This resort is worth it for the view alone. It’s located on the top of the rolling hills of San Ignacio and the locality provides a panoramic view of the lights at night and a breathtaking view of the town sheltered by the lush greens of a multitude of trees and shrubs everywhere you look. The resort provides a choice of lodging options. You can choose to stay in a private cabana with a large screened porch looking out at the town, or you can choose a room in their hotel type structure which also looks out on the town. The cabanas provide you with more of a outdoorsy type experience and, in my opinion, give the place a unique charm.

Cahal Pech does mean land of the ticks so make sure to be on the lookout for these little critters burrowing in – I had a couple start digging in to me and I would still go back – just do a quick check and be on your way.

The staff at this resort are absolutely friendly and totally willing to do anything to help accommodate you. The feeling you get from them is that they will do anything to try and make your stay as memorable as possible. They are happy to set up any tours you would like to take and give any information you may need about the surrounding areas.

Hannah’s Restaurant

One night in San Ignacio we were trying to figure you where to eat and just roaming around town looking for a place. We stopped and asked a taxi driver what he would recommend and he pointed out Hannah’s. When we arrived we recognized the place as being recommended earlier in the day by a local guy who lives in a village just outside of San Ignacio. If you ask two people where to go eat and you get the same answer just go for it. So we walked in and the tiny little placed was packed wall to wall – we knew it must be a good sign.

It’s a simple little wooden structure and really looks like a total hole in the wall, but don’t be fooled – the food and service at Hannah’s was absolutely outstanding. I had the sliced eggplant with mozzarella, tomato, and basil with a side of coconut rice and my friend had rice and beans with stewed chicken. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive – something you don’t always get in Belize. We didn’t wait long for service, drinks or food even though the place was crowded. Dinner started with a garden salad and we could have just stopped there and been impressed. I’ve spent the last 10 months here ordering a side salad and receiving a tiny serving of iceberg lettuce, some tomato and maybe a cucumber. Dressing choices are ranch and ranch typically. This salad was superb – visually it was impressive – mixed greens, onion, star fruit, cucumber, cabbage and possibly a few other items. Then we got to choose from a selection of about 6 different dressings. Wow.

The main courses didn’t disappoint either. First of all I have never even seen an eggplant entrée on any Belizean menu so that was a great start. It was delicious and the coconut rice was packed with flavor. My friend’s rice and beans with chicken was also outstanding. You may think that if you’ve tasted one rice and bean dish you have tasted them all, but this is just not the case. The rice had the perfect amount of coconut and the chicken practically melted in your mouth. In fact, we attempted to find the same flavor in the rice at other restaurants on our trip and it was never duplicated.

Make sure to stop off at Hannah’s to eat if you find yourself in San Ignacio.

The amazing thing was that Alyson had just been in a horse riding/traffic accident the day before in which he was thrown from the horse on to the pavement of the highway. No matter – he told me that cowboys don’t go to the hospital, I happen to disagree with him but I was impressed by his ability to provide a fantastic tour for us despite the pain he was in.

As we rode along in the jungle he pointed out the various plants and animals and gave us explanations of each – I even learned how to make a thatched roof from him. So now when I get on Survivor I can save the day an make the shelter – all thanks to Alyson. The horses were easy to handle and knew just what they were doing. They had packed a delicious lunch for us which we stopped to eat before our trip in to the caves.

It was a perfect day and Alyson made it easy. Unfortunately I don’t have contact information but make the effort to try and locate him – you won’t be sorry. Plus you can say you’ve met the bull riding champion of Belize if you do!

Pine Ridge

Five Sisters Lodge

We stayed at 5 sisters lodge off a recommendation along our way through San Ignacio. We had been told the falls were a ton of fun to play in so we thought we’d check that out first and then decide if we wanted to stay there for the night. When we arrived it was so gorgeous – the landscaping was breathtaking. There are so many trees, shrubs and flowers around that you will see something new every time you walk along the various pathways.

The falls themselves were so much fun. We spent half a day playing around in the water and on the falls and it could have easily taken up the entire day but we didn’t arrive until the afternoon. Hammocks, restrooms and thatched structures are provided in the water area. You make a steep trek down to get to the water but of course it’s worth it. I was easily distracted from the steepness by looking at all the plant life around me – in fact I almost tripped a couple of times from not paying attention so beware.

