amongst the vines and shrubs.

There is no place better to do this than Belize, which has retained 80 percent of its rain forests (as compared with only 2 percent in similar-sized El Salvador). Rain forests have a richer animal and plant life than any other type of forest and contain the planet's most complex eco-system. In Belize you can look out your bedroom window at this eco-system every morning of your trip.

The area of the best jungle lodges is in and near the western district called Cayo. Here the jungle stretches up to 2,600 feet to the Mountain Pine Ridge.

Some of the new and lesser-known budget lodges in the foothills of these mountains:

Caves Branch Adventure Camp A jungle river camp with cabanas and bunkhouse built at the edge of the Pine Ridge mountains. It's on a private estate and surrounded by waterfalls, tropical flora and fauna, and rain forest with more than 160 species of orchids and bromeliads.

But the real attraction of Caves Branch is -- you guessed it -- the caves. There are three underground river systems that allow guests to inner tube through miles of river caves, floating past magnificent crystal stalagmites sparkling like diamonds as they rise up from below the river's surface. Many of the caves explored still hold Mayan ceremonial sites, artifacts, altars and wall carvings. Ruins and burial mounds can also be found on the grounds of the estate. Wildlife and bird watching is abundant, with early morning and evening sightings of spider monkey, peccary, warrie, kinkajou, gibnut, agouti. Four different blue holes for swimming.

Cost: Cabana, double, US$35 night. Bunkhouse, US$10 night per person. Tubing cave expedition is US$45 per person and US$95 (overnight on the river). Baboon jungle walk and river float tour, US$60. All accommodations are raised three feet off the ground, screened and thatched in traditional Mayan style.

Rustic is the word here. All bathing is done in the jungle river waters and the only lighting is kerosene lamps (no electricity). Meals are prepared over open hearth by local village cooks who provide ethnic dishes. Lunch is US$7, dinner US$10. Caves Branch is located 14 miles south of Belmopan, the capital city, on the Hummingbird Highway. Tel. 501-2-33903, fax 501-23-3966. Box 322, Belize City, Belize.

Five Blue Lakes National Park B & B Association Committed to promoting international exchange and eco-tourism, and owned and run by locals, Five Blue Lakes is actually a cooperative of 20 village women, from St. Margaret's Village in the park, each of whom set aside a guest dwelling in or near their home. The park, 4,200 acres of pristine rain forest, is so named for its five deep blue lagoons (one 200-feet deep), used as cenotes (sacrificial wells) by the Mayans. There are thousands of limestone caves, with hiking, birding, and overnight jungle trips with certified guides. As an additional educational offering, Spanish classes are given for academic credit. Cost is US$5 night with very reasonably priced home-cooked meals. Located 45 miles south of Belmopan on the Hummingbird Highway. Friends of Five Blues, Box 111, Belmopan, Belize. Radio tel. 501-81-2005.

Crystal Paradise Resort Owned by Victor and Teresa Tut (local residents of Belizean/Mayan heritage) and their 10 children, this thatched cabana complex on the Macal River is a delight. White marl cottages with thatched roofs and a large open air dining room overlook the surrounding jungle and gardens. Mornings the mist rises over the river and encompasses the cohune palms around the cottages. Teresa's home cooking is unsurpassed. Son Jeronie Tut is a top guide for birding, jungle river trips in their motorized dug-out (for giant iguana spotting), horseback riding and nearby archeological sites and caves. Cost: Thatched cabana: US$95 per day, double, including breakfast and dinner for two. Room: US$75 per day, double, including two meals. With private baths in both. All rooms have ceiling fans. Tel. 501-92-2823, fax 501-92-3075.

Parrot Nest Lodge Two cabanas and two tree houses nestled in an setting of native plants on the Mopan River near the Guatemalan border. Unique owner-built structures with thatched roofs that naturally blend into the surroundings. Very quiet; meals served on porch of owner Fred Prost's house. Meals are excellent with fresh vegetables. Great for nature walks, birding, swimming and river rafting. Nearby Xunantunich is a Mayan site well worth seeing. Cost: US$18 per night, double or single. Shared baths. Dinner, US$5. Located 4 miles west of San Ignacio, the main town in Cayo. Tel. 501-92-3702.

Jungle Drift Lodge Located in the Baboon Sanctuary at Bermudian Landing, a small village that locally operates the sanctuary (which is actually for black howler monkeys, but Belizeans call them baboons). Little screened cabins near the Belize River offer a place in the sanctuary for you to explore and observe the noisy howlers, swim, canoe, kayak, hike or go birding. Good meals at reasonable rates. Cost: Cabins with fans are US$20 double. Tel: 501-2- 32842, fax 501-2-78160.

