The Lodge at Chaa Creek

The Lodge at Chaa Creek Review

This was the first true jungle lodge in the Cayo, and owners Mick and Lucy Fleming—who don't seem to have aged a day since they came to Cayo (did they discover a fountain of youth here?)—have spent 30 years polishing The Lodge at Chaa Creek to a fine, rich patina. To start, the gracefully landscaped grounds, surrounded by 365 acres of rolling hills above the Macal River, are magnificent. On the grounds are the Rainforest Medicine Trail, Natural History Centre, butterfly farm, horse stables, Maya organic farm, one of the best spas in Belize, as well as a gorgeous bi-level swimming pool. There's a friendly and highly competent staff of around 100. The whitewashed stone cottages with thatch roofs and custom-made furnishings are both simple and elegant, but not inexpensive. In-season double rates are BZ$785, inclusive of breakfast, taxes, and service. Ideal for honeymooners is the "tree top suite" (BZ$1,178 for two including breakfast, tax, and service) with whirlpools. A two-bedroom villa suite (BZ$1,488 for up to four persons) is above the spa. For cost-conscious travelers there's the Macal River Camp, with small A-frame rooms on raised wooden platforms (BZ$262 double, including tax, service, and a Belizean breakfast and dinner). At the lodge itself, dinner is a special event, starting with cocktails in the bar and perhaps ending with brandy and Cuban cigar under the soaring thatch palapa. Dinner, not including drinks, is around BZ$72, plus 22.5% tax and service. A full breakfast is included in the room rates. Chaa Creek's tours, although not cheap, are among the country's finest, and horseback riding is available.