Belize luxury at San Ignacio Resort Hotel

February 18, 2019 By

Remote tranquility and center-of-town convenience: it’s not often travelers get the best of both worlds. At San Ignacio Resort Hotel, however, guests are immersed in the wilderness of the Belizean jungle on one side and in the hospitality of town in the other. Sitting on our suite balcony, my son and I were level with the treetops, where we watched green iguanas, listened to bird song, followed the path of the clouds in the blue sky. We could enjoy our meals on the open-air patio while our server pointed out toucans, and yet, whenever the mood struck, we were only a five-minute walk from downtown San Ignacio, with its shops and restaurants.

San Ignacio Resort Hotel is the town’s luxury boutique resort option, sitting atop a hillside overlooking town. With only 30+ rooms, every guest enjoys personalized attention. Situated on 10 acres (guests have access to five of these acres), the grounds are green, lush, and peaceful. From every outdoor space, from the hammocks on the pool deck to the patios, you’re in a wildlife-viewing location. This award-winning hotel has been a mainstay in San Ignacio since 1976, is family-owned and operated, and has deep roots in the community.

Resort lobby

Resort amenities and on-site activities:

San Ignacio Resort Hotel is home to the Green Iguana Conservation Project, an iguana rescue program with facilities on-site. Families can tour the rescue habitat for the iguanas, where they’ll learn about these animals, their endangerment, and their behaviors in their natural habitat. We learned about the project’s incubation, hatching, rearing, and releasing process, and were able to feed and hold these gentle reptiles, which was so much fun…after we got over our intimidation! Tours are under $10 per person, and you can combine it with a hike along the hotel’s medicinal trails.

Iguana on property

The Medicinal Trail is about half a mile (though there are additional loops to lengthen or shorten your hike) and your guide from San Ignacio Resort Hotel will stop often to point out and describe the various medicinal plants this jungle has in abundance. We smelled, tasted, plucked, and identified dozens of medicinal plants, and learned far more than we could retrain! You need to tour the trails with a guide, and this tour can be combined with a tour of the iguana project.

There is also early morning birdwatching programs at the hotel, with binoculars provided, as well as a swimming pool, hammocks, lounge chairs, and a bar on-site. There is also a tennis court, with rackets and balls provided upon request, but note that there is no netting around the court. This means you need to be quite skilled at keeping your ball in play, or you’ll lose it to the jungle!

Street market in San Ignacio (within walking distance of the hotel)

Of course, you can also walk downtown to shop or dine (it’s literally a five-minute walk down the hill, which translates to a 10-minute walk back up!). The main street in town, Burns, is pedestrian-only, and you’ll find restaurant options ranging from Chinese to Indian to traditional Belizean. Our favorites included Ko-Ox-Han-Nah, serving up Belizean favorites plus curries and seafood in a casual, bustling environment, to Crave (upscale pasta and seafood) and Irva’s (incredible fish and shrimp!) just a block off the main drag. The fruit and vegetable market in San Ignacio is also within easy walking distance, and is liveliest on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays but open every day of the week. In town, we also enjoyed AJAW Chocolate and Crafts, where the cultural and historical story behind Mayan cacao is demonstrated (and tasted!).

Tour offerings throughout the Cayo District:

In addition to its beautiful grounds and luxurious accommodations, San Ignacio Resort Hotel shines in its tour offerings. Their tour guides are among the best in the region, and their concierge makes booking and executing each day’s adventure seamless. Just sit down with one of San Ignacio Resort Hotel’s concierges and you’ll know you’re in good hands right away. They offer dozens of tours ranging from half-day cultural and Mayan archeological site tours to outdoor adventures ranging from hiking to cave spelunking to canoeing to swimming. We kept ourselves busy each day, starting with tours of Xunantunich and Cahal Pech (located nearby) and downtown San Ignacio and then venturing further abroad for tours of Cayo District’s stunning St. Herman’s Cave and Blue Pool and the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve.

San Ignacio Resort Hotel’s policy is to keep tours small and personalized, and they make a concerted effort to provide private tours for just your group. Shuttle van transportation is included, as are gourmet packed lunches for all-day tours. We were lucky enough to have the same guide every day; Cruz was a wealth of knowledge and so fun to spend time with! It is obvious that he takes pride in his job and goes the extra mile to know this region inside and out. There are a few additional reputable tour services in San Ignacio, but I’d never venture farther than the hotel’s offerings, as I know I can trust in the team here.

San Ignacio Resort Hotel room options and types:

Three suites comprise the upstairs level at San Ignacio Resort Hotel: the Royal Suite (where Queen Elizabeth II once stayed), the Honeymoon suite, and the Master suite. We were pampered in the two-bedroom Royal suite, with its four-poster bed, separate private bedroom, kitchenette with microwave, fridge, and wet bar, living space, and ample outdoor space on the balcony. We spent most of our time outside, where we watched the iguanas in the tree at eye-level and waited for toucans to come visit us. (Suites include daily breakfast.)

