You Better Belize It
Belize offers everything a traveler could want. Jungle, Beach, Ocean, Adventure and Mayan history all within a few hours of each other. Our 2019 New Year’s Eve celebration was all about family and adventure.
After a short flight to Belize City we were scooped up by our tour escort and on our way to Belmopan, outside of the Cayo District. After a 45 minute ride we reaching the scenic Hummingbird Highway and the seclusion of Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch Jungle Lodge. Caves Branch Jungle Lodge is for all ages, but specializes in adventure experiences. The founders history is quite impressive, being the first person to discover cave tubing in Belize. Ian Anderson has made his home in Belize and engages with the guests of his lodge every evening during a wifi-free family style dinner.
Our exquisite treehouse was in the heart of the jungle, wrapped in netting to allow the sounds of the jungle and the howler monkeys to surround you. We explored the property’s massive botanical gardens and then brought in the New Year early with 82 of our new friends while enjoying live music and a three course family style buffet dinner.
We struggled choosing two adventure tours out of the long list of options. The staff are very knowledgeable and the guides are EMT trained. Prior to arriving we had our heart set on the famous ATM tour but after discussing with several of the staff we decided to go with Ian Anderson’s Waterfall Cave Exploration and their signature Cave Tubing. The Waterfall Exploration tour was challenging, scary and exhilarating all at once. After a 25 minute hike through the jungle we made our way 3 miles through the deep cave. Bouldering, swimming, belaying, crawling, climbing, jumping…we did it all. The guides carried in our lunch in their packs and created an impressive spread for us by cave candlelight. This was a full day tour and by the time we were done we were very ready for the couple’s massage we scheduled.
The next day our Cave Tubing was less strenuous but just as enjoyable. The tour is a combination of hiking, walking, tubing and Mayan artifact education. Its amazing how many of the artifacts are completely intact which is a direct result of the care taken by guides and management. We headed back to the lodge for final meal with the other guests and continued into the night playing games and exchanging our tour experience stories.
Caves Branch Jungle Lodge offers a full meal plan and I certainly wouldn’t pass this up. The food is healthy and plentiful while offering something for everyone, even the pickiest of eaters. Your assigned table changes every day allowing you to meet other travelers and share stories. They also turn the wifi off during the evening meal to encourage conversation and engagement.
Our 3 nights in the jungle was too short but it was time for us to head off to the islands. We were escorted back to Belize City where we hopped a short Tropic Air flight. The island hop experience at the municipal airport was quite different than what we are used to in the United States. We gave them our name, no ID required, and walked right onto the plane while exchanging courtesies with the pilot. 25 minutes later we were landing on a small air strip in Caye Caulker.
Caye Caulker is the backpack, Go Slow, laid back life you crave. They call it like it is with bar and store names like “Enjoy Cafe”, “Happy Bar”, “Everything Market”. Although the accommodations are more budget-friendly with no luxury elements, they have small mom and pop restaurants that are five star quality. We opted to stay at Island Magic. Their pool and grounds are well maintained. The porch restaurant swings make this a perfect place to watch the waves and boats go by. The onsite restaurant is convenient but with so many wonderful options on the island, we had to get out and explore for every meal.
Caye Caulker Restaurants
Errolyn’s House of Fryjacks is a great start to the morning. Their fryjacks are huge so sharing is advised. Amor Y Cafe is a another great breakfast hot spot. Chef Kareen’s beach side lunch is not to be missed. My 17 year old son could have eaten every meal there - try the pork chop an jerk chicken. Wish Willy Bar & Grill is fun for a casual outdoor dinner. The setting is quirky and the beverage service even more so. Bring your own bottle opener as it becomes a running joke as to where it is each night. Pasta Per Caso has a nightly line and rightly so. They only offer 2 entree choices each night, fresh and perfectly home-made pasta. II Pelicano is perfect for a nice meal in a gorgeous setting. Hop into Barrier Reef Sports Bar for a little game of ring hook with the locals while enjoying a cold beer.
Exploring Caye Caulker
There was no need for a golf cart as we found it very easy on foot. Our walks took us in every direction and each day we found something new. The Split is popular and was not crowded during our holiday trip. Drinks are a little pricey but you are paying for the location. If you have time, make sure and visit the animal shelter. We stopped in on the first day and scheduled a time to walk a couple of their dogs the next day. In the evenings we head to the other side and watch the sun go down while enjoying $4 rum punches. We spent a day over at Koko King enjoying the sun in a cabana and their trampoline water toys.
We decided against the group full day water tours and found it quite easy to organize our own private tour. We used E-Z Boy Tours for a half day self-driven snorkeling tour. Hol Chan had more fish than we’ve seen in a very long time. The reefs are vibrant and fish plentiful. We swam with nurse sharks and spotted eagle rays. A last request was to see a manatee and our captain made it happen quickly seeming to know exactly where to find one.
On our last full day we took the water taxi over to explore Ambergris Caye for a few hours. We picked up a golf cart at the dock and headed out to South Beach, avoiding the over populated Secret Beach. Ambergris Caye is larger than Caye Caulker with more tourist traffic. Those looking for luxury accommodations are best suited on this island.
Our 8 day trip was coming to an end as we watched our final sunset over Caye Caulker. The next day it was a hop, skip and a jump back to the Caye Caulker airport and back through Belize City. We fell in love with Belize and spent way to much time researching the expat options. We Belize It!