Cayo lodging
Aug 19th, 2001, 06:33 AM
#2
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There are many places in Cayo that would fill the bill for you. Chaa Creek, Ek'Tun and duPlooy's lodges are all great, as are Blancaneaux and Five Sisters in the Pine Ridge (though trees in this area have been devastated by the pine beetle) and Banana Bank, Jaguar Paw and Pook's Hill near Belmopan. Not really a jungle lodge but a great value is Mopan River Resort in Benque, but it's closed for the summer. <BR> <BR>As to things to do, at the top of my list would be caving, river canoeing, horseback riding, visiting butterfly farms (there are three in Cayo, with Green Hills being the largest), hiking and of course seeing Maya sites, especially Xunantunich, Caracol, El Pilar, Cahal Pech and some of the sites in caves such as Che Chem Ha. <BR> <BR>--Lan Sluder <BR>Belize First Magazine
Aug 19th, 2001, 09:24 AM
#3
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So far, it's a toss-up between Casa Maya and Five Sisters. Casa Maya is definitely the less expensive option because all of their packages include transportation from Belize Intl Airport. I would really like to stay at Five Sisters because the location is better and their cabanas seem nice. I really want to visit Mountain Pine Ridge, Barton Creek Cave, cave tubing, horseback riding. Which place should I choose? What have you heard about these places? Also, what's a good insect repellent that I should bring?
Aug 19th, 2001, 01:13 PM
#4
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At Mountain Pine Ridge, stay away from the Pine Ridge Lodge. Bed bugs. Jaguar Paw is fabulous but closer to Belize City than Cayo but still worth the time. The owners are great and they have wonderful cave tubing. If you can, travel to Caracol. <BR> <BR>Of note, when we were at Jaguar Paw, we had about a 1 1/2 hr. trek to the mouth of the cave to begin our tubing in the caves. It was raining and as we got to the end of our trek we had a slope to decend. It was "teeming" with biting ants. Well, we had already trekked that long distance so we just slid on through them. Wow, do they bite! An interesting although unpleasant experience but we have gotten a great deal of talk miles out of this in retelling after we got home! Be sure to bring a good repellent with DEET. You will need it. <BR> <BR>Another thing to remember - if it is 30 kms. or so to a site but is off the main highway (there is only one), it could take you a couple of hours. Mostly, any roads off the main highway are difficult. Getting into Jaguar Paw several years ago was an experience (although well worth the time). Expect to travel at a very slow rate.
Aug 19th, 2001, 06:15 PM
#5
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Alison, <BR> <BR>How in the world did you pick Casa Maya? Who would have recommended it to you? Five Sisters is great, but you need to understand the situation with pine beetle infestation in the Pine Ridge. <BR> <BR>There are few bugs in the parts of Cayo you are visiting. Some of the lodges don't even have screens on the windows. ... though it's always a good idea to have a little DEET along, just in case. <BR> <BR>--Lan Sluder <BR>Belize First Magazine <BR>http://www.belizefirst.com
Aug 20th, 2001, 09:07 AM
#6
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I think I discovered Casa Maya on the internet but I haven't heard any recommendations on it yet. You seem pretty adamant on the pine beetle infestation problem...please tell me about it and what are the dangers of this? Five Sisters seems very pleasant but it's expensive. I need a place that isn't so pricy because I am also going to Ambergris so I have to save some $ for that. <BR> <BR>I'm very worried about the tropical storm Chantal because I'll be in Ambergris on Sept 15. I will be so devastated if I can't be in Belize in September!!!
Aug 20th, 2001, 12:03 PM
#7
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Hi Alison: <BR> <BR>Our girls trip back in March led us to the Banana Bank Jungle Lodge and Equestrian Center near Belmopan. We really liked it. The bungalows were nice, the people very friendly, and the food wonderful. We did a number of day trips from the lodge: butterfly farm, San Ignacio, Tikal, snorkeling on the reef, Xunantunich (Mayan ruin), etc. We did an all day horse back ride, and it was the best. They also offer shorter rides. They arranged everything for us. They have a web site; www.bananabank.com. <BR> <BR>Let me know if you would like more information from our trip.
Aug 21st, 2001, 02:08 AM
#9
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At Pine Ridge stay away from Hidden Valley Inn. <BR>Also do the text search on this forum entering the names of those places you consider. <BR>Hopefully Chantal won't change to hurricane but we went to Belize a few years ago 3-4 months after a powerfull hurricane and it was so sad to see what happened to San Pedro. Even cemetary was destroyed
Aug 21st, 2001, 05:40 AM
#10
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To save money for the Ambergris part of my trip, do you think it would be wiser to stay at Aguada (heard many things about the unbeatable value!) and have them help me set up day trips from there? It seems like none of the jungle resorts offer packages that suit my exact needs and interests. I think if I do it this way, I can definitely save at least $200 and I'll have the choice of restaurants in Belize City (that's where Aguada is located, right?). It's hard to decide whether I want the true jungle experience or to save $$$ and a lot of it! Do you think I'll be missing out that much if I stay at Aguada? Also, will they be able to set up any trip for me? I'm interested in cave tubing, Barton Creek Cave, Mountain Pine Ridge, Guatemala shopping trip (not a must but would enjoy it), horseback riding. Need advice!!!
Aug 21st, 2001, 07:37 AM
#11
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My personal opinion is to fly into Belize City and get out of there as soon as possible. Belize City is at least an hour from any jungle resort, so you would have to factor in the travel time for your day trips. Again, this is just my opinion, but I would spend the extra dollars and stay in one of the resorts.
Aug 21st, 2001, 04:55 PM
#12
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No, Alison, Aguada is in Santa Elena near San Ignacio, one and three-quarters hours west of Belize City by car. Aguada can set up any trips for you, but so can various other tour operators in the San Ignacio area. Eva's restaurant is a good source of information and tours. <BR> <BR>--Lan Sluder
Aug 25th, 2001, 12:04 PM
#13
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Just back from Cayo. Spent 5 nights at Blancaneaux. It's a lovely lodge, but be prepared for sticker shock at the food prices. And do DEET yourself even when sitting on your balcony. I'm still suffering from intense itch from bites (at least 30) I received days earlier, and I'm afraid they'll scar. The bites seemed innocuous initially, but they starting swelling and itching days later. After Tropical S. Chantal blew past us at Blancaneaux on Day 4, those black biting insects seemed to have gone with the wind. One silver lining. We went for a 7 hour horseback riding that we booked with 5 sisters and it was a good experience. There are bikes for rent at Blancaneaux and we rode them to 5 sisters for lunch. The Barton Creek cave trip was also enjoyable. I went from Blancaneaux to Tikal for an overnight stay. Had to pay US$30 to exit Guatemala. I'm wondering if day trippers need not pay that $30. The staff at Blancaneaux is friendly, but their service wasn't the best. The tour director at 5 sisters was more enthusiastic but not pushy.
