Spotlight On: Antarctic Cruises

Have you ever dreamt of witnessing a landscape untouched by time? Where towering glaciers carve their paths through sculpted mountains, and vast icebergs shimmer on pristine waters? A cruise to Antarctica is your portal to this extraordinary reality. Here is a brief introduction to what you can expect from an Antarctic Cruise!

Where & When?

On an Antarctic cruise, you’ll explore one of Earth’s most remote and isolated places. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and experience something extraordinary. These unique voyages typically depart from Ushuaia, Argentina, often dubbed the “End of the World.” And go on to explore the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula.

[Photo Credit: Rebecca Hausner via Unsplash]

However, for the ultimate adventurer, a select few cruises venture into the Weddell Sea on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. These cruises promise an even more remote and untouched experience.

All the commercial operators run their cruises during spring and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. With the majority going from November to February. November is a beautiful time to visit as the cold icy winter is just beginning to recede leaving behind an absolutely pristine landscape. But the seas and weather are still a bit unpredictable and landings may not be possible.

[Photo Credit: Jeremy Stewardson via Unsplash]

December and January are the peak months with the best weather and also the highest number of people. Finally, February and March see the incredible humpback whale migration. This balances against a dirtier landscape as much of the snow and ice has started to melt and been trampled on all through the summer.

How Long is An Antarctic Cruise?

Antarctic cruises themselves typically range from 11 to 18 days. However, reaching the continent takes a minimum of two days of sailing each way across the infamous Drake Passage.

Therefore, the actual time spent exploring the Antarctic Peninsula and its wonders is closer to 4-5 days. Don’t forget, to reach Ushuaia, you’ll likely need at least one to two days of flying, depending on your origin. So, when you factor it all in, an Antarctic expedition becomes a minimum two-week commitment.

[Photo Credit: 66 North via Unsplash]

taking a photo on an antarctic cruise

What to Expect: The Ship

A ship and ice flow on an antarctic cruise

Luxury cruising in Antarctica is a unique experience compared to its tropical counterparts in the Caribbean. While you’ll find a range of ships, Antarctic cruises prioritize intimacy and exploration over extravagant amenities.

[Photo Credit: Torsten Dederichs via Unsplash]

The most recommend voyages are between 100- 300 passengers. This is because international regulations to protect the pristine environment restrict the number of visitors. At any one time, a maximum of 100 people may be on land. This smaller guest count translates to a more personalized experience. With rotations ensuring everyone gets ample time exploring via Zodiac landings and cruises. Think simple elegance in staterooms. And, a focus on communal areas designed to gather and share stories of the day’s adventures rather than to entertain.

Beyond the awe-inspiring landscapes and wildlife encounters, Antarctic cruises offer a thrilling array of excursions. Imagine kayaking amidst ice floes, feeling the exhilaration of a polar plunge, or even camping overnight under the stars. You can choose to explore Antarctica via kayak each day of the cruise. Or you can do a day paddle as a one-off experience.

[Photo Credit: 66 North via Unsplash]

Experienced guides lead hiking, mountaineering, and climbing excursions on the continent. Most excursions last 1-2 hours, and a moderate level of physical fitness is essential to fully enjoy all that an Antarctic adventure has to offer.

What to Expect: On Land & Wildlife 

two travelers in red survey the icy landscape of an arctic adventure

Antarctica boasts no traditional ports, you’ll take Zodiacs directly onto the continent. There are no facilities or amenities here – the focus is on appreciating the raw beauty and untamed wildlife in its natural habitat. Your expert guides mark out specific paths to ensure environmental protection. So, while the vastness stretches before you, you’ll always be within sight of your fellow explorers. Once you exit your Zodiac, you’ll see research stations, viewpoints, and unique wildlife.

[Photo Credit: Cassie Matias via Unsplash]

The thrill of encountering penguin colonies teeming with life, lounging seals basking on the ice, and majestic whales gliding through the frigid waters is unparalleled. While respecting a 15-foot distance is encouraged, some curious creatures may approach you for an unforgettable close encounter. Most commonly, you’ll see Gentoo and chinstrap penguins, whales like minke, humpback, and orca, and a variety of seabirds and seals. Each wildlife encounter is unique and unpredictable. Have your camera ready at all times – you never know when you might spot these incredible animals.

