Judge my vacation!

I don't know that you'll save that much with this package, but you'll save a little. Beaches and Dreams is a nice little place on the water just south of Hopkins. The owner there is now a co-owner of Mama Noots, which is just reopening after being closed for a couple of years and after a renovation. The new management doubtless will improve things at Mama Noots, which has a nice bush setting near the Mayflower ruins and waterfalls. Barracuda Grill is a good restaurant and The Wild Fig is probably going to be good, too, if the Beaches and Dreams owner has any hands-on there.

--Lan Sluder

sounds too good to be true. it didnt work out so friendly for me, in Hopkins. dude called himself 'taliban' was on a drug-induced anti-american rant. I put him in his 'place', and it wasnt pleasant.

I can't speak to the cost/savings but it sounds like a blast to me! We love Hopkins.

I think that hopefulist is a very nice well traveled young lady...but; I have nooooo idea what one would do with 3 nites in Hopkins!! I too ran into the biggest local in all of Belize that was drunk and on a roll something about me being a richie rich what a jerk...overall it had a decent if abandoned demeanor but you could truly feel the lack of authority in the village. We went out our one nite there "drinking" which was us drinking in our room and going to the one place that was a corner shack/cool spot serving rum. There was just nothing to do there....Placencia is close by and about 5x prettier. Not sure where is a tourist area in the Stan District but I would pass on that deal. Sometimes on Groupon they have a belize section that is decent. If I was going to Belize for the first time I would want to see San Ignacio and the surrounding environs, maybe Placencia and definitely one of the islands like Caye Caulker. Good Luck! It really isn't necessary to buy a pre payed package...when you get there you aren't going to be spending more than $100/nt anywhere really if you know how to bargain. Even Coppollas blancaneaux I talked them down to $100 nt.

Truly, to each his/her own. We loved the locals we met in Hopkins, enjoyed some traditional food, loved the beaches and the waves, and spent a fabulous evening with the young Garifuna drummers at the Labeha Center. There are snorkeling options and lots of terrific hiking and waterfalls nearby (which we've enjoyed previous trips), including the Cockscomb Jaguar Reserve and the Mayflower Bocawina site. The latter is near Mama Noots which is a fabulous setting; I haven't seen the new rooms or the ziplining options in the area. You can check out our latest Hopkins set of photos in the Belize 2009 collection, below.

We enjoyed Placencia in August but the village is pretty built up for tourists; we really preferred Hopkins, though I wouldn't choose either if snorkeling and diving were priorities since the reef is so far out. We also spent most of a week in/near Punta Gorda which wrote the book on laid back; also worth a visit for the villages, hiking, Maya sites, cacao tours, and Hickatee Cottages.

The OPs combination is actually a pretty cool off-the-beaten-track combination. Happy trails!

PS to Jacky - thanks for calling me young. ;-)

Indeed- traveling keeps you young and adventurous- Jac
Plus...you are ;)

Edited by: JACKYL01

Having got hung up on that Hopkins bit, I looked it over again. That Mama Noots place looks interesting. The 'off the grid' aspect, anyway. I just wonder if there are any attendant perils.

So this is not a good spot for snorkling/reef viewing? That's disappointing. (Clearly I need to read up on Belize!)

Also, what is the safety factor? It would just be myself and another young woman, and constant harassment is a real downer.

Edited by: JessicaLovejoy

We've felt safe on our visits to Belize, but I do have a collection of personal safety guidelines for travel in CA that I've pasted below.

There's some great snorkeling from Hopkins but it's not from shore; it requires a boat trip out to cayes or reef. Check out the downloads on Lan Sluder's Belize First website and pick up a guidebook; I like Lan's Fodor's guide and the Moon Handbook. Happy trails!
__________________________________________

Sometimes I travel alone, sometimes with one or more of my kids and/or my husband, sometimes with a group in tow. I don't feel overly paranoid but have never had a problem and would like to keep it that way.

Here are my concessions to safety when I travel in Central America:
:: I avoid the big cities as much as possible
:: I don't "party"
:: Where recommended I take specific transportation (ex: Hedman Alas in Honduras, avoid chicken buses on the mountain runs in Guatemala, take taxis after dark)
:: I know where I am and where I'm headed and make major transitions with plenty of daylight left
:: I don't wear jewelry (not even my wedding band) and try not to flash camera equipment or money around
:: Some trips I carry a “throw down wallet” with an expired card or 2 and the day’s cash in it
:: I keep important documents and cash under my clothes (except what I need for shopping, buses, etc. for that time period) and keep close watch on my things, especially in crowded places and when I’m tired
:: I ask locals about safety in an area - evenings, hiking, etc.
:: I travel really light so I don't feel vulnerable getting my bag off and on buses, shuttles, etc.
:: I continue to build skills in Spanish (doesn't apply to Belize)