Why You Should Experience the Belize Zoo Night Tour

January 5, 2023
by Larry Waight +

You look over at your kids only to find them staring endlessly at devices that seem welded to their hands. You’re not alone as phones, laptops, tablets, and video games take up so much kid time, it’s the most important activity of their days. How are worried parents fighting back? The savvy ones are taking their children abroad to re-focus their attention, having learned valuable lessons from behaviorists who study youngsters. These professionals agree that travel abroad has been proven to:

•Open a child’s mind more fully
•Teach responsibility and self-reliance
•Boost school grades
•Instill healthy ways to combat boredom
•Enhance a child’s tolerance and acceptance
•Socialize children more profoundly
•Strengthen family bonds dramatically
•Overseas travel can even help youngsters forget about their devices!

Where in the world will you go?

Having concluded that the benefits listed above make planning overseas travel with kids one of the best ideas you’ve ever had, it makes sense to choose a destination like Belize. As a small, English-speaking nation, navigation will be easier, and flights are short enough to be tolerable to the most restless little ones.

From the moment they arrive, children will be fascinated—especially those whose experience with animals stops at domesticated cats and dogs. Belize is a small nation that is filled with big opportunities and a favorite stop among North American adults and kids happens to be the Belize Zoo.

Established in 1983 by Sharon Matola as part of her mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and safeguard native wildlife—she helped raise funds and develop a facility that’s far afield of the typical zoo. Usually home to around 200 “residents” belonging to 45 indigenous species, visiting the zoo by day is makes for eye-opening fun. Staying there overnight for a nocturnal zoo experience is mesmerizing!

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A visit to the Belize Zoo gives kids what they beg for!

“Please, please, please, can we stay up?” Every parent has heard this plea, and a nocturnal visit to this modern-day Noah’s Ark requires every visitor to stay up past their bedtimes. Even the critters are curious; many of them never see a human because they snooze all day and prowl at night. To arrange this adventure, reservations are required and can be made by your hotel or resort concierge in advance.

Expect an after-dark adventure that has no equal and you needn’t worry about where you’ll bunk. The Tropical Education Center offers guests rustic accommodations that include cabins outfitted with handy conveniences. A yummy dinner is served before your guide escorts you on a private zoo prowl that kids of all ages find fascinating.

We hesitate to list the number of creatures you’ll meet, but rest assured Tapir, deer, ocelots, tiger cats, jaguarundi, puma, jaguars, birds, and reptiles fill this amazing zoo, so you’re in for a treat! Safe. Fun. Educational, and eye-opening, there’s nothing like this overnight experience, an adventure your children will remember fondly when they grow up and become parents, too.