Before we share all the details of places we stayed and ate, we wanted to share a little about how this blog was written. Many people have told us that they can tell which one of us wrote which entires. To those people we say, actually, you probably can’t. The truth is, these entries were written completely collaboratively (with the exception of Sharknado, which was written by Eric with minor editing by Jen, and Use Your Powers and Privilege for Good, which was written by Jen with minor editing by Eric). Our process usually went something like this: Eric crafted the first draft. Jen edited, added, revised, rearranged, deleted, clarified, and toned down the cheese ;-). We would typically have some difference of opinion or debate about how to say what we were trying to convey, or about how to offer both of our differing perspectives on a particular topic. Through this process, we generally achieved greater clarity and agreement and then Jen went back and revised again. Jen added the pictures and Eric did the last edits and approved the final post. As we said, a true collaboration and apropos to the experience at large, we LOVED doing it together in this way.
Finally, we appreciate all the positive feedback we’ve received from all of you about this blog. It has been such fun to be able to share our experiences in this way and we’re so pleased to know how much you’ve enjoyed it.
If you missed any of our posts or would like to go back to any of them, here are links all of them:
UnBelizeable, Sharknado, Go Slow and Live Simply, A Day in the Life, Use Your Powers and Privilege for Good, Inland Ho!, Land of Pure Imagination, Enjoy Your People
Now onto the deets:
In Ambergris Caye We spent the majority of our time on this island and stayed in three different places. We ate at many, many restaurants.
Laguna Hotel Our rank: 7.25/10 This apartment, located in the center of San Pedro, felt like a local apartment with an authentic Central American feel (not very comfortable – gritty, a little run down) but with the vibe of the city. Spacious. Great sunrise AND sunset view from roof top and a very small rooftop pool, but without comfortable chairs. We also rented our golf carts from these people and they were very responsive. Excellent wifi.
Ocean’s 23 Our rank: 9/10 We stayed in the condo on the north side of town when our guests came to visit. It was a large, comfortable 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo with unobstructed views of the Caribbean Sea and a comfortable porch to enjoy the view. The pool with swim up bar was delightful and super chill. It was a 10-15 minute golf cart ride to town. Good wifi.
Ramon’s Village Our rank: 8.5/10 This was the first dive resort on the island and it sits in a great location. It has a large, sandy beach with comfy lounge chairs, hammocks, plenty of shade and a swimming area; it’s one of the only beaches in San Pedro. They have kayaks and paddle boards available to their guests. There is decent snorkeling near/under the dock. There is a nice pool, coffee/smoothie bar, and a good restaurant. The rooms small but sweet and comfortable with lots of nice touches, and are located in a ‘jungle’ setting. Good wifi.
Places to eat: Pretty much all of the places we ate on Ambergris were good. In addition to all of these sit down restaurants, we can’t recommend highly enough the deliciousness of the street food. Literally, hole-in-the-wall places, these were among the best bites we had in Belize, and we never got sick from any of the food. Our top few restaurants on Ambergris are: Elvi’s Kitchen, Frenchy’s, Oh Bombai, and Palmilla. We also enjoyed the Blue Water Grill, Carolines, Neri’s (best tacos!), Caliente, The Garage, Beirut Restaurant, The Hungry Grouper, Aji Tapa Bar (beautiful ambiance), and Carumba. Some other ‘don’t miss’ spots for hanging out on a beautiful day include Hurricane’s (don’t miss their conch fritters and ceviche), The Palapa, and The Truck Stop. For live music, check our Wayo’s, The Palapa, and the Truck Stop (among others).
We would be remiss if we did not mention Chabad of Belize, who graciously hosted us for an incredible Shabbat while on Ambergris Caye. The deliciousness of the food alone gives this experience very high marks, but paired with the warmth, sense of belonging, and connection to Am Yisrael we experienced that night made it one of our favorite dinners/nights on the island. We have been hosted for Shabbat at Chabads in many places around the world and always appreciate the special opportunity to connect with Jews in foreign lands.
In Caye Caulker
La Isla Resort Our rank: 8.75/10 This place sits in a great location between the ferry terminal and the split. The buildings form an ‘L’ shape around the pool and fire pit circle – it has a nice community feel. Across the dirt road, there is a lounge area on the beach reserved for guests of this hotel. We had a wonderful 1 bedroom with a wrap around balcony overlooking the ocean. Good wifi.
Places to eat: Las Palapas, Sip n’dip, Aunties, BBQ on the street
In San Ignacio
Falling Leaves Lodge Our rank: 8.5/10 This hotel is in a beautiful, rainforest setting. It has a nice pool with a comfortable hang out area, and a great restaurant. It is located directed next to Cahal Peche ruins. Be forewarned, though, it is at the top of a very steep hill so while walking back and forth to town is close, it requires some energy to make it back home. Excellent wifi.
Places to eat: Ko-Ox Han Nah (Let’s Go Eat), Hode’s Place, The Obsidian (our hotel restaurant)
In Hopkins
Buttonwood Belize Our rank: 9/10 This room had floor to ceiling windows (with black out shades) overlooking the beach and ocean. It featured a large balcony with chairs and two hammocks, a Garífuna bar/restaurant on the beach right next door with drumming, lounge chairs on the beach, and access to their sister hotel with nice pool. Good wifi.
Places to eat: Nice scream (ice scream), Ella’s, Queen Bean, J&Js
In Placencia
Placencia Villas Our rank: 7.25/10 There was a nice communal atmosphere at this place where the villas surrounded a communal courtyard with picnic tables, adirondack chairs, and hammocks. We stayed in a small studio apartment, with an uncomfortable bed. It is located in the middle of Placencia village. They have kayaks, and paddle boards for the guest’s use but since it’s not on the beach, they are a little hard to transport. They also have bikes for use. It’s super chill with very nice nice staff. Excellent wifi.
Belizean Nirvana Our rank: 9.5/10 This was probably our favorite accommodation of the trip. It is a small hotel with 6 rooms, all overlooking the ocean and large beach. The room had a big balcony with chairs and hammocks, floor to ceiling windows (but no blackout shades), and included breakfast served on the rooftop. There were paddle boards and kayaks available and comfortable beach loungers with shade umbrellas. The staff was super friendly, and helpful with recommendations. Excellent wifi.
Places to eat: Barefoot Bar, Cozy Corner, The Bohemian, Tipsy Tuna, Mr Levy’s roadside BBQ
The conservation/lion fish project, which left from Placencia, was through ReefCI and IVHQ. We could not more highly recommend both organizations. IVHQ has programs all over the world for people of all ages, interests, and ability levels.
It’s great to be back in Ann Arbor, though reentry has its challenges. And of course, we are already dreaming about and planning our next residency. What will it be?? We have many interests and possible options and are working on nailing it down. We will keep you posted…
jeneric journeys 
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