We decided to stay the night but the office was closed when we got back up to the lodge. No matter, the host at their restaurant was happy enough to find someone to get us in a room. While we waited for the room to get ready we decided to eat at their place. They have a nightly menu with about 4 choices including one vegetarian dish. I had the tropical pasta and it was fantastic. The flavor was phenomenal and the pasta was cooked to perfection. It topped any pasta I had had in the states or Belize for a very long time.

After dinner we went to check out the rooms. It was a cute little cabana with a mountain view. A screened in porch was attached with a nice hammock to relax in and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. The rooms were comfortable and cute – perfect for the setting.

The staff was super friendly and very helpful the next day when we were trying to figure out what we wanted to find the next day without a guide. In fact we got the best recommendation of our entire trip from one staff member – he suggested we check out Big Rock since it was so close to the lodge. As you know from my previous post this was my favorite spot of the trip and he was the only person who suggested it. Even if you don’t want to spend a night here make sure to stop off for lunch and a swim.

Ian Anderson’s Adventure Company & Jungle Lodge

We stopped off at Ian Anderson’s for a night on the way to Placencia. It was off of Hummingbird highway and I had heard that they had tree houses. Of course this was intriguing. This place was an incredible experience. It is set in mostly uncut jungle and accommodates travellers of every budget. You can choose the $15 per person bunk house all the way up to Jungle Tree houses for around $250 US per night (there may have been a discount for the off season).

The resort is set up as a jungle adventure experience and most people staying here also make use of the adventure tours that the resort sets up. We did have to sign our life away before we could stay there since we are in the jungle and they do not want to be liable for a snake bite or any other such thing – I have to say that this was a first for me, I’ve never had to sign a waiver before staying in a hotel, resort or lodge. I signed away and we made our way to the bungalow. It is totally screened in rather than solid walls with an indoor and outdoor shower with hot/cold water. The screens rather than walls make available the jungle noises of the night – we even had a tropical rain come through with some thunder. It was a cool experience – a jungle noises CD come to life. The resort is completely jungle except for the pathways, bungalows and lodge so there is a wealth of foliage and animal life.

The food is set up buffet style with family seating so the opportunity is there to meet new friends during the dining times. There are set times for breakfast, lunch and dinner so make sure you’re on time to eat. They also have a pool and Jacuzzi at the lodge area which was extremely refreshing after our few days of hiking and riding through the jungle.

Tutti Frutti Gelato

While we were in Placenia we had passed this little gelato shop a couple times and commented about it but had failed to go in for the first day and most of the second that we were there. It was only after I had checked my Twitter account and had a message from @PonchosTravels to make sure I stopped by Tutti Frutti and tried the best gelato in the world. Well, I had to go now. So I went back to the hotel room and told my friend that we had to go check this place out. It was close to 5 so we were trying to make it before the hour in case they closed down at 5.

We got there just in time to try it out. Visually the place was fantastic with a glass case full of every color in the rainbow whipped in to the perfect creamy treat on a hot day. I tried the lime and coconut – I can not tell you if it is in fact the best in the world since my gelato experiences are limited but I can say that it was delicious. Certainly something you don’t see often in Belize so if you find yourself in Placencia make sure to stop in and try it out.

Seaweed Shakes

On a side note I will also recommend that you try a seaweed shake while in Placencia, sounds a little gross to some but it was a yummy treat as well and they are sold all over the small town.

Hopefully you will find some of these recommendations useful if you find yourself travelling through this beautiful country. If you don’t have it on your destination list you should get it on the list and check this amazing place out.

First off, I am sorry it’s been so long since the last entry – I took a very cool trip last week to see different parts of Belize and had very limited internet access (which was a little nice if I’m telling secrets). So last Monday I headed out from Corozal with a friend to San Ignacio which would be our first stop of the trip. We got a slightly late start so we didn’t get in to San Ignacio until 9pm but the drive really only took a few hours which completely surprised me. Lucky for us the reception desk at Cahal Pech didn’t close until 10pm so we were able to get in to the cabin for the night. So the following is a short chronicle of some of the adventures that I had while exploring…

Monday night:
I wouldn’t necessarily classify myself as particularly clumsy but now I’ve realized that I may have been in denial all my life about this and now know why I always have bruised shins. The first thing I did on the first night of the trip was fall forward and totally scraped up my knee at the Cahal Pech resort. This was the first of many falls over the course of the week and I think I was more acutely aware of them since I was travelling with someone whom I had never spent a lot of time with. I totally laughed it off while my knee was stinging like crazy and heaved my bags in to the cabin. I plopped down on the couch and took a look at the damage – just some minor scraping so I doused it with hydrogen peroxide and washed it off a bit. I know – this has nothing to do with Belize but I thought it was so typical that I would start the trip off like that I had to include it.

