Luxury Belize Trip Review: Placencia, Punta Gorda, Banana Plantation, Women's Coop, Maya Archaeological Site, Wildlife, Snorkeling

Review by traveler

Trish M.

11.15.2019

General Info

Traveler Review

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Belize

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

We had a wonderful trip and this travel company did an amazing job of organizing it for us. We had never been to Belize before and the travel designer really listened to what we wanted before putting the trip together for us. The best part of her planning was suggesting the different regions for us to visit. We had picked Belize because we had heard about the snorkeling, but our designer suggested that we should see other regions. She booked us time in the interior, on the coast, and then south. Each region was unique and interesting.
The other thing that the travel designer got right after listening to us was the choice of accommodation. The three lodges we stayed at were luxurious and welcoming, but not stuffy. They were perfect for us.
Finally, everything was well planned and smooth, down from being greeted at the airport to each transfer from lodge to lodge. We didn't encounter a single problem. However, it was clear that the company was keeping an unobtrusive ear to the ground about our trip and I don't doubt for a second if there had been any problems that they would have dealt with them efficiently.
Overall, we were very happy both with the experience that this travel company put together for us and with the service that they provided in making that experience happen.

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

We had such a wonderful time, it is difficult to pick out the most enjoyable. Belize was so much more than we were expecting. The three places we stayed were so different and all wonderful in their own way. We were trying to decide which was our favorite spot, but in the end it was impossible. We loved each and every location!

The resort at Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve felt like we were being welcomed into the staff’s home. They were so warm and welcoming. Our guides were knowledgeable and proud of their country and region. It was fun to hear all they had to tell us. My favorite expedition was the visit to the Women’s cooperative in San Antonio. I loved learning about the pottery and how to make tortillas. But I think my husband’s favorite was Caracol. Not only did we get to learn about the Mayan people, we saw both howler monkeys and spider monkeys. We missed out on the natural caves, because there was a big storm and the river was too high, but we didn’t mind a bit. It meant that we weren’t too tired to enjoy the garden tour and dinner, which we both really enjoyed. And an assistant helped us pick wonderful wine with each delicious dinner.

The Inn in Placencia was also amazing. Again, our guides really made the visit special. In the end we substituted the Monkey River tour for the Banana plantation, and I am happy about that. We had a wonderful day and a delicious lunch at the little village. And the hike at the Jaguar Reserve was muddy, but really wonderful. We saw fresh jaguar and tapir prints. One of the things I really liked about all the tours is that the guides mainly seemed as if they were local and really cared about what they were showing us. And the snorkeling was super special!

The lodge in Punta Gorda was different yet again. At first we were questioning moving to a third spot, but we were so glad we did. What a special environment! And we really enjoyed both the rum distillery and bean to bar chocolate tours. We decided on our last night to do the sunset river cruise. It was really a great way to say goodbye to Belize.

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

I think the only thing I might do differently would be to travel a bit further into the dry season. We were lucky in that it didn't rain that much during the day. But the first week at the resort at Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve the storms at night did swell the rivers to a point that we didn't get the chance to explore the caves. However, the lodges were pretty quiet, and I enjoyed that. I have a feeling that they get much busier during the high season. Many of our adventures were with just me, my husband and the guide. I wonder if that is possible during the busy times of year.
The other thing was that I didn't really realize how close we were to Guatemala and if I had done some more homework, I might have liked to have left some more time on the schedule while we were at the resort to go see some other Mayan ruins, such as Tikal.

Photos

Luxury Belize Trip Review: Placencia, Punta Gorda, Banana Plantation, Women's Coop, Maya Archaeological Site, Wildlife, Snorkeling

General Info

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

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