wherenext

Our three kids loved the jungle of Costa Rica (age 5,9,10) and are excited to experience something similar but new. Which of the two places would they enjoy most? Why? We will be staying at theTurtle Inn after we leave the Cayo area.

Katie_Valk

Both are great and in the Cayo distrist for the same tours. BL is on a creek in a pine forest and CC is on a river in tropical foliage. I think CC has more on site activities for families and kids, but you'll be happy in either place, both really well run.

wherenext

Thanks for the input. Which is closer to things outside of their property and will the lack of a pool be an issue for kids in the warmth?

Pumpy

Of the two, we've only been to Chaa Creek (CC). However, we (kids 6 & 11) loved it! Surprisingly, we enjoyed our stay every bit as much as Ambergris Caye. Activities/tours can be a bit expensive from CC (I'm guessing from blancaneaux as well). Katie can probably answer this question and if the answer is yes you'll save approx 30% on tours. Book your tours though Eva's in San Ignacio. The question is: Will they pick you up at Chaa Creek for the same or nearly the same price quouted in town? We noticed tour prices were approx 30% less than those listed at CC.

LanSluder

I've stayed at both three or four times. On balance I prefer Blancaneaux, mainly due to the amazing two-bedroom villas, but Chaa Creek is very nice as well.

I do think Mick and Lucy at Chaa Creek need to invest in a swimming pool. As to whether your kids will miss a pool depends on when you are there. If you're there when it's really hot, as in April and May, and in much of the summer, you definitely will wish you had a pool.

--Lan Sluder

wherenext

We will be there at the end of June. My only concern was that Blancaneaux would be less jungly and have less wildlife than chaa creek. I do think the kids would like to cool off in the pool during down time though.

We decided against Chan chich because we were told it might be too remote and not enough for the kids to do. (ages 5, 9, and 10) Opinions welcome!!

Pumpy

I'd love to hear where you went in Costa Rica and what your kids particularly enjoyed. We're thinking of going next summer. As for Chaa Creek and activities and/or a pool, we went in June and it was blazing hot. Instead of a pool, they have the river which is much more fun than a pool (IMHO), we wished they had air conditioning. If you go to Belize in the summer, buyer beware of places without ac. The humidity made Florida or Louisiana seem mild (no joke). Since I/we have not stayed at balcaneaux, I can only comment on CC. However, I can pretty much assure that your kids will not get bored. Granted, we only stayed there 3 nights / 4 days but my kids wanted to stay a cpl more days. At CC they have horse back riding, butterfly farm, a beautiful spa, night time nature hike that kids still talk about, swimming in the river, canoeing, one day we canoed to San Ignacio...easy paddle and again very fun, lots of nature to enjoy, etc Anyway, we enjoyed our time and would highly recommend it for families. However, due to the heat, I would encourage you to go earlier in the year. Enjoy!

wherenext

Pumpy, We loved our trip so much to Costa Rica. We only had 9 days so we chose two commonly picked places for our first trip. Arenal and Manuel Antonio. They definetely gave us everything we hoped for in Costa Rica. It is an amazing country. The wildlife is fabulous. Arenal, we stayed at Tabacon. Hot Springs, horseback riding to the waterfall, hiking, hanging bridges. Awsome.

Manuel Antonio is a great place for monkeys, slothes, iguanas, couta mundis (spelling?) etc... The beaches at the park are beautiful and the ziplines in Quepos were great for the whole family! Mangrove tours were where part of Jurassic Park was filmed and we saw little red anteaters, boas, crocs etc...There are many things to do in the area and some pretty good restaurants too. We stayed at Tulemar Bungalows and it was one of the two nicest places in town. Makanda by the Sea was beautiful as well but with no glass windows just open aired, no kids under 12, no ac or TV for five days. It was out of the question! If you can't stay at Tulemar, I liked Mariposa next. Some say Si como No with kids because it has a waterslide. It does not have the wildlife Tulamar has and it is very busy bu full of kids. Great for lunch and the kids can use the slides then.

I am sure Belize will be similar. It sounds like you had a great time. Do you think the Turtle Inn works with the kids after the cayo? We can only go in late June due to taking kids out of school for upcoming skiing. School sure does get in the way of our travel plans!

hopefulist

We traveled with our three kids for nearly a month in Belize in 2003 (kids were older than yours). We are budget travellers largely by choice and avoid resorts, preferring village environments, but we loved our stay at Chaa Creek's Macal River Jungle Camp ( www.belizecamp.com ). The manicured trails and landscaping of Chaa Creek's main resort were beautiful but didn't seem natural to me and didn't have a Belize "feel". The jungle camp is in a fabulous jungle setting, lots of iguanas and birds and you still have access to tours and facilities at the resort. I think your kids would love it. We canoed down the Macal to San Ignacio to explore one day, hiked the trails, visited the butterfly farm, hung around in hammocks, and enjoyed the fabulous food and beautiful, rustic surroundings. Check it out!