If you've been to Belize?
 

Hi, guys! I was curious, for those of you who have been to Belize, would you go back? Where did you stay, and would you return to the same spot again? Thanks for the help! I'm kind of interested in Chan Chich, Chaa Creek, and/or somewhere on Ambergris. Just really exploring at this point.

We had a blast in Belize with our family in 2003 (kids were 17, 18, and 20 at the time) and revisited last summer (2009) with an extended family group that included our daughter and her husband. Our photos with blog/travelogue links are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

There may be some ideas there for you but we prefer a combination of jungly places, ruins, village stays, and Robinson Crusoe-esque island time so we haven't visited Chan Chich, Chaa Creek, or Ambergris.

Well, I think you already know my answer ;), but I would definitely go back. I would definitely stay at Chaa Creek again. If I were to go back I would for sure get one of their packages. There were many people there that did not and they ended up not going on excursions because they couldn't find people to share the cost of the travel expenses. For example to go to tikal - the entrance fee might not be a lot, but the travel there, you have to pay for the ride. Sort of like when you go to BDC. So if you can split that expense with another couple or group, it makes the total expense less for you. Also having the meals already paid for was nice. There's really nowhere to go easily for your meals, so eating right on the property made sense.

I don't have anything to compare Ambergris to -as far as the other Cayes, but when we researched the trip, I chose this one because of the proximity to Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley. The excursion whas right there. Also, the choices for hotels was more in line with what we were looking for. I chose Portofino because of their package and price. While I loved the resort - it was like a deserted island paradise - we had our own little beach cabana and it was amazing. The people there were the nicest we met. The food was good and they have a great pool. It's remote. If you don't mind that - it's a perfect place. You have to take the water taxi to get to town. I didn't mind that - but some people will. You can't just hop on a bike, or walk into town. But they have their own water taxi that goes into town a few times a day and if anyone is going into town to dive or snorkel, the boats will take you. There's also the taxi you pay for, and it's not really expensive and you can get a weekly pass. I loved it there.

The food in Ambergris was great - a lot of really good restaurants to choose from. My husband is a chef, and it was nice to go on vacation and have such variety and have him looking forward to eating out! The meals were also very reasonably priced.

I do think Belize was much more expensive than Costa Rica - for a comparable trip. First for us the airfare was much more. And comparable hotels, were more expensive. Once we were there however, the expenses were about the same, as far as food and excursions.

My answer is obvious as well, since I'm on Ambergris for the winter. We'll be here until April. We love it here. We live a mile south of town, so it's pretty quiet. Every morning we walk the beach, either two miles south or two miles north.

My dream hotel would be Chan Chich, maybe an anniversary splurge one year.

We are planning to go to southern Belize sometime in March, stay around Punta Gorda for a few days, then a couple days in Placencia.

I haven't spent much time on the mainland, but I'll try and answer questions about Ambergris.

We stayed at Chaa Creek and would definitely return. The grounds and accommodations are beautiful, the staff helpful, the food pretty good. Great, bracing margaritas made with fresh lime and no sugar. Since we did not have a car, we took day tours to Tikal, Xunantunich and Barton Creek. Also paddled a canoe on the river.

On Ambergris we stayed at Caribbean Villas since our first choice at the time, Banyan Bay, was full. It was perfectly adequate and I hear they have added a pool. I think I'd try the Victoria House if we return. I like this area, south of San Pedro for its easy access to the village. We snorkeled at Hol Chan and Mexico Rocks, cast for bonefish off a skiff, and generally just decompressed. Nice time.

Me and my teen went in 2008, had a blast, and yes, we would def go back! We didn't get to see everything we wanted. I wouldn't want to stay at Ian Anderson's Caves Branch though. We stayed in the treehouse, it was nice and all, but I think we'd probably try Chaa Creek. We stayed beachfront at Xanadu on Ambergris and that was perfect! I'd stay there again in a heartbeat. or try Victoria House. Love Belize! :)

We've been to Belize 3 times so the answer is definitely yes! We've stayed at Chan Chich and would go back as well as return to Lamanai Outpost Lodge (our favorite) and duPlooys. Each of those are very different and in different areas so it depends on what your interests are.