^^^ Lin Sutherland is a travel and outdoors writer who has been visiting Belize for two decades.

HOTEL UPDATE

The latest word, good and bad, on lodges, inns, hotels and resorts in Belize, plus tidbits on related matters such as good guides and bad rip-offs, from BELIZE FIRST readers and friends. BELIZE FIRST will send a pound of delicious, fresh-roasted Central American coffee (roasted by Mountain City Coffee in Asheville, N.C., a gourmet coffee roaster owned by the brother of the BELIZE FIRST publisher and editor) to each reader providing a hotel update.

-Cayo District

I just returned from six great days in Belize. Flew TACA, and the food was great. Stayed at Blancaneaux Lodge (Mountain Pine Ridge, tel. or fax, 501-92-3878), and loved every minute of it. The food and staff were the best I have ever experienced. When the staff asked me in the morning "How did you sleep?" they really meant it. Went to Caracol, Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, ate at Eva's, stopped to try to see the curando Panti (but only talked to his grandson), took a boat ride on the Macal River, stopped by Ix Cheh and did the Panti Trail, went horse back riding with Jim Bevis at M.E.T., went to Tikal, did the fabulous night club scene in San Ignacio (wanted to experience Punta for myself) and was lucky enough to go to a wedding reception in Christo Rey (small Maya village)!

The managers at Blancaneaux, Colin and Ann, are some of the nicest, most competent people I have had the pleasure to meet. The staff was friendly, with just the right amount of formality, and couldn't do enough for me, from the minute I arrived at the airport to the second I left. The managers have put together a staff that represents the diversity of Belizean cultures - Ramon and his brother Bernardo (part-Maya farmers), Francis the bartender (Garifuna from Punta Gorda), Javier the driver (mestizo). All lead me to love the blend of cultures that make up their country. It was interesting to see that they all considered themselves to be Belizeans first and still be proud of their individual heritage.

The Lodge property is like paradise, set among the pines, on the side of a mountain. Paths lead through the exotic blend of plants (so many air plants and orchids) to they creek below with a waterfall. Due to the schedule of places I wanted to see, I had to wake early each morning. With my wake up call, came a fresh pot of coffee, which I drank in the screened in porch at the cabana, the birds making noise and flying close by. Food at Blancaneaux was better than expected, most of the vegetables being grown on the property. All in all, the BEST vacation of my life. George Rohrbach, October 1994

Venus Hotel (Burns Avenue, San Ignacio, tel. 501-92- 2186): We paid US$20.00 double + 6% tax (with A/C, color cable TV, private bath). Prices 25% higher November- March. Up a steep flight of stairs above a store and pharmacy are about 35 rooms with fans. The rooms vary a lot in amenities. Ask to see a room first and then discuss the price. Bob Jones at Eva's (down the street at 22 Burns Avenue) can get you a discounted rate and better rooms than you might otherwise find. The hotel caters to tourists heading to or from the Cayo District and the Mayan ruins at Tikal. Central downtown location within walking distance of restaurants, stores, the central park, football stadium, Macal River, city hall and library.

This hotel was the best lodging value we found in Belize. Other accommodations are either much more rustic or cost from US$50 to US$150 per night. The central location close to Eva's gave us easy access to travel information and day trips. We appreciated the 24 hour friendly desk clerk service and clean accommodations. A balcony off of the lobby lets you watch anything of interest in the street below.

Hot water is provided by an electric Italian-made hot water heater/shower head which heats up the water as you use it. Live electrical wires are exposed directly above your head in some of the showers presenting a hazard. Chuck and Jeanne Thistlethwaite, October 1994

Maya Mountain Lodge (Cristo Rey Road, Cayo, tel. 501-92- 2164, fax 92-2029) is truly a jungle lodge type of setting. Bart Mickler is the co-owner along with his wife Suzie. They are Americans with Belizean citizenship. The food is really top-notch. You must tell them whether or not you will be eating there so they can go get food just for those that are eating. There is no A/C in the cottages or the Big House ( a large structure with individual rooms and common bath and open air lounge area). I would recommend one of the cottages with porch and hammocks. Very relaxing. We had great weather, absolutely no rain. It was a bit hot though, reaching into the 90s.

A little-known Maya site, Che Chem Ha, was disclosed to us by Bart. The cave is a ceremonial Mayan cave active from 1000 BC to 500 AD. The museum in Belmopan took seven pots from the cave to display. There are many, many pieces of Mayan Pottery in there and the cave is great, dry and untouched.