[Photo Credit: Tam Minton via Unsplash]

What to Expect: Day-to-Day on an Antarctic Cruise

Your days will be a captivating blend of exploration and education. Seadays are filled with enriching lectures by your onboard experts. They’ll delve into the fascinating history, geology, and wildlife of Antarctica. No two days are the same, with the ever-changing scenery and exciting wildlife sightings keeping you enthralled. In between lectures, you might find yourself relaxing on deck with a steaming cup of tea, captivated by a pod of whales breaching in the distance.

a small dingy in front of an ice arch on an arctic expedition
[Photo Credit: Long Ma via Unsplash]

Shore excursions are the undeniable highlight, with most days offering two opportunities to explore. You may find yourself marveling at penguin colonies on land in the morning, and then hopping on a Zodiac for an exhilarating cruise along the dramatic coastlines after lunch. Evenings conclude with a comprehensive debrief from the expedition team, recapping the day’s adventures and outlining the exciting possibilities that await you tomorrow.

Costs

The cost of such an incredible journey is what one might expect. Between extraordinary shore excursions and a crew of experts, you can expect to pay between $5,000 – $50,000 per person for the cruise. It all depends on the size of the ship, the luxury of the amenities on board, and the length of the journey.


Are you inspired to begin planning your own Antarctic adventure? Reach out and let us help you find the perfect ship, itinerary, and price point for your adventure into this pristine, unparalleled other-world.

Top 5 Tips for Your Expedition Adventure

Luxury travel often evokes images of five-star accommodations and meticulously planned itineraries. But for the truly adventurous soul, there’s a unique style of travel. One that offers a deeper, more immersive experience: Expedition Travel. If you’re considering an expedition vacation or already have one in the works – follow these 5 essential tips to ensure you have the most incredible experience:

What is an Expedition Adventure?

a snokeler and a seal look at each other underwater in the Galapagos

 First – a quick review of what kinds of trips we’re talking about. Expedition cruises and tours take you off the beaten path, exploring the remote corners of the globe alongside a team of experts. Think wildlife encounters in the Arctic tundra, a gorilla trek in Uganda, or a cultural immersion in the Amazon rainforest. Whether you’re heading to the Australian Outback or the Galapagos – expedition itineraries are all about exploration and discovery. They have a strong focus on learning about the unique destinations you visit.

[Photo Credit: Ann via Shared Adventures – read about her Galapagos Adventure Here!]

1. Stay Flexible: Your Itinerary is a Guideline

Expedition itineraries are crafted to explore dynamic environments, and Mother Nature has a mind of her own. Unforeseen weather conditions, wildlife sightings, or even research opportunities may adjust the daily schedule. Be prepared to go with the flow. Don’t expect to stick too closely to your itinerary.

Your planned Zodiac cruise through a glacier-filled fjord might be rerouted due to unexpectedly strong winds. Or someone may spot a pod of whales in the distance encouraging the captain to navigate closer. The expert expedition leaders will always look for better-suited alternatives to maximize your trip in ways you never imagined. Instead of viewing these changes as disruptions, embrace them as unique adventures that can elevate your trip.

[Photo Credit: Long May via Unsplash]

a small dingy in front of an ice arch on an arctic expedition

2. Attend the Lectures: Listen and Learn from the Experts

two travelers in red survey the icy landscape of an arctic adventure

Expedition teams are comprised of seasoned experts – naturalists, historians, geologists. They will bring the destinations you visit to life. The informative lectures they offer aren’t just filler — they’re crucial for your understanding. Whether it’s the cultural significance of a remote village, the delicate balance of a polar ecosystem, or the geological forces that shaped a volcanic landscape, these insights will elevate your experience and allow you to truly appreciate the wonders that surround you.

[Photo Credit: Cassie Matias via Unsplash]

3. Remember These Aren’t Your Typical Vacations

Expedition vacations prioritize exploration over opulence. You’ll trade those sprawling buffets for regionally-inspired meals and spacious cabins for more compact, functional accommodations. You won’t need to pack your fancy dinner dress for this type of vacation and don’t expect to spend your days relaxing by the pool with a margarita.

Instead, you’ll spend your days experiencing incredible wildlife encounters and unparalleled scenery which few in the world get to experience. 

