answer. His enthusiasm works contagious and makes for a great day! Thank you again Orlando.

  Our trip to the ATM cave with Orlando from Katz Witz Maya Tours was nothing short of mind blowing!

Orlando’s knowledge of every detail in the ATM cave,... read more Mayan history, and area/jungle surrounding the cave was very impressive to say the least. He has been going through the cave since 2004, and is an absolute expert on everything involved, including how to get all of his visitors through it safely. He took so much time showing us exactly where we needed to put our hands/feet when climbing and what areas to avoid when stepping. His care and concern for the cave and all the priceless artifacts inside was also very impressive.

After our tour Orlando served us a delicious homemade traditional Belizean lunch, of stewed chicken with rice and beans and all the fixings.

I can’t say enough good things about Orlando and his tours. The whole experience left me craving not only to go through the cave again, but to learn as much as I can about these fascinating people and their beliefs. This tour, and any others that Orlando offers will be the first excursions I book on my next trip back to this amazing country!!

  The ATM cave tour was the highlight of our week in Belize! Our guide, Orlando, was very patient and informative, giving us direction on where to place our hands... read more / feet when navigating through the waters and dark caves. His knowledge on the history of the cave is outstanding. He has much respect for the ancient cave artifacts and carefully navigates you through the caves and explains each section in detail. Thank you to Orlando for a wonderful experience! At the "young" age of 50, we found this excursion very fun and informative, and cannot wait to share it again with our college age children.

  We had an excellent time with Orlando exploring the ATM caves. He is a very knowledgeable tour guide and we felt extremely comfortable exploring the caves with him!! ... read more We also want to thank his wife for providing us with such a great Belizean meal after we finished!!!

  My 18yo son and I were guided by our new friend Orlando into an experience we will remember for the rest of our lives. We learned and experienced so... read more much mystery, culture and natural beauty from an adventure that few will understand until they experience it for themselves. Highly recommend. You will be glad you did.

  We had a great time and best experience ever exploring the ATM cave with Orlando. Breathtaking views, lots of adrenaline, swimming and crawling, surreal stalactites, and million years of history... read more and artifacts. Definitely recommend Orlando, he is very knowledgeable and professional, doing his job for 20+ years and being not bored, that’s fantastic, we really enjoyed the tour and just wished cameras were allowed. Thank you, Orlando!

  Orlando is super knowledgeable, funny, and has an amazing way of connecting you with the world he is showing. 10/10 will never use anyone but him in Belize.

  The tour was amazing and worth every penny!

Our guide, Orlando, was very knowledgeable and fun, and gave us a lot of history and cultural notes during the drive... read more and while in the caves. After the tour he fed us a delicious traditional Belizean lunch that his wife made for us! Orlando is the greatest. Other guides we briefly came across seemed very friendly too.

The caves alone are spectacular. Then also on top of it looking at 1000+ yr old artifacts and skeletons and knowing you’re in a sacred space of an ancient civilization is breathtaking. But even before arriving at the cave entrance, the drive from Belize City through Belizean towns and countryside, away from tourist traps, helps you feel like you’re getting a true sense of the country. The final portion of the drive down a two-track across farms was beautiful interesting too. It’s about a two-mile hike through the jungle to the mouth of the cave which was great too.

This is a totally doable day trip from the islands too! We were staying on Caye Caulker, caught the 7 am water taxi to Belize City and the tour company picked us up there and took care of the rest. They dropped us off in plenty of time to catch the 5:30 pm ferry back to the island. Was a long day but totally worth it!

This trek requires being in ok shape. It’s not like you need to be a hiking or swimming pro or anything, anyone in decent health should be fine. But a two-mile hike there and two-miles back from the cave entrance through a chest deep river at one point, then swimming and wading through the river in the cave, more walking, some scrambling and climbing over rock, climbing a ladder, a couple tight spaces, etc, means it might not be suitable for children under 12, elderly folks, or anyone with health problems, unable to swim, or with intense claustrophobia. But for the most part it seems like anyone in reasonably ok health between ages of about 12 to 75 should do just fine!

In all- this is a must-do stop when in Belize. We had a great experience with our guide Orlando and highly recommend Kaatz Witz for your tour.