We will be in Belize for 10 days around the 1st of the New Year.We thinking of going to Beaches & Dreams or the Blue Tang Inn for 7 days. Anyone been there? Any personal reviews? Any other suggestions for a beach experience? We also want to do 3 days in the mountains/jungle - decided against Black Rock Lodge, looking into 5 Sisters - any other suggestions? We are not into 5 star accomodations but need private bath/shower and A/C (if really hot). Want to stay around $200/day with meals and do some traveling to Jaguar preserve, possibly Tikal, Belize Zoo. Not into diving, but snorkeling would be nice. Any help with previous experience in Belize would be welcome.

Beaches and Dreams is better situated for a visit to the Jaguar Preserve, but I prefer the Placencia area, which is also close to the Jagf Preserve, but has many other good trips in the area. 5 Sisters is in the Mtn Pine Ridge, close to Caracol ruins, some caving, hores, waterfalls and more. This is not a tropical area, but is/was a pine forest, which has been affected by a bark bettle. Black Rock is in tropical forest and is better situated for trips to Tikal. Or other lodges along the Macal River near Black Rock. Nearly all the lodges in this area offer trips to Tikal or you can book Tikal separately and overnight in the ruins and/or on the island village of flores.

Thanks Katie! I just got off the phone with Hamansi - they are MUCH more expensive than Beaches & Dreams, but are further south along the coast. Any suggestions around Placendia? What about Jaguar Reef? Heard mixed reviews about that. Also heard scary stuff about Black Rock Lodge. Any other suggestions?

Actually, Hamanasi and Beaches and Dreams are all in the same area, all near Hopkins, just a short distance apart. Hamanasi is a few hundred feet north of Jaguar Reef and Beaches and Dreams is a short distance south from both of them. Jaguar Reef and Hamanasi are in the same price range. I like them both, though Hamanasi's suites are more deluxe, and it has the advantage of having the owners on-site.

I was at Hamanasi and Jaguar Reef (and drove by Beaches & Dreams) about a month ago. Jaguar Reef has rebuilt from the fire -- it looks like it always did. Beaches and Dreams is small, and it's been for sale, but the food in the pub-restaurant is terrific.

In Placencia, in the moderate range I'd look at Mariposa, two private suites and a casita around back, in a private home on the beach. Next door to Kitty's, which is also very pleasant. Mariposa is really nice! Around Us$125 double. Something a little cheaper on the peninsula is Barnacle Bill's, two nice cabins on the beach in Maya Beach.

--Lan Sluder

Thanks Lan! We consulted your web site and got lots of great information. Hamansi is almost exactly double for the 2 of us as at Beaches & Dreams. We are leaning toward B&D, there is no A/C, will that be a problem in January? We are waiting for an answer from 5 Sisters for availability - we want to do Tikal. Both are all inclusives. They both include side trips and activities - what is the custom in Belize for tipping on these occasions - if yes, how much would you advise? We will be paying for the hotel/food with credit card, other than souvenirs and tips it doesn't seem like we will need to bring much cash. Doesn't sound like access to ATMs will be possible, will we be able to cash AMEX traveler's checks? Any other advice you can share? Thanks so much

Personally, I wouldn't do a package at Beaches & Dreams, as there are a number of good restaurants in Hopkins to try, in addition to Beaches and Dreams. At Five Sisters, the only other restaurant nearby is at Blancaneaux, so you more or less have to do a food package.

You should be able to cash traveler's checks, or at least get change in Belize or US dollars. The Barclays branch in Dangriga has an ATM that (usually) accepts ATM cards issued outside Belize.

Usually on the package deals a service charge is included, but you may want to tip your tour guides extra. Around 10% is usually appropriate, but less may be okay depending on the tour cost.

--Lan Sluder

On A/C, Beaches and Dreams is right on the water, so there should be a breeze, and in January you really don't need A/C.

--Lan Sluder

I am just back from a week's vacation in Belize, having stayed both in the jungle and at the beach. We stayed at Ek'Tun (just down the road from Black Rock) for 4 nights and in Ambrigris for 3 nights. Ek Tun is pricey, but it was a pretty unique experience and well worth the money.

In our hike back from Che Chem Ha Cave, we walked past Black Rock Lodge. It looked like a very pleasant lodge and it's in a great area. I understand it recently changed management and things are picking up.

I, too, intended to do Tikal, but in our 4 days there, there was just not enough time. A family who stayed at EkTun at the same time as us did a day trip and only had 3 hours to walk around the Site. You might want to consider allowing more than 3 days in the jungle or even doing an overnight at Tikal. I had read here that people enjoyed the jungle more than the beach, but I didn't believe it. I now know that if I go back to Belize, it will be to the jungle and I'll skip the beach.