2022-07-25
2025-01-01
from$ 6930 AUD
Note: Current p/p indicative rate. Final price may change due to currency fluctuations.
Ship
Le Dumont d'Urville
Le Dumont d'Urville
City
Belize City to Belize City
Belize City to Belize City
Up to 30% Off - Ponant Bonus
2022-07-25
2025-01-01
Overview
From Belize City, PONANT invites you to board Le Dumont-d'Urville for a brand-new 8-day expedition cruise to discover the lush landscapes and beautiful shores of Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. Your ship will set sail to Punta Sal and the Jeannette Kawas National Park. This idyllic haven offers a formidable panorama of the biodiversity in Honduras, between the lush vegetation of the tropical rainforest and the rich marine ecosystem. You will continue your odyssey towards the Bay Islands and Les Cayos Cochinos, a small archipelago classified as a marine reserve in 1994 and located on the world’s second-largest coral reef. Let yourself fall under the spell of these idyllic shores, which are among the Caribbean’s most beautiful coastlines. A wild corner of the Caribbean coast at the confluence of several rivers, the green jungle of the Cuero y Salado National Park is home to exceptionally diverse fauna. You will then call at Water Caye, which offers wonderful scuba diving opportunities to explore the treasures of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. Your ship will then sail to Livingston, Guatemala, the heart of Garifuna country, which proudly perpetuates an original culture and a music that is listed as a UNESCO heritage site. Finally you will reach Belize. From the attractive little town of Punta Gorda, the Mayan civilisation will reveal itself around its ancestral traditions. Then your ship will finally set sail for Belize City, the end of an exceptional cruise.
Departures
Note: Current p/p indicative rate. Final price may change due to currency fluctuations.
Cruise Itinerary
Belize City is the former capital and the country’s largest town. Located on the Caribbean Sea, this lively little town symbolises the fusion of British, Spanish and Maya cultures. The departure point for flights over the Great Blue Hole and the barrier reef, it’s also the ideal gateway for discovering the treasures of Maya architecture: in the heart of the jungle, the grandiose and mysterious ruins of temples and palaces at the Lamanai and Xunantunich sites await you. Another unmissable experience: a trip to the mouth of the Belize River: with a little luck and care, you’ll get a glimpse of manatees, dolphins, crocodiles, iguanas and many aquatic bird species.
In the municipality of Tela lies Punta Sal National Park, renamed Jeannette Kawas as a tribute to the environmental activist murdered in 1995. Between coral reef and green jungle, the park unveils a succession of white sandy coves along its coastline giving onto crystal-clear waters in a marvellous palette of blues. Inland, the tropical forest unfurls, a real reserve for wildlife that you will be able to explore in a Zodiac dinghy between mangroves, lagoons and rivers. A visit to the village of Miami, located on a sand tongue in the park, will give you the opportunity to discover the culture of the Garifuna, a people settled in Central America who descend from a mix of freed slaves and Caribbean and Arawak people.
Lying northeast of La Ceiba, the Bay Islands are home to certain treasures that float on a palette of turquoise, dark or celadon blues. Les Cayos Cochinos, an archipelago made up of two islands, Cayo Menor and Cayo Grande, and thirteen coral cays, is one of them. Situated on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System in a marine reserve created in 1994, its underwater scenery features coral gardens in which multitudes of tropical fish scatter and provide you with a feast for the eyes. In this idyllic setting, you will infinitely enjoy swimming while other water-based activities will offer a delightful interlude in the heart of exceptional nature.
In the heart of the Central American isthmus, Honduras is a little-known paradise boasting rich biodiversity, as evidenced by the Cuero y Salado National Park, a real refuge for wildlife created in 1987. This magnificent reserve, located on the estuaries of the Cuero, Salado and San Juan rivers, will provide you with fantastic opportunities for observing fauna and the plant kingdom. In a boat going across the mangrove, accompanied by the song of birds answering each other, you will not tire of observing the bright plumage livening up the thick green forest with bursts of colour. As you watch the monkeys dancing from branch to branch, you will not know which way to turn. And if you are lucky, turtles and caimans will also make an appearance. The Bay Islands archipelago is home to stunning cays, sheltered coral islets with warm, crystal-clear turquoise waters. Off the island of Utila, the white-sand beaches lined with palms and coconut trees and the reefs of the deserted islet called Water Caye offer a picture-postcard setting that will delight fans of swimming and snorkelling.
Livingston is a town unlike any other in Guatemala, an enclave with a Caribbean atmosphere on the edge of the Rio Dulce. Lanchas, the motor boats that travel along the river and the Caribbean Sea, are the only way of reaching this small, welcoming town with no overland access to the rest of the country. Here, you are in Garifuna country: the inhabitants, descendent from Jamaican slaves, perpetuate their culture through oral tradition and ceremonies. Garifuna music, which is lively and sounds similar in some respects to reggae, and Garifuna dance, to the beat of drums, have both been classified by UNESCO as “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”.
