Travel Recap: 8 Days in Belize!

Nicole and I found a flight deal to Belize a couple weeks ago and rushed to get our old passports updated before we left. We would again be filming a video for Ciroc and her travel blog as well as taking photos for a couple beautiful resorts that would host us for a few nights.

DAY 1

We started off on our own going into the country to San Ignacio, in a central location to many historical Mayan sites. The very first day we rushed against the clock to check out Xunantunich ruins near the Guatemala border before it closed. Because we were there at the end of the day it was pretty much just us and one other couple checking out the temple. It was extremely hot and humid and the howler monkeys were loudly calling each other in the trees nearby.

This is such an unflattering photo but I needed to document how hot it was

DAY 2

The next day we took a day trip to the ATM Cave - Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave was discovered about thirty years ago and only a handful of guides are allowed to take tours inside. However, a few years ago they banned taking cameras into the cave because tourists broke the skeletons by dropping cameras and rushing to get photos - so note that photos from inside the cave are not mine. The cave is hugely significant in the Mayan world as it showed that many different Mayan groups from all over the area came to leave offerings to their gods when their civilizations encountered famine, drought or disease. There was evidence of food offerings, blood offerings and human sacrifices inside the cave. The main chamber of the cave was HUGE. It was like walking into a large cathedral with stalactites and stalagmites of sparkling limestone formations. The photos don't do it justice. It was an amazing experience and I hugely recommend giving yourself a day see it if you ever go down to Belize.

DAY 3

Nicole and I then traveled to the islands. We went on recommendation by our fellow travel lover, Justin, to stay at Caye Caulker - a small island between Belize City and the larger island of Ambergris Caye. It was a quaint place. It had a very backpacker feel and we stopped for food and drinks at a big hangout called The Split. The mosquitos were out in force on this island and we were swarmed every time we walked onto our hotels property. One night felt like enough for this little island. We went on a short day trip snorkeling to the Caye Caulker marine reserve - however the water was murky so our video and stills didn't come out very well. Part of the tour allowed us to swim with nurse sharks and sting rays which were friendly and didn't bite, they swim around you and it was an awesome experience. Afterwards our boat took us to the sunset side of the island and I noticed more fish under the water. What I wasn't expecting was a fish that jumped and grabbed my whole hand in it's mouth! It scraped my wrist and I was just really thankful it didn't have real teeth. It wouldn't be a trip if I didn't get scraped up.

DAYS 4, 5 & 6

We moved on to the big island Ambergris Caye where we were met by a boat that would bring us up the coast to El Secreto Resort. It was very secluded with only a handful of villas and we spent a day taking photos around the property. We were disappointed to find out that Belize was experiencing a huge boom of seaweed growth and die off on the shores all along this island. We were unable to walk into the water from the beach and we stayed at the pool while here. The dead grass was caused by oil clean up chemicals from the Deep Water Horizon spill and it's unfortunate that the beaches here were not as pretty as they could be. All the dead grass also made the resort smell like rotten eggs as well as more bugs hatching to eat us alive. We spent a day away from the resort by going snorkeling in the Hol Chan Reserve off the coast. It was amazing - we saw sea turtles, barracudas, sting rays, and underwater caves. We swam again with nurse sharks and this time the water was deeper so it was more clear. Hol Chan is a must see if you go to Belize. There are tours that leave from Caye Caulker and San Pedro on Ambergris Caye

DAYS 7 & 8

Our last stop was a small private island called Cayo Espanto. It's on the sunset side of Ambergris Caye and it's a 5 star resort where we were waited on hand and foot. We had two "house men" that set up our food, drinks, deck chairs and opened and closed the house each day (all the walls folded open and closed) It was an amazing place, it was private and they took great care of us. We ate so well and they brought us back to Hol Chan Marine reserve for one more day of snorkeling. If you wanted to splurge on a honeymoon or retirement trip - this place is the ultimate luxury experience.