How mindful it is to wake up at sunrise in the morning over a cup of coffee, with your binoculars in hand to spot the most unusual and colourful birds and watch the rainforest wake up. In the distance, you can hear how the howler monkeys move in search of food, an unmistakable sound! This jungle lodge is a true Local Hideaway with 20 Cabins tucked away in Belize’s rainforest. Great nature guides, good food and a fantastic atmosphere…. this place should not be missed on your tour of this amazing country!
On the ‘wishlist’ for so long was Belize… this small central American country sandwiched between Mexico (Yucatan) and Guatemala is a ‘hidden gem’! I was still a bit apprehensive that there would be too many American tourists and especially pensionados staying there but nothing could be further from the truth, especially if you plan it a bit well in terms of travel time and where you stay… of course I can advise on that!
Belize is a treasure trove of hidden Mayan temples, overwhelming jungle and an enchanting underwater world. It houses the second largest reef in the world, after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The people are super friendly and speak very good English as well as Spanish (it was an old British colony). Travelling there is easy and it is safe… are you convinced yet?
Then I am now going to make you happy with a fantastic jungle lodge… and believe me, this is a Hideaway pure and simple and this is where you want to go!
American Cameron has already changed tack and followed his heart to the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve south of Tulum in Yucatan Mexico. There he ran a successful lodge. But with rising tourism in the once paradise of Tulum and climate change making coastal tropical storms increasingly violent and unpredictable, he sought a new location to fulfil his dreams. So he found a special and somewhat remote spot in the rainforest near a river in Belize. There, he expanded the existing lodge and trained locals to work as nature guides.
It is now a well-oiled machine with several categories of cabins, a beautiful central ‘clubhouse’ housing the restaurant and a first-row seat for birdwatching and watching the ‘tubers’ float by in the river… at least once they have braved the rapids and stayed in their tubes 😉
You can book various tours led by expert guides but there is also plenty of opportunity to relax. For example, by the little pool, on the riverbank or on your own terrace in the hammock. You really can stay here for a while longer without getting bored!
The place for nature lovers!
Because how mindful it is to wake up at dawn in the morning over a cup of coffee, binoculars in hand to spot the most unusual and colourful birds and watch the rainforest wake up. In the distance, you can hear the howler monkeys moving around in search of food, an unmistakable sound!
The people who work here are like family and very service-oriented. You eat delicious food and the atmosphere is top notch. Perfect for families, but solo travellers or couples also feel very much at home here!
I still regularly long to return to this special place, but when I close my eyes I can hear the howler monkeys again, see the toucans and hummingbirds and hear the flow of the river… then for a moment I am Jungle Jane again ;-)!
San Ignacio, Belize, Central America
