We gathered everyone up, hopped in our transfer van, said our goodbyes and left for the airport. The airport was a one room building that served coffee and gave out color-coded boarding passes. We sat outside on a deck, played more board games and watched as the employees pushed a prop plane onto the runway from a grassy area. It was exciting for the kids as they are so used to massive airports with strict security and long lines. They also know that airports tend to equal long wait times and lots of boredom. There were no security lines, no long waits; just sitting outside and taking in the nature surrounding this small airport.
We boarded the small prop plane, and off we went to Ambergris Caye. It only took 20 minutes until we were flying over the water. The color was an intense aqua
 |
| View of Coast, Belize |
green and even from the air, you could see straight down to the bottom. The kids were excited for our next leg of the trip, to discover what exciting creatures were waiting for them on the beach and in the water. We landed at another small airport and awaited for our pick-up from the hotel. A van came and took 5 at a time to a dock 2 minutes from the airport, where we loaded the luggage onto a small speed boat and took off for our hotel.
We checked into the
The Portifino Hotel for the next 5 nights and were given a nice tour of our room and the facilities. I was given a suite that had two bedrooms, living room area and a kitchen. the rest of the family got nice thatched roof rooms with two beds. However, the bathrooms were wide open even though they were behind a wall. A bit awkward, but the hotel did put up curtains for privacy. Immediately, the kids threw on their bathing suits
and ran out to the beach and ocean. They were a bit upset that the water was full of sea grass and not very suitable for
 |
| Snorkeling off the Dock, Portifino Hotel |
swimming, but quickly learned that they could snorkel right off the dock and swim in the pool. We grabbed lunch at the hotel and spent the rest of the day relaxing. I did make
 |
| Belikin Beer, National Beer of Belize |
dinner reservations at the hotel as it was Christmas eve and wasn't sure where else to go. The restaurant at the hotel was relatively good, with Belizean offers and a lot of fresh seafood. Breakfast was included and they offered a la carte Belizean breakfast which consisted of beans, eggs, fruit, tortillas, Johnny Cakes (kind of like pancakes), as well as offering standard continental breakfast.
The one downside to the hotel is that they only run the speedboat to San Pedro from 7:30-8:30 AM and then again from 5- 6:30 PM. The hotel location is about 6 miles from San Pedro and the road to town is not well paved. You do have the option to rent golf carts, but they only fit 4 (5 if you really want to squeeze) and are a bit pricey, $70+USD/day. There is a boat taxi that will take you back to the hotel in the evening from San Pedro, and the cost is about $11USD. Very easy to find and buy tickets.
TOURS:
Our time in Ambergris Caye was split between relaxation, snorkeling and fishing. Belize has the second largest reef system in the world, which makes for good fish sighting and reef viewing. We took a morning half day snorkel trip with
Searious Adventures to
The Mexico Rocks Nature Reserve which was about a 7 minute boat ride from our hotel. The guide on the boat
 |
| Nurse Shark |
 |
| Moray Eel |
also guided us in the water and pointed out the fish and the coral species. He had a very large ray following him the entire time looking for handouts. The reef was teeming with life. We spotted moray eels, angle fish, parrot fish, fire coral, fan coral and much more. After about an hour and half, we piled on the boat had a snack and a drink and took off to the next location which was about a 5 minute boat ride from where we were. Some of the kids were tired and decided they were going to hang out on the boat and forgo snorkeling. Of course when we arrived a couple of nurse sharks were swimming by and the kids flew in the water without even knowing what type of sharks they were. We did get to swim with nurse sharks, had a moray eel come out of hiding and watched a barracuda swim around and wait for handouts. It really was great snorkeling.
We also spent a day reef fishing and snorkeling. We booked right on the dock of our hotel,
Portofino reef fishing. The boat was small and could really only accommodate two poles at a time. However, the kids were good about sharing and the fish were biting. We caught about 12 fish and one of the guides also went hunting for lobster as we snorkeled. After the fishing and snorkeling was done we headed to a beach to have a BBQ.
 |
| Fresh Seafood Catch BBQ, Reef Fishing Day |
Our guides cleaned the fish and lobster and added them with vegetables in a casserole pan and cooked it over an open fire of wood and coconut husks. The kids hung out on the beach, splashed in the water and explored. When it was ready, we ate the fish and lobster with fresh homemade tortillas. It was so fresh and tasty, well worth the morning adventure. After lunch we headed out for some more snorkeling before heading back to the hotel.
 |
| Ghost Crab, Belize |
EATING:
We ventured out to find places to eat besides the hotel. It was a challenge as I mentioned above, transportation from the hotel was only at certain hours and for ten of us to take a water taxi back is expensive. However we did find a small Jamaican jerk shack about a mile down the road from us, and all headed there one evening. It is called the
Sun Deck and was delightful. The grown-ups
 |
| Jerk Platter at Sun Deck |
shared a jerk platter, that had chicken, pork, fish, shrimp all cooked in a wonderful Jamaican jerk. The kids had a variety of other options, our youngest having chicken fingers that were freshly made. The owner was pleasant and the evening was spectacular and enjoyable. Nothing fancy, just good food and good company. There is not much on the internet about the restaurant, but it is worth a visit.
Before we left on our trip I did make reservations at
El Fogon Restaurant, in San Pedro. I'm happy I
 |
| El Fogon Restaurant, San Pedro, Belize |
did as they had to turn away walk-ins. El Fogon specializes in traditional Belizean cooking right over a wood fire in large pots. They featured a lot of curry, stews and creole style food. The seafood was fresh and the portions were generous. The kids started with conch fritters and devoured them. We all ordered different styles of preparation and stews. I went with a shrimp creole and the spices really stood out. The chicken stew was tender and so tasty. All of the dishes came with traditional coconut rice and potatoes. The wait staff was attentive and very helpful with making decisions. It was a fun experience that everyone enjoyed.
Another place we ventured to was
Rojo Lounge. It was about a mile and a half from the
Portifino Hotel. We were able to walk there along the beach as the hotel staff told us to avoid the road due to high amount of mosquitos. It sounded great after reading the website, but upon arrival we found out that there was only one main table, luckily we go it, and the rest of the area was set up with lounges and coffee tables. The food was ok, but not spectacular. We ordered pizzas so the we could all share and enjoyed some way-overpriced drinks. They did have corn-hole, darts and a dock the kids could run up and down. There was a man cleaning fish on the dock and throwing some of the parts back in the water which attracted rays. Great viewing for the kids. I would have to say that the
Rojo Lounge is great for a day hanging and drinking, playing games and going in the water, but not the best choice for dinner.
 |
| Beach on a Cloudy Day |
Our five days spent in Ambergris were full of different adventures with a smattering of relaxation. The kids were able to snorkel off the dock, swim in the pool, beach-comb and relax on all of the hammocks spread around the hotel. We enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and the hospitality provided by the staff of the hotel. Belize really grew on me quickly. I would like to return and discover more and explore different areas of the country. It is beautiful and there is lot's to see and do as well as time to just relax and soak in the beauty the country provides. The people are kind and hospitable. What the country lacks in amenities, they sure make up on their hospitality.
No comments:
Post a Comment