Photo Credit: Ann via Shared Adventures Travel]

a seal and a woman sit side by side on the beach in the Galapagos
a circle of tents with glowing orange fires set against a vast midnight blue sky on a desert expedition adventure

Your accommodations might range from comfortable yet basic tented camps to refurbished research vessels. You might be setting sail on a small expedition ship instead of a giant cruise liner. While the ship will have amenities, it will prioritize expedition capabilities over entertainment options, offering a more intimate and focused experience. Think of it as a trade-off: slightly less space, for memories that will fill a lifetime.

[Photo Credit: Parker Hilton via Unsplash]

4. Be Prepared to Be Active and Know Your Limits

Expedition itineraries often involve hiking, kayaking, or wildlife viewing excursions. While the pace can be adjusted to accommodate varying fitness levels, a baseline level of physical fitness is essential. So don’t put off going on these adventures until retirement! Be prepared to walk over uneven terrain, swim in open water, and climb in and out of boats or up steep mountains.

[Photo Credit: Ann via Shared Adventures Travel]

The Galapagos group on a hike through volcanic rock and low desert bush

Most importantly: be honest with yourself about your capabilities. Choose adventures that suit your limitations. There’s no shame in opting for a shorter hike or sitting out a particularly strenuous kayaking excursion. You’ll enjoy your adventure most when you’re pushing your boundaries while staying safe and within your limits. Listen to your body and select the activity that aligns with your fitness level.

Rainbow Mountain in Peru

Take time to understand the physical requirements and environmental conditions you’ll face on this adventure. Do you need to prepare for altitude sickness? Extreme cold or heat? Understanding the conditions and your fitness level before you go on the trip will be key to enjoying your adventure.

[Photo Credit: Alvaro Palacios via Unsplash]

5. Pack Light, But Pack for All Weather

Expedition destinations often have unpredictable weather patterns. One day you might be basking in sunshine, the next braving icy winds. Pack layers that can be easily combined to adapt to changing conditions. Quick-drying fabrics and waterproof gear are essential. Remember: layers, layers, and more layers.

Your exploration of the Amazon rainforest might involve navigating through sudden downpours. Packing a lightweight rain jacket and quick-dry hiking pants will ensure you stay comfortable and focused on enjoying the adventure. The key to packing is versatility and clothes specifically adapted to the environment you’re exploring.

[Photo Credit: Kiyoshi via Unsplash]

a canoe crossing the wide amazon river on an Amazon Expedition

Are you inspired to embark on an expedition of your own? Let us know and we can help plan every detail. Pack your sense of adventure, and a dash of flexibility, and get ready to experience the world in a whole new way.

Hawai’i Honeymoon

What can you expect on a Hawaiian Honeymoon? We helped Viki and Mike plan a whirlwind 3 island honeymoon to Hawai’i in May — and it was a dream come true! We balanced adventure and relaxation, with luxury, local guides, and plenty of free time. They had a truly incredible Hawaiian honeymoon and were more than happy to share their experience, so you can start visualizing your won romantic island adventure.


Traveling Overall

We had an amazing time on our Honeymoon to Hawai’i. It was a dream vacation for us both! Traveling for us went smoothly. There were no Covid restrictions, all our flights were on time, the car companies were efficient, and the check-in process at the hotels was quick. Considering we traveled to 3 islands and had 5 flights, I was pleasantly surprised by how well traveling went for us. We also had the best weather and were happy we chose May to visit Hawai’i! We also loved all the honeymoon perks our hotels offered, and the restaurants helped celebrate our honeymoon with complimentary dessert!

One of the best things we did was download the Gypsy App. We purchased the Hawai’i Bundle and it was well worth it. It was perfect Oahu and Road to Hana in Maui. We loved how we could start anywhere on the island, and go in any direction, and found the guide tips super helpful. It felt like without the app, we would’ve missed out on seeing some of our favorite spots!

I also want to note, that Hawai’i has implemented reservations for some popular tourist attractions and parks. For us, we did not want our trip planned out every day. We only made reservations for Diamond Head State Monument. We had no issue getting our desired date and time.

The USS Arizona Memorial encourages purchasing tickets in advance. We did not and did wait in a 2-hour standby line. Thankfully the weather cooperated and we didn’t have any other planned activities for the day.  

