Beautiful Belize: 6 days of fun
Jul 10th, 2012, 07:02 AM
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Beautiful Belize: 6 days of fun
We had a fantastic 6 days in Belize. We chose it as a destination because my mom was supposed to accompany us. She has not traveled much internationally and it would be an easy country--they speak English and U.S. dollars were accepted everywhere.
As it turned out, she did not because she lost her passport and didn't realize it until the night before. We still went and had a wonderful time, occasionally punctuated by sadness as we talked of how much she would have liked something.
I also post on Trip Advisor so my hotel reviews are largely repeats of what I posted there:
<b>Hotels</b>
<b>The Lodge at Chaa Creek, San Ignacio </b>- Way fancier than our usual accommodations (again, picked for my mom). The property is large and beautiful and lush. Every person we met who worked there was warm, welcoming and made an effort to speak to us, say hello, or chat with us. The reception and concierge were both highly attentive. We had an issue with one member of our party not being able to come at the last minute and the Lodge handled the financial aspect of this in a way that we found satisfactory and which was done with courtesy.
We were greeted upon check in with juice and a cool, wet, peppermint-scented washcloth. We were then shown to our room which was strewn with flower petals.
We stayed in two different rooms-#10 and #12 because we wanted a treehouse the whole time but it was only available for part of our stay. So I can compare the two rooms a bit (both were wonderful). None of the rooms are air-conditioned and all have screens instead of windows. That means being a polite neighbor and mindful of what noise you make--it also means Howler monkeys might awaken you at 6 a.m. as they did for us!
The bar and concierge were in the same spot and that's where there is wifi (which you can also pick up at the pool). We did several on-site and one off-site activity. On-site we did the night walk, the early morning bird walk, and canoed into San Ignacio. All were fine and relaxing. Nothing spectacular but nature isn't always cooperative. The off-site activity we booked through the Lodge was a tour of ATM cave, which they then booked with PACZ tours and which was amazing!
The saltwater pool is beautiful and relaxing. It wasn't too cold so we spent most evenings lounging there.
We ate all our breakfasts and lunches there as they were part of our package. Lunches were, too, but we arrived after lunch our first day, had a packed lunch on the ATM day, and opted to buy lunch in San Ignacio on our last full day. The meals we ate were terrific--there was plenty of food and it was all delicious. There was always a vegetarian option on the menu for me.
One negative is that it is a little annoying that they don't have a plan that includes alcoholic drinks. Their beverages were on the pricey side (beer was reasonable by U.S. standards, expensive by Belizean). On the other hand--unlimited alcohol tends change the atmosphere of a place and I wouldn't change a thing about the feel of this hotel.
The other negative is that this hotel is a long way from town and their a la carte food prices are expensive so plan on doing their meal-inclusive package. We heard it costs a lot to get a taxi in and out of the hotel because it is down a long gravel road. Since the food on site was great and part of our package, we were glad to eat there all three nights.
<b>Sea Dreams Hotel, Caye Caulker</b>
So the philosophy in Caye Caulker is "Go Slow" and they take is seriously. We were misdirected by two different shop owners when we got off the water taxi and walked to the complete opposite end of the Caye before we arrived at the hotel--only to find no one sitting at the check-in desk. Frustration. The cleaning staff graciously called the desk person, who returned with her lunch and checked us in. To be fair, I think we were rather early for check-in and our room wasn't ready so we went off to have our own lunch then went into our room.
We actually had a small apartment in Room 1--two bedrooms, sitting area, kitchen and bathroom. It was air conditioned and there were ceiling fans and standing fans in the bedrooms. The place was very nice. The area around the hotel was quiet and the floors in the room were tile so you could sweep out all the sand you drag in with you.
