Jungle and Sea in Belize

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

My main complaint was the attitude and friendliness of the place. No one went out of their way to be nice, and you often had to ask a lot for things. We called for a ride from the airport, but the shuttle "was not working," (In reality, a taxi cost $20 versus $10 per person for the shuttle.) We arrived planning to book the next day's trips, but the tour desk was randomly closed for the entire day. The pool on our side was closed (no one told us), and on the other side, it looked kinda dirty and extremely deserted. The dinner menus in our room were never correct, food was generally just mediocre, and phone charges were pure robbery.

The overall mood there was deserted! It was almost like a ghost town; we later learned that we were there on non-cruise ship days. HOWEVER, considering other options in Belize City, it might have been the best. Princess Casino looked big and decent, but was in an area all by itself, whereas Radisson was close to the tourist shops and other restaurants.

So, here are a few things about The Aguada. I think that if you have an open family-style hotel, you should reconsider because of the Rottweiler dogs that wander around the premises without leashes. I never heard a peep out of them or saw them come after me, but it just seemed creepy and uncomfortable.

The other strange part of our stay was the beds. The mattresses have seen better days. They were not all that comfortable, but more disturbingly, my husband woke up with small itchy bites that were definitely NOT mosquito bites and definitely not obtained anywhere else.

Otherwise, the one younger lady that works there is amazingly friendly and helpful, as she gave honest opinions on what to do. The other staff members were so-so.

The rooms were quiet and the bathrooms were sufficient. And most importantly, they have air-conditioning.

There is a pool, but it seemed dirty and no one was ever in it.

The atmosphere there is weird-very quiet with bad canned music and a huge staff watching your every move. The breakfast buffet was about $8 and had basic eggs, meats, fruits, and good baked goods. Considering your options in Belize City, this place is probably safe to get something decent most nights. The usual menus had an abundance of pasta dishes, "their specialty," but we never really ordered these things.

They specialize in seafood and Caribbean-type foods. The bar drinks were good but low on alcohol. I was a little worried that the "fresh lobster" was too frozen to be served that night. I had some nice and spicy shrimp with rice and beans.

My husband's quote on this place was, "expensive for what it is," but considering this place versus the Radisson restaurant, this place at least has better character.

We found the usual candy bars, chips, and drinks (load up on the water) and also little handmade sandwhiches for $1 each -- very tasty, even though we never found out all the ingredients. The cashier was nice and chatted with us. Overall, it was a safe-feeling place (not all of Belize City feels like this), and we got some good deals on our road trip food.

The dinner location is way romantic. There is an indoor area that has a lodge atmosphere and then an outdoor covered porch that feels like it's in the forest.

The size of the waitstaff was someone overwhelming; we counted three people checking on us during dinner, so we were confused about who to ask for things. Dinner consists of standard pizzas, which are supposed to be the specialty, and other dishes ranging from Belizean food to steak. One highlight was the bread with oil and balsamic vinegar, which was not your standard oil and vinegar--I almost licked the plate. The pizza was great, but not quite spectacular. The crust was perfect, and the sauce was a little plain for my taste, but with fresh-tasting toppings like mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Their Coppola wine went well with the pizza.

But dessert was definitely their specialty. There were only two options, but the torte we had melted in my mouth and had a lovely presentation, as well. A perfect ending.

The drinks are good--I had one powerful Panty Ripper and some pretty good Pina Coladas. I thought the food was good for pub grub. I recommend the chili for a meaty and spicy treat, served with yummy fresh corn tortillas. The quesadillas were just good--nothing to write home about.

Anyway, you should not leave Cayo without visiting; you might not be impressed, but it is all about the people and atmosphere. Also, there is a slate-carver there who is really sweet and goes out of his way to please. Support the local artists!

We saw a recommendation for Sam Tillet and called the number. We had someone pick us up in Belize City, drive us there, and then another person take us out on the water. To save money, if you have a car, you could probably drive there yourself and do the same, but I would call ahead to have a guide ready. If not, there were two places that might do last-minute guides-Sam Tillets and a birding hotel. You need a guide because you need to go out on the water to see things. The attractions are the birds: herons, egrets, ducks, etc., and also the iguanas and possibly crocodiles.

