Deb15July

Well our Belize trip will be here before we know it and it can't come soon enough because I've been swamped at work!!!

We are trying to decide between just paying a la carte for activities at Chan Chich and the Discovery Package which includes meals, guided daytime walks, vehicle tours, and non-alcoholic beverages with the exception of Belikin beer. The package doesn't include any night activities and we plan to do the meal package whether we choose Discovery or not. So the main difference will be the cost of activities.

I've heard mixed things about whether the Discovery package is worth the extra money. The additional cost above the room and meals is $98. So we're talking roughly $400 extra for Discovery. However, I'm not sure how much time we'll have on the day we arrive and the day we leave, so we only know for sure that we will have 3 full days.

We will definitely want to do at least one vehicle tour and one hike at night. I don't want to over do our activities, so I'm not sure what is a reasonable combination. We don't plan any outside excursions while there.

Any thoughts?

Deb15July

VG...I didn't remember that you stayed at CC. Unfortunately a deal for the lodge never popped up on LuxuryLink...boo!

So if you say the morning hike was free, you must have been on the Discovery Package as it includes all day time activities except off-site excursions and canoes and horseback rides. We aren't interested in either of those since we will have canoe options at other lodges and hubby isn't fond of horses.

Do you remember if you stayed in a regular or deluxe cabana? How about these options...do you recall which you did?

- Archaeological Walk
- Birding Walk
- Medicinal Plant Walk

Vehicle tours
- Laguna Seca
- Upper Escarpment
- Gallon Jug Area

I'm definitely interested in the Gallon Jug area. Any thoughts?

volcanogirl

Deb, I apologize, somehow I misread your post as Chaa Creek. We have not stayed at Chan Chich, but it's on our to do list. Good luck - I look forward to your trip report.

ShellD

Deb, if you didn't get the Discovery package would your meals be included? I wasn't sure by your post. I haven't been to Chan Chich, but when we went to Chaa Creek we DID get their Inland Package which sounds similar to the Discovery Package at Chan Chich. Since you'll be remote and likely be eating the meals at the lodge, for us - I liked having our meals included in the package. When I'm on vacation I don't like having to think about how much each meal is costing me and thinking about it all adding up in the end. I like knowing that it's paid for - seeing how I'm eating it all in one place anyway. If you plan on taking some of the tours that would be included in the price, you'll likely be spending the money anyway - that's why they offer the package deals. I know in our case, at Chaa Creek, their package did save us money, it may not for everyone, but we made sure to use everything in included and in the end, it was a cost saver. And not having to pay for each item as we experienced it was a nice benefit as well. NO big bill at the end of our stay!

Deb15July

Yes Shell...the Discovery package does include meals and we will get the meal package even if we don't choose Discovery. I just don't want toget into a situation where I feel like we have to do tours to get our money's worth and like I said I've heard varying opinions!

atdahl

Hi Deb. We have been to Chan Chich twice. Once "a la carte" and the second time was the Discovery package via luxury link.

You can search this forum for my past reports for lots of details.

The best think about the deluxe cabana is the fridge. Drinking colder water in the heat was great. Other wise the double shower, robes, and other things that come with the deluxe were overkill for us (but VERY nice).

Night time is the best time at CC. We did the guided hike the first night to figure out the prime locations and then we did our own night hikes every night after that. The critters at night are fantastic and not to be missed. We also saw Ocelot at night and the glowing eyes of something that in my mind must have been a Jaguar.

The night drive is also a great way to see critters from the safety of a vehicle and is another must.

We also did a birding walk (Once again highly recommended to understand the grounds better then you can go off on your own with more confidence). We also did Laguna Seca both times. The first time was OK (only really good for birders) and the second time was a complete rainout.

The Escarpment provides a nice view and is a good place to see raptors. Otherwise, nothing else there.

We also took trips out in a truck for a couple reasons. One of the best ways to see the wild cats is along the roads. Also, the A/C in the trucks felt great when it was really hot and it give our feet a rest from the miles of hiking we did.

In any case, feel free to fire away with any additional questions.