Breakfast was included in our room but when we went to get it we had a bizarre experience--there was another family at the table next to us. They appeared to also be on vacation. After serving ourselves orange juice (terrible and soapy tasting) and having 15 minutes with no acknowledgement that we were even there let alone that food was going to be served, the woman from the other family's table brought out plates from the kitchen of eggs with ham and cheese, fry jacks and beans. As a vegetarian this was basically an inedible breakfast for me. There were apparently no other choices because no one asked us about anything. I have no idea if the person who brought our plates was staff, owner, or just another tourist who had been there a while and gotten comfortable with the kitchen. We bailed and ate at Paradise Cafe down the road.
The other problem with the limited front-desk hours is check-out. We left Caye Caulker on a 7:30 a.m. water taxi and thought we'd check out the night before in case no one was there in the morning--well, no one was there at 8:00 p.m. at night NOR at 7:00 the next morning--we left our keys with the cook in the breakfast area. I assume this was fine but it would have been nice to have been given this instruction at check-in.
Those negatives didn't really detract from our stay there--it is a small hotel and I didn't really expect 24-hour desk service but overall it was a little odd.
Some big pluses, though:
They were terrific and friendly with email correspondence when I booked.
The front desk was very helpful when we needed to print one thing on their computer.
The room was large and sparkling clean and all the staff that we actually saw were friendly.
The fridge is stocked with beer and softdrinks that are reasonably priced and you can order snack to be delivered there, too. Your room comes with a large cooler of fresh drinking water
They have their own private dock where you can swim and they offer beach towel to borrow, bikes to borrow, and snorkeling gear to borrow.
They have wifi included in the room.
The pros far, far outweigh the minor "cons" we encountered and we would stay here again if we ever returned to Caye Caulker.
As it turned out, she did not because she lost her passport and didn't realize it until the night before. We still went and had a wonderful time, occasionally punctuated by sadness as we talked of how much she would have liked something.
I also post on Trip Advisor so my hotel reviews are largely repeats of what I posted there:
<b>Hotels</b>
<b>The Lodge at Chaa Creek, San Ignacio </b>- Way fancier than our usual accommodations (again, picked for my mom). The property is large and beautiful and lush. Every person we met who worked there was warm, welcoming and made an effort to speak to us, say hello, or chat with us. The reception and concierge were both highly attentive. We had an issue with one member of our party not being able to come at the last minute and the Lodge handled the financial aspect of this in a way that we found satisfactory and which was done with courtesy.
We were greeted upon check in with juice and a cool, wet, peppermint-scented washcloth. We were then shown to our room which was strewn with flower petals.
We stayed in two different rooms-#10 and #12 because we wanted a treehouse the whole time but it was only available for part of our stay. So I can compare the two rooms a bit (both were wonderful). None of the rooms are air-conditioned and all have screens instead of windows. That means being a polite neighbor and mindful of what noise you make--it also means Howler monkeys might awaken you at 6 a.m. as they did for us!
The bar and concierge were in the same spot and that's where there is wifi (which you can also pick up at the pool). We did several on-site and one off-site activity. On-site we did the night walk, the early morning bird walk, and canoed into San Ignacio. All were fine and relaxing. Nothing spectacular but nature isn't always cooperative. The off-site activity we booked through the Lodge was a tour of ATM cave, which they then booked with PACZ tours and which was amazing!
The saltwater pool is beautiful and relaxing. It wasn't too cold so we spent most evenings lounging there.
We ate all our breakfasts and lunches there as they were part of our package. Lunches were, too, but we arrived after lunch our first day, had a packed lunch on the ATM day, and opted to buy lunch in San Ignacio on our last full day. The meals we ate were terrific--there was plenty of food and it was all delicious. There was always a vegetarian option on the menu for me.
One negative is that it is a little annoying that they don't have a plan that includes alcoholic drinks. Their beverages were on the pricey side (beer was reasonable by U.S. standards, expensive by Belizean). On the other hand--unlimited alcohol tends change the atmosphere of a place and I wouldn't change a thing about the feel of this hotel.
The other negative is that this hotel is a long way from town and their a la carte food prices are expensive so plan on doing their meal-inclusive package. We heard it costs a lot to get a taxi in and out of the hotel because it is down a long gravel road. Since the food on site was great and part of our package, we were glad to eat there all three nights.