Nestling at the southern tip of Belize in Amatique Bay, Punta Gorda is a picture-perfect postcard of the Caribbean. The historical heritage of this small, picturesque coastal town with a Caribbean atmosphere bears strong Garifuna, Creole and Mayan influences. When your ship calls here, you will have the chance to immerse yourself in one of these legendary cultures, the Maya civilisation. Through a visit to a traditional village, you will discover the customs and traditions of this indigenous people. As Punta Gorda is known for its cacao production, you will participate in the making of Belizean chocolate treats.
The tropical green crescent of Half Moon Caye is a natural monument of Belize stretching out over crystal-clear waters. The appeal of the oldest protected marine and ornithological area in Central America stems from its beaches lined with coconut trees, but most importantly from its incredible underwater world, which you will be able to explore with fins, mask and snorkel. Corals, sponges, sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, eels and groupers live in the turquoise waters, while on land the coastal forest is home to amusing geckos and a large colony of red-footed boobies, spectacular divers that penetrate the water at high speed to feed on small fish and squid.
Belize City is the former capital and the country’s largest town. Located on the Caribbean Sea, this lively little town symbolises the fusion of British, Spanish and Maya cultures. The departure point for flights over the Great Blue Hole and the barrier reef, it’s also the ideal gateway for discovering the treasures of Maya architecture: in the heart of the jungle, the grandiose and mysterious ruins of temples and palaces at the Lamanai and Xunantunich sites await you. Another unmissable experience: a trip to the mouth of the Belize River: with a little luck and care, you’ll get a glimpse of manatees, dolphins, crocodiles, iguanas and many aquatic bird species.
Itineraries are subject to change.
Le Dumont d'Urville
Vessel Type: Luxury Passenger Capacity: 92 cabins Built: 2017/2018 Featuring innovative and environmentally-friendly equipment, elegantly designed staterooms, spacious suites with large windows, and lounge areas that open onto the outside, this new limited-capacity yacht boasting just 92 staterooms and suites will offer you a truly unique cruising experience. As the first ship in a new series that remains true to the Ponant spirit, Le Dumont d'Urville will embody the unique atmosphere that is the cruise line’s hallmark: a subtle blend of refinement, intimacy and comfort. Aboard this ship that flies the French flag, you will experience the incomparable pleasure of an intimate cruise, with the possibility of exploring an ever-increasing range of destinations in an ethnic-chic ambiance with luxury service. Experience a luxurious setting where the accent is on authenticity and passion for travel. RESTAURANTS As it is an essential part of French culture, gastronomy will naturally have pride of place aboard this new ship. Through its two restaurants, Le Dumont d'Urville will invite you on a journey to elegance and epicureanism. In a relaxed atmosphere, a first dining area located on Deck 3 and able to seat 70 will serve grilled meats daily, along with a variety of salads and desserts. To the back of Deck 4, you will find a 260 m² panoramic restaurant which can accommodate all of our passengers in a single sitting. Designed differently to that on our other ships, this dining area, which opens onto the outside, will have a buffet of salads, desserts and cheeses at your disposal. Our discreet and attentive crew will provide table service for hot meals. PUBLIC AREAS Like Le Boréal and its sisterships, Le Dumont d'Urville has many common areas that are designed and equipped to meet all of your needs while preserving the intimacy of each passenger. A 140 m² reception area includes: A reception/concierge desk, An excursions desk, The ship’s administrative services, The sales office, manned by our Guest Relations Officer, Our 50 m² boutique which sells clothing, jewellery, beauty products, postcards and various accessories, Toilets accessible to passengers with reduced mobility. A new hydraulic platform with adjustable height provides: Easier boarding than on any other cruise ship, Easier Zodiac embarkation and disembarkation for expeditions, Easier access to the sea for swimming and practising various water sports such as kayaking or paddle-boarding. A pool deck offering: A pool with a panoramic view, equipped with a counter-current swimming system, A pleasant solarium, An outdoor bar and lounge with armchairs and sofas. A 200 m² main lounge which can accommodate all of our passengers to share convivial moments and to host activities organised during the day or evening. Lastly, a theatre that seats 188, equipped with: The latest sound and lighting technology, A LED wall as the stage backdrop, for the projection of high-resolution images and videos.
Highlights
• A brand-new expedition cruise to discover the natural and cultural treasures of Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. • UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Belize Barrier Reef with Half Moon Caye and the Great Blue Hole. • A diving opportunity at Belize's Great Blue Hole, one of the ten most beautiful dive sites in the world according to Captain Cousteau. • An encounter with the Garifuna people, descended from a mix of freed slaves and Caribbean and Arawak people, and their cultural traditions. • The opportunity to explore the pre-Columbian Mayan civilisation and its cultural heritage. • New ports of call: Punta Sal, Cayos Cochinos, Cuero y Salado, Punta Gorda. • From Livingston, accessible only by sea, the chance to experience the treasures of the Rio Dulce, between hot springs and eco-responsible development project. • Landscapes: palm-fringed beaches, blue lagoons, heavenly islands, mangroves, tropical rainforests, coral reefs, rich seabed, hot springs, rivers. • Wildlife: howler monkeys, white-headed monkeys, caimans, turtles, tropical birds, multicoloured fish. • Multiple diving opportunities, including at the Blue Hole -optional activity- (for PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent only).
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