If you're looking for the day dreamers paradise, look no further than beautiful Belize. Between the bumping nightlife, the turquoise blue waters, the unlimited supply of rum, and the seafood that leaves you speechless, Belize has everything to offer the beach bum traveler and then some. We spent our days lounging on the beach, lounging in hammocks, and lounging in inner tubes, so I'm sure you can imagine we're pretty exhausted by all of the strenuous activities.
We spent the majority of our time in Caye Caulker, a small island off the coast of the central region of the country with a strong Caribbean influence. As two Canadians who enjoy the slower moving lifestyle pace, Caye Caulker was a perfect fit. Throughout the town, their slogan "Go Slow" is written on signs and lamp posts, and preached by its locals. So, we both had no problem abiding by their motto.
Our experience on the island exceeded all expectations. So to ensure all of you have nothing short of the experience we had, here are our top places and activities for Caye Caulker.
FOOD
Trip advisor had us prepared for lunch in a hammock, but fate (and good friends) had other plans. Upon discovering our restaurant of choice was closed, some local friends we bonded over ukuleles with a short couple hours before encouraged us to enter through the back door of their favourite spot. With a little hesitation we followed our new friends away from the comfort of the main strip and wandered down a side street towards the middle of the island. Though Maggie's Sunset Grill looks a little run down from street view, their food quality speaks otherwise.
Their menu availability is subjective to what they were able to catch the day prior, but don't let the limitation discourage you. Our entire experience was catered to by the owner Maggie, herself, who runs, cooks, cleans, and bartends the entire establishment on her own. Apart from the help from her children, who she sent to gather ingredients from the supermarket to make sure our order was fulfilled. We ordered their coconut shrimp dish that came with two sides. This dish is nothing like the coconut shrimp you would have in Canada, but Maggie out does us on this one, which we didn't think was possible. We'd love to describe how delicious this shrimp was, but words couldn't compete.. so we are left sending you to Belize to test it out for yourself.
GO SLOW
On a hunt for bliss, we stumbled across the Sip and Dip at the split of the Island. We were just a couple pasty ladies looking transform into bronzed goddesses (as one does), when fate and a well marketed mojito aligned.
If a mojito wasn't enough to sell us on their beachfront wonder-bar, then the hammocks and floaties in the water did the trick. But if staying dry is more your thing, they have ample space to lounge on their long dock or chill out on their upper level. We highly recommend the mango or strawberry coconut mojito, or if you're feeling spicy, having both.
SEA SOME STUFF
You gotta sea it to Belize it.
As soon as you walk off the dock, you'll notice an abundance of snorkling companies to tour you. There is a relatively standardized price across the Island, so bartering for a reduced rate won't get you very far. But keep in mind that they are well-versed salesmen, so ensure you have a confirmed agreement with them ahead of time to avoid uncomfortable situations. Hol Chan and shark ray alley are huge selling points (for a good reason). There is no guarantee of what wildlife you will see but there is a guarantee that you will be amazed by your experience. We had the opportunity to see sea turtles, nurse sharks, eels, eagle rays and so much more. But if you're looking to see certain marine wildlife, check out their list of marine species to check out what you could potentially experience.
We had decided to not go to snorkel the Big Blue Hole from the conversations we had with other travelers in our hostel and reviews online. Unfortunately, it doesn't have as diverse of marine life as Hol Chan and is double the price, but where it does shine is in its aerial view. If you have the extra space in your budget to splurge on chartering a plane then we would not tell you to hesitate booking it, this amazing natural wonder isn't a UNESCO world heritage site for nothing.
After a few days spent in our cabana at our hostel, we're ready to hit the road again to venture off to Flores in Guatemala with slightly burned skin and sand between our toes. - Kass & Sam
