Last week my three lovely friends and I headed out to Maya King Waterfall for a river tubing adventure, a visit to the Maya King Waterfall, ending with lunch at Maya Heights.
We drove the 40 minutes from Placencia early to make the most of the day. The journey from the entrance to the tubing site is an experience in itself. We passed beautiful orange groves
and then up a small hill where we were met by our guide who provided us with a tube, helmets and life jackets. Even though the Stann Creek river is quite shallow, there are a few small rapids.
We were asked if we preferred tubing separately, or whether we’d like to be tied together – we opted to be tied together
Our guide did most of the paddling saying that if he needed assistance, he would let us know.
There were three, gentle rapids that were fun to navigate. The water was quite shallow and we had to watch out for rocks that could catch us on our, er, behinds.
In between the rapids, we drifted gently down in calm water which was cool and refreshing.
It was a total of about 45 minutes during which we admired the beautiful vegetation and our guide told us what kind of animals and birds lived in the jungle either side of us.
We ended our journey here
where there was a van waiting for us to drive us up the hill and back to our car.
From there we the drove to Maya King Waterfall. Made of two cascading falls, Maya King is a beauty to behold, especially in the ‘rainy’ season when the water gushes over the rocks – nature’s best shower-head!
The road to the waterfall winds around the side of the mountain, with tall trees reaching above you, intersecting and creating much needed shade.
Once we arrived, we found changing rooms/bathrooms and sitting areas.
There was a pathway and stairs around the pools and a smaller waterfall leading up to the main event.
The stunning waterfall.
Where we swam.
You can either jump in off the concrete platform
or ease in using the stairs provided. After a refreshing swim, we sat on a rock at the edge of the pools for a free pedicure from lots of tiny fish!
On the way back to the car, there was a natural rock slide that two of us slid down
Back on the road, we drove a short distance to Maya Heights for lunch. Maya Heights location is 500 feet above sea level and when we got there, a Jeep was waiting to take us up the steep hill to the restaurant. On the way up we passed this beautiful body of water
Maya Heights is not just a restaurant and cabins, it’s also a farm. It’s 1,000 acres are great for horseback riding and you can also take a bicycle or jeep tour of the farm which will take you through the teak and mahogany forests, papaya, coconut, and pineapple fields. You will also drive by and see the hydro lakes and step out of the Jeep and check out the powerhouse with all of the batteries and solar power. There’s also a lumber mill and drying processing building.
The tour will take you over the mountain trails and a visit to the river park along Fresh Water Creek. They also have a sheep, cattle, and horses.
There are many other tours and activities. Click here to learn more.
Once we were at the top, we were met with these stunning views
and then into the restaurant for more beautiful views
We couldn’t help but have a cheeky glass of wine with our food.
Another fun day.
It is so beautiful Jane
It really is. So much to do here.