Here are more details by island to share : 

Oahu

The Lotus Honolulu at Diamond Head worked well for our stay, mainly because we spent most of our time exploring the island. The hotel wasn’t anything fancy, but it was clean and the room was nice.

a woman standing on the resort balcony on her Hawaii Honeymoon

They did accommodate our partial ocean & Diamond head view request. However, most of our ocean view was of the next door’s hotel parking lot. I wish we asked for a high-rise level floor. The hotel wasn’t beachfront, but it was a minute walk to a very nice and quiet beach.

Our favorite restaurants we ate in Oahu were : 

  • Michel’s at Colony Surf – perfect for a fancy oceanfront dinner and next to our hotel
  • Sweet E’s Cafe – is a great local brunch spot located in Honolulu. It was a short 10-minute drive from our hotel. Both Mike & I loved their pancakes!
Hawaii Honeymoon couple in Oahu with helmet on surrounded by green mountains

A few highlights from our time in Oahu included

  • 2 Hour ATV Tour at Kualoa Ranch – such a thrill & we loved seeing so many Hollywood movie site locations
  • Hiking Diamond Head
  • Oahu’s Beaches & Volcanoes Loop (South-East corner)
  • North Shore Loop
  • Visited Pearl Harbor & USS Arizona Memorial

Kauai 

The Sheraton Kauai Resort was our favorite hotel! The resort really went the extra mile by upgrading us for free to the “Hibiscus Suite”. The suite was a newly renovated top floor oceanfront & pool front suite. We had 3 balconies, a dining room, living room, master bedroom, and bathroom. They also offered us a complimentary bottle of champagne. We plan to request this specific suite on a future anniversary trip! We did not want to leave!

The Sheraton Kuai resort in Hawaii with glowing pool

After our busy agenda in Oahu, we spent some much-needed R&R in Kauai. We loved the ocean views from Poipu Beach and the on-site amenities the Sheraton offered. On the last day, we treated ourselves to one of the beachside cabanas. We also spent much of our time at the resort’s restaurant, Lava’s. The staff was super friendly and had yummy poolside cocktails!

Our Doors Off Private Helicopter Tour with Mauna Loa Helicopters in Kauai was our favorite adventure! We flew over the coast of Kauai including the beautiful Na Pali! Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and he made us feel comfortable. This was an experience of a lifetime!

the view of Hawaiian islands from a helicopter

We also did the 8 Line Poipu Zipline Adventure with Skyline Eco Adventures in Kauai. We enjoyed seeing the different parts of Kauai and zipping around the island. However, we do wish we saw more tropical forests and that the lines were longer. This was our 3rd time ziplining together so for us I think next time we’d prefer a challenging course and more views! On the plus side, we did like that it was a small tour and our tour guides were awesome!

Our favorite restaurants in Kauai were all within a 5 to 10-minute drive of our resort :  

  • The Beach House Restaurant – a nice beachfront restaurant where we could watch the surfers. Probably my favorite restaurant in Hawai’i. 
  • Keoki’s Paradise – an open-air restaurant with a laid-back Hawaiian vibe.
  • Living Foods – located in the cutest outdoor shopping mall, The Shops At Kukuiula.  

Maui 

The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa was a tropical paradise! The staff made us feel welcome with a bottle of champagne and a lei greeting upon check-in. Our hotel room was very nice and we had a gorgeous view of one of the many resort pools. It was also convenient having so many restaurants on site. I loved the poke & fish tacos they offered! The sunsets on the beach were also breathtaking being on the West Side of the island. The amenities at the resort were endless, and we saw many honeymooners like ourselves. 

We had a great time at the Drums of The Pacific Luau at our hotel! Our seats were close to the stage, and the venue seemed pretty booked. I’m glad we purchased our tickets far in advance. The food servings were large and we enjoyed the open bar as well as the entertainment. 

a honeymoon couple in front of dried lava flow in Hawaii

We’re also happy to report we survived the Road To Hana in Maui! We did the Original Route with 620 Curves and 59 One Way Bridges. It took us about 12 hours to fully complete by following the Gypsy Guide. We saw so many tropical rainforests, waterfalls, and beaches!

