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The Lodge at Chaa Creek has a 30 year story, set up in 1977 by two young travelers — Mick and Lucy.

It began life as a farm, growing into a guesthouse and gradually over the years opened its doors as the first jungle lodge in Belize. It has grown from strength to strength into a beautiful place to stay whilst retaining the friendly charm and character of its early days.

Only 15 minutes' drive away from the town of San Ignacio it makes a perfect base for exploring the area offering trips to Mountain Pine Ridge, the local caves and Maya ruins. The lodge itself is set around a 365 acre rainforest reserve giving guests an opportunity to horse-ride, mountain-bike, and trek throughout its numerous trails or, for the less active, simply relax by the pool.

For those that truly want to be pampered there is a lovely spa on site. The 23 rooms are in keeping with the rainforest — wooden cabanas all with a balcony, hammock, large fans and beautiful en suite bathrooms. The property went through extensive refurbishment in 2009 and is definitely a larger entity than it once was with more of a jungle resort feel to it than an intimate jungle lodge one. That said, it remains a wonderful place to stay with fantastic opportunities to explore the area with excellent facilities that other jungle lodges just do not offer.

The restaurant serves daily set menu plans for most meals rather than à la carte. If you do have any special requirements please ensure we are well-aware prior to departure. Dinner is a four-course meal — the starter, salad and dessert is the same for everyone and they offer a choice of three main courses; a vegetarian, meat and fish option. If you prefer you can order off the lunch menu.

OUR RATING: First Class