<b>Sea Dreams Hotel, Caye Caulker</b>
So the philosophy in Caye Caulker is "Go Slow" and they take is seriously. We were misdirected by two different shop owners when we got off the water taxi and walked to the complete opposite end of the Caye before we arrived at the hotel--only to find no one sitting at the check-in desk. Frustration. The cleaning staff graciously called the desk person, who returned with her lunch and checked us in. To be fair, I think we were rather early for check-in and our room wasn't ready so we went off to have our own lunch then went into our room.
We actually had a small apartment in Room 1--two bedrooms, sitting area, kitchen and bathroom. It was air conditioned and there were ceiling fans and standing fans in the bedrooms. The place was very nice. The area around the hotel was quiet and the floors in the room were tile so you could sweep out all the sand you drag in with you.
Breakfast was included in our room but when we went to get it we had a bizarre experience--there was another family at the table next to us. They appeared to also be on vacation. After serving ourselves orange juice (terrible and soapy tasting) and having 15 minutes with no acknowledgement that we were even there let alone that food was going to be served, the woman from the other family's table brought out plates from the kitchen of eggs with ham and cheese, fry jacks and beans. As a vegetarian this was basically an inedible breakfast for me. There were apparently no other choices because no one asked us about anything. I have no idea if the person who brought our plates was staff, owner, or just another tourist who had been there a while and gotten comfortable with the kitchen. We bailed and ate at Paradise Cafe down the road.
The other problem with the limited front-desk hours is check-out. We left Caye Caulker on a 7:30 a.m. water taxi and thought we'd check out the night before in case no one was there in the morning--well, no one was there at 8:00 p.m. at night NOR at 7:00 the next morning--we left our keys with the cook in the breakfast area. I assume this was fine but it would have been nice to have been given this instruction at check-in.
Those negatives didn't really detract from our stay there--it is a small hotel and I didn't really expect 24-hour desk service but overall it was a little odd.
Some big pluses, though:
They were terrific and friendly with email correspondence when I booked.
The front desk was very helpful when we needed to print one thing on their computer.
The room was large and sparkling clean and all the staff that we actually saw were friendly.
The fridge is stocked with beer and softdrinks that are reasonably priced and you can order snack to be delivered there, too. Your room comes with a large cooler of fresh drinking water
They have their own private dock where you can swim and they offer beach towel to borrow, bikes to borrow, and snorkeling gear to borrow.
They have wifi included in the room.
The pros far, far outweigh the minor "cons" we encountered and we would stay here again if we ever returned to Caye Caulker.
Jul 10th, 2012, 07:11 AM
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<b>Activities</b>
<b>Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave Tour, PACZ Tours</b>
his is an amazing tour and our guide, Juan Carlos, was fantastic. He was friendly, respectful of the ruins and concerned about their preservation, and an excellent, knowledgeable guide.
Tourists are no longer permitted to take cameras into the cave since they have now had two incidents of people breaking skulls (human remains!) by dropping cameras on them. The damage is heartbreaking in such an amazing site and, therefore, though we were sad to have no pics of our adventure, were glad that there is a preservation-mentality to this amazing site.
The walk to the cave is easy; there's no hills or difficult terrain; just three river crossings. The cave itself is a mild adventure. We are 32 year olds who are outdoor enthusiasts. You swim in a pool to enter the cave. While you must be fit to maneuver through the cave, the activity is not strenuous. There are some tight squeezes--including ducking down until the water level is above your shoulders in order to squeeze through one particularly tight fit. And you must climb up to get to the area with remains and pottery. Once you are there you remove your shoes and go about only in socks (bring socks even if you don't wear them--you want to protect the cave from the oils on your skin).
The preserved pottery, artifacts and human remains are beautiful. We felt a lot of emotions, most often awe, as we walked among these and imagined Mayans using the caves for sacrifices. It was fantastic. This tour is not to be missed.
There are latrines at the parking lot before the walk to the cave and at the picnic area before entering the cave. They are just that, latrines.