We had a 2-hour tour around the sanctuary, which looks like a large lake initially. In the back it turns more into a river and winds around through mangroves and trees.

The birds were cool, although herons and egrets are pretty often seen in the U.S. The orange iguanas in the trees were quite interesting.

Our guide was able to tell us about the different trees, like what the bark was used for, etc., and also a little bit about the different birds. He had a keen eye for finding different things.

Take a hat for the sun; our guide had binoculars and bird books.

It was worth going, although it reminded me of time spent in the Everglades, as it was not any more exotic that that.

Take the fly swatter, as this is a better mosquito repellant than the 75% DEET we had. When you see over 50 mosquitoes hanging off your guide's back, you start to panic.

Our assigned guide walked us across the street to a lane beside a house. He showed us the extremely interesting trail of leaf cutter ants. It was surprising, but the knowledge he had of the ants was more than enough to make me glad to be there-it was really cool.

As soon as we reached the trees, I immediately saw the monkeys. Two came swinging down to check us out. They were curious to see us too, but not in that obviously tame way. Our guide left to get some tasty leaves they like to eat, and I was left wondering if they were safe to pet or touch. I did pet the paw while I kept him entranced with my fly swatter. Our guide brought the leaves, which we fed to the interested monkeys. There were a few in the trees above that kept their distance from us. One of which was the alpha male. Our guide had the ability to "howl" at the monkeys and provoke them to howl back to defend their area. The sound was unbelievable coming from these cute soft animals.

We then walked around the rest of the sanctuary for maybe 15 minutes, looking at the plants and learning a lot about medicinal plants, etc.

This was one of the highlights of Belize. Even though you can see Howler Monkeys in the zoo, and you should go to the zoo, this experience is totally different and worth the "fly" bites.

The "Tourist Village", or whatever it is called, actually requires a check-in to keep the street people from getting in -- and then probably charging high rent. In retrospect, this was the single best place to get stuff in Belize. At the time, we thought it was probably more expensive, but really, most are average deals.

Besides the usual t-shirts, bracelets, the highlights are:
- some awesome wood carvings
- some exquisate granite vases
- various "Mayan" blankets
- an alcohol store with decent prices (although, if you are flying, just wait for the duty-free in the airport for similar prices and more convenience)
- a popular pharmacy where you can get OTC American prescriptions

The Tourist Village, or whatever it is called, actually requires a check-in to keep the street people from getting in. In retrospect, this was the single best place to get stuff in Belize. At the time we thought it was probably more expensive, but you really get average deals.

Besides the usual T-shirts and bracelets, the highlights are:

- some awesome wood carvings
- some exquisite granite vases
- various "Mayan" blankets
- an alcohol store with decent prices (although if you are flying, just wait for the duty-free shops in the airport for similar prices and more convenience)
- a popular pharmacy where you can get American prescriptions over the counter

Next, the drive started upwards, and we could see the mountain slopes around us. The dirt was the lovely Georgia red, as promised.

We then stopped at Blanceneaux Lodge to hang out until dinner. The premises there were outstanding. The air is so different -- cooler, with a breeze, and very fresh. The pines are small and puny compared the the northwest US, but they're still lovely. At Blanceneaux, there is a nice stream and water fall with a few trails to walk around. It was hard to remember this was still Belize. Very different from the miles of shrubby mangrove areas of the coast, and different from the lush jungles.

It was smaller than and not as varied as some butterfly houses I've been to, but the tour and information made it my best butterfly experience ever.

There is a local family that breeds and raises several varieties of butterflies and sells them all over the world. The most famous is the Blue Morpho, but they also have some interesting varieties, such as a small transparent-winged wonder.

We showed up without an appointment, walked over, and met the owner/guide. She showed us into her butterfly house and showed us all the stages of butterfly life, from mating to caterpillar to crysalis and hatching. We also discussed plants, food, and behavior. There are plenty of photo opportunities as the butterflies land on you, flutter around, or pose on flowers.

She also has a few tourist souvenirs to sell.