The suites are the definition of luxury, but the garden rooms and balcony rooms aren’t far behind, for a very affordable price point. The garden rooms feature outdoor terrace space with hammocks, and the balcony rooms overlook the jungle canopy.

Dining at San Ignacio Resort Hotel:

The main dining room serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with local beef from Running W Ranch, located just outside town. All meals are casual, and are served in the open-air dining room or on the spacious patio overlooking the jungle. There is a full bar as well, which serves signature cocktails before dinner and drinks throughout the evening, plus a limited bar menu with poolside service as well. It’s worth noting that this resort is committed to eco-friendly measures; there are no plastic straws. Guests are instead offered macaroni straws, which are both fun and sustainable. Well done!

We ate breakfast daily (which can also be ordered to your room or suite), and either ordered a packed lunch as part of our tour or ate lunch in town. Dinners we ate at the resort dining room or in town, and we enjoyed the daily specials and specialty nights that changed things up during our stay. There’s a limited but quality wine list by the glass and by the bottle, and always save room for dessert!

Birdwatching at breakfast!

From the San Ignacio Resort Hotel, you have all of the outdoor adventure of the Cayo District at your disposal. It’s central to all the Mayan sites and swimming holes, caves, and hikes that dot this region. Airport shuttle van transfers can be arranged; we found this to be the most convenient way to get to the resort. Otherwise, you’ll need a rental car for the 1.5-2 hour drive from Belize City. Bus service is also possible, but not the most luxurious. The great news: once you’re at San Ignacio Resort Hotel, you won’t want to be going far!

Disclosure: we tried out the hotel as guests of San Ignacio Resort Hotel, for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

Earth Day-friendly bucket list experiences and destinations

April 21, 2017 By

In celebration of Earth Day, we’ve rounded up our favorite experiences, tours, and travel operations that promote a spirit of ‘Earth Day every day’. These travel experiences, through their passion for their destinations, help create the next generation of environmentalists.

Earth Day-friendly bucket list experiences:

earth day

Uncruise in Panama and Costa Rica:

We just returned from Uncruise’s newest itinerary in Central America, which takes guests through the historic Panama Canal before heading up the Pacific coastline along Panama and Costa Rica. Naturalists onboard the ship, in tandem with local guides and experts, teach guests about the local wildlife in the rainforests, mangroves, and beaches visited. The 62-passenger Safari Voyager allows for a cruise ship experience without the environmental problems large cruise ships pose.

Lindblad Expeditions in the Galapagos:

This Galapagos trip, on the NatGeo Endeavor II, allows families to experience the Galápagos Islands through Lindblad’s ‘360º approach’, guaranteeing an in-depth encounter with its flora and fauna. The 96-guest National Geographic Endeavour II is fully equipped with tools for exploration that will enable travelers to see more of the archipelago’s varied islands and habitat, have up close encounters with wildlife, and experience the Galápagos undersea.

Need more inspiration? We have activities you can add to just about any family trip in the spirit of Earth Day!

Vantage Adventures in Peru:

Vantage Adventures’ Machu Picchu itinerary excels in teaching guests about the storied history of Peru, from the high peaks above Cusco to the fertile plains of the Sacred Valley. Their local guides are unrivaled experts whose love and passion for the country is contagious. We learned so much about Peruvian culture, we could fully appreciate the UNESCO sites we visited, and their conservation. Read more about our time in Peru.

Alaskan Dream Cruises in SE Alaska:

I’ve been singing the praises of Alaskan Dream Cruises’ Alaska itinerary for a long time, and I’m not likely to stop anytime soon. This Alaskan-native-owned company shines when it comes to unique ports of call and intimate, local experiences. We got up close to nature from bears to bald eagles, and our experience was always interwoven with native Alaskan culture and hospitality. After our Alaskan experience, my kids vowed to become stewards of our environment all over again. Read more about our Alaskan Dream experience.

O.A.R.S. river rafting in Idaho:

If you don’t have the know-how or desire to plan your own multi-day backpacking or river rafting trip to experience a week or so in the wilderness with your family, do the next best thing (or if I’m being honest, maybe the first-best thing) and head into the backcountry with O.A.R.S. Their Salmon River itineraries in remote Idaho do more to teach kids (and grown-ups) about the importance of preserving our natural lands than any class or Earth Day festival will do. Immersed in the wilderness, families truly understand why forest service and BLM lands deserve their attention and protection. Read more about our Main Salmon rafting trip.