PACZ tours was respectful, timely, and enthusiastic. I know the other company that offers this tour is Mayawalk and while we did not go with them, two different locals had negative things to say about the owner. Maybe they have some interest in promoting one over the other, who knows, but PACZ was great.
<b>Raggamuffin Tours, Caye Caulker</b>
his is not the type of tour we usually do--this is a group tour on the very beaten path. While we don't avoid popular tourist sites we do avoid group tours but this worked well since the company had a friendly, casual vibe and since we aren't really into snorkeling the way we are into trekking or other outdoor activities.
This company showed they cared about safety and about everyone enjoying themselves and they carried it off beautifully. They were mindful of all the guests and I was particularly impressed that they easily accommodated me as a vegetarian. Kevin was organized and relaxed--someone all at the same time and Vito was quietly attentive to both the boat and the guests. Terrific guys.
Here's how our day went:
At 10:15 we arrived at Raggamuffin, checked in, got our gear and paid; I had made a reservation about a month before by email. The sky was now looking clear and bright after a very windy night and rainy dark morning. A pretty large crowd gathered as we all waited to leave and though the departure was listed as 10:30, it was more like 11:00 when we went. They really stick to the Caye Caulker philosophy of "Go Slow." The crowd was split into two groups and we were part of a group of 16 on the red boat, the Ragga King, sailing with Vito and Captain Kevin.
We sat on the side of the boat and the warm water splashed our legs as we sailed/engined out to our first stop. We were allowed to snorkel on our own at the coral garden and had 50 minutes in the water. I snorkeled all over and saw so many pretty fish and corals and sea fans. I have only snorkeled a couple other times (St. Lucia, Hawaii and Florida Keys) so I am still fascinated by what some divers consider mundane. I loved the little bright blue fish I saw, the purple sea fans, the black fish with bright blue dots, and plenty of other bright yellow and blue and white and black fish. Vito and Kevin knew all about whatever fish or sea flora we saw and described to them. I had an underwater camera but photos were difficult since the fish swam away when I came near for a better shot (not surprising, of course) so I mostly just relaxed and enjoyed the view--made for a better experience than chasing a photo.
After the Coral Garden we ate lunch on the boat. As a vegetarian, I had salad and pasta salad, others had fish or chicken and rice and pasta salad. There was orange drink, too. It wasn't the best meal (well, actually, my husband said the fish was really tasty) but it was pretty nice to eat sailing along on a beautiful day.
Our second stop was "Shark and Ray Alley." Kevin got into the water with us here where we swam with rays and nurse sharks. Vito threw food into the water to attract the animals and then Kevin would catch them so we could touch their skin and see what they were like. I touched a nurse shark. It was a bit annoying how everyone crowded around the area where Kevin was so we mostly swam a little ways away and were able to enjoy watching the creatures just as much. It was so cool to swim with sharks! (I actually had mixed feelings about this activity as a wildlife-lover and am still a bit conflicted about interfering with nature but overall, it was just darn fun).
Our last stop was Hold Chan or "Narrow Channel." This is part of a marine reserve and you must have a guide go with you in the water. We were split into two groups and we swam with Vito as he showed us around. Unfortunately, because this is a reserve, it was quite crowded with other snorkelers and with scuba divers. The scuba people were the worst as they seemed generally unaware of others around them and exhaled lots of bubbles that made it hard to see. Perhaps it is a lot of newbies since I imagine more experienced SCUBA divers are more respectful and conscious of others.
The highlights were the sea turtles that we saw eating grass and the moray eel hiding in the coral. We also saw barracuda, tarpon, triggerfish, and many of the other fish we had previously seen. It was too crowded to really relax but still a really cool experience.
Back on the boat they got out the pineapple and watermelon they forgot about at lunch and we munched on that. Kevin got out the rum punch, which wasn't terrific, but went down easy after the first one. They put up both the sails and we returned to the Caye without using the engine. It was very peaceful and pleasant and we rode back and Vito gave us tortilla chips and salsa (which had shrimp in it for everyone but me).
