If you’re still scratching your head over lyrics the British rock band Jethro Tull performed back in 1974 when the group’s hit record, “Bungle in the Jungle” topped charts, we’re here to enlighten you. According to Wikipedia, this song drew an artful comparison between animals and humans, each fighting to survive in a world gone crazy.
Who was responsible for writing this popular hit? A guy named Ian Anderson. He was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OEB) honors by HRH the Queen. Not bad for a Scottish lad whose music and lyrics earned Jethro Tull international acclaim.
The other Ian Anderson
Fast forward nearly 50 years to discover another Ian Anderson whose relationship to the jungles of Belize is equally fortuitous. Belize’s Ian Anderson knows a thing or two about jungles as the developer and owner of Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch Jungle Lodge.
His vacation destination was built on dreams, sweat, and imagination, a combination not lost on repeat Lodge visitors who come for an authentic jungle experience that includes sleeping in a tree house and literally swinging from trees during zip lining excursions.
While not for folks who seek a sedentary vacation, that doesn’t mean families on holiday can’t split up and leave Mom by the pool while Dad accompanies the kids on scuba diving adventures and dropping into deep ocean holes. On the other hand, plenty of Dads are happy to decompose poolside while Mom scales waterfalls and swims with sharks. After all, the Lodge is an equal opportunity adventure for people of all ages.
Don’t come to the Lodge if you’re risk averse!
The
Caves Branch website goes to great trouble to ask visitors about their risk quotient, so it’s a good idea to read the warnings on that page if you are considering this one-of-a-kind jungle experience. This is not a resort! It’s an escape that is light years away from stiff, formal hotels that don’t permit guests to walk through lobbies in swim attire. Leave your fancy duds home. You won’t need them.
What should you bring to Caves Branch Jungle Lodge?
-Enough time to decompress and fine tune your relationship with Mother Nature
-Curiosity about Caves Branch botanical gardens where conservation and sustainability reign
-A promise to have at least one relaxing massage at the Lodge spa during your stay
-The courage to push an envelope or two by agreeing to take a tour that’s a bit out of your comfort zone
-Bring along your inner child if your desire to stay in a posh treehouse comes true.
From the Lodge’s onsite restaurant to the relaxing swimming pool that beckons after
a full day of adventures, there’s a good chance you’ll understand what Jethro Tull meant when band members sang these lyrics: “He’s a lover of life but a player of pawns, Yes, the King on His sunset lies waiting for dawn. To light up His Jungle as play is resumed, The monkeys seem willing to strike up the tune.”
Those monkeys will be on hand to greet you—-especially if you opt to take the Lodge’s most unique tour: floating down a river and into a mysterious cave in an inner tube as a guide shares tales of Maya rituals once performed within these caves. If you’re looking for an out-of-the-ordinary vacation, this is it.
When can we expect you?
