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Monkey River Wildlife Encounters and Manatee Watch

Placencia, Belize

7 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Venture into a remote jungle in southern Belize near the small settlement of Monkey River Village, an area known for its troops of black howler monkeys and other wildlife. Glide through a mangrove forest on a boat before trekking on foot through wild, undeveloped terrain with an expert guide. You’ll also look for manatees, turtles, and crocodiles in this unique ecosystem where river meets the sea.

Feel like a jungle explorer on a combo boat and hiking tour to Monkey River Village
Forest guide knows the best spots to look for howler monkeys, birds, ocelots, and other jungle life
Go manatee-spotting in a mangrove forest
Stop for lunch at an authentic Belizean Kriol restaurant

What's Included

Pick Up and Drop Off in Placencia Village.
Transport
Tour Guide.
Park Fees.

Lunch.
Alcoholic drinks.
Drinks.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Splash Dive Centre
2287 Placencia Peninsula Road, Placencia 00000, Placencia, Belize

Start time

07:30 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

We text guests to arrange time and place for pickup. We provide complimentary pickup and drop off along the main road in Placencia Village but charge US$ 10.00 per person for pickup/drop off north of Placencia Village.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Meals are not included - tradition is to support the Monkey River Village buy buying lunch there.

Most travelers can participate
Wear shoes that you don't care if they get wet - for the mellow walk into the jungle part of the tour.
Long sleeve shirts and long pants and mosquito spray can be necessary some times of the year.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

47 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-7 of 47 reviews

Great family fun!

Kristi_R, Feb 2024

I took my parents and 2 boys (8&10) and we all had a great time. The boat ride through the river and mangrove forest was so fun. We hiked in and saw a few howler monkeys (heard them too), leaf cutter ants, and a boa constrictor! Off the boat we saw tons of birds, a baby croc, and manatee. Our guide was so knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the area. The lunch in village was so delicious. We had a fantastic time!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you for choosing to explore Monkey River with us! We are delighted to hear that you and your family had a great time during your wildlife encounters and manatee watch tour and that our knowledgeable guide was able to enhance your experience by sharing insights about the local flora and fauna. We are glad you enjoyed the delicious lunch and the various wildlife sightings. It was a pleasure to have you and your family on this adventure, and we hope to welcome you back for more memorable experiences in the future!. We are glad you enjoyed the delicious lunch at Miss Alice's restuarant in Monkey River Village and there by supporting sustainable tourism. It was a pleasure to have you and your family on this adventure, and we hope to welcome you back for more memorable experiences in the future!

A great time!

Kimberly_L, Jun 2023

Evaristo was fantastic! He went out of his way to make sure we saw a little bit of everything. I can understand how the sights would vary day to day. I was super pumped to see a boa constrictor baby, crocs, manatees and bats. We also ended up in the middle of a howler monkey territory battle (dozens of feet above our heads). He was very knowledgeable

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Kimberly, thank you for a great review of our Monkey River and Manatee Watch tour. This tour is certainly one of the very best ways to observe wildlife in Belize! Howler monkeys are among the loudest animals on this planet so you were royally entertained!

We’ll worth an afternoon!

Michele_D, Mar 2023

I took the tour with my husband and 25 yr old son. We were able to see a large number of bird species and eventually did see howler monkeys and even the splash of a manatee - other wildlife eluded us. Our guide, Jr. was extremely knowledgeable about the natural surroundings - he delivered a good amount of interesting historical information about the area as well as educated is on the plants and trees that the Kriol used in everyday life. We really enjoyed his delivery and he was always willing to elaborate or answer any questions we had. If he saw us pointing at or noticing anything he would stop the boat and share what he know about the attraction. The food was simple yet DELICIOUS! The village very much relies on tourists coming through, eating and maybe buying a bauble to bring home. They were truly grateful. We highly recommend this tour. While they can’t control the wildlife or even the weather - Jr. made every effort to find us whatever wildlife he could.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for sharing your Monkey River experience with Splash and for a positve review on what seems to have been a quiet day upriver. The wildlife seems to have taken a rare day off. Every so often we get a day like that where we joke about seeing logadiles and crocologs! We usually see lots of tropical birds, huge iguanas resting on tree branches, crocodiles and of course - mosquitos.

Jungle experience

Glenn_N, Feb 2023

Howler monkeys, and the knowledge of our guide about the jungle. He pointed out tracks of the Tapir. I gained alot of knowledge on this adventure.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Glenn, thank you for taking the time to review your Monkey River Jungle River experience with Splash. This tour is certainly the best tour to see wildlife of Belize in its natural setting and our guides enjoy sharing their knowledge with our guests.

Truly a great day! We...

B_S, Feb 2023

Truly a great day! We saw a lot of wildlife and the tour guide was exceptional! Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Placencia area!

Response from Host, Feb 2023

The Monkey River Jungle Tour is a great way to see wildlife - the birds, reptiles and mammals are used to boats going up and down the river. Our guides love to share their knowledge. Thank you for endorsing Splash.

A Birthday trip up the Monkey River

Bob_W, Jul 2021

Our guide, Will. He was knowledgeable, helpful, and careful. He was a first-rate guide. We saw and experienced a lot of new things, and enjoyed the day from start to finish. It was my wife's birthday and she felt the trip was a great gift.

Response from Host, Jul 2021

Bob, thank you for a great review and for posting your experience on Trip Advisor! Our guides love to share their knowledge and love of Belize with our guests. We hope we will see you down this way again.

Relaxing and Informative

Lydea_K, May 2019

The staff at Splash was extremely helpful and kind. Our tour guides taught us about the wildlife, and the plants in the jungle. We got to eat a wild fig from the jungle! We saw a ton of monkeys. Then after our tour, we stopped at a local restaurant for lunch and the food was excellent and authentic. Our guide gave us fresh mangoes he picked from a tree. Great time!