As far as beach/cayes, we've been to Ambergris, Caulker, Thatch, South Water, Dangriga and Placencia. Our favorite so far has been South Water due to the ease of access to the reef (it's right on it!) and the fact that we tend to prefer isolated areas (I know not everyone's cup of tea). Next time we'd like to try Turneffe Atoll

Eventually we'd like to make it down to Punta Gorda too.

Wow, lots of rave reviews. It's fun to read about everyone's experiences!

Tagging along here. :-)

I'd go back in a heartbeat, volcanogirl, especially if jeanh is cooking again! :) Hi, Jean. Glad you and DH are getting to spend lots of time this year. Good for you! It must be wonderful.

vgirl, we loved Chaa Creek. Wanted Chan Chich, but later realized that Chaa Creek's location was really better for what we were interested in (Tikal, ATM caves).

On Ambergris, we stayed at Ramon's. I wouldn't suggest eating there (remember pricing being tricky on the menu and it seems a ploy to make a few extra bucks). We did really enjoy the location of Ramon's and the little piece of beach in front of it (hard to find on the island close to San Pedro). We loved being right there close to town and made frequent trips over a block or two for this or that. Enjoyed bike riding, and the nearby huge choice of restaurants. Ramon's is for sure overpriced and the rooms are certainly nothing to write home about, but the location is outstanding. Might not stay there again, but would choose to stay close to town again.

We went there with FF miles and still it was expensive! We didn't do the Chaa Creek package (poor, rushed planning on my part), so paid a good chunk for that part of the week. We LOVED Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley--would love to do some of the other snorkel trips now. March was a great time to be there!

Note to jeanh--DH mentioned the other evening that he wished he were sitting at that little beach bar where you guys gather most evenings! He loved that.

Hi Shillmac, we've been trying to stay home more, rather than sitting at BC's. We're still there frequently though. It is wonderful to be here.

I've stayed at both Chaa Creek and Chan Chich. I've been to Belize twice. It is a great place. Chaa Creek is a little more luxurious. Chan Chich is a bit buggy since it is in the middle of a giant rainforest. But as long as you are prepared it is not bad enough to be a problem. If you like birds, wildlife and nature, you will love both of these hotels. If you are into nightlife and partying, these are not for you.

On Ambergris we stayed at Victoria House which was very nice. We also stayed at Turtle Inn in Placencia which was just amazing. Probably the best hotel I have ever stayed at in my life and the most relaxing too.

JoniC

We're definitely not into night life and partying; we're used to going to Costa Rica and getting up early to go see wildlife. If we stay up until ten, we're proud of ourselves - lol! I love all the wildlife ops at Chan Chich, but I'm thinking Chaa Creek would put us in a lot better position to go do the tours like the ATM cave and to see ruins, etc. Is that right? We've done Bosque del Cabo, so thinking Chaa Creek would be a little different for us in a good way. I've had a little bit of sticker shock looking at some of the prices of these places, but they look wonderful. Did you guys see birds and wildlife at Chaa Creek? Not a necessity, but it would be a fun bonus.

10pm? Night owl! ;-)

Yes we saw wildlife at Chaa Creek but MUCH more at Chan Chich due to its location as it literally is in the middle of nowhere. At Chan Chich we could not sleep past 5 am as the Howler Monkeys and Oropendolas would wake us up. There were alot of mammals right near the room including monkeys, agouti, coati, foxes, etc.

If you are into birds, Chan Chich really caters to birders. They have a lot of outings from the hotel but they are mostly to see birds, so if you are into that, you might feel there is not enough variety of things to do for your liking.

Chaa Creek also has a lot of wildlife but nothing in comparison to Chan Chich. You are right that Chaa Creek is more centrally located to see the caves, ruins, etc. There is a larger variety of things to see and do from there.

Both are pricey but when I went, Chan Chich's price included the food and tours. Chaa Creek was extra, so you'll want to check that out and factor it in. Since Chan Chich is very remote, you are better off doing the package that includes everything since there aren't any other choices anyway.

