Just returned from an exciting 9 day mother/daughter trip to Belize! This is the second tour that I've booked through kimkim in the past two years, and again, it proved to be a wise choice and an east platform to use. Our local expert, Alex Coronado, with Old Town Outfitters based in Guatemala, was very personable and fun to work with. He listened to my suggestions and concerns, and made appropriate changes to the itinerary as needed. He was then very approachable and helpful while we were en route, making restaurant suggestions along the way.
One of my biggest concerns in advance with this trip was that the ground transportation go smoothly. Alex booked our transfers through the Belize Airport Shuttle Service (BASS), which proved to be wonderful! Lilia, a local BASS representative, met us at the airport upon arrival with a friendly, reassuring face and a big hug. She introduced us to our first driver and went over the itinerary. She then kept in touch with me through Whatsapp to make sure all the pick-up times went smoothly. We loved all of our drivers!
Most of our tours while inland at San Ignacio were booked through MayaWalk tours. They were wonderful to work with, and we thoroughly enjoyed all of our drivers and guides. Our first guide, Richard, to Mountain Pine Ridge was particularly knowledgeable about local flora and animals. Our second tour was a day-trip to the Tikal ruins in Guatemala, which I highly recommend to anyone considering a Belize trip. It's an enticing glimpse into the beauty of Guatemala. On the second part of our trip, out on the island of Caye Caulker, we used Black Hawk Tours for a full-day snorkeling excursion. Those guys were an absolute blast, and managed to find not one, but an entire group of 4 manatees for us!
Finally, the hotels were lovely and exactly matched to our preferences. The Falling Leaves Lodge, our favorite, in San Ignacio, had lovely jungle grounds, and a very warm, welcoming staff. We ate most of our meals at their restaurant, the Obsidian, and enjoyed happy hour cocktails each day from their bar. They have a brand new, absolutely lovely, pool, which we had all to ourselves most evenings.
I will continue to recommend friends and family to the kimkim model, and will also consider another trip to Guatemala through Old Town Outfitters!
Hotel Reviews
Villa Boscardi Belize City
belice
Nice B&B for the final night in the country. Lovely, clean room, and a wonderful breakfast the following morning.
Location
Short drive from the water taxi and the airport. Also within walking distance of a great little restaurant called Smokeez, which one of our BASS drivers recommended.
Staff
Very friendly host for breakfast.
Falling Leaves Lodge
San Ignacio
Loved the small hotel charm, and cute cabanas. Very warm and welcoming staff, particularly the guys running the bar. We loved the food at their restaurant, the Obsidian, and ate most of our meals there. The grounds were lovely and peaceful, especially early in the morning when the birds were waking up. The brand new pool was a delight, and we got to enjoy it by ourselves most evenings.
Authenticity & Character
Very charming. Loved the small size. Staff were very friendly.
Location
Good views, and nice proximity to the Cahal Pech ruins.
Staff
Because of their small size, it was easy for them to get to know people. One of the groundkeepers noticed me bird-watching, for example, and gave me a local map of excellent bird watching sites.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very nice, clean, and comfortably cool room. Loved the large stone shower.
Activity Reviews
Guided Tour of Mountain Pine Ridge - full day
Belize
Loved our guide, Richard. He stopped at a small road-side bakery on the way and we got freshly made plantain chips. He then told us stories about the Mayan gods en route, and provided excellent tidbits about local flora and animals all day. Lunch that day was one of our favorite meals.
Food
We had beans/rice with jerk chicken. The chicken was some of the best we had the whole trip.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Loved Richard. Very knowledgeable guide, and fun to spend the day with.
Explore Tikal National Park
San Ignacio
Wonderful glimpse into Guatemala. The border crossing was easy and fun. The ruins are spectacular. We saw lots of wildlife and beautiful trees as a bonus. Lunch en route was very good.
Quality of Experience
Very knowledgeable guide. There was another family with us on this tour, so it was fun to be part of a group.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Long drive, but a very comfortable and cool van.
Transfer from San Ignacio to Belize City with Cave Tubing Tour en Route
Belize
Very nice way to break up the drive back to the coast from inland. The cave and the river that ran through it were a wonderful relief from the heat. The water was crystal clear and very inviting to swim in.
Quality of Experience
Easily manageable as an addition to the drive back to the coast.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Juan was fabulous. We had him all to ourselves, so really got the VIP treatment.
Transport
Good timing. He managed to get us to the water taxi with plenty of time to catch an earlier boat.
Snorkeling Tour in the Belize Barrier Reef
Caye Caulker
The guys at Black Hawk were very fun and very skilled at finding wildlife in the ocean for us to see. We were very fortunate to get to see a group of 4 manatees.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
All of the Black Hawk guys were very funny and personable. Our boat driver, John, was very good at finding wildlife.