Belize has been on my radar for a place to visit ever since I discovered that with just a three-hour flight from Houston, I could experience its jungles and Caribbean blue waters. Looking for a budget and eco friendly option, I chose the Lodge at Chaa Creek. The Lodge was founded with the opportunity to experience Belize’s unique ecology, history and culture in the atmosphere of affordable luxury. While the Lodge offers pricier luxury accommodations, it also operates an all-inclusive budget campground with casitas perched along the Macal River, which provided an affordable family vacation for us.

May 2016-After a short flight into Belize City, we rented a car for the two-hour drive inland to reach our accommodations for the next four nights. The roads were easy to navigate and we were able to schedule our own excursions at a much lower cost with our own transportation. We arrived at the reception area to be greeted with cold washcloths and freshly squeezed juice. The excitement didn’t last long when we realized it was 102 degrees.  Apparently we had arrived just before the rainy season when temperatures tend to soar. Our camp host transported us with our luggage over to the campground. A quick tour of the facilities included our wooden casitas with a tarp roof and screened windows to allow breezes, which were the only source of cooling during our stay. The beds were comfortable, and kerosene lamps were lit each night at dusk. Each casita had a small balcony with a hammock and chairs that overlooked the jungle. There was also a small bathroom located about 30 feet from our tent, which was nice for nighttime visits.   After unpacking, we were anxious to head back to the main resort to take advantage of the infinity pool to cool off. We hiked about 15 minutes along a medicinal plant nature trail that bordered the river to reach the pool area. After a dip in the pool and a poolside drink, our attitudes improved. Afternoon breezes began to blow which provided a pleasant hike back to the campground in time for a Belizean dinner in the pavilion area. The delicious food and opportunity to visit with other guests made for an enjoyable evening. Since the campground was powered by solar energy, the pavilion area had LED lights, which allowed for an area to play games after dark. Before retiring for the night, we headed to the shower house to take a cool shower. A tarantula and a bat near the shower area visited us nightly. It was a little unnerving at first until you realized that if you left them alone, they left you alone. The stars at night were amazing!!  Thankfully, the temperatures dropped significantly during the night.

We woke up to a symphony of bird sounds the next morning. After a hearty breakfast, we decided to drive to the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, which were not far from the Lodge. To reach the ruins located across the river, there was a  cross over point via a hand-cranked ferry. While waiting our turn, we were offered guide services by Carla from St Leonard’s Tours. From the minute she hopped into the back of our car, she began sharing passionately her knowledge of the area and the ruins.  Learning that my son-in-law wanted to see monkeys, she found some howler monkeys near the parking lot. Carla made the Classic Period site come to life by explaining how we would experience things if we lived there. She also made sure everyone was engaged and stayed hydrated in the heat, especially after climbing up to the top of the ruin to see the amazing river valley views. After hearing my husband share how he didn’t want to be with mass crowds, she always adjusted our timing to make sure we had the best photo opportunities and to feel like we were exploring the ruins more to ourselves.

We were so impressed by Carla that we hired her for the next day’s excursion to Cave’s Branch for cave tubing.  She happily crammed into our small car the next morning for the two-hour drive and shared all about Belizean culture and life. We felt completely at ease with her leading us off the general path for a more intimate exploration of the caves. Most of the other tour guides only explored a small portion of the river with the tubes completely tied together. She took us the entire length of the river, had us get off our tubes to climb up a small waterfall into the cave and then swim in the cave! She also found several places for rock jumping along the way.  Carla became legendary in our family by the end of the day! Her skills were awesome and we felt like she became a friend to us by the end of our trip. After a long day of touring, we were anxious to return back to camp to see what delicious dinner would be waiting for us and to visit with the other guests to see what they had discovered in the area. That evening we got to watch howler monkeys playing in the canopy above our casitas and toucans flying overhead.

The next morning we decided to participate in the bird watching tour at 6:30 am with a skilled guide who provided quality binoculars and an opportunity to see toucans. This was one of several free tours that they offered for guests. But because of the extreme heat in the afternoon, we did not participate in all of the tours. We did tour the blue morpho butterfly farm, which had a great exhibit explaining their life cycle and a screened shelter to experience the butterflies all around you.  My boys later enjoyed floating tubes down the river from the reception area to the river camp instead of hiking back.  The best part of staying at the river camp was the manager Dosio and his family. They went out of their way to provide a top notch Belizean adventure. Had it not been hot, I would have considered our time here five stars. For those looking for the road less traveled, who are not afraid of bugs and wildlife and love adventure, I highly recommend the river camp for the value and overall experience!

My next blog will feature the second half of our trip where we explored the Caribbean waters of Caye Caulker.