To get there requires about a 45-minute drive out of San Ignacio toward the hydroelectric dam they are building and then a mile or so on a road requiring 4WD and then a hike up a steep mountain of about 2 miles. Flashlights are required, or head lamps. The trip is for those willing to make the effort and those who have some agility. Ask Bart at Maya Mountain for more information. Paul K., August 1994

Bull Frog Inn (25 Half Moon Avenue, tel. 501-82-2111, fax 82-3155): Modern, classy hotel/restaurant complex, 25 rooms with A/C and cable TV. Caters (as do most hotels in Belmopan) to government and business clients. Compared to our normal selections, this place was quite elegant; it even had a bath! Within easy (about 1/2 mile) walking distance to bus terminal, post office, and government buildings. Restaurant looked (we did not have a meal there) first rate. We would go back. Mike Smith and Dana von Bargen, December 1993

More on the Bull Frog Inn: We liked the friendly, efficient staff, clean rooms, and good food in a relaxing atmosphere. The dining area opens out into a fenced courtyard with pretty landscaping. We didn't like the weekend noise. We stayed on a Saturday night. Belmopan is inhabited mostly by government employees who labor weekdays and who really let loose on Saturday nights. The inn is located directly across the street from Belmopan's most- popular nightclub. Music, dancing and laughter can be heard from the street side rooms. Unfortunately, the weekend crowd continues to party in the streets from closing time (3 a.m.) until almost sun up (5 a.m.). Bring earplugs or stay in a courtyard room. Chuck and Jeanne Thistlethwaite, October 1994

-Belize City

Long a rest point for budget travelers beginning or ending an adventure in Belize, the Seaside Guest House (3 Prince Street, tel. 501-27-8339) is a rustic two-story wooden building with five rooms and a bunkhouse. Fans are provided, no A/C, no TV or radio. Three rooms face the ocean and are the most desirable because of the ocean breezes. US$10 bunkhouse, US$20 double, US$30 triple plus tax. By Belize City standards this hotel is a good value in a (relatively) safe part town. New owners have obtained permits to serve meals and sell beer for on-site consumption, but none of this was available when we visited. Future plans are for remodeling and expansion of the rooms. The establishment now is run down and borders on being unacceptable. The rooms are quite small and the walls are plywood partitions. We would probably not go back to the Seaside Guest House. Chuck and Jeanne Thistlethwaite, October 1994

-Caye Caulker

We just got back from three weeks on Caye Caulker. The Castaways (tel. 501-22-2295) has no hot water, bath down the hall and is US$11 a night, but it's clean. The restaurant downstairs has good food, too. The area at "The Split" (or "The Cut") has been bought by some Americans. They have improved the dock and back-filled with clean sand, did a real good job. There are cabins there, with A/C, hot and cold water, private bath, US$50 a night. When the wind dies, the sand flies are murder. Harry Potter, August 1994

-Other Cayes

Blue Marlin (P.O. Box 21, Dangriga, tel. 501-52-2243 [radio patch], fax 52-2296, 800-798-1558 in U.S.) is a small resort about 12 miles by water from the town of Dangriga, which is about 80 miles south of Belize City. The lodge as part of the package will fly a guest from Belize Airport to Dangriga, and then transport them to South Water Caye by boat. The resort will hold at the maximum 30 guests, but I have never in six visits had more than 12 divers.

The cost for a pair of divers for 8 days/7 nights is $1,195 each from Oct. 1 to May 31. In the summer the rate is $995. All the diving is from small skiffs and is drift diving, i.e., the boat follows the bubbles. You do not have to find an anchor or limit your diving to the fastest breather. The resort is right on the reef so the longest trip to a dive site is 10-15 minutes. South Water caye is far enough south so there is no diving pressure. The reef is part of a restricted area so the life is fantastic. You name it and it is there.

The resort is owned by a third-generation family who used the island as a family retreat until late in 1980s. There is no TV, no night life other than a pool table and yakking with the guests and staff, and quaffing a few beers. The facilities are very clean, well-maintained and comfortable. There is a small sandy beach about 400 yards from the resort. But you cannot just step off into the water because you are indeed on the reef. All in all for the dedicated diver it is a great place. For a non-diver that likes to fish it is also great. For a TV watcher it leaves something to be desired (namely a TV). Don Sutherland, October 1994 and previously

Glovers Reef Resort, Long Caye, Glovers Atoll. (P.O. Box 563, Belize City, tel. 501-52-2048.) Rates: US$95/person/week (double occupancy) + US$3.30 tax. Two weeks US$150/person/week (double occupancy) + tax. Camping US$70/person/week.