On our last day, we did the Lanai Snorkel Tour & Dolphin Watch With Pac-Whale Eco Adventures. It wasn’t the best snorkeling day at Lanai sadly. During the 5 hours, we didn’t see any dolphins and not a large variety of fish. The boat ride was long and we would have preferred a smaller group tour. We originally booked the small group Honolua Bay trip, but they canceled that specific tour the day prior. Next visit to Maui I’d love to snorkel Molokini Crater!

a couple in Hawaii on their honeymoon with green lawns and sunset in the background

On one of our last nights in Maui, we treated ourselves to a nice dinner at The Plantation House in Lahaina. The restaurant offers breathtaking views of the Kapalua Golf Course and the ocean. We were lucky to be at the restaurant during sunset. I enjoyed the Catch of The Day and Mike said his Filet was the best meal he had on our whole trip. 

Conclusions

Overall, if we had to choose our favorite island it would be Kauai and then Maui! We still loved Oahu, but Honolulu was very crowded being a city. Traveling to 3 islands was an adventure and we saw a lot with not a ton of relaxation so we’re glad traveling was seamless. Next time, we’d choose just 1 or 2 islands so we can see more but have plenty of time to relax on the beach. 

We’re so happy we delayed our trip by 2 years. No covid restrictions allowed us to be free of testing, and minimize wait times to fully enjoy our time.

We thank you Ann, and your team for all your time and dedication to helping us plan our dream Hawaiian Honeymoon! We look forward to planning a future trip together!

-Vicki & Mike

A love affair with Belize…

You really can’t ask for a better, more detailed, more personal trip review than this. Maggie and Matt clearly LOVED their honeymoon in Belize 🙂

Our honeymoon was, in one word: amazing. We miss being in Belize every single day and we can’t wait to go back! I apologize for taking so very long to get this to you–to be honest, every time I start to write it, I get sad because we aren’t in Belize…

When we arrived in Belize on the 6th, a driver from Chaa Creek was outside the airport, waiting to pick us up. We discovered while on the plane, though, that the couple sitting behind us was also going to Chaa Creek! That was really nice, as we hit it off with them nicely, so sharing the van with them for the two hour drive to Chaa Creek was a fun experience. Our first stop, after not even three minutes driving, was at a local market so the guys could get some beers for the drive (apparently it’s totally OK for passengers to drink while the car is in motion! Very cool.) They brought back the local Belizean beer called “Belikin”, which we happily drank on our way to Chaa Creek. Just driving through the country was interesting… such beautiful terrain the whole way through.

Maggie 1

Upon arriving at Chaa Creek, we were greeted by the super friendly staff at the reception desk, with cool peppermint neck towels and sorel juice laid out for us. Sorel juice is made from a local pink flower that looks just like the hibiscus flower and it is delicious and refreshing! The peppermint towels were a wonderful relief from the humidity (although we were honestly never uncomfortable due to the weather–it was the perfect time to visit, rain showers from time to time, but still gorgeous, even then). We were led to our *BEAUTIFUL* room–complete with a thatched roof, beautiful stone floors, tall ceilings, beautiful decor and honeymoon flowers and towel decorations everywhere! We had TWO showers, one that was a completely private outdoor shower, and one indoor shower that was big enough to host a party in. It was heavenly. The bed was luxurious and all the decor was beautiful and handmade. I hate to describe it right now because it’s making me really want to go back! Our room also came with two hammocks that we would hang up on the front deck outside our room to read in whenever we had down time. It was perfection. Our first dinner was a delicious lobster tail (mine) and a perfectly cooked steak (Matt’s)–both with Belizean flavor and fresh, local side dishes. The food was perfection, each and every day. We were about ready to move in. After relaxing all afternoon and evening, we scheduled a couples massage at the spa (overlooking the jungle!) for the following morning, which was absolutely glorious, relaxing and heavenly all at once.

Maggie 2Maggie 3

After lunch, we took off for our first excursion, which was ziplining through the jungle at a place called Calico Jack’s. Our driver and tour guide was named Hugh, and he was so, so informative and friendly that the drive there ended up being just as wonderful as any other part of the trip! We loved Hugh! Ziplining through the rainforest was unbelievable… at first I was terrified (Matt went first and loved it) but after my first line, I was in love. It’s exhilarating, exciting and absolutely beautiful. The two guides who took us ziplining were very informative & friendly, and as we walked through the jungle from line to line, they would stop and show us such interesting things in the rainforest, ways to survive or interesting creatures (the ‘give and take’ tree was so cool!–if you touch the sharp needles on the bark, it poisons you, but cut the tree open and you’ll find the antidote in its sap!)