We really didn’t do too much Monday night besides check in but it was very beautiful that night. The resort is named after a Mayan ruin site close by called Cahal Pech and is located on the very top of San Ignacio (it may not be the tallest point there but it certainly seemed like it). You can see the entire city from the resort balcony and it is really breathtaking. I didn’t realize that San Ignacio was so large (for Belize) but there was an excellent span of town lights below us. I was excited to see the town the next day. I asked one of the staff people at the resort what Cahal Pech what the name meant and he told me, “land of the ticks.” Hmm – I immediately wondered to myself when I would see a tick on my body.

Tuesday – San Ignacio:
Tuesday morning we did a quick tour of the town after breakfast with a friend who lives in a village outside of San Ignacio. Hugh took us around the main parts of town and pointed out a few restaurants to try later. It was such a cool little town and I immediately liked it. I got the vibe right away that there are a lot more tourists going through San Ignacio and that was evident by all the tourist type signage along with the random groups of obvious foreigners with their backpacks attached to them. It was still a very laid back atmosphere and with the town being set in the hills it was a different look than I had been used to in this country. It really reminded me of a little college town but with tourists instead of students.

After the town tour we decided to hire a guide to go horseback riding through the jungle and to the Barton Creek Caves. I was officially a tourist on this trip so I would be doing tourist type things. Our guides name was Allyson and he is the bull riding champion of Belize and a complete cowboy. His face was all scraped up on one side and we found out that he had just been in a horse/traffic incident the day before. He was trying to avoid a collision of the horse he was riding and some oncoming vehicles on the highway and as he was turning the horses aggressively he fell off of it and landed head first in to the pavement. I asked him if he went to the hospital and he immediately retorted, “cowboys don’t go to the hospital!” I just laughed and we continued on the horses.

It was a beautiful and informative ride through the jungle. My horse’s name was Grey and he was obviously a little older. I’ve noticed on the few guided trips I’ve been on I typically get the older, calmer, more experienced horses and I believe it’s because I’m a girl and small (I could be wrong). I’ve ridden horses as a kid but it does always take a little bit for me to get reacquainted with riding a horse. I liked Grey a lot but we had to compromise on how many times he needed to stop walking and eat grass on the side of the path. He didn’t really want to compromise but finally on the trip back we seemed to come to some sort of agreement. For the first and last part of the ride we saw a good sized Mennonite community which was very interesting – we passed a bunch of horse drawn carriages carrying Mennonite men, women and children all dressed in the typical long dress and a bonnet for the girls and long pants, suspenders with a blue shirt for the boys. Everyone was very friendly and offered a wave and a smile when we would pass by.

We arrived at the caves with an appetite and parched. So before we headed in with the canoes we stopped and ate the lunch Allyson’s wife had packed. There was a little spider monkey on site who was providing us with lunch entertainment. He was obviously a captive pet since he was on a leash and collar tied to a thatched roof. It was funny watching a bored monkey – he was playing a game with himself by throwing his body off the roof and hanging by the collar around his neck, then he would have to try to get himself back up on the roof before choking himself. At first it seemed like he was in trouble, but then he kept doing it over and over again so I came to the conclusion that he was simply bored.

After lunch we piled in to a canoe and Allyson grabbed a light to use. If I’ve learned anything in this country it’s that safety just doesn’t mean the same thing as in the states. Allyson plopped the car battery in the front of the canoe in a pool of water and attached the jumper cables to the spot light that would be our guide through the dark tunnel we would be exploring. We just laughed and went with it. The ride through wasn’t too long and it was a little spooky. All we heard along the way were the tiny splashes of water from the stalactites above and the occasional sound of a tiny bat flying over our heads. On the way out of the cave is when the excitement happened. Suddenly the hand held light that I was in charge of started going dim. I announced that it seemed we were going to lose our light and on that sentence Allyson started really paddling hard to get us out of the cave faster. I started laughing as our light got dimmer and dimmer – I started to wonder what it would feel like to be stuck in this cave with absolutely no light and way to see the path out. I didn’t have to worry about it too much though because just as our light stopped working we saw the small circle of light that was the cave opening in the distance so we made it out safely.

