Belize Training Trip - Andria, Lucy, Hugo and Jose
Day 1 (June 21st)
It was a humid start in Punta Gorda. We started to sweat as soon as the boat docked and the breeze was abruptly terminated. Bruno Kuppinger and Jose Torres were waiting for us in the shade of the immigration building.
It was pretty much lunch time, so Bruno drove us to the Olympic restaurant in downtown PG. It was stereotypically Belizean in that the best choices were not on the menu, but had to be coaxed out of the waitress (us: ‘what do you have for drinks?’, waitress: ‘we have orange juice and fruit punch’, us: do you have any lime juice?’, waitress: ‘hmm, let me check, I think I have two glasses left’).
Lunch was pretty good and we spent the time going over the itinerary with Bruno looking very bemused and going ‘You want to do all that in ONE day?’. Ever optimistic, we said ‘Yes’. Bruno wisely suggested that we start with what was most important and see how the day went.
So, the hotel visits began with Hickatee Cottages (owned by British couple Ian and Kate). The property is really cute, with a strong focus on responsible tourism and an attention to details in the British colonial style rooms (Kate makes all the bedspreads and cushions etc) – and, it goes without saying, personal service!
Next was new hotel called Sirmoor Hill Farm (owned by a couple from Florida, Richard and ). This was a lovely 100 year old British colonial style guesthouse but only has two rooms and not really any privacy. They do offer horseback riding on trails around the property. From here we headed onto Tranquility Lodge (hmm… nice but something not quite hitting the spot here!). And then on to Cotton Tree Lodge. We all loved this one. From the enormous Ceiba tree at the entrance of the raised walkways to the spacious rooms and the attention to detail. By the time the hotel tour ended we were even sweatier and parched, so we gratefully accepted the offer of some ice cold fruit punch before making our way to the Lodge at Big Falls. We were met by Rob and Martha, a very interesting couple who have been in Belize for a long time now. We really liked this one too and were persuaded to stick around for some lime juice and a brownie.
Then we headed to Sun Creek Lodge which is owned by Bruno Kuppinger and his Belizean wife. Even though it was dusky and they were mostly occupied, because, although they were very rustic, they were really sweet and a great option for student/economic groups.
When we got back into the van, we sank into our seats, glad that the (productive) work day was over. We headed to Machaca Hill and were greeted with ginger ice tea and eucalyptus cold cloths and escorted to our luxury rooms. After long, delicious showers we found the energy to head to the restaurant for some dinner and a chat about the next day’s itinerary. And then to bed. Wonderful beds! So we ran out of time - no night swimming tour of Blue Creek even though it sounded fantastic.
Day 2 (June 22nd)
Morning. Coffee. Breakfast. Tour of the property. We took the easy option and walked down the 365 steps to the river, taking the lift back up to the restaurant.
Loved this place. Would be hard pressed not to. We left around 9am and it started to rain fat drops as we left Punta Gorda. We had a quick visit of Nim Li Punit (just 5 mins outside of PG) which was small but pretty and had 2 open tombs. The light rain was refreshing even though it was still humid.
We drove to Mango Creek, stopping at the Savannah Airport on the way (Maya Island – they don’t have any international flights from here anymore). A bright white boat speedboat with blue trim and shade arrived to pick us up (we stayed in the AC van until it arrived!), and Dookie started the tour for us. We meandered around the likely spots until finally Dookie spotted a dolphin in the distance. We got really excited – none of us had expected to see dolphins! – and out came the cameras and video cameras. We saw the manatee twice – and only briefly as the water was a bit murky (best times of year for this tour are Oct – May as there is less rain and the water is clear. For birds, the best time is Nov – Jan as there is lots of migrating during this time, and May is best for whale sharks), but we saw at least two dolphins loads as they seemed curious about the boat.
We arrived in Placencia after midday and chatted with the owners of Joy Tours for a bit while we waited for Jose to arrive (he drove the van around). We also found out that Lobster Fest starts at the weekend (June 24th) so we were gutted that we would be missing it! And so the hotel visits started for the day.
First off, the new hotel/condo owned by Joy Tours right in the centre of Placencia Village on the beach, Nirvana. We were not so excited about this concrete creation. Then we visited the Placencia Hotel which is a ginormous complex complete with marina, tennis courts, a casino under construction and plans for an international airport. We popped into Laru Beya which we thought was quite cosy for a condo. We also checked out Roberts Grove, Green Parrot, Singing Sands– this one we really liked as a new option for mid range clients! - before Andria gently reminded me that it was 4pm, so we hurried over to Habanero’s restaurant (owned by Robert’s Grove) for a late lunch. Replete and exhausted, we agreed on one more quick stop before heading to Turtle Inn.
