Hi all,

We're trying to find a great location for a 70th birthday celebration for my mother-in-law. There will be 8 of us in all, ages 5 to 73. People were tossing around Hawaii and Mexico, but Hawaii is pretty far away for my in-laws, and my husband hasn't been thrilled with his (VERY limited) Mexico experiences.

Before I knew it, "How about Belize?" popped out of my mouth. People seem receptive to the idea, but now the pressure's on to prove that it can work for all of us.

Here's what we're looking for:
- ruins for the birthday girl
- adventure for the child-free 40-somethings
- lots of wildlife and beach for the 5 and 9 year old
- golf and relaxation for the 73-year-old (who doesn't need to do a lot of it but is more amenable if there's access to it available)

From what I've read, Belize just may be our place! However, I'm pretty overwhelmed. Can anyone help me narrow down where we should go/stay and what to do? I suspect that we'll be there for about a week as a group, and then we (with the little kids) can split off for a few more days if it seems to make sense. It would be nice to not have to unpack and repack too much, but it sounds as though we'll need to pick at least two base camps, yes? But which ones/where? (Forgot to mention that we're looking at the January or February timeframe...)

Thanks for any initial guidance that you can provide!

Great idea. You can split the trip between the beach and a lodge or hotel on the mainland close to Mayan sites, caves, zip lines, rapelling, river and horse trips, waterfalls, scenic jungle trips. Very good golf course on an island a flight away from Ambergris Caye, which is our most visited beach destination with the larger selection of hotels, restaurants, bars and people. The reef is a mile from shore. Or the Placencia peninsula, more laid back, better beaches, reef is 19 miles from shore and easier access to mainland day trips to jungle, Mayan sites, caves, waterfalls, wildlife, etc. So you could book here on the beach and take day trips to the mainland and stay in one place. All these areas have accommodations suitable for large family groups.

I usually like to research and plan everything on my own but with such a diverse group, I'd consider asking Katie Valk to set things up for you.

My Belize photos are below with travelogue linked on the first page; additional Tikal photos in the Guatemala 2007 collection. Keep us posted!

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

Exactly the location I am thinking about for a family reunion!

Yes, it certainly seems as though splitting our time between jungle lodge and beach resort makes sense. And I really like the idea of an overnight near Tikal - it will make the drive more palatable for the kids, I think.

Any specifics that anyone'd recommend?

You're not naming a budget or comfort level that will guide us. Do you want a cool jungle camp with tent cabins, kerosene lamps and shared bath or a fancy resort with ac and pool and sculptured grounds? Share a bit more and it will make it easier to advise you.

In the mean time you have my recommendations (see link above) and should purchase a guidebook or 2 or 3 - I have the new Fodor's, Rough Guide, and Moon Handbook and like them all. Happy trails!

I just want to add my two cents. I went to Belize 3 years ago and had a good time, but was a little disappointed with the fact that, although the beache on Ambergris was great, going in the water was not. The reef protects the shoreline and has allowed seaweed to grow, so as soon as you get more than 5 feet into the water, you are walking in seaweed, which can be knee deep when you sink into it. Diving on the reef was incredible, shark ray alley(by boat) was great, but swimming off the beach was awful. It was also very expensive to eat in San Pedro. Please keep this in mind. My personal favorite is Costa Rica with the same types of activities you are looking for.

Swimming in deep water isn't really high on our list. Our boys prefer romping in sand and splashing, but that's about it, so I'm not put off by the last comment. (I've heard nothing but wonderful things about Costa Rica and would LOVE to go, but my in-laws have been before and didn't have a great experience, so I think they'd rather try someplace new.)

As for budget/preference-type guidelines, I suspect that this group, considering its age range, would go for some degree of privacy (for the sake of others as much as ourselves - after all, kids can be LOUD), but there's no need for opulence. Price is not much of a factor - this is considered a special occasion.

Hopefulist, I loved your trip report, and your style of travel is what I was accustomed to as a kid. I have very vivid memories of a particular bus ride to Lake Atitlan - I was sitting on my mother's lap, and she was so tightly wedged between other passengers that she was held up (no seat under her) in the aisle. My father was standing at the front of the bus, getting drenched each time the door opened and let yet MORE people on. But my in-laws are not so much the roughing-it type.

Given all that, any recommendations? Also, it would be lovely to hear about how many days to plan for in each location, assuming that we'll want a combination of adventure and relaxation.

Many, many thanks!

I'd pick a jungly lodge in the San Ignacio area for 3 or 4 nights - spend an afternoon looking around town, do some hiking, and maybe a caving trip (ATM gets rave reviews if you're into a high level of adventure; Chechem Ha is a lovely mile hike up through jungle to a cave with artifacts, tamer than ATM). There are lots of jungle options - check out Lan Sluder's www.belizefirst.com or pick up a guide book (or 2 or 3); I own Lan's newest Fodor's guide, the Rough Guide, and the Moon Handbook and like them all.

From there head to Tikal for an overnighter. You could spend 2 days but for many folks an afternoon/evening and the next morning is enough. You could consider a 2nd night in the area in Flores, a cute little Guatemalan town packed onto a tiny island.

From there head straight through to Belize City and take a flight or a ferry to Ambergris or Caye Caulker for however much time you have left or want to stay - 4 or 5 days would be too short for me because I like to dive and don't get to go very often.

Glad you liked our trip story! Keep us posted!

Thanks! Why the San Ignacio area over some other? We were actually perusing the Chaa Creek and Chan Chich websites. It looks as though Chaa Creek is in the San Ignacio area and that Chan Chich isn't.

I love the idea of tucking a side excursion to Guatemala in between a jungle lodge and the beach. I'll do some research on Flores - it sounds wonderful and I certainly don't remember going there as a child.

Any recommendations on beach lodging, or any preferences between Ambergris and Caye Caulker?

I will definitely buy some guide books - I'm lucky to live WAAAAY too close to Powell's. (It's dangerous for my pocketbook.)

I'll let others help you with the Cayo, other than to say, I really enjoyed San Ignacio. For that reason alone, I'd go with Chaa Creek, although it's not in my personal budget.

If you have small children who want to splash on the beach, I'd go with Ambergris over Caulker. More lodging options with decent stretches of beach to play on.

I'd look at Banyan Bay or Victoria House.

If the seaweed isn't an issue, I would highly recommend Banyan Bay Villas, especially the end units. Great location right on the beach, with great sitting areas that allows the breeze to keep you cool and enjoy a nice view. I hope you have a great vacation.

Thanks! I like the looks of that Banyan Bay place. Seems as though it could suit a large and varied group quite well.

Any other lodging suggestions out there?

We really likes Belizean Shores. IT was a family resort, a bit out of town but has a very cool pool (great for kids) and great grounds. The units were self-contained, great for cooking for families. We ordered food to be delivered to our unit when we arrived http://www.lagniappe-belize.com/

It was great not to have to shop before arriving. We took many tours from the resort --and even walked an hour and a half into town. The stafff was very accomodating.