We made a rustic tropical island escape to Belize and met a new creature

We asked Star readers to tell us about trips they have taken and share their experience and advice:

Where: Belize

When: March 2020

Rating: 5/5

What inspired you to take this trip? As an avid snorkeller, I had my underwater bucket list of places I wanted to explore, and Belize had been on my list. Belize’s barrier reef, which runs parallel to the coast of the country, is part of the second largest reef system in the world. The Belize reef was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. In doing some research, trying to find a great spot to stay for snorkelling and, possibly, some diving, I came across a small, rustic, intimate resort called Off The Wall Dive Center and Resort and I realized, after reading the reviews, that this was the place I wanted to visit. I am not into big crowds, and much prefer quieter, more intimate settings.

What was the best sight? This was boating across open ocean to the barrier reef and watching the water turn from darker blue to the most stunning, almost fluorescent, pastel aqua colour. A short while later the boat pulled up to the little palm tree-covered island, surrounded by aquamarine waters where our small resort was located and it looked like a tropical island paradise.

After stepping onto the island, we were greeted by owners Kendra and Jim Schofield, who gave us a tour of their island and showed us our very private oceanfront cabana. This was very rustic, with no electric lights, or running water, but it had a beautiful private deck with panoramic ocean views. (In the mornings we spotted a local iguana hanging out.)

There were solar powered lights, a candle lantern and mosquito netting draped down from the ceiling over the bed. For toilets and showers, guests walked down sand paths to a central station that had composting toilets and a beautiful outdoor shower decorated in whimsical mosaic designs, made by Kendra. Everything was spotless.

What was your favourite thing you did? The snorkelling and the diving. You could snorkel right from shore, or borrow a kayak to paddle out to a sandbar and snorkel at a different patch of reef. I saw lots of turtles, nurse sharks, parrot fish, barracuda and a new fish to me, called a rock beauty, a black-and-yellow angelfish.

There were always just a small group of us heading out in the dive boat. The staff took great care of us. On one of the dives, we swam on the edge of a coral wall that dropped off into deep water. The water looked a dark blue, and, out of the distance, up the wall, came a group of spotted eagle rays, gliding up from the depths and past us. It was a magical moment. We were told that some guests have been lucky to see whale sharks and dolphins.

What was the most delicious thing you ate? The fresh fish, seafood, fruits and vegetables were amazing. I remember a fisherman stopping by to drop off freshly caught fish.

Some of my favourite meals were: a lunch of ceviche with homemade corn tortillas, refried beans and vegetable rice, plus a dessert of key lime bars with toasted coconut; conch soup with coconut rice and sautéed veggies, followed by brownies; and a dinner of grilled garlic shrimp with fettuccine Alfredo and grilled veggies, manatee bread (bread rolls marbled with local herbs and cheese), plus coconut flan for dessert.

What was the most memorable thing you learned? That it was possible to live very comfortably off the grid and it was good for the soul to disconnect from phones, texting and social media. Entertainment was watching interesting things in nature, such as the giant hermit crabs that would come out at night and wander down the sand pathways.

Before we visited the island, we stayed at a resort in Belize City for a night and we visited some Mayan ruins. We visited the site of Altun Ha dating back to 900 BC. It was a city of 10,000 people and was rediscovered in the 1950s. Only a portion of it is uncovered today. We were able to climb up one of the pyramid structures to look at the views and also get close to an unearthly face carved into the rock, on one of the structures called the Sun God’s Tomb.

What is one piece of advice you’d give? The boat ride out to Off The Wall Dive Center and Resort is about one-and-a-half hours on the open ocean and in full sun, so if you are worried about sea sickness, make sure you bring something and cover your skin to protect yourself from the sun.

Bring a flashlight! And possibly a foldable solar powered light for your cabana. That way, you can see at night when you have to get up and walk down the sand pathways to the washroom station.

Nancy Yanaky, Napanee, Ont.

READERS’ TIPS

We’ve launched a series that invites Star readers to share places they’ve visited recently and would recommend, whether it’s a weekend getaway in Elora, a Banff canoe trip, or a jaunt to Paris or Rome. If you’ve been, loved it and want to tell us about it, we’d like to hear from you.

Email us with “TRAVEL TIPS” in the subject line at travel@thestar.ca.

Please include brief responses to these questions. If your holiday experience is chosen, we’ll be in touch. 

1. Where did you go and when was it?

2. Where did you stay?

3. What was a highlight of your trip? Why?

4. Any travel tips?