reneeeileen

is this too much near san ignacio? 3 nights in the pine forest 3 or 4 nights at chaa creek and an overnight in tikal. we would then have full 6 days for beach/snorkeling. would 6 nights at victoria house on ambergis be too long or should we split it with a different location? thanks much

SiteC_er

Sounds like fun! We spent 3 nts at Chaa Creek (loved the place) & 6 nts at Banyan Bay (liked it a lot). We did not go to Tikal but wish we had. Enjoy!

reneeeileen

is it too ambitious to spend 3 nights at ambergis and 4 nights on turneff? how difficult would the legistics be?

Linda137

I'd kick back and enjoy your six nights on Ambergris. It isn't a long boat trip/flight to get there, but it takes a chunk out of your day to say the least. Packing up and moving after just a couple days would be a pain for me. There are a lot of fun day trips you can take to keep you from getting bored. Try the Blue Water Grill (I believe that's the correct name) in San Pedro. Everything is wonderful there, especially the pasta. As you probably know, Caulker is a short boat ride away and it's also a fun place to spend an afternoon.

Katie_Valk

Sounds fine, MPR and the area around Chaa Creek are both quite different from each other. You'd have to depart for Turneffe on a Saturday for a 4 night package which can easily be combined with San Pedro

reneeeileen

thanks for your responses. so here is where i'm at.

because we have to leave for turneffe on a saturday we have 6 nights before in western belize. is this too ambitious:

2nights: arrive in belize and head to ian andersons cave branch.

3 nights: at Chaa creek

1 night in Tikal. Fly or drive to Belize city for transfer to turneff. (how long would a drive be?)

should we attempt an overnight in tikal or will it be to busy? would it be better to just go there for a day trip? Or should I skip ian anderson's and just stay at chaa creek to simplify? thanks again for your advise

DaveS

We did something very similar for two weeks two summers ago and it worked out great:
- Arrived Saturday got rental car, Caves Branch for three nights, stop at zoo on the way.
- Drive Caves Branch to Tikal for Overnight – stayed at Tikal Inn. Crystal allows vehicle into Guatemala. Make sure it’s a SUV, road very muddy in Guatemala (at least in July).
- Drive Tikal to San Ignacio – three nights @ Cahal Pech Village resort
- Saturday drive to Belize City, drop off rental car at airport, catch Blackbird Caye shuttle to the boat. Blackbird Caye for four nights.
- Three nights @ Chan Chich
Pretty close except we had seven nights prior to Turneffe. If you did Caves Branch to Tikal to Chaa Creek the ride from Chaa Creek to Belize City is not bad. Tikal to Belize City you would have to leave early to catch the boat.

reneeeileen

Thank you so much for responding Dave.

I'm still working on it and had a few questions. How would you compare the san ignacio location to the cave branch. i may have to decide one or the other and i'm it's hard for me to imagine how the two are different in terms of the natural surroundings. Also, I was considering chan chin but wasn't sure if it worked with guatemala. is it amazing? do you think i should change my itinerary around to get there. I would love for my kids to be able to experience being in a real rainforest.

I'd love your opinion-

renee

DaveS

We liked Caves Branch, definitely a jungle like feel. We did Waterfall Cave, Black Hole Drop, and River Tubing. Of those three the cave tubing would probably be the only one suitable for kids your age (ours were 13 & 15 at the time). They do have other activities you can choose from. Their staff is energetic and fun. San Ignacio is a pleasant town, definitely not jungle though.
As far as Chan Chich it is luxury in the jungle. I commented on it in an earlier post and compared to Chaa Creek: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...aveS&fid=6
Caves Branch vs. Chan Chich: Caves Branch is like an adventure lodge in the jungle. Lot of energy, family style dining, neat bungalows. Chan Chich much more sedate, luxurious, nice pool, unexcavated ruins, wildlife and birds. Personally I would go to Caves Branch three nights then an overnight at Tikal then maybe two nights Chaa Creek (ATM Tour?). At Tikal you’ll see monkey’s, birds, and of course the ruins in a jungle setting.

luluk

reneeeileen, we are doing a very similar trip in february. 4 nights at chaa creek and then 3 nights at victoria house. i'm worried that there is too much moving around getting place to place, and didn't realize at first the additional costs like flying to ambergis. i'm having second thoughts, maybe we would like it better to stay in one spot. thoughts?

luluk

would you suggest turtle inn above victoria house?

hopefulist

Last I heard Caves Branch wasn't accepting reservations for less than 3 nights so you might want to check that out. Definitely opt for an overnighter to Tikal - it's amazing to be able to explore during the cooler evening and early morning hours when wildlife is abundant and few people are there. The day trip entails at least 4 or 5 hours in the car with a few hot, packed hours at the ruins in the middle. For a really great jungle experience you might want to consider Macal River Jungle Camp, Chaa Creek's wilder cousin. Our photos and travelogue are below if you're interested. Happy trails!

http://flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

astein12

While we liked Chaa Creek, we like Chan Chich better... it had a more adventurous feeling and was just a really neat place. That said, you can't go too far wrong with either.

luluk

i'm nervous the mosquitoes are going to put a damper on my honeymoon. when i'm itchy, i'm not happy! how are they in february?

JeanH

I've never had any problems with mosquitos on Ambergris in February. It's the dry season, no fresh water for them to breed in, plus there's usually a pretty good breeze.

I'm guessing there will be less inland as well, but don't have any personal experience there.

luluk

sounds good. yes, my friend just got back from a trip to placenia and said she counted 210 mosquito bites. that just scared the daylights out of me. i hate being itchy! if its not that bad in february than great. i wonder if over in the jungle by chaa creek the mosquitoes can be bad in february...

hopefulist

Even visiting during the rainy season we hardly saw a mosquito in the Cayo. In fact the only places we were troubled with them in the 4 weeks or so we were in Belize were the Cockscomb Reserve and the Sittee River area. Take great repellent (Sawyer's Time Release Deet and Ultrathon are both great) and you should be fine.

Jackie

Luluk,

You asked about the split of 4/3 nights and if it would be better to stay in one place.

A couple of years ago we stayed 4 nights at EkTun (near chaa creek) and 3 nights at the Victoria House. The jungle part of our trip was a very unique experience and well worth the drive and expense to get there. After being in the jungle, I thought VH/Ambrigris was pretty boring--sat by the pool, did a couple of tours.

The trip to Belize was our first to a jungle, mostly we are beach people. That may play a large part in why we enjoyed the jungle more--it was so different. So, I guess the answer depends on what kind of experience you are looking for.

luluk

what excursions/activities in the jungle area would you say are a "can't miss". Thanks!