We felt relaxed and invigorated by this great day out in the water. The biggest negatives were the group size (16 on our boat) and the crowding at Hol Chan.
<b>San Ignacio Hotel Iguana Sanctuary</b>
We met Gomez, the project's mascot who is a handsome and patient iguana. Eddie, who runs the tour (and does the day-to-day of the project) is kind and has a true love of the iguanas that shines through as he teaches you about them. Being covered all over by probably 20 juvenile iguanas was hilariously fun! We also got to feed and hold and pet Gomez and his lady-iguana, Roxy. I recommend this (if you have small kids please educate yourself about iguanas and salmonella before you do this tour).
<b>Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave Tour, PACZ Tours</b>
his is an amazing tour and our guide, Juan Carlos, was fantastic. He was friendly, respectful of the ruins and concerned about their preservation, and an excellent, knowledgeable guide.
Tourists are no longer permitted to take cameras into the cave since they have now had two incidents of people breaking skulls (human remains!) by dropping cameras on them. The damage is heartbreaking in such an amazing site and, therefore, though we were sad to have no pics of our adventure, were glad that there is a preservation-mentality to this amazing site.
The walk to the cave is easy; there's no hills or difficult terrain; just three river crossings. The cave itself is a mild adventure. We are 32 year olds who are outdoor enthusiasts. You swim in a pool to enter the cave. While you must be fit to maneuver through the cave, the activity is not strenuous. There are some tight squeezes--including ducking down until the water level is above your shoulders in order to squeeze through one particularly tight fit. And you must climb up to get to the area with remains and pottery. Once you are there you remove your shoes and go about only in socks (bring socks even if you don't wear them--you want to protect the cave from the oils on your skin).
The preserved pottery, artifacts and human remains are beautiful. We felt a lot of emotions, most often awe, as we walked among these and imagined Mayans using the caves for sacrifices. It was fantastic. This tour is not to be missed.
There are latrines at the parking lot before the walk to the cave and at the picnic area before entering the cave. They are just that, latrines.
PACZ tours was respectful, timely, and enthusiastic. I know the other company that offers this tour is Mayawalk and while we did not go with them, two different locals had negative things to say about the owner. Maybe they have some interest in promoting one over the other, who knows, but PACZ was great.
<b>Raggamuffin Tours, Caye Caulker</b>
his is not the type of tour we usually do--this is a group tour on the very beaten path. While we don't avoid popular tourist sites we do avoid group tours but this worked well since the company had a friendly, casual vibe and since we aren't really into snorkeling the way we are into trekking or other outdoor activities.
This company showed they cared about safety and about everyone enjoying themselves and they carried it off beautifully. They were mindful of all the guests and I was particularly impressed that they easily accommodated me as a vegetarian. Kevin was organized and relaxed--someone all at the same time and Vito was quietly attentive to both the boat and the guests. Terrific guys.
Here's how our day went:
At 10:15 we arrived at Raggamuffin, checked in, got our gear and paid; I had made a reservation about a month before by email. The sky was now looking clear and bright after a very windy night and rainy dark morning. A pretty large crowd gathered as we all waited to leave and though the departure was listed as 10:30, it was more like 11:00 when we went. They really stick to the Caye Caulker philosophy of "Go Slow." The crowd was split into two groups and we were part of a group of 16 on the red boat, the Ragga King, sailing with Vito and Captain Kevin.
We sat on the side of the boat and the warm water splashed our legs as we sailed/engined out to our first stop. We were allowed to snorkel on our own at the coral garden and had 50 minutes in the water. I snorkeled all over and saw so many pretty fish and corals and sea fans. I have only snorkeled a couple other times (St. Lucia, Hawaii and Florida Keys) so I am still fascinated by what some divers consider mundane. I loved the little bright blue fish I saw, the purple sea fans, the black fish with bright blue dots, and plenty of other bright yellow and blue and white and black fish. Vito and Kevin knew all about whatever fish or sea flora we saw and described to them. I had an underwater camera but photos were difficult since the fish swam away when I came near for a better shot (not surprising, of course) so I mostly just relaxed and enjoyed the view--made for a better experience than chasing a photo.
