You'd Better Belize It
To think, we almost didn't go to Belize for our honeymoon at all. Our list of “maybes” didn't even fly over central America, but for one reason or another, it seemed like there wasn't a destination that suited our desires for a honeymoon. But then as Evangel was getting her bridal henna done, the henna artist made an intriguing suggestion: "You could go to Belize." So, we looked into it and subsequently learned about beaches, snorkeling, mysteries, history, cave-tubing, and more, and flights with Alaska were affordable, even on such short notice.
So, we packed some bags, our bathing suits, (not enough) sunscreen, and a healthy dose of spontaneity, and took flight to a country of 400,000 people on the Eastern edge of the Mexican Peninsula. And boy did we regret it... The sunscreen part, I mean. Belize was awesome.
Days 1 & 2
Our first two nights were spent at the lovely River Bend Resort B&B, a bed and breakfast that usually caters to people coming and going from the airport, due to its proximity. We spent a bit more time there though, because, well, honestly we had to spend a day planning our trip. And that serendipitously meant we got introduced to Sherley, who worked at the resort and recommended so many sights to see, places to go, and things to do that we were able to plan our entire trip that first day. She was remarkably friendly, a trait I only learned later is shared by virtually everyone we met.
So, what did we plan, you ask? Well, we decided to... visit a rum factory, sightsee in Belize City, take a ferry to a stay three nights at Caye Caulker (pronounced like Key Cawker), go snorkeling, visit ancient ruins, inner tube down a cave river, and eat as much seafood as we could.
And so, the next day we woke up, took a $5 BZD bus ride into Belize City proper (the exchange rate is exactly 2:1, Belize dollars to US dollars), and bought some rum at Travellers Liquors. I have to admit that I'm not much of a rum connoisseur. It tastes good, it's made from sugar cane, but honestly I thought that is about the extent of the complexity of rum.
So young, so naïve.
We tasted no less than 8 distinct types of rum, each of which with its own unique flavors, aromas, and character. I was floored, and not just because I drank so much rum; the variety and intriguing flavors were incredible. Liquor connoisseurs could do worse than exploring what Belize’s rum scene has to offer. We intended on buying a single bottle when we entered, but we left with four, because we were so excited about all of them that we genuinely couldn't narrow it down.
From there we went sightseeing in Belize City, which we felt safe doing because we didn't know any better. Still, we found incredible ceviche, great rum drinks, and friendly locals everywhere we went. Smokeez Seaside Restaurant & Bar was where we ate dinner. It is situated on a pier on the ocean, providing a refreshing breeze while we sipped our iconic “panty rippers,” a coconut rum and pineapple juice cocktail that had been advertised to us by several locals. They were unironically terrific: sweet, juicy, easy to drink. A wonderful experience on a hot Belizean afternoon.
Day 3
The ferry to Caye Caulker left early the next morning... and later on too, so we slept in before heading back into town for the hour-long ferry ride between cayes, over salty waves, and through ocean spray. It is worth noting at this point that Belize in June is.... *looks a thesaurus for synonyms for hot* ... hot. However, Belize's geography is interesting. It is situated such that there is a nearly constant wind coming off the ocean, giving the air a salty, cool feel even in the heat of the day. So while temperatures can soar well above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, it never felt a degree above 80 the entire time we were there, particularly on Caye Caulker.
Speaking of Caye Caulker, our first two nights there were at Tropical Paradise Hotel & Restaurant, a wonderful hotel on the eastern beach of the island, which mostly runs North and South in length. We took it easy that first night... and the next night... and the night after that, because the entirety of Caye Caulker, from the attitudes of the people, to the breeze coming off the ocean, to the fresh coconut juice drunk straight out of the coconut, perpetually sang into our ears, our skin, and our minds, "Relax." Our room, just like the other rooms at the hotel, was its own self-contained building, which felt just like home after a long day in the sun.
Day 4
But what, I ask you, is a tropical vacation without snorkeling? If your answer is, "whatever you want it to be, it's your vacation," then you're right.
And we wanted to go snorkeling, so we slapped on (not enough) reef-friendly sunscreen, signed up for an all-day snorkeling tour with Salt Life Eco Tours, grabbed sets of snorkel gear for ourselves and saw.... well, all of the animals, including...
Reef sharks, a small sea turtle, a sea cucumber, a manatee (!!), a medium sea turtle, barracudas, manta rays, parrot fish, sea stars, a large sea turtle, all kinds of coral, jellies, and more types of fish than I could previously fathom seeing in the span of four hours.