Tip: Want to embark on your own outdoor adventure bucket list trip? Of course you can! We suggest REI’s new GPS-based apps, which make the outdoors accessible for users of all levels. The REI apps put GPS route info, elevation profiles, interactive maps, photos and more at your fingertips. Try the Hiking Project App, or the bike trail MTB Project App. REI even has a National Parks App!

10 ways to travel eco-friendly as a family

April 17, 2017 By

April is the month we celebrate Earth Day and the more-encompassing ‘Earth Month’, but really, we try very hard at Pit Stops for Kids to travel eco-friendly all year round. Unfortunately, there’s something about seeing the Alaskan glaciers melt before our eyes or watching the world’s coral reefs shrink that really drives home the importance of taking care of our natural environment. I know our readers also want to travel eco-friendly, so read on for ideas large and small that can make a difference!

born-wild

Bring your own reusable water bottles:

This is a small action that can have a big impact. Purchase water bottles for your family, then reuse them everywhere from fast food joints to theme parks. You’ll save money if you opt only for water (which is ideal for health on your trip, too), but even if you refill with other drinks, you’ll be skipping unnecessary paper or plastic cups, lids, and straws.

Drive instead of fly:

Did you know a family’s carbon footprint is smaller driving in a car than flying? Even better yet: take a bus. I actually hadn’t thought about traveling long distance by bus since my college days, but companies like Megabus.com have made the experience comfortable and affordable. Especially if you plan to follow the tip below about public transit, taking the bus from city to city in the US, Canada, UK, and Europe is a really economical and earth-conscious plan.

Take public transportation at your destination:

If your vacation is in a city, try out the local public transit once you’re at your destination. Taking the subway, metro, or city bus is a great way to get to know the city more intimately than in a car, and is almost always more affordable than renting a car. We see more parts of the city, and meet more locals, by taking public transportation, and with a family of five, it’s almost always cheaper than taxis or even Uber.

Eat at farmers markets and local food stands:

Skip chain restaurants that source their food from who knows where, and opt for local food stands, farmers markets, or farm-to-fork dining options. In cities, these are easy to find: think Seattle’s Pike Place Market or Philadelphia’s Reading Market. In rural areas, look for roadside produce stands and natural grocery stores: go shopping then eat an outdoor picnic at a local park!

Skip the mega cruise ships for small ships or private tours:

Large cruise ships are notoriously bad for Mother Earth, thanks to possible dumping of gray water and sewage and the air pollutants from smoke stacks (though things are getting better). Instead, book a small ship cruise, which has a smaller footprint due it its smaller size (which also helps rural local economies more en route, too). If a small ship cruise is not in the budget, book a smaller or private land tour at your destination instead of a large group tour. The more intimate number will equal a better experience for you, and will also avoid the waste generated by large groups.

Reuse your towels in hotels:

Or better yet, book local apartments when you travel to avoid industrial-sized washers and dryers (and the other waste in hotels) when you travel. A home or apartment rental (such as HomeAway or AirBnb) usually saves money, gives families a more intimate and personalized travel experience, and leaves a smaller carbon footprint. If you do opt for a hotel, look for LEED certification, which means the hotel has taken strides to become more eco-friendly in their electricity use, water use, and more.

Camp or backpack off the grid:

When you’re in the outdoors, you’re naturally less impactful on the environment. Use solar camping lanterns or headlamps, turn off your phones, and relax in the outdoors. You’ll use less water by taking fewer (if any) showers, and little or no electricity. And getting back to nature helps to remind kids that they don’t need to be on the grid all the time.

Take kids to natural wonders:

Studies have shown that people care more about issues if they feel a personal connection to them. When kids have seen glaciers shrinking, coral reefs disappearing, and native species dwindling, they remember these issues as they grow into adults. Teach your kids to be responsible stewards of the environment through experience and education.

Go to science museums while you travel:

Along the same lines, kids’ science museums across the world teach kids about the importance of conservation with hands-on learning opportunities. Let your kids pedal a bike to produce energy, or design their own eco-friendly airplane model. As a bonus, visiting science museums on vacation provides a fun way to expend energy after a long day traveling or city touring.

Travel to an eco-resort:

To really become inspired this Earth Month, plan your vacation around an eco resort (many of which can be found in Central and South America, for instance). Eco resorts walk the talk, so to speak, and during your stay, you can see alternative energy use and sustainable practices up close. It can be very inspiring: an eco resort stay may result in your going home to install solar panels or a wind turbine…you never know!

Ready for action? Encourage kids to enter the Megabus Masterpiece contest with their own earth-inspired piece of art. The grand prize winner’s artwork will be displayed across the side of a megabus and will receive $1,000 for art classes or more eco-friendly travel! (Contest ends April 22, 2017, and winners announced May 15 on Megabus social channels.)

earth-month

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of megabus.com. The opinions and text are all mine.

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