When you go on an adventure at Hamanasi, there is a 100% chance that you will have a Belizean guide who is knowledgeable and excited to show you the many wonders of Belize! If you’ve been to Hamanasi, you probably know that already. But did you know that there’s also a chance that you will have a guide who is a famous TV star?
In February, the Travel Channel came to Belize to shoot an episode of their popular TV show Top Secret Swimming Holes, and longtime Hamanasi guide Emiliano “Ems” Sho was chosen for a starring role. As you may have guessed from the name of the show, they needed an expert guide who knew his way around the less traveled parts of Belize — someone to take the film crew and a lucky couple to a place called Tiger Fern Falls, in Cockscomb Basin National Park. As anyone who has ever been on a tour with him would know, Ems was perfect for the part! Not only is he a walking encyclopedia of the Belizean rainforest, but Ems is also from the Stann Creek District, which is home to both Hamanasi and Cockscomb Basin National Park. So he was right at home on this assignment!
Ems took the Travel Channel crew and a young couple, Kristin and Javier, to the park and led them on the 1 1/2 hour hike to the base of Tiger Fern Falls and the secret swimming hole they were looking for. Everyone had a great time on the hike, and Ems enjoyed his star turn in front of the cameras. It was a great chance to share the beauty of Belize with a wider audience than his normal van load of Hamanasi guests. Below are a few behind the scenes shots from the experience. For the rest of the adventure, you’ll have to keep an eye out for the episode which will air on the the Travel Channel in the coming months.
Behind the Scenes: Top Secret Swimming Holes Comes to Belize
A bit more about Ems: he has been guiding for more than 14 years now, [the last 9 years with Hamanasi]. When he’s not guiding you may find him reading and listening to music. He often leads the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Preserve Adventure, and our Mayflower Jungle & Waterfall Hike, where he will take you to a different secret swimming hole. If you do find yourself on one of his tours, make sure you ask him to sing the Belizean national anthem!
If you enjoyed this post you may want to get to know a bit about the rest of Hamanasi’s wonderful guides. They aren’t all newly famous TV stars, but they are all experts at giving you a vacation to remember!