And so, FINALLY, we arrived at Turtle Inn for our night of well-earned luxury. After hot outdoor showers, we summoned enough energy to get in the van (we had been going to cycle but were dissuaded by the concierge) into town for gelato at Tutti Frutti and a quick drink at the Tipsy Tuna where there was some local Garifuna dancing going on. And bed.
Day 3 (June 23rd)
A slow but good breakfast and tour of Turtle Inn (which is almost a destination in itself!) set us up for the morning. It started out cloudy, which along with the sea breeze, was just lovely.
From here we drove to the Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary (the road from Placencia to the Hummingbird Highway is fully paved now!!) and did a short, pleasant hike to the river. We didn’t spot any jaguars, but managed to pick up some copal which we squeezed over ourselves as a natural insect repellent. There are much more strenuous hikes and waterfalls for those with the time and inclination. The Victoria Peak hike starts from here too. We made it to the Gulisi project where a very punctual Phylis Cayetano was a little stressed by our late arrival.
This is a Garifuna school and museum which was founded in order to preserve the Garifuna living culture and history. We had a traditional Garifuna dance presentation (check out Hugo joining in in the below video!) and a tour of the museum before a quick detour to Pen Cayetano’s art gallery/studio. Pen Cayetano is considered to be the father of punta rock music and is a well known artist. His wife, Ingrid, is also an artist. Another five minutes (Dangriga is pretty small) and we were being introduced to Dayta at a place where they make Garifuna drums (our clients tend to also take in the cassava bread making). Then we went to look at a hotel that some clients had mentioned to us called Jungle Huts in Dangriga. Nothing to report here.
And onwards to Hopkins… the scenery changed condominiums lined up on dredged land to dirt roads and trees (with glimpses of the ocean every now and then). In the village itself, there are lots of colourful, local gift shops, a couple of restaurants with nationally renown chefs and little guest houses and B&B’s. It was a welcome respite from the saturation of Placencia. We stopped in at Hamanasi first and really liked it. We also visited Belizean Dreams (condos, but not bad), Beaches and Dreams (they looked very sweet and rustic but were closed for June), and then made it to Jaguar Reef (which includes Almond Beach and Villa Verano). Despite our late morning start, we made it to Jaguar Reef in daylight and managed to get into the Caribbean Sea for a swim (except for Jose who was cleaning the van)!! Bliss…
Our new favourite places in Belize are Toledo (which we dubbed the Belizean Mixed Platter as it had a little of everything) and Hopkins instead of Placencia.
Day 4 – June 24th (last day!)
We started early again as we had a lot to pack in before our flight back from Flores. We had all decided it would be nice to go and see the Marie Sharpe’s hot sauce factory as it was so close by, so we did that, getting overtaken by the lady herself on the way there. They allowed us in for the spicy tour, even though Andria did not meet the clothing requirements (no sleeveless tops and no shorts! Opening hours 7-12, 1-5 weekdays). Lots of shopping later, we stopped impromptu in St Margaret’s Village to meet Fidelia Raymundo who has (and coordinates) homestays there. The houses look more than acceptable: private rooms with bathrooms for guests and then they share meals etc with the host families. Five Blues Lake is just 5 miles from here.
With time ticking away, we headed towards Calico Jacks. On the way, we saw a sign for Gumbolimbo Resort and just had to stop in and take a look. This was a sweet, British owned eco-style resort, only 4 rooms, but could work for some of our clients. So a productive stop all in all. We passed Green Hills Butterfly Farm and the turn off to Barton Creek Cave, and not long later arrived at the Calico Jacks property. They also have a couple of rooms. See the below picture. No words necessary. However, the zipline is fantastic and the safest option we have seen yet in the region!
After this we visited the Mariposa Jungle Lodge, another one mentioned by some clients before and we like this one as well. Similar level to Gumbolimbo but very different style.
No time left for anything else except to head to the border, say goodbye to Jose and from there head to the Flores Airport with our driver Ernesto Vasquez. Because of bad weather in Guate, the planes were delayed, but we made it back to the City around 7pm where Josue’s smiling face was waiting for the planes (Andria and Hugo were on one and I was on the other). The last part of the journey was spent listening the Ricardo Arjona until my laptop battery fizzled out. Like us.
