You've seen the mini trains, mini buses and horses and carriages packed with tourists make their way across downtown Belize City stopping in front of old colonial houses, parks and other landmarks for passengers to see.
But now a new fleet of Tuk Tuk vehicles will be doing the same with a new and sustainable twist. The launch of the solar powered TukTuk tours took place today at Memorial Park, and director Tanisha Vernon walked us through this new business venture of hers:
These auto rickshaws, better known as Tuk Tuks are no stranger to Belize, especially if you've been in the Free Zones where they are a cheap and easy way to travel from point A to B in just a matter of minutes. And while you may start seeing them around the city in the weeks to come they won't be used as taxis, they will be used to run tours. And they aren't your regular Tuk Tuks from the early 2000s, these ones are sustainable and solar powered and the owner of the fleet, Tanisha Vernon says she first got the idea when visiting Guatemala and thought about how well they would do in the city to take passengers sightseeing.
Tanisha Vernon, Director, TukTuk Tours
"So I went from selling clothing to now selling experiences and to now create a sustainable way of giving Belizeans this immersive, sustainable energy, renewable energy mode of transportation to the country."
"My Main focus right now in Belize City because I know right now there is a narrative that there is nothing happening in Belize there is nothing to do in Belize we are just at a transit point to go to the Cayes to go to other parts of the country and so I kind of want to bring back that energy, that vibrant, there are so many things that you can do there are a lot of Belizeans itself that don't know we have a museum of Belize, we have some historical sports so I kind of want to educate our locals as well and like I said in my speech this business was built on Belizean first mentality. We have to find a way to tap into our local tourism and give our people something to enjoy and be proud of."
Vernon believes that the city has a lot to offer in terms of history and landmarks and what better way to learn more about your surroundings than hoping on a Tuk Tuk for a tour.
Tanisha Vernon, Director, TukTuk Tours
"So we have day and night tours so during the day we will have our licensed tour guides that will be giving the tour bringing the educational aspect of it so that it is not only about getting the experience but learning and understanding the Belizean History itself and the history of Belize City so you get to immerse yourself through transportation and you get to learn about our museums you get to learn about Belize art museum you have the Travellers rum museum you know so there are different hot points and educational spots that you can learn. We also implemented the Tuk Tuk bingo so it gets to challenge our guests where you really have to get to know different parts of Belize so when you are passing these landmarks and these hot spots you are able to mark off and you get to win and you get to learn in a fun way. So in addition to that we have our night tour as well and that is more the life where we get to give and partner with other businesses and hotels, so you could go bar hopping, we have our pedal lounge which is karaoke on wheels you get to have family time, connect, sing and have healthy fun in Belize City so we definitely are looking forward to that."
And whether you choose to go during the day or at night Vernon says her Tuk Tuks are ready to take you on any adventure.
Tanisha Vernon, Director, TukTuk Tours
"So for the Tuk Tuk it's $25 for an entire hour Belize City so we take you to museums stops, we take you to bars, restaurants pretty much we tailor based on what it is you want, you can also rent our vehicles for birthdays, private events and corporate events. We also have our beach break stops, our Tuk Tuks can take you all the way to old Belize so it is not just limited to on the roads. We have our backup system it starts with solar and then it is backed up with the electric battery and no better way to harness energy than from the sun so we have the perfect climate and environment to sustain our solar operation without even having to touch the battery."
The tour service is live now - and you can book them at 608-7174.
