EDH_Traveler

We are thinking about a trip to Belize next year. We are mainly interested in nature and wildlife. Both Chan Chich and Lamanai seem to fit the bill. So, I was hoping to hear comparisons from people who have been to both. Is one preferred over the other? What about going to both are they close enough together to make this doable? (We don't plan to rent a car so other transportation would need to be available)

Thanks in advance

MarciaM

We've been to Chan Chich, but not Lamani. Chan Chich was nice, but for nature and wildlife, we liked Chaa Creek much better. It sits right on top of some old Mayan ruins, and has beautiful birds and resident howler monkeys. They even caught a Fer de Lance snake the week we were there. The food was delicious and served outside on a beautiful patio. It is harder to get to than the others---a 4 hour drive from the airport, or you can take a private plane transer.

hopefulist

Marcia - Are you sure you're not mixing up Chan Chich and Chaa Creek? I haven't been to Chan Chich but your description above sounds like other descriptions I've read, and doesn't sound like Chaa Creek to me.

Katie_Valk

Chan Chich is remote and in the midst of a huge reserve and the cottages are built in the plaza of a Maya site. Lamanai is on the New River Lagoon next to the site its named for. Both are in Orange Walk district. Chaa Creek is on the Macal River in the Cayo district and offer a much larger variety of trip and access to local villages, may of impressive sites and caves trips not available near the other twolodges. All 3 are wonderful and differrent enough from eacshother that it'll be easy to choose which is right for you. You can't go wrong with any of these.

MarciaM

Hopefulist,
Yes, you're exactly right. I have them mixed up. Chan Chich is the one we really liked. They have changed management since we were there, and hopefully, they still have the warm experience that we liked. If you go to www.luxurylink.com you can many times get a good deal at a stay there.

hopefulist

Thanks for the link, Marcia. I'll save it for later - for now we're still budget travelers by choice.

Patty

I know this is an old thread but I came across it while searching for something else (EDH_Traveler's BDC pics to be exact) and since we went to both earlier this year, I wanted to add a link to my trip report http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...ebmar-2009.cfm in case anyone else has the same question and comes across this topic while searching.

volcanogirl

I'm bookmarking because both these spots interest me, and I need to figure out which one is right for us. Do both have good wildlife sightings?

Patty

Both have good wildlife sightings. You are more likely to see a cat at CC. I really loved the lagoon setting and water activities at LOL.

volcanogirl

Thanks, Patty. Are the cabinas similar at both? Which do you think has more of a sense of privacy, or are you close to your neighbors at both? Do either of them have nice views from the rooms?

Katie_Valk

Cabanas at CC are nicer. Views of the lagoon from most of the cabanas at LOL. CC is more remote and a much larger property.

Patty

CC is more upscale, particularly the deluxe cabanas. LOL cabanas are more rustic but have everything you need. Privacy wise, I found them similar. The cabanas aren't spaced far apart at either property so you'll see some of your neighbors at both though there are certain cabanas that have a bit more privacy than others at both. We had cabana 9 at LOL which was an end unit so only had a close neighbor on one side. The cabanas at CC are mostly in a circle surrounding the dining area/main lodge. Some but not all cabanas at LOL have views of the lagoon. The lagoon view cabanas (ours was one) have more of a peekaboo view whereas the lagoon front cabanas have a full view. Be aware that lagoon front cabanas 10-13 share a long deck whereas lagoon front cabanas 14 and 15 are stand alone units with private decks. CC cabanas have a view of the forest and I think it makes less difference which one you stay in there. It's more of a matter of choosing between regular or deluxe. The deluxe cabanas had a renovated bathroom, walk in closet, chaise lounge on the deck and a few other little extras but the standard ones were fine too. Hope this helps. Both will email you maps of the property if you'd like to pick out a specific cabana number.

volcanogirl

Yes, great info. Thanks very much, guys. We like to have our own deck/balcony/patio if possible so that's great to know. I asked on the other thread, but I'll ask here too - does anyone know how long it takes to go between the two, and what would be the best way to do that? Is Lamanai accessible only by boat?

RAC

One can get to the LOL by road, but the boat trip in is one of the best parts of the experience. I'll never forget seeing all that wildlife up close, the Maronites working in their 19th century clothing, and then pulling in at the dock to find someone waiting for us to take our bags and escort us to a lunch that was served hot and ready to us right away.

Patty

I replied about the transfer between LOL and CC on the other thread.

LOL is accessible by road, boat or charter flight. The boat ride is spectacular so I would at least include it one way.

I neglected to mention above that our cabana 9 at LOL also had a private deck. Most of them do. I think it's only 10-13 that share. All cabanas at CC have their own decks.

volcanogirl

That's exactly the info. I was looking for. Thank you guys so much. Are there in country airlines, or do you book a charter flight through the lodges?

I would definitely want to boat in I think to see all the wildlife that you all mentioned - that's the best part!

I forgot to ask - do either of these places have a pool? And any time of year when it would be too rainy to go?

Patty

Yes you book charter flights through the lodges. At the time, they were using Javier's Flying Service or Tropic Air if bigger aircraft was needed. It's best to let them handle the arrangements as they sometimes have other guests you could share with.

CC has a pool. At LOL you can swim in the lagoon. We were there in late February/early March and it was dry. Rainy season starts the latter part of May. I don't think there's any time you can't go but the trails may be muddy.

volcanogirl

I suspect charter flights would be pricey, but maybe not terrible if you could share with someone. Glad CC has a pool. I don't know about swimming in the lagoon - does it have crocs in it?!

Sounds like the rainy season is similar to CR.

I really like the looks of both spots.

Patty

Yeah but they're tiny crocs compared to the CR ones

One person in our party flew from LOL back to Belize Intl. I can't remember the exact cost but it wasn't that much because there was a group of guests flying that day. 4 of us chartered from CC to Caye Caulker and it was a little over $500 (2009 price). 2 passengers would've cost less. Flying into Belize City would've also cost less.

I'll add one more comment about cabanas 10-13 at LOL. The shared deck is quite large and there are partial privacy screens so each cabana sort of has it's own section with a hammock which is actually more space than the private decks. I believe those cabanas also share walls and are not stand alone units, more like a quadplex.

xyz99

We had #10 - normally, we would have gotten a non-attached cabin, but in this case I was happy with our choice. I think it was brighter than the single ones, and had a better (un-obstructed) view of the lagoon.
We did not get to spend too much time on the deck - with plenty of activities each day, we did not have time for that

Definitely do the boat into LOL.

I was off this board for a while...I guess Belize is happening, right? You will love it.