After the Coral Garden we ate lunch on the boat. As a vegetarian, I had salad and pasta salad, others had fish or chicken and rice and pasta salad. There was orange drink, too. It wasn't the best meal (well, actually, my husband said the fish was really tasty) but it was pretty nice to eat sailing along on a beautiful day.
Our second stop was "Shark and Ray Alley." Kevin got into the water with us here where we swam with rays and nurse sharks. Vito threw food into the water to attract the animals and then Kevin would catch them so we could touch their skin and see what they were like. I touched a nurse shark. It was a bit annoying how everyone crowded around the area where Kevin was so we mostly swam a little ways away and were able to enjoy watching the creatures just as much. It was so cool to swim with sharks! (I actually had mixed feelings about this activity as a wildlife-lover and am still a bit conflicted about interfering with nature but overall, it was just darn fun).
Our last stop was Hold Chan or "Narrow Channel." This is part of a marine reserve and you must have a guide go with you in the water. We were split into two groups and we swam with Vito as he showed us around. Unfortunately, because this is a reserve, it was quite crowded with other snorkelers and with scuba divers. The scuba people were the worst as they seemed generally unaware of others around them and exhaled lots of bubbles that made it hard to see. Perhaps it is a lot of newbies since I imagine more experienced SCUBA divers are more respectful and conscious of others.
The highlights were the sea turtles that we saw eating grass and the moray eel hiding in the coral. We also saw barracuda, tarpon, triggerfish, and many of the other fish we had previously seen. It was too crowded to really relax but still a really cool experience.
Back on the boat they got out the pineapple and watermelon they forgot about at lunch and we munched on that. Kevin got out the rum punch, which wasn't terrific, but went down easy after the first one. They put up both the sails and we returned to the Caye without using the engine. It was very peaceful and pleasant and we rode back and Vito gave us tortilla chips and salsa (which had shrimp in it for everyone but me).
We felt relaxed and invigorated by this great day out in the water. The biggest negatives were the group size (16 on our boat) and the crowding at Hol Chan.
<b>San Ignacio Hotel Iguana Sanctuary</b>
We met Gomez, the project's mascot who is a handsome and patient iguana. Eddie, who runs the tour (and does the day-to-day of the project) is kind and has a true love of the iguanas that shines through as he teaches you about them. Being covered all over by probably 20 juvenile iguanas was hilariously fun! We also got to feed and hold and pet Gomez and his lady-iguana, Roxy. I recommend this (if you have small kids please educate yourself about iguanas and salmonella before you do this tour).
Jul 10th, 2012, 07:21 AM
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<b>Transportation</b>
We used William Hoffman as recommended on these boards and trip advisor. http://www.parrot-nest.com/belize-shuttle.html
For $130 US (slightly less than the hotel would have charged) he picked us up on time at the Belize City Airport and transported us to the Lodge at Chaa Creek. If you want to try and pay less he will see if others are traveling the same day as you and can combine fares depending on the timing. He was on time even though our flight was delayed (he asks for all flight info ahead of time to make sure he is there when you land).
His vehicle was clean and in good condition and air conditioned. He stopped for treats that he was excited for us to try: watermelon juice and bread pudding and he also stopped so we could get a couple of beers. When my husband spotted "Hot Mama's" Hot Sauce factory along the way, William happily stopped so we could take a tour and load up on hot sauce. He was fantastic company--nonstop talk about Belize, world news, life--everything. We really enjoyed driving with him. He's reliable and fun--worth the price we paid.
We paid the same for a return trip and he got us to the water taxi in time for a 10:30 taxi--he knew when the taxis left and what price they charged. He really knows how to cater to the tourists.
<b>Food</B>
As noted, most of our food was from the Lodge at Chaa Creek. When we didn't eat there we ate at standard tourist restaurants. Our experience was that though service was usually slow that is because they were actually cooking all the food right then with fresh ingredients. Our meals were delicious and vegetarian options were abundant.