Did you ever dream of spending a week on a lush tropical 15-acre island in the middle of the Caribbean surrounded by an 80-square mile pristine coral reef? Ever want to unwind with absolutely no pressure in an environment full of land, bird and aquatic life that makes you feel part of a National Geographic documentary (and all for less than one hundred bucks a person including transportation by boat)? This is the place. For my wife and me, this was the adventure of a lifetime.

The "resort" has eight rustic elevated caba–as (beach cabins), each with two double beds, candles, hammocks and porch overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Each cabin sleeps from one to four people; linen, but not towels, provided. Cooking area with pots, pans, utensils and kerosene stove in each cabin. Outdoor shower and laundry area provided next to brackish well. Most caba–as have private outhouses. Cabin No. 4 has a bamboo interior with decorations and an attached bath (sink, shower area and toilet all in a six square foot area!) connected to a septic tank. The trade-off is that you get to haul sea water for the toilet from the Caribbean which is literally at your feet.

No electricity, A/C, fans, running water, TV, radio or phones (emergencies excepted), but that would defeat the purpose of going.

We loved the white sand beaches; snorkeling in a marine environment with hundreds of species of tropical fish and colorful coral (great for beginners); the tall palms, lush vegetation and wildlife; coconut husk campfires and BBQ fish dinners under the stars. Sunrise over the Caribbean and sunsets behind the distant shores of Belize, Honduras and Guatemala were better than any television show. It is a great place to get in tune with yourself, the environment and the friends/family who are with you. For me, it was the perfect antidote to an acute case of civilization. You could spend thousands of dollars more for a similar experience, but why?

Keep in mind that the 40-mile trip to or from the island can be a rough wet voyage in the small open boat with rough weather (it is a good idea to pack important stuff in double zip-lock type bags). Water from the brackish well is non-potable (salt and microorganisms) and should be treated with a capful of bleach per five gallon bucket (let sit 20 minutes) before washing your body, hair, or cooking and eating utensils. The kerosene stoves may serve well for more than a billion Chinese, but I found them difficult to use and potentially dangerous.

Long Caye is the largest of four unspoiled islands owned by the Lomont-Cabral family (North Caye is separately rented or leased for part of the year). We shared the island with only one other couple, fished, snorkeled, read and relaxed. This would be a great place for a family if you can overcome the obstacles of getting there. Call at least a week in advance to ensure a cabana and place on the boat over to the caye will be available for you and your party. The resort is also used as a biological field station (and no wonder) for oceanographic and marine biology students from all over.

Glovers Reef is a marine preserve so diving or spearfishing is prohibited. Boats, windsurfing, snorkeling and fishing equipment rentals available. NAUI/PADI diving certification course available, US$295/person. Be prepared to be self sufficient, although Gilbert and Marsha-Jo Lomont are always available if the need arises. Bring your own food (yes, almost anyone can catch his or her dinner) from Belize City, Belmopan, Punta Gorda or Dangriga. In fact, it is a good idea to make a list of everything you would want to bring if you were stranded on a tropic isle (you will be) and make sure it fits in a backpack or duffel bag. Becky Cabral and her husband can provide limited supplies, fresh vegetables and bread. Drinking water is imported to the island at US$1/gallon. You will need at least one gallon/person/day. Bring a hat and plenty of SPF 15+ sunscreen if you are at all fair skinned. Bring water socks or sandals as coral and sea shells can cut up your feet. Wear shoes at night as the island is home to large land and hermit crabs. Any cut or scrape should be promptly cleansed and disinfected due to the humid tropical climate. Chuck and Jeanne Thistlethwaite, October 1994

Other Reports:

Nabitunich in the Cayo near San Ignacio is under new management, and rates have been increased to US$95 a day including two meals.

Ignacio's Cottages on Caulker reportedly had some water problems this summer. As a result, at least one BELIZE FIRST reader moved to another hotel.

Tamandua Jungle Experience is a new lodge near Five Blue Lakes. Address: P.O. Box 306, Belmopan.

Captain Nicolas Sanchez of BLAST Tours (Belize Land Air Sea Tours) has been recommended as a first-rate guide. Contact him at 58 King Street, Belize City Belize, tel./fax: 011- 501-27-3897. Another guide recommended by Belize travelers is Maurice Bernard, who reportedly has an excellent knowledge of flora and fauna as well as local and Mayan history. Contact Maurice Bernard, 7 1/2 Mile Western Hwy., Belize City, Belize, tel. 011-501-23-1153 or 011- 501-27-1696.

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