Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION
ALONG THE GEORGE PRICE HIGHWAY
Amber Sunset Jungle Resort Unitedville, Mile 59,
George Price Hwy T 824 3141, W ambersunsetbelize
.com. Five-room luxury resort with a friendly personal touch,
perched on a high hillside a bumpy quarter-mile drive south
of the highway. Guest accommodation is in canopy-level
“treehouses”, some sleeping up to six, with beautiful
hardwood floors, king-size beds that swing from the thatched
ceilings by ropes at each corner, in-room hammocks, indoor
showers and sunken, screened outdoor baths. Delicious meals
in the panoramic Jungle Pot r estauran t; pool and bar; and full
range of tours and packages. US$150
Orange Guesthouse Mile 60, George Price Hwy T 824
2341, W belizegifts.com/guesthouse. Simple but
tasteful en-suite rooms, tucked on the north side of the
highway behind the excellent Orange Gallery (see p.134),
with superb polished hardwood fittings and tiled floors,
plus fans and a/c. A short trail leads down to a beautiful
swimming hole on pretty Barton Creek. There's a good
on-site restaurant (see p.134), and the owners also offer a
smart house for l onger ren tals, plus canoeing, caving and
sightseeing tours. US$125
Pook's Hill Lodge Mile 52.5, George Price Hwy T 820
2017, W pookshilllodge.com. Luxury lodge, set in a
clearing on a terraced hillside once occupied by the ancient
Maya, 5 miles south of the highway from Teakettle Village.
Eleven comfortable thatched cabañas , all with electricity
and hot water, overlooking the thickly forested Roaring
River valley, with breathtaking views of the Mountain Pine
Ridge. Two, targeted at birders, are reached by a bridge
over a creek and offer a higher vantage point and greater
seclusion. Excellent meals (not included) are taken in a
lantern-lit dining room, above which a thatched deck with
easy chairs and hammocks serves as a bar. All tours
available; as the closest accommodati on to Ak tun Tunichil
Muknal, this is the best base for tours. US$200
considerably lower off-season; packages available with
Coppola's Turtle Inn in Placencia (see p.20 0) and La Lanch a ,
Guatemala (see p.159). Cabañas US$339 , villas US$689
Gaïa Riverlodge Mile 15, Chiquibul Rd T 834 4024,
W gaiariverlodge.com. This superbly located lodge is set
amid granite and pines on a hillside 2.5 miles beyond
Blancaneaux Lodge, a total of 3.7 miles off Mountain Pine
Ridge Rd. Known until recently as Five Sisters Lodge , it holds
comfortable palmetto-and-thatch cabañas with hot
showers and decks with hammocks, plus deluxe rooms
with waterfall views. Electricity is via an unobtrusive hydro,
complemented by wonderfully romantic oil lamps. Popular
with honeymooners, it also holds gorgeous flowered
gardens and a nature trail through broadleaf forest to
waterfalls. The Five Sisters Falls, viewed from the dining-
room deck, can also be explored via a tiny funicular. A rocky
island in nearby Privassion Creek offers a thatched bar and
small beach. G ood-valu e meal s also a vailable to non-
guests. Cabañas US$200 , rooms US$225
GumboLimbo Jungle Resort Mile 2, Chiquibul Rd
T 650 3112, W gumbolimboresort.com. Attractive
collection of spacious, family-style stone cabañas , owned
by a friendly British family and just 2 miles from
Georgeville. Set around a pool, with a view south across
forested valleys to the Mountain Pine Ridge, each offers
tasteful decor, large showers and wide French windows
opening onto private terraces; everything's powered by
solar and wind energy, and the abundant breeze means
there's no need for a/c. Lunchtime burgers, burritos and
salads (for around Bz$15), also available to non-guests, are
served in a large bar/dining palapa . A four -course e vening
meal (Bz$45) is available by arrangement. US$125
4
Hidden Valley Inn 4 Cooma Cairn Rd T 822 3320,
W hiddenvalleyinn.com. Twelve spacious cottages at a high
elevation, within a private 20-square-mile reserve that's
located 5 miles along the dirt road that leads east from
Mountain Pine Ridge Rd towards Thousand-foot Falls. You'll
forget you're in the tropics here with pines, tree ferns and
your own fireplace stacked with logs to ward off the chill.
Great meals (not included), and swimming pool with hot tub.
Hiking, mountain bike and 4WD trails take you to secret
waterfalls popular with honeymooners - guests can arrange
to have one entirely to themselves - while expert guides
lead tours on- and off-site. Excellent birding, with frequent
sightings of the rare orange-breasted falco n. Privat e airstrip.
Multi-day all-inclusive packages available. US$245
THE CHIQUIBUL ROAD
Blancaneaux Lodge Mile 15, Chiquibul Rd T 824
3878, in US T 800 746 3743, W blancaneauxlodge.com.
Sumptuous lodge, owned by Francis Ford Coppola and
located 1.2 miles along a track off the main road.
Comfortable and spacious hardwood and thatch cabañas
and villas overlooking Privassion Creek, and beautifully
landscaped grounds, from the palm-lined driveway to the
croquet lawn and organic garden. Villas (sleep 4) have two
enormous rooms with hardwood floors, Guatemalan
textiles and screened porches with gorgeous views. Italian
specialities, including pizzas from a wood-fired oven, are
served with home-grown organic vegetables and Coppola's
wines, and there's also a poolside Belizean restaurant. A
heated pool and Indonesian massage house ensure
relaxation, while service is exceptional. Prices are
Mountain Equestrian Trails Mile 8, Chiquibul Rd
T 669 1124, in US T 800 838 3918, W metbelize.com.
Belize's premier horseriding centre, set in tropical forest on
the edge of the Pine Ridge, offers ten rooms in thatched, oil
lamp-lit cabañas , with private baths and viewing decks.
Electricity is only available in its social hub, the Cantina ,
which serves tasty Belizean and Mexican meals in large
 
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