*** This post was made in generous partnership with: NEUTROGENA Canada and GAP. All thoughts and opinions are exclusively my own.
As some of you may know, every year @Melhwang @Thelustlistt and @Thedunklistt and I get together and enjoy the holidays together. This year, we decided to split it up an do a two-part holiday, which included “Stay and Away.” Mostly because we are all very indecisive people that can’t make up our minds haha. We found an amazing deal online for a flight to Belize and that’s all we needed to help make-up our minds on where to go. All we knew is that we wanted to get out of the cold for a bit and enjoy some sunshine and warm weather before the snow began at home!
I hadn’t heard much about Belize leading up to our trip, so I did what I do every time I travel somewhere new. RESEARCH! First off, the one thing that still sticks with me about our trip has to be how amazing Belizian people are. Always extremely friendly and accommodating and genuinely HAPPY people!
So, what is there to do in Belize and why should you go? Well, there are a few reasons for both and it all depends on what you’re looking for in a destination. So I’m just going to let you know what we did and let you make your own decisions based on my experiences. We spent 10 days in Belize, specifically Sand Pedro Island, it wasn’t the beach vacation I had originally anticipated, however, Belize proved to have so much more to offer.
Things to experience while in Belize:
Catamaran Excursion
Any time IÂ go down south to the Caribbean specifically any beach destinations, the excursion I ALWAYS recommend to everyone is the Catamaran! If you have never been, you are missing out. This catamaran was a little different than others I have experienced but still fun none the less, especially considering that Belize is home to the second largest barrier reef in the world (after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia). As you would assume, diving here is extraordinary, as is snorkelling (which is what we got to do). We got onto a medium-sized catamaran with roughly 12 others, and set off to Hol Chan Marine Reserve to spend some time snorkelling and taking in the abundance of marine life that Belize has to offer. A word of advice: don’t forget sunscreen! I can’t stress that enough. Nothing will ruin your vacation and time abroad faster than a sunburn. Enter my sunscreen plan for a successful day in the sun!
NEUTROGENA HYDRO BOOST Water Gel Sunscreen SPF 50
This was my go-to during my stay in Belize. This sunscreen layers invisibly for a clean and non-greasy finish. Not only that, but it’s infused with hyaluronic acid, glycerin and Vitamin E to keep skin hydrated! Best part is that it’s water-resistant for up to 80 minutes!
NEUTROGENA ULTRA SHEER Face & Body Stick Sunscreen SPF 50+
This was my first time trying a sunscreen like this, and it’s the best thing ever! It’s formulated with HELIOPLEX technology, which provides effective protection from aging UVA and burning UVB rays and Dry-Touch technology for a non-greasy finish. This sunscreen comes in a stick form, making it ideal for both face and body. It’s super convenient-and AMAZING for travel!
Back to the catamaran adventure! After arriving at Hol Chan and anchoring in, we got our snorkelling gear and were ready to go. We spent the better part of an hour checking out coral reefs where we got to see some stuff you would only see on the discovery channel. Marine life included nurse sharks, stingrays, octopus (octopi?), an abundance of different fish including a GIANT grouper, and we had the pleasure of encountering an eagle ray as well (they look like they are flying through the ocean). Getting back to the catamaran we had a chance to go to shark ray alley, where James (our guide) put out some chum, and we were quickly surrounded by what seemed like 20 nurse sharks. We all jumped into the water to get a closer look! It was an amazing experience, truly. After spending some time there, we all got back on the catamaran and got dropped off at Caye Caulker a small island just northeast of Belize City (roughly one hour away by an express ferry). They also gave us two hours to go explore the island and get some lunch.
[Not so] Secret Beach
It may be called the Secret Beach, but it’s more like a not so secret an hour away from San Pedro by golf cart kind of beach. It’s a great day trip, off the beaten path and you can spend the entire day there lounging on the beach, snorkelling for seashells, hanging out at the beach bar, or just lounging on one of the two piers they have to take it all in. Do be sure to stay until dusk, the sunsets there are absolutely beautiful!
