Hello Sirenian Bay friends!

This is your favorite whiskered reporter Hugh Manatee checking in to tell you to hold on to your swimcaps. Because we’ve been monkeying around in the best kind of way to bring you some exciting “tails” of what awaits you in adventure-loving Placencia. In fact, bringing you the story below involved joining forces with Rambo!

All right, maybe not that Rambo. Percy “Rambo” Gordon, aka the Voodoo Doctor aka the King of the Howlers – although perhaps best-known as Placencia’s expert Monkey River guide. This local wilderness-loving Rambo signed up to show our own Brian and Brenda the ins and outs of the local jungle.

As they tell it, the experience turned out to be more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

“From the second we met Percy we knew we were in for a treat,” says Brian. “He introduced himself with his alias, and off we went for a 45-minute boat ride through the Caribbean. As we navigated the mangroves, Percy shared dozens of tall tales and answered our questions with a deadpan expression and the phrase ‘oh, sh**, man!’”

Soon they were approaching the mouth of Monkey River, with its small village of about 200 residences.

“We continued up the river at a slow and easy pace. There were all different types of wildlife around,” says Brian. “Percy helped us spot iguanas, snakes, alligators and birds. He knows all the different species – his knowledge of the jungle is incredible! We were careful to keep a lookout for alligators, because Percy is known for jumping out of the boat and wrestling them.”

After about half an hour of cruising through the curves of the river and listening to the jungle sounds, they climbed out of the boat and prepared for their jungle adventure.

“Bug spray is a must!” says Brian. “Percy led with his machete, cutting a path for us and pointing out all of the different varieties of grass and plant life. There was a bamboo forest area that was my favorite. Oh, and we also appreciated the bark Percy gave us for our big bites. It really worked!”

The path to the howler monkeys was bustling with signs of the local fauna – scorpions, snakes and jaguar tracks – but Percy had it all under control. And when it came to the monkeys, there was no monkey business.

“He began to call to the monkeys, and it was amazing how loud they become. The closer you get the louder they are. You can see them all in the trees, almost like they were expecting Percy to bring us to them for a show! We saw mothers protecting their babies and dads protecting their territory.”

After the jungle hike, it was back to the boat.

“We were offered a swim, but it was nice to just sit back in the boat and enjoy the jungle all around. On the way back, Percy stopped to cut us some fresh sugar cane as a snack. It’s definitely an energy booster.”

Back at Monkey River village, Percy hosted a lunch of chicken, rice and beans. We walked off lunch with a tour of the village, where Percy told tales of its history and its people. After that, it was back to Placencia, but with one more essential stop-off: Harvest Caye, home of the local manatees!

Percy also offers an evening tour, which those who prefer slightly cooler temperatures and the chance to see some of the nocturnal wildlife might prefer.

Inspired to check out the local jungle and its astonishing inhabitants? Stop by Percy’s website – and of course the Resort! We’d love to have you!