We spent three nights at the Macal River Camp in late January. It was a great experience. We stayed in one of the smaller casitas (just two beds) but it was plenty big for us. It is a bit of a walk to the bathrooms, but nothing bad. It's just like when you go camping in the US, only the bathrooms are MUCH cleaner and well maintained at Macal River Camp. Just be sure to pack your flashlight or headlamp. You will need it. It gets dark fast out in the jungle. They do have a little power they run off a sweet solar set up but it's used for the dining area and bath area only.
The site is 100% safe. There is always someone on site so your things are safe even if you're not around.
Really the best thing about Macal River camp is Dosio and his family. They are friendly and helpful. The want you to have a good time and be comfortable. They make the effort to make sure you're happy. Dosio's wife and sister-in-law prepare the meals (breakfast and dinner included in the nightly rate) I can't say there was anything I didn't like. I'm typically a picky eater but decided I needed to open myself up to new things on this trip and I wasn't disappointed. The first night we had tilapa and both my husband and I loved it. We're not normally fish people. Desert that night was banana cake. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Breakfast was great, filling for a day filled with activities. Lunch can be purchased at the restaurant at the main resort if you're not heading into town or going on an excursion that includes them. Try a Limeaid if you get to the restaurant. Great drink to sip while sitting around the pool.
Dosio also helped to point out wildlife and told us about other things that we could hear but not see. If the howler monkeys are near you can't not hear them. If you're a light sleeper they might keep you up but I was always so exhausted from our fun days I had no trouble sleeping.
Take the canoes into town if you can. We had lunch and walked around for about an hour before Dosio picked us up. It was a two hour canoe downstream. Beautiful! They tell you to pull out at the concrete dock. You should know it's not really a dock. More like a little rectangle of concrete that you'll miss if you're not looking for it. It's on the left just after you pass under the suspension bridge, before you get to the low bridge.
We also went on the ATM cave tour while there but booked directly though PACZ tours. I was able to save us some money that way. The hotel will book for you, but you pay a premium. PACZ was great by the way! Take a little extra cash with you if you do the ATM cave, we wished we'd had a little so we could have stayed to enjoy happy hour with our fellow hikers and taken a taxi back to camp. Your gear and items are completely safe in the vans while you are hiking.
We also learned that we could save money by taking a taxi back to Belize City to catch our flight to Ambergris Caye. At a cost of $100 that saved us nearly $70. I would however recommend that you use the resort for your transportation to Chaa Creek as it really is nice to have someone waiting for you as you step off the plane after a long day of travel. The driver that picked us up also told us all about the country and villages we were passing though. He was a delight! Totally worth the extra cost for at least one leg of the journey.
If you take electronics with you, bring some silica or something similar to pack into their cases, just helps a little with the humidity since you can't get back into a/c to dry them out.
Bring your own empty water bottle. There are so many plastic water bottles all over this country. I get that people want safe water but you can find that and use your reusable bottles and help preserve the beauty that is Belize.
Macal River Camp isn't fancy, but it's functional and affordable. The food and company is wonderful. It's a great way to meet people from around the world and try new things. Go and enjoy! We aren't usually very outgoing, adventurous travelers but I am so glad we took a step outside our comfort zone to experience this place.
- Hotel At Chaa Creek
- At Chaa Creek Hotel
- Chaa Creek