Wednesday – Pine Ridge Mountains – Five Sisters:
Wednesday morning was the day I discovered the ticks on me. I knew it had to happen and these were the first ticks I had ever had on my body despite the fact that I lived and camped all over the Oregon woods. It was disturbing but I always had imagined that I would freak out a little more if I ever found a tick on me. I was very calm despite the tiny little insect burrowing into my skin – yuck. I discovered the first tick at breakfast and based on what I had read I asked the waitress for a match to try and put some heat to it (I didn’t know what to do but I had always heard to not just pull them out). The girl at the counter just laughed at me and told me to give her my arm – I did and she simply plucked the little thing out. Worked for me.

This was my absolute favorite part of the whole trip. The Pine Ridge area is a totally different look to Belize. Instead of the blue waters of the Caribbean and towering palm trees, we were surrounded by pine trees and small creeks and rivers. It was all so green and the butterflies were almost everywhere my eyes looked. The plan was to head to a resort called Five Sisters which was named after a grouping of five waterfalls located just below the resort. It was a little trek down to the falls but well worth it. Since it is the rainy season and therefore the off season for tourists we essentially had the place to ourselves. So for the rest of the day we swam and played in the waterfalls. It was perfect barring the tiny little worms that seemed to be in the water and I had to brush off every now and then – I guess that’s the compromise to get to swim in nature’s pools. That night I discovered the second tick on me and this time it had dug in even more so I tried again to ask for some matches but the waiter just pulled that one out as well. I hope I don’t get lyme disease.

Thursday – Pine Ridge Mountains – Big Rock, Rio On Pools and 1,000 foot falls:
My very favorite location of the entire trip was Big Rock. Interestingly enough it was also the least hyped by far. It wasn’t listed on any of the things to do lists, or suggested by the various people we had been talking to. We would have missed it except one of the hosts at the Five Sisters Lodge suggested we check it out since it was only about 5 minutes away. I remembered seeing the very small, wooded sign along the road the had “Big Rock” simply etched on it and I remembered laughing at it. I take it all back – and make sure it gets on your list if you’re in the area. It was another waterfall which wasn’t too big to play in and not too small to be aesthetically pleasing. There were two pools of crystal blue, invigorating water to swim in and we spent most of the day playing in the water here. Again, because of the off-season we had the whole place to ourselves which made the experience that much more fun. Everything else this day was amazing to see but none of it lived up to the Big Rock experience. After searching all day for a black orchid growing in the wild I finally saw one at the resort we stayed at Thursday night – unfortunately it wasn’t growing wild but rather, in a pot hanging from the deck. Oh well, at least I saw one. Later I would read in a Belize guide book that they grow wild beside the gift shop at 1,000 foot falls – I was kicking myself that I didn’t know that before we saw the 1,000 foot falls. I guess I have something to look for next time.

Friday & Saturday – Placencia:
Placencia was the last stop on the trip. Placencia is a beach town in southern Belize. I didn’t know a whole lot about it going in so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it would be nice to see a beach here though. It was instantly apparent that this was home to a larger expat community because driving in to the town we were greeted by a collection of partially to wholly completed enormous houses being built in a new development. They looked totally out of place compared to the rest of the country so I wasn’t sure what to expect when we arrived in town. The houses along the road to Placencia seemed to all be like this and I wondered when the actual town would start. Finally we got in to a small village just outside of Placencia that looked more like the Belize that I know.

We basically spent our two days here lounging around and not really doing too much. It was all about laying on the beach, writing and relaxing for me. The ocean was washing in a bunch of debris so I only went in once but it was gorgeous to look at. Saturday night we got to see a local band play punta rock at the Tispy Tuna which was a nice treat. We also got to be treated like tourists and got hit up by a local rasta to sell us anything he could from ganja to day trips out on the water. Bartenders in Placencia are a little more creative with their drink menus than Corozal so I tried all sorts of different concoctions with a mix of coconut rum, grapefruit and hibiscus being my favorite. It was clear that this was a town of expats because almost every establishment we went in to had a foreigner working or owning the place.

We left Placencia in the thunder and lightning so it was a good day to end the trip. The ride back to the Belize City international airport only took about 3.5 hours and I headed out on a Tropic Air plane to Corozal. I got lucky for my trip back because I got to experience a rare trip direct to Corozal from Belize City in the co-pilot chair since I was the lone person flying back to Corozal.

Overall it was a fantastic experience and I am so happy I got to take the trip. Now I can actually recommend a few more areas of this country and I now know how much Belize has to offer. If you get a chance to visit someday do not pass it up! I’ll be putting a list of recommended dining and lodging together for my next entry since that’s a whole other matter.