Something else that I felt was really cool about Chan Chich was the flight in, in a tiny little 2 seater plane. I loved it. My husband hated it. I was literally the co-pilot and he was stuffed into the little seat in the back with the suitcases squashed into the tail of the plane. But it was a beautiful flight and you could really appreciate the vastness of the rainforest. We even saw waterfalls. Very cool.

<i> I love all the wildlife ops at Chan Chich, but I'm thinking Chaa Creek would put us in a lot better position to go do the tours like the ATM cave and to see ruins, etc. Is that right?</i>

Exactly. Guests at Chan Chich tend to stay on the extensive property as most go for the birding and wildlife. You can hike, bike, horse ride and they offer guided walks and drives (both day and night). The lodge itself sits on partially excavated ruins and there are ruins nearby to visit (which we didn't see since we never left). Your best ruin opportunity would probably be Lamanai enroute if you opt for their road/boat/road transfer from Belize City with a stop and tour of Lamanai (also good for wildlife viewing opportunities on the river, lagoon and at the ruins).

I haven't stayed at Chaa Creek but have stayed in the Cayo District twice and saw less wildlife there vs at Chan Chich or Lamanai. In Cayo, we've seen plenty of birds, iguanas and agoutis, a couple of kinkajou and possoms and heard howlers. Here are my photos from a recent stay at duPlooys which might give you an idea of what we saw http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/...05%3A628702044 From Cayo, you have a number of ruins you can visit including Tikal in Guatemala (possible overnight or two if you choose) or within Belize, Caracol, and closer by Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, El Pilar, etc. ATM is also accessible as a day trip.

Chan Chich and Chaa Creek are two of the more expensive places to stay in Belize and you certainly don't need to spend that much. Cayo in particular has lots of accommodation options in all prices ranges.

I also wanted to comment on the bugs. We didn't encounter any biting insects at Chan Chich when we were there last March so it could be a seasonal thing. In general, I've found biting insects to be worse on the coast/cayes than inland.

vgirl - If you get a package at Chaa Creek, it's much more reasonable. It's still more expensive than CR and other places we've been . But the package price helps out a lot. We did: http://www.chaacreek.com/packages/expedition/ the 5 night package. So two full day and 1 half day tours were included. It was a perfect mix. And all of our meals were included as well. We only had to pay for alcoholic drinks and tips. Also included was the transfers to and from the airport and the taxes I believe.

Anyway - I wouldn't try to persuade you from CR because I loved it there too - but I love to go to new places, and I'm so glad we tried Belize! Next on my BIG getaway list is Galapagos!!! Gotta save up seriously for that one though!

Patty -- Do you have any less expensive places you could recommend? Especially for wildlife and hiking on site?

Much like CR, I'd divide your time between a couple of spots. We divided our time between Cayo area (Chaa Creek) and Ambergris Caye (Banyan Bay). Ambergris Caye is very nice, laid back, and great for snorkeling / diving. We visited Caye Caulker (much smaller and much more laid back) and found it too small / laid back for us (we have kids and need a few more activity options). If we did not have young kids, I would consider staying out on one of the Atolls e.g. "Glovers". Enjoy!

Consider Chaa Creek's jungly cousin, Macal River Jungle Camp. You'll see more wildlife, the food is fabulous, and it's a very jungly experience as opposed to a manicured walkway/pool sort of experience. You have access to all the amenities at Chaa Creek if you want them and the cost is much less - $55/per person per night which includes dinner and breakfast.

hopefulist -- Sounds fantastic! Just what I was looking for!

hipvirgochick,
In Cayo, we really enjoyed duPlooys which is less expensive than Chaa Creek. They have some trails but not extensive hiking on site (I'm not sure if Chaa Creek does either). They do have the botanic garden though and that's where we saw most of the agoutis. They also have a birding deck where they put out fruit for birds in the morning (don't know how you feel about that) with the resident bird guide usually on hand to answer questions. Also good birding and iguanas on the river.

There are so many other options in Cayo. I also seriously considered Black Rock which is further upstream on the Macal.

