Ambergris Caye is that beautiful!
Traveling is one of my passions in life and I’m drawn to exotic tropical destinations by nature. Some might find it odd that I would choose another island as a vacay destination considering my home rock is just that. Go figure! However, this seems to be the trend with me, and I have never regretted following my inner voice.
This spring whilst suffering from what islanders call full-on ‘rock fever’ (as in I have to get off this rock I call home or I will burst) I booked a spontaneous long weekend trip to the island of Ambergris Caye off the coast of Belize. Belize has long been on my top 10 list and I know I’ll be going back sometime soon to explore the jungles and cities on the mainland. With a long weekend at hand, a trip to Ambergis made more sense, and turned out to be the perfect amount of time I needed to reset, renew, and enjoy a mini-adventure in paradise!
My flight path was St. Croix to Miami to Belize City on American Airlines. Once in Belize, I hopped a quick flight on a tiny plane over the Cayes. Wow! Though it was an overcast day upon arrival, I managed to shoot some very pretty footage of the clear turquoise waters below on my iPhone camera while marveling at the beauty of this part of the world from above. Tiny planes and I are not exactly a seamless match…..(EEK) so the gorgeous sights certainly helped calm my nerves. Upon arrival at the airport, I was met by a driver and taken to my hotel – the very serene Mahogany Bay Village.
Along the way, I learned that the main form of transport on the island is the golf cart! EVERYONE drives golf carts (there are very few cars around as they are specifically for tourist taxi service). It was fun for me to see families with their pet dogs in the back of the golf cart as well as lines of ‘golf cart’ traffic. I had to LOL…..I’m used to island life in the left lane (we drive American made cars in the left land on St. Croix)…but this was something new!
My little cabin at Mahogany Bay was just perfect from the en suite bathroom with organic products to the pretty little sitting porch, everything was super cute, comfy, and special. I chose the location for the yoga center and spa service which proved to be just lovely and offered me multiple yoga classes and body/mind treatments daily. I especially enjoyed the evening vinyasa classes with Josie @yogajosie and the reiki treatments at Balance Spa and Yoga Center.
The highlight of this location, bar none, though was the private island beach bar/restaurant in which guests can be shuttled to and from every hour on the hour by boat. The 15-minute boat taxi ride was an adventure in itself and so much fun! And once on the private island- it was just A-mazing! I promise you- once there- you will not want to leave! This is where I spent two of my four afternoons on the Caye and truly exhaled. The food and bar service was excellent, the in-water hammocks were a welcome respite from the heat, and the scenery and location were out of this world extraordinary!
Exploring the island outside of my resort was also a ton of fun. I made a point of getting to San Pedro for an afternoon of sightseeing, shopping, and chocolate eating! GAH! Did you know that Belize is known for chocolate? I didn’t! And I was pleasantly surprised to find hand made vegan chocolates galore at Belize Chocolate Company. OMG- the truffles were to die for! YUM! From town, I made my way to the Ak’bol Yoga Retreat and Ecoresort for an over the water (literally) yoga class that transported me to heaven. It was truly one of the highlights of my trip. Set on stilts above the sparkling sea, the thatched roof yoga studio offers breathtaking views from every angle and every yoga position. I totally recommend spending time there if you make it to Ambergris!
The grand finale of my trip was a snorkeling expedition to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve off the coast of Belize. Surrounded by the second largest barrier reef in the world, the Belize Cayes offer some of the best diving and snorkeling around! Hol Chan is known for its diverse array of tropical fish, rays, coral and nurse sharks and we were treated to an underwater world the likes of which I have never seen. It was a fabulous technicolor experience (not for the faint-hearted I must add as the fish literally swarm around you) and is definitely a must-do when visiting this unique part of the world.
I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to check my box by Ambergris Caye and have a mini-adventure. Traveling allows us not only a window into another part of the world but also a window into ourselves. Taking a few days to explore new places and people- whether near home or afar- expands our horizons, and gives us the chance to reflect on our lives and hopefully to have some fun!
What places are on your checklist? How can you make those trips happen?
For now, I hope you can enjoy armchair traveling with a few of my Belize pics……!
Until next time, Cheers Dears!
Stacia
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