<b>Ko-Ox Han Nah, San Ignacio</b>
had a gigantic veggie burrito--I could have split it with someone as I could only eat half. My husband had a huge plate of chicken nachos. I also had a papaya yogurt shake was was refreshing!
The service was friendly and the food was tasty. It was priced about the same as other tourist fare we saw in Belize (in Caye Caulker).
<b> Sobre Las Olas, Caye Caulker</b>
They were short staffed and food and service took way too long but the food was good when it arrived. I ate coconut curry and my husband had lobster quesadillas. We were bummed that our lime iced tea was Nestea, though.
<b>Rainbow Grill, Caye Caulker</b>
We enjoyed our relaxing casual dinner here. The staff was attentive and the food was great casual fare. I had really fresh veggie quesadillas and my husband had terrific seafood.
We used William Hoffman as recommended on these boards and trip advisor. http://www.parrot-nest.com/belize-shuttle.html
For $130 US (slightly less than the hotel would have charged) he picked us up on time at the Belize City Airport and transported us to the Lodge at Chaa Creek. If you want to try and pay less he will see if others are traveling the same day as you and can combine fares depending on the timing. He was on time even though our flight was delayed (he asks for all flight info ahead of time to make sure he is there when you land).
His vehicle was clean and in good condition and air conditioned. He stopped for treats that he was excited for us to try: watermelon juice and bread pudding and he also stopped so we could get a couple of beers. When my husband spotted "Hot Mama's" Hot Sauce factory along the way, William happily stopped so we could take a tour and load up on hot sauce. He was fantastic company--nonstop talk about Belize, world news, life--everything. We really enjoyed driving with him. He's reliable and fun--worth the price we paid.
We paid the same for a return trip and he got us to the water taxi in time for a 10:30 taxi--he knew when the taxis left and what price they charged. He really knows how to cater to the tourists.
<b>Food</B>
As noted, most of our food was from the Lodge at Chaa Creek. When we didn't eat there we ate at standard tourist restaurants. Our experience was that though service was usually slow that is because they were actually cooking all the food right then with fresh ingredients. Our meals were delicious and vegetarian options were abundant.
<b>Ko-Ox Han Nah, San Ignacio</b>
had a gigantic veggie burrito--I could have split it with someone as I could only eat half. My husband had a huge plate of chicken nachos. I also had a papaya yogurt shake was was refreshing!
The service was friendly and the food was tasty. It was priced about the same as other tourist fare we saw in Belize (in Caye Caulker).
<b> Sobre Las Olas, Caye Caulker</b>
They were short staffed and food and service took way too long but the food was good when it arrived. I ate coconut curry and my husband had lobster quesadillas. We were bummed that our lime iced tea was Nestea, though.
<b>Rainbow Grill, Caye Caulker</b>
We enjoyed our relaxing casual dinner here. The staff was attentive and the food was great casual fare. I had really fresh veggie quesadillas and my husband had terrific seafood.
Jul 10th, 2012, 01:21 PM
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It sounds like you had a great trip! Sorry your mom missed out. Hopefully you all can return in the future! We loved Chaa Creek too. And also, Pacz for the ATM cave tour...they were fantastic! Such an amazing place to visit!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing!
Jul 10th, 2012, 03:14 PM
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Oh no on your mom losing her passport! 
Glad you enjoyed the trip anyway. Your cons sound so Caye Caulker and in some ways Belize in general. It can be endearing or annoying depending on how you look at it 
We've found that the top jungle lodges like Chaa Creek, Lamanai, Chan Chich are really in a league of their own when it comes to organization (and at that price point they should be). Elsewhere, you kind of take your chances but usually it all works out in the end. Thanks for your report!
Glad you enjoyed the trip anyway. Your cons sound so Caye Caulker and in some ways Belize in general. It can be endearing or annoying depending on how you look at it We've found that the top jungle lodges like Chaa Creek, Lamanai, Chan Chich are really in a league of their own when it comes to organization (and at that price point they should be). Elsewhere, you kind of take your chances but usually it all works out in the end. Thanks for your report!