Maggie 11

The next morning, Hugh’s brother, Daren, took us on a tour of Xunantunich, a Mayan site about an hour away from Chaa Creek. It was a fascinating and very humbling experience. The history of the Mayans is so, so rich in Belize. Daren was more than willing to take pictures of us there–and the pictures he took turned out wonderfully! He eventually told us that photography is a big hobby of his and that he’d won a competition to have a photograph he took of a local bird be on the cover of Belize’s telephone book (we later got to SEE the photo/telephone book in real life at the next place we stayed! It was really awesome). That afternoon, Daren drove us to the second half of our day, which was canoeing through a dark and beautiful cave. There were bats flying waaay above us in the cave, which added to the spooky and ethereal feeling. Towards the end, when we were closer to the exit of the cave, Daren had us switch off our headlamps so we could experience what total blindness felt like–such a bizarre feeling… and then he guided us out of the rest of the cave in TOTAL darkness. It was such an amazing experience that we’ll never forget.

Maggie 5Maggie 10

The following day, we went to another Mayan village, called Cahal Pech, and Hugh was our tour guide again (to our excitement!). This one was just as fascinating as the previous day’s excursion to Xunantunich. We had originally planned to go to the huge, Indiana Jones-style cave excursion called ATM, but the rain in the afternoon had caused the risk of flash flooding, which isn’t worth the risk, for sure! The staff definitely felt bad that we had to change our plans, and they went above and beyond to make sure our day was still fun and well-planned. After we went to Cahal Pech, Hugh drove us into the Mennonite area of Belize, which was really interesting. It basically looked like Pennsylvania had been plopped down in the middle of the rainforest! We stopped at an ice cream shoppe that served homemade Mennonite ice cream and it was delicious (we’d recommend the coconut ice cream!). Hugh was so informative and excited to show us Belize that the feeling was infectious… we had such a great time with all of our guides, Hugh, Daren & Selwyn in particular.

Maggie 6

On our last day at Chaa Creek, we went for a horseback ride in the rainforest and finally heard some howler monkeys! It was unreal! They sound terrifying but they’re tiny monkeys who are only interested in making a big racket to scare away other howler monkey families (very territorial). We’d heard from so many other travelers that the howler monkeys would wake us up every morning before the sun was even up, but it never happened (apparently because it wasn’t mango season–so avoiding being woken up that early was just another reason why we’re happy we went in October!). Our guide, Selwyn, worked really hard to get us as close to the monkeys as possible so we could take videos and lots of pictures. We ended our horseback ride with views overlooking miles and miles of rainforest–it was breathtaking–and the perfect ending to our time at Chaa Creek (even though we would’ve preferred it to never end).

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This is such a short summary of all the amazing things we did in Chaa Creek–the waterfall infinity pool on site was beautiful and so much fun (I mostly summarized all the adventures we had, but we had lots of relaxing downtime by the pool and reading in our hammocks–glorious!), the food was delicious (the morning fryjacks are our favorite–we’re still missing those!–we even saved the dinner menus they slipped under our doors each night so we can remember how good the food was!), the property and our room was utter perfection and the staff was wonderful–so friendly, happy, kind & personable. Hugh even came by the local airport we were flying out of to get to the next leg of our trip after we’d left Chaa Creek (on his day OFF!) to give us a DVD he had told us about from which he learned so much about the Mayan ruins he guided us through. We were so blown away by that. Shenny, Hugh, Daren, Saul, Rose were some of the most amazing people we met through Chaa Creek! All the dining staff, too, were truly a pleasure to be around. All of the locals we met outside of Chaa Creek were wonderful as well–happy, friendly and so welcoming. We unfortunately can’t remember everyone’s names from Chaa Creek, but everyone was equally friendly and always happy to help us everywhere we went. We truly felt we made friends there. We can’t WAIT to go back!!