Baboon Sanctuary and Horseback Riding
Want to potentially meet some wild howler monkeys? Belize is home to an amazing Baboon Sanctuary. Now I say potentially because they are wild, so they might not be around when you visit. Luckily, our guide for the day was a man named Robert who has been part of the conservation efforts in Belize to protect the habitat of the native howler monkeys in the region. We took a walk through a nearby trail where Robert gave us the low down on all that nature has to offer, from the different plants available and uses they have for them. All while using his perfected howler monkey call to lure wild monkeys in. It might seem a little strange at first (I know it was for me) but it worked and a troop of howler monkey came by to hang out with us, mainly because we came bearing gifts….cocoa leaves! We got to take some photos with them as they got quite close trying to getting those tasty cocoa leaves they love so much. A wonderful experience for sure! And when you are done playing with the monkeys (or they get bored of you), you can head next door and go horseback riding! For me, it was my first time riding a horse. I had a blast the entire time-from my horse jumping up and trying to back kick Mel’s horse, to it taking off on me as I held on for dear life. I didn’t get hurt so it was fun, haha. A little sore afterwards but definitely wasn’t complaining; will for sure ride again! After it was all said and done, I picked up some local beet juice being sold by a local at the side of the road and we headed back to San Pedro.
Cave Tubing
Do you like short hikes and learning about fruit-bearing trees? You will pass a wide variety of these (which are all conveniently marked) on your hike up to the mouth of a cave system, where your tubes will be clipped into the rest of the people in your group. You can marvel at nature’s work while floating through dark caves, semi-fast rapids, and lazy river sections. You may encounter a few bat varieties along the way but worry not, they are generally sleeping and won’t bother you. Enjoy the fresh cool river water and the formations nature created in the caves (which resemble objects and animals), and once you’re done, grab a bite to eat and enjoy the rest of your day!
Where to stay:
We stayed at two places while we were there; -we wanted to make this trip affordable but enjoyable at the same time. So, we opted to stay at a mediocre spot for the first 5 nights, which I won’t get into because they are tearing it down in early 2019. The second half of our stay in San Pedro was at the Mahogany Bay Resort – now this place, I will def talk about! It’s brand spanking new and is basically one of the more luxurious places you can stay on San Pedro Island. The property itself still has some growing to do, as they do have lots for sale for people that are interested in buying a vacation property. The main lobby house is big and beautiful and home to the pool, as well as the 24 hour gym and restaurant. The rooms range from cozy cabins to not-so-cozy lofts, which is really cool. It has a lot of wood accents, rainfall showers, all in all, a really great place to stay if it falls within your budget. I had great nights of sleep on their comfortable beds and soft poofy comforters! But then again, I was rocking some of my comfy Gap sleepwear. There is nothing better I enjoy more than a solid pair of sweats, the cotton bottoms are super comfortable and they have a nice touch with varsity style branding on the hip. Raglan shirts are the most comfortable shirts ever, super soft and breathable too! all of which you can find below:
OUTFIT ALL GAP:
Shirt:Â Double-Face Long Sleeve Raglan T-Shirt
Pants:Â Stencil Logo Fleece Joggers
But the best part about Mahogany Bay Resort is that they own their own island beach! With a free shuttle going to the island every hour, IT IS A MUST VISIT! Considering Belize is known for its diving, you will be hard pressed to find any good beaches that are readily available.
How to get around:
San Pedro and Caye Caulker are both amazingly small beautiful islands, and the best way to get around is by golf cart. You can rent one for the duration of your stay literally on every block. That being said, there is a lot of competition and you can get the best prices if you shop around a bit. If you are staying in the city of Belize, I would say just taxi anywhere you need to go. I would recommend hitting up our driver we met at the airport when we arrived. We ended up booking him for everything we needed. As most drivers have partnerships with different excursions, he kind of became our fixer from the time we were there. He booked, picked us up, dropped us off, and took us back to the port for each excursion. And he was able to save us some money since we packaged a bunch of excursions together. You can find his details below:
Norval Flowers
+501.604.2948
The best way to get a hold of him is on WhatsApp, give him a ring and he’ll take care of you!
All in all, I would recommend Belize if you like adventure travel! It’s not a beach destination in itself and requires a few long boat rides to get to a beach I would call relaxing. But if you want to play with monkeys, visit Mayan ruins, go frolic in the rainforest, cave tube, and experience the second largest barrier reef, then I would 100% recommend Belize to you! One thing I almost forgot…make sure to enjoy a couple of Belikan beers for me if you decide to go!