Jul 11th, 2012, 09:38 AM
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Thanks to all those who were so encouraging on my lounge thread about the lost passport; She never found the passport she will re-apply to get a new one. We'll have to plan a trip for next summer, as gruezi suggested on the other thread.
The negatives were hardly negatives, really. I just like to give people realistic expectations when they plan a trip so I include all that info. We weren't ripped off, poorly treated, or unwelcome so really, what's to complain about?!
Oh, one more fun thing:
<b>E T Art Center, Caye Caulker</b>
We collect small rabbit figurines whenever we can in our travels. We usually try to get them from a local material, too (lapis lazuli in Chile, jade in Guatemala, etc.). We hadn't seen any on our trip and were on our last two days when we saw that a wood carver in Caye Caulker offered custom pieces. We asked about a custom rabbit and the artist, Marcel, delivered. He worked on it from the time we ordered it early Monday afternoon until we picked it up the next night. He was a really nice person and was very concerned with doing a good job and with having his craft appreciated. We had some pictures to suggest a style to him and he asked us to have them printed so he could be sure and do a good job. The rabbit wasn't ready right when he thought it would be (how could it be?--that was such a short time!) but he worked nonstop and finished it before we left the island. They have nice pieces that are ready-made for sale, too. If you are on Caye Caulker, you won't miss the shop--it's just a stand set up on the main beachfront street. This isn't Marcel but this is the shop in this video; I can't find their website for some reason:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON2hMOTuWH0
The negatives were hardly negatives, really. I just like to give people realistic expectations when they plan a trip so I include all that info. We weren't ripped off, poorly treated, or unwelcome so really, what's to complain about?!
Oh, one more fun thing:
<b>E T Art Center, Caye Caulker</b>
We collect small rabbit figurines whenever we can in our travels. We usually try to get them from a local material, too (lapis lazuli in Chile, jade in Guatemala, etc.). We hadn't seen any on our trip and were on our last two days when we saw that a wood carver in Caye Caulker offered custom pieces. We asked about a custom rabbit and the artist, Marcel, delivered. He worked on it from the time we ordered it early Monday afternoon until we picked it up the next night. He was a really nice person and was very concerned with doing a good job and with having his craft appreciated. We had some pictures to suggest a style to him and he asked us to have them printed so he could be sure and do a good job. The rabbit wasn't ready right when he thought it would be (how could it be?--that was such a short time!) but he worked nonstop and finished it before we left the island. They have nice pieces that are ready-made for sale, too. If you are on Caye Caulker, you won't miss the shop--it's just a stand set up on the main beachfront street. This isn't Marcel but this is the shop in this video; I can't find their website for some reason:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON2hMOTuWH0
Jul 13th, 2012, 05:31 AM
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Does anyone who has been to Belize have pics of ATM cave that they were allowed to take before cameras were banned and that they wouldn't mind sharing with me? Just a couple generic pics of the cave opening and some of the artifacts would be great for my scrapbook.
Jul 13th, 2012, 01:55 PM
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I have some pictures of ATM on my blog (which I'm embarrassed to say I haven't updated in way too long!)
Here's the link to the page with the cave pics!
http://tripspicsandtales.blogspot.co...pelunking.html
Enjoy!
Here's the link to the page with the cave pics!
http://tripspicsandtales.blogspot.co...pelunking.html
Enjoy!
Sep 16th, 2012, 06:46 PM
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I figured it was only a matter of time before cameras were banned. There is a great History channel YouTube video of the ATM cave you might like to see. Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave in Belize by calvinlotz.
Sep 16th, 2012, 07:22 PM
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schlegal1 - I was in CA when this was posted and just read it. My ATM photos start in the 2nd row here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyh...7622234749818/
Thanks for posting this nice report!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyh...7622234749818/
Thanks for posting this nice report!
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