It's more difficult to find something comparable to Chan Chich which is unique in the extensive grounds they have and their remoteness. The only other places I can think of at the moment to stay in that general area are the La Milpa http://www.pfbelize.org/lamilpa_service.html and Hill Bank http://www.pfbelize.org/hillbank_services.html field stations in the Rio Bravo conservation area but they would be much more rustic.

Lamanai Outpost Lodge while not inexpensive worked out to be less expensive than Chan Chich since their package included transfers and activities. There are some trails on site and the ruins themselves along with the walk to/from are good for wildlife. The boat ride in/out as well as the other boating/canoeing activities are also good birding/wildlife opportunities.

Crooked Tree lagoon is another good location for birding and southern Belize around Punta Gorda is also supposed to be good for wildlife but I've not been there.

It really is an amazing place. Here are links to my photo collections (travelogue links on the main page of each collection) and to my Trip Advisor review:

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

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...acio_Cayo.html

Let me know if I can answer questions!

Which ruins has everyone gone to see? It seems like there are so many options.

We went to Tikal, which I can't imagine being so close to and missing out on. It's a full day trip, and for some an overnight - but it was amazing. I've been to the ruins in Mexico and they just don't compare. Chaa Creek also does shorter, half day trips to the closer ruins but we didn't do any. If I were go go back to Belize, I'd love to go to Lamani. Also, the caves are considered the ruins of the underworld. The ATM cave is spectacular. Also we canoed in Barton's Creek Cave and that was a nice trip.

Once you get where ever you decide to stay, it will be easier to pick which excursions to go on. You'll get a better feel for how long it will take to get there and what type of trip you want to do. We knew we wanted to see Tikal and ATM. The rest we decided when we arrived.

Sorry...but I must tell you that I didn't like the beaches in Ambergris or Placencia. In order to experience the beautiful waters you must take a boat out...swimming off the beaches just wasn't great. Beaches & ocean were dirty close to the shore line you have to go out to get into the nicer water.
But the jungle part of Beliz was great.

I've been to Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, Lamanai, and Tikal (3 times).

We hiked to Xunantunich from the Trek Stop, where we were staying near the start of our 2003 trip to Belize; it was the 1st ruin we visited. The ruins themselves aren't huge but are very nice and you can see into Guatemala from the top of El Castillo. Part of the appeal was that we loved buying mangoes at a produce stand by the Mopan River where huge iguanas gathered to eat the discarded fruit, crossing the hand-cranked ferry, and walking up the road to the ruins - a wonderful day.

Next we went to Tikal which really deserves an overnight stay in the park. Why visit one of the most amazing places on earth during the heat of the day with hundreds of other day trippers, sandwiched between 2 or 3 hour road trips when you could spend a night in the park and visit the ruins and gorgeous jungle during the cooler evening and early morning hours when the wildlife is more active and you practically have the place to yourselves? Check out Temple 4 or 5 in the evening out Mundo Perdido in the early morning. Our son Carlos is of Maya descent and we could imagine him as a descendant of kings on those pyramids. In 2007 I visited again with a friend and caught the edge of Hurricane Dean - a wild and different experience from the 1st time. In 2009 I had a group in tow and we were fortunate enough to connect with a fabulous archaeologist named Roxy Ortiz for an early morning tour - unbelievable how much more enjoyment and insight a genius guide can bring to the experience. She's based at the Tikal Inn part of the year if you'd like to try to arrange a tour with her.

In 2009 we visited Lamanai, boating up the New River with a great guide, feeding bananas to spider monkeys, and spotting crocodiles and iguanas and a wonderful array of birds before arriving at the lagoon and the ruins. We had a wonderful, traditional Belize picnic lunch and enjoyed the museum, the pyramids, the views from the top, lots of howler monkeys and a nesting toucan. We based at the Baboon Sanctuary for a couple of nights to put us within striking range of Orange Walk and enjoyed that, too.

We also visited Cahal Pech which, like Xunantunich, is easy to access and explore on your own. We were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful setting and the charm of the little rooms and stairways. The onsite museum was nice, too.

