“Heaven” There just aren't enough adjectives to do this review justice. This is a once in a lifetime lovely, relaxing, fun and pleasant place to vacation. Peter and the staff took care of every request starting from the moment of booking this vacation. We were able to provide information about our likes/dislikes as it pertains to comfort, food, drink, privacy or not, activities we like to do, etc before we arrived. Peter also helped us plan our time on both ends of the trip on the island so we could enjoy the Belize mainland. I would recommend doing the same and not missing any moments you have to spend on the island. Take an excursions on the mainland before and/or after your booking dates for the island. Peter and the staff accommodated every request we had even if it meant going to the mainland to bring something in to meet the request. The other reviews about The Royal Belize are exactly what we experienced too. The up-to-date technology is wonderful. You use connected ipads/itouches for music, communication to the staff and entertainment in every home and the main Palapa. We were even able to connect our ipads to the sound system and we played (with the other couple we came with) name that song/artist. It was great fun. You will not be let down when you travel to this destination spot I like to call Heaven. Thank you to Peter and staff for bringing a part of Heaven into our lives.

“Incredible Location, Fantastic Host - Highly Recommended” Our group of 8 had a fabulous stay at Swan Villas. It's just outside of Placencia in Maya Beach. The house is uniquely designed and very relaxing. Loved the private suites and especially the pool, when the heat got to be too much. There is lots of wildlife around, like iguanas and birds. The view is to die for. We enjoyed the kayaks on the "lake" side of the house and walking on the beach right across the street. Great restaurants in the area. We went to the Bistro 3 times. We were divers after the whale sharks and would be out most of the day. The house is very secure and the host is readily available and very helpful. Rudy gave us some great tips for the area, and even on to our next stop in San Ignacio. Would love to visit again.

“My 2nd stay and I plan my 3rd trip again soon!!!” This was my second visit to Guanaja Caribbean Cottages and I can't wait to go back again. The cottage is adorable and having top quality towels & linens are a real plus. I also appreciate the pillow top queen size bed, most places in the islands only have a mattress on a bare board! Having a full kitchen is nice, but I didn't need it, I ate all my meals ate the resort. This time I was more adventurous. Kay, the owner, took me on a hike to an amazing waterfall close to the resort. We had it all to ourselves, well a pup followed us up & that added to the island charm. We sat by the pool of the waterfall for most of the afternoon, then stopped at Bo's place for a cool drink before heading back to the cottage. I snorkeled the reef the last time I was there, but this time Kay took me on a snorkel tour to the drop off. I saw an amazing variety of sea life, including nurse sharks. Kay said 95% of all Caribbean sea life can be found at Guanaja. I also enjoyed the snorkel tour to Red Hill, it was a coral garden, also beautiful and like swimming in an aquarium. The coral & fish at the coral garden are different than the sea life on the reef, except I did see a nurse shark both places. The octopus was also amazing & the giant green moray eel. I also had a tour of the local fishing village, Mangrove Bight. The people are very friendly and the village is like visiting the old Caribbean. I loved the variety of meals- crab, lobster, lamb, and local cuisine that I had never had before. The dinners are four course and I was stuffed after dinner. The deserts that really stood out for me was the creme brulee, pineapple flambe and flan. Even the soups & salads were special. Kay makes a green papaya salad that is so good, it had fresh mango and pineapple in it and a local cheese with a homemade pineapple vinegerette. The food was one of the highlights of the trip.

“Incfredible Experience” My family had the incredible experience of sailing with Belize Sailing Vacations in June. What an experience!! The staff, Cliff and Coree, and later Captain Dave was exceptional. Their entire goal was to make us comfortable and make The Doris our home for the week. If what we wanted to do was possible, Captain Cliff and Captain Dave made it happen. The cooking by Coree (sorry - not sure how to spell your name) was exceptional!! Absolutely delicious. As we come from Cajun Country where we take our cooking and eating very seriously this is a huge compliment. We were concerned how it might be to live on a boat with two total strangers for a week. No worries - they made us very comfortable and we fast became friends. When Tropical Depression Barry arrived, Captain Cliff made sure we were safe and out of harm's way. Safety was always his top priority. We never felt threatened in the least. The only reason a five star was not given for this review was the fact that the air conditioning went out in one of the bedrooms the last two nights on the boat. Being from South Louisiana we like our air conditioning!! Because of the rain, the hatches had to be closed and it was quite uncomfortable. Other than this issue everything was fantastic and we would highly recommend vacationing on The Doris. We hope to take the southern route in the future.

“Honeymoon in Dreamsicle” My husband and I stayed at Maya Beach Hotel in the Lower Dreamsicle House for our Honeymoon in May. Our experience with Maya Beach Hotel and the staff was outstanding. Our "house" was clean, and private, with beautiful views of the ocean and just steps away from the restaurant. It was so nice to sit on the lower porch and enjoy our coffee and breakfast each morning, and enjoy a cool beverage while sitting on the beach with our feet keeping us cool in the ocean waves. When we wanted to explore the area or take adventures, Ellen and her staff were so helpful and knowledgeable. Martin was always willing to give us our options for activities and help us coordinate our adventures. Without their help and recommendations, we wouldn't have been able to experience the local favorite hot spots or organize our adventures with ease. It was so nice that they coordinated someone to pick us up and drop us off at the airport for our arrival and departure. You can tell they really enjoy what they do, and their passion is unmatched. When we come back to Belize we will definitely stay at Maya Beach Hotel and we recommend it to anyone looking for a beach front relaxing vacation!

“I really liked it” A lovely place to stay. The Flip Flop Palace is secluded and private whilst being within moments of the Maya Beach Hotel so there is always someone close at hand should you need them. I found the service excellent. Everyone from Ellen, one of the owners, to the reception staff to the wonderful housekeeping ladies were fabulous. The waiters in the restaurant also gave spot on service and were so friendly. And a special mention to the lovely Marlon who was so welcoming and friendly. The Flip Flop Palace is great and I loved staying there. Thicker curtains at the bedroom window would have been good as I was woken up early by the rising sun every morning until I thought to hang beach towels over the curtain rail to keep the light out. The location is amazing. One of my favourite places was the promenade/jetty where I loved to go and sit and read. As far as the amenities, the best thing for me was the hotel having a guest computer so you could check emails etc whenever you needed to. Equally importantly was the quality of the food, which was outstanding. I am a vegetarian and was not expecting to find it easy to get veggie food in Belize at all, but the Maya Beach restaurant not only served vegetarian food, but it was superb, and you have more than one dish to choose from! I'm not surprised the restaurant has won awards. I liked best having my own place, rather than a room in a hotel. I liked least the pitch black walk from the hotel to the Flip Flop Palace at night (take a torch!).