First, let me state that you won't find any baboons here. The primates that live here are Black Howler Monkeys. The locals call them baboons and the name has stuck.

The sanctuary is located 26 miles west of Belize City. It's easy to come here by bus from the city, and the cost is less than $5. The route is scenic and the highway is in top shape.

The sanctuary was set up by zoologist Robert Horwich, who convinced local Creole farmers to give up a small piece of their farmland to protect the endangered howler monkeys. To date, 160 landowners have given up a piece of their land, and there now is a 20-square-mile buffer zone for the monkeys to roam free, breed, and not be threatened by the every growing farmland around them. It's a story that gives hope, and you wonder why it's not done in more places.

When you arrive, you will come to a small hut. You can buy your tickets here for $5. You can buy a cool drink or local crafts from the villagers. The fly swatters made from palm fronds are a popular purchase.

You are given a short talk on the monkeys and the sanctuary, and then you are turned over to a guide. We were lucky, as our guide was one of the local landowners and the manager of the sanctuary. He had a thick Creole accent and at first was hard to understand, but your ears quickly adapt.

We took a short walk in the forest and in no time met a troop of curious monkeys. The monkeys (with several babies) slowly climbed down from the tree tops. They were curious about us and reached out their small hands for a touch. It was amazing! This is not a zoo, and you truly felt like you were the honored guest in their world.

Next, we met a troop leader, a dominate male. Our guide called to him in monkey speak and he HOWLED back, telling us this was his domain. We soon understood where the name Howler Monkey came from!

We continued our hike and met a few more playful troops. Our guide showed us a lot of plants along the trail and knew remedies for everything, from warts to poison ivy to contraception! He was a true homeopath, with the jungle as his pharmacy.

Our hike ended much too soon. We had a few minutes more in the tiny gift shop and tried some wonderful lemon cake made by local ladies. We took our bus back to Belize City and were chattering in disbelief at all the howler monkeys we had met on our walk through the Belize rainforest! This side trip is not to be missed!