Our daughter and her husband enjoyed a day trip to Caracol last summer - a long day but they enjoyed the scope and solitude of the place.

There are lots more to choose from - happy trails!

Thanks for all the information on the ruins, guys - that is really helpful.

vacations, some of the places I've seen have piers out into the water - would swimming off of those be good, or would you still need to take a boat out?

Most people swim off the piers. The problem closer to shore is the sea grass, which grows there because the beach is sheltered by the reef. Truly bold people like pirates simply stride through the grass to swimmable depths. The rest of us walk out on the piers.

There are some nice artificial reefs off the ends of some of the piers. We've seen nurse sharks, eels, lobsters, rays, sea slugs, various crabs and tons of fish snorkeling there.

Walking through the sea grass really isn't that bad, just remember to shuffle your feet. I almost stepped on a ray a couple years ago. It's just grass, it isn't slimy or anything.

That sounds really cool. Nurse sharks are relatively harmless, aren't they? I've seen pics of people at Shark Ray Alley surrounded by nurse sharks. It looks a little freaky - have you guys done it?

Thanks Patty and hopefulist (I've always enjoyed your photologues)! This helps a lot. I'm planning 19 days in Costa Rica in June right now...but this gives me some direction which way to go next trip. Will be in touch with questions I'm sure! A few other places are still top contenders too. :-)

Thanks vgirl for letting me hijack a bit. ;-)

We visited Shark Ray Alley and Hol Chan Reserve last August and loved them both. I'm a diver and not easily freaked out but all the rest in our group loved it and the slightly freaky nature of it was a rush in a good way instead of just scary. Honestly, the freakiest part was when we were still on the sailboat and they were feeding the fish. The big rays are cool, too.

I'm leap-frogging trip plans, too - looking forward to a mostly planned out month in Mexico this summer and dreaming of a return to Guatemala. ;)

Yes, bookmarking. Thanks everyone. Hopefulist, I still hope to join you on one of your language trips one day...

It's a wonderful way to travel and to study, plumboy. If you're even half as great as the Fodor folks who joined me last year you're welcome any time. :)

Not sure I'll keep doing it every year but you can keep track on this website: http://liveandlearninlatinamerica.blogspot.com/
Happy trails!

No problem, hip - you and I take the same trips all the time anyway. No one else I would rather share a thread with! And thanks to everyone else for helping us newbies!

I got a cheap trip to Chan Chich on Luxury Link a few years back before Luxury Link became popular and you could get good deals. I loved it and would go back in a heartbeat. It's kind of what I picture BdC to be - small and self-contained where most people don't venture out from. It is geared towards serious birders, but still fun for the casual birder like me and my DH.

Ambergris Caye is a fun place, but don't think of it as a real beach destination. It isn't anything like Manuel Antonio, or any Caribbean island beach. There isn't a wide area of sand, and the seagrass takes away from that gorgeous turquoise blue color that I can sit and stare at forever at those other places. I loved the laid-back, casual, don't have to dress-up for anything air to the place, and walking barefoot into restaurants with sand instead of floors, and driving golf carts around. I would go back with a group of friends, but probably not for just me and DH.

The snorkeling trips were great. Holding nurse sharks and petting rays at Shark Ray Alley was a hoot, but it turned us off that they feed the animals to keep them there and make them more docile for the visitors. It was kind of like snorkeling at an aquarium.

I've only been to Costa Rica and Belize once each, so I don't claim to be an expert. I'm just throwing in my two cents. I loved them both, but CR had something more magical about it, that I cannot put my finger on.

For what it's worth, the tour groups should not be allowing visitors to touch the sea life - bad idea. I'm afraid the sharks and rays are opportunistic just like humans and were originally drawn to that area because it's where the fisherman gutted their catch. I see both rays and sharks when I dive but have rarely seen them in such concentrations as at Shark Ray Alley.

I would recommend using Ecologic Divers for Shark Ray Alley/Hol Chan. They do feed the rays and nurse sharks, but absolutely do not let you pet or hold the sea life. They are very respectful of the wildlife and believe they should be kept wild.

It was a cool experience to be in the water with the rays and sharks!