Maggie 15

The small ten passenger plane that took us from the mainland of Belize to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye was really fun and provided beautiful views the entire ride. We arrived at the local airport on San Pedro and were quickly picked up in a roomy golfcart by a Ramon’s Village employee who was extremely friendly and enthusiastic. After relaxing in our room for a while and exploring the beach/walking along the beach, we decided to grab dinner at Caroline’s Cookin’, a local restaurant that was about a 3 minute walk from our room. I’d read reviews on Yelp that all informed me that Caroline’s was the place to go. Boy were they right! It was absolutely delicious. We had made reservations earlier in the day (which we came to find out were totally unnecessary as it was the slow season) and when we came back for dinner, Caroline cooked our meal herself and chatted us up throughout dinner. Matt ordered the jerk conch (conch was in season so we had a LOT of it and it was all delicious!) and I ordered the curried shrimp… we both had a few rum punches (one of which Caroline gave us for free) and it was all heavenly. We were the only customers (reflection of the season not the service & food!) so we got lots of attention.

Maggie 13

Almost every day that we were in San Pedro, we relaxed in thatch-covered hammocks on the beach, reading our books and refilling our drinks whenever a staff member came by. It was the most heavenly paradise. That was our absolute favorite part about staying on the beach–just relaxing together in our hammocks! Even when it rained one day, we stayed where we were, because we were completely sheltered and it was still warm. It was wonderful. Although we’d thought about going out on a snorkeling trip, we were having such a wonderful time relaxing together on the beach each day that we never wanted to move a muscle! (Plus, snorkeling trips there can get expensive and we weren’t interested in spending extra money–something to do next time!)

Maggie 16

The only day we really explored away from Ramon’s was our last day–we wanted to get some souvenirs for our family, so we walked around some of the touristy shops and bought gifts that were cheaper than the gifts offered in Ramon’s gift shop. We also found a fantastic chocolate shop that made really delicious treats–we had chocolate confections for dessert one night and also bought a few bars to bring back as gifts. Another excellent restaurant we went to was Elvi’s Kitchen. The food was absolutely delicious, the staff was friendly and accommodating, and the floors were made of sand! It was a really fun experience. Elvi’s Kitchen was a lot farther of a walk from Ramon’s Village than we’d realized, so by the time we left dinner it was very dark and I was really grateful to have my tall, muscled and imposing husband by my side. San Pedro is most definitely more developed in all areas than Chaa Creek and the surrounding town of San Ignacio, and it was never clearer than when we were out at night. We were just about the only people not traveling by golf cart (we were on foot) so I’m sure if we’d been in a golf cart I’d have felt safer, but we couldn’t justify renting it for just one dinner–it’s really not necessary during the day at all (unless you want to explore the undeveloped regions of the Caye).

Maggie 12

On our second to last night there, we decided to order a pizza to be delivered to our room! We missed pizza (even though the Belizean food was delicious) and it made for a fun night in together. On our last night, we had dinner at the restaurant at Ramon’s Village. Although it wasn’t the best meal we had, it was still really good. The breakfasts we had at Ramon’s Village were all delicious, too, and they all came with fryjacks! Being out on the hammocks on the beach during lunch was awesome–we ordered right from a waiter and ate while sitting in our hammocks! Since we’ve gotten back home, our first purchase as a married couple was a two-person hammock! We miss those relaxing days!!

We never wanted our honeymoon to end, it was so amazing. You’ve made us life-long Belize travelers… we can’t wait to get back as soon as we can! THANK YOU SO MUCH, Ann!!!

– Maggie and Matt

 

You provided excellent guidance for us. I appreciated that you really had us think about what was most important to us when we were selecting the right cruise – and not to totally focus on what other people had to say. THANK YOU for helping to make this a memorable trip for our family! It really was a trip of a lifetime!

Clare and Mark (family cruise to Alaska)

The level of service we experienced was out of this world (and we did NOT make it easy on Ann). We weren’t quite sure where we wanted to go, when we would be able to go, or what “vibe” we were going for. After asking us some key questions (what we liked, didn’t like, why, etc.) Ann helped us narrow down our trip details and planned the honeymoon of our dreams. She helped book some of our excursions, answered some emergency questions while abroad and was always available/willing to help. I think it’s safe to say we won’t be using anyone else for future travel planning – Ann is a rockstar!

Carli (Italy and Spain)