We had magnificent guides who seemed to know everything about every animal we encountered. They made the tour fun and engaging, even between stops, and they even let me drive the boat for a while!
Being on a boat together for that long means we made friends with our fellow tourists, so after the tour we met back up with them at Sip-n-Dip, a particularly memorable bar, seeing as the tables were all partly submerged in the water a short wade from the shore. The water is consistently waist deep thanks to Belize's barrier reef, enabling such a unique experience.
For our Northern eyes and sensibilities, one of the more interesting observations I personally made were the black kites that people flew all along the shore. Except they weren’t kites. They were frigate birds that use the constant wind coming off the ocean to hover in one place, wings spread, eyes open for food below. It was so interesting seeing them float there, barely moving.
Day 5
The fifth day of our trip was spent recovering from our skin being nearly charred to a crisp by the sun the day before. I look back on it with both a groan of searing memories as well as a sigh of contentment, because as much as our skin screamed with every brush against the backs of our shirts, it afforded us the opportunity to sit back, relax, nap, eat, laugh, and later in the evening, enjoy some live music on the patio of the restaurant we ate at. It could be the mixed feeling of heat from the sun and coolness from the ocean breeze, or the peoples’ relentlessly surfer-like, “tohtally, Dude” attitudes, or it could be the fact that we were exhausted by the amount of swimming we did the day before, but day 5 of our trip was spent taking it easy, enjoying each others’ company, and the little things like Bananas Foster and a chlorophyll-infused iced green tea.
We stayed our final night at Caye Caulker at Bella’s Backpackers Hostel, the most chilled-out hostel I think I’ve ever visited. We spent a little extra cash to get a small, cabin-like room to ourselves, located on the top floor of the highest tower on their premises. This proved to be a smart move. The ocean breeze gusted through the open windows with the most heavenly woosh imaginable, and there was a beautiful view of the ocean and some palm trees out every window. It was checkmate for our sunburns, as the breeze continued into the night and provided a soft, cool touch throughout our sleep.
Day 6
The next day was another day on the ferry, back to the mainland. Remember Sherley? The wonderful host at River Bend Resort? Well, her sister knew a highly rated tour guide who agreed to take us on a tour of Xunantunich and a perfect cave-tubing locale. We met him and his wife at the ferry landing, piled into their car, and drove the next few hours across the countryside to a ruin of an ancient people.
And it is here I need to take a pause, because it is most common to refer to these ruins as belonging to the “ancient Mayan” people, but I’m not fully clear on whether that is an accurate term to describe the people who built Xunantunich and the other ancient cities dotting Belize’s countryside. What I do know is that the ongoing narrative that “those ancient peoples mysteriously disappeared and nobody knows how” is complete hogwash. They were killed and forcibly assimilated into British culture when they were taken over in the 16th and 17th century. I feel it is important not to gloss over this fact, because much like the story of the Native Americans of the Northern Americas, the “ancient” people who lived in Belize at that time are still around. Their descendents make up a significant portion of the Belizean population, so to call them ancient is inaccurate at best and misleading at worst. Feel free to do your own fact-checking here; far be it from me to willfully misrepresent the unique history of Belize.
Our tour guide Richard is one such individual, and it was clear that he had done his homework about the people who built these incredible structures. There was a lot of history to learn, and being able to climb to the top of the highest buildings, look out over the landscape, and imagine what it all used to look like was quite literally breathtaking. I don’t think we’d experienced anything quite like it.
…Speaking of things we hadn’t quite experienced before, we had experienced caves, and we had experienced floating a river, but we had never experienced what it was like to inner tube down a river cave. Richard was knowledgeable about cave formations and the environment, and in the darkest parts of the cave, I was thankful someone was with us who had done it before. I don’t want to go into too much detail here, as it truly is a one-of-a-kind experience that one should experience for one’s self.
Day 6 was a big day, so when we finally got to our wrap-around destination we were to stay at for our final night in Belize, we really just wanted to relax and eat not just good food, but lots of food. So to cap off our honeymoon in Belize, we visited Belize’s premier brewery, Belikan. It was a lot like visiting an American craft brewery and restaurant. There was good food, good beer, and a patio where kids could play. It made a good capstone to our time in Belize, a fitting way to transition ourselves back to United States culture.
And so, the burning question: should you visit Belize? Yes. Should you pack sunscreen? Especially yes. Visiting Belize will be the best decision you can make if you want to experience a country filled with history, caring people, or lots. And lots. Of sun. It was the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation for our honeymoon, and I couldn’t be happier that we made it happen.
