Yes, and if you want to, you can order off the lunch menu at dinner which will save $ too. I think a lot of people think you have to get all 4 courses at dinner, but we never did that - it was so much food! Plus they always had a free little appetizer and homemade bread thrown in.

Patty, I had my eye on Chan Chich too, and still think all the wildlife there looks great. We saw some wildlife in Belize, but not nearly as much as in CR, so Chan Chich looks really appealing for that reason. Thanks for all your help!

What a great trip, and such a great trip report!! Thank you so much for all the details. I definitely want to go back to Belize, wanted to before, but even more now!

Hip, when we went to Chaa we did a package that included some tours and it really worked out much less expensive - if you know in advance you'll be doing the tours to begin with. Also, on their website, or blog page they always have contests to win vacations! Go for it!! I was looking at their eco-kids camp too - maybe next summer!!

Great report! I want to go back too

Thanks, Shell and sharie; it definitely was a great time. I want to go back too! And Shell, thanks for all your tips!

vgirl - I'm not sure how I'd get buy without these forums. I've read like 4 posts now about people not realizing they could just order 1 or 2 courses rather than all 4. I'd be bummed about that if I didn't know beforehand!

Shell - I just happened to add CC on Facebook on Saturday so I did see that sweepstakes thing, but your post here gave me the extra push! I wrote in yesterday on my iPhone, very last minute, so we'll see what happens! :-) Doesn't hurt to try!

Another thing I wish we'd done before we went is to buy some sort of reef fish guide or one of those Rainforest Publications guides to reef fish. We saw so many great things and kept wanting to identify them.

hip, I hope you win!

I really enjoyed your trip report. WE have been to Belize 3 times.The first trip was to Victoria House-The second to Mata Chica on Ambergris-excellent, but isolated- and then on to Chaa Creek-great- and the third to Placencia where we stayed at the Placencia Hotel-I think,-not so good and took a short trip to Guatemala. If we return to Placencia, I would recommend Roberts Grove or a villa hotel-I cannot remember the name , or Coppola's hotel. Your report brought back many fond memories. Thank you for taking the time to write it.

owlwoman, I hope you make it back someday. And that you get good weather!

flicker, thanks for reading and for the recs on Placencia. I would love the chance to try out some other areas of the country.

vgirl and Shell - My "essay", however clumsily written because I wrote it on the bus using my iPhone last minute on Sunday, got posted on Chaa Creek's blog today and the sweepstakes is now closed -- I have no idea when the drawing is but cross your fingers! :-)

I guess I need to work on my karma. Drawing was today and no win for me. That's ok, I'll still go. :-)

They should have opened it up to votes. You would have won by a landslide!

They have lots of drawings it seems - I think when one ends, another one starts! Keep trying maybe you'll win the next one!

Hi again. :-) How was the rain?

Hi, hip - we didn't get much rain at all. It rained pretty hard one night at Ambergris, but it was after we were already in bed, and it was clear by morning. Got a couple of five minute sprinkles and clouds, but overall the weather was great. We felt like we got pretty lucky. It was overcast some days, but that helped to keep the temps down.