I know there have been multiple topics on this in the past but just wanted to see if there were any new suggestions.

Going on a honeymoon in May. We like the looks of Belize but would be open to suggestions.

We would like a more private resort, not like a huge sandals resort. We also like Belize because it seems to have a lot to offer. We are active and want some cool excursions. Any suggestions would be nice. We definitely want to do the caving, some snorkeling, and fishing. Any must dos?

And as far as resorts, has anyone stayed at Coco Plum? Looks really cool. Any other suggestions or experiences welcome! Thanks!

We went to Belize on our honeymoon and enjoyed it. Stayed at the Victoria House which was nice. We did zip lining, cave tubing (awesome), and did some fishing. Overall, we enjoyed it and it is definitely laid back. But keep in mind that it is a third world country. There were dogs chasing our puddle jumper down the runway after we landed. That was a new one for me.

I would go back to this place in a heartbeat! Loved it! Small, cozy and private.

http://www.matachica.com/

I've stayed at Victoria House as well. Very nice, small, and the ocean excursions pick you up on their dock. One thing to think about Belize is the large reef off the coast makes the beach not so much a beach, but a lagoon. The sand is perfect, but there are no waves until you get about a mile out.

It is pricey to stay and pricey to get to ($800-$900 round trip from DFW including puddle jumper), and I think you can get a lot more for that kind of money going to traditional destinations, but going to a luxury resort.

Might I suggest Grand Velas on the Riviera Maya. Grand Velas is, by far, the best resort chain we have ever been to. By far. Not even close.

Do you dive? Do you want a "beach based" type of setting or do you want to do some interior activities like cave tubing, zip lining, etc. Do you want nightlife or quiet?

Ambergris Caye is fine if you want it to be "resort like". Mentioned earlier - Victoria House is a good place. Diving is so so. Beach is nice, and there is nightlife.

If you dive and/or fly fish then Turneffe Island Resort is the place. It is secluded, valet dive serive and very private. Some of the best diving in the hemisphere. No nightlife period.

If you want a little bit of all of it, try Hamanisi in Hopkins Town. Stay in a Treehouse. Thank me later. It is also secluded, but not like Turneffe Reaort. They are land based and will do any type of activity you want. Virtually no nightlife, but there is a karaoke bar in town that the locals go to and it is a hoot! They will take you diving on the atolls, cave tubing, etc. This is a very nice place.

As an alternative to Ambergris, check out Placencia in southern Belize. There are a lot of places to stay and some of them even have private islands you can stay on for a few days.

I agree with Chicken Ranch. We used to work at the other resort on turneffe. We ran Turneefe Flats. If you are into diving Turneffe island is the place to go. Turned fe flats is the premier fishing destination. We offered a great diving program as well. I would recommend look NG at one of their inland island packages. We used to offer 1/2 week at Turneffe Flats and 1/2 week at Chaa Creek. Chaz Creek is awesome they are close to ruins and to the cave tubing.

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I agree with Chicken Ranch. We used to work at the other resort on turneffe. We ran Turneefe Flats. If you are into diving Turneffe island is the place to go. Turned fe flats is the premier fishing destination. We offered a great diving program as well. I would recommend look NG at one of their inland island packages. We used to offer 1/2 week at Turneffe Flats and 1/2 week at Chaa Creek. Chaz Creek is awesome they are close to ruins and to the cave tubing.

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Wow! That's interesting. I know someone at Turneffe Flats as I type this. We almost went there instead of Turneffe Island Resort, but thought that it would be cool to dive The Elbow every day.

How is the diving on thee northern end of Terneffe versus the southern end?

Also, I noticed that there is an upscale place out on Lighthouse Atoll (can't remember the name of it) that really looks good. But it looks like it is more expensive and that you have to pay an "add on" for the boat ride out there and get a cab to take you to the pier in Belize City.

All of Turneffe is good diving. But the elbow is awesome. We would make 1 trip down there during the week and a lighthouse reef trip as well. TFlats is known for the fishing program but we had a great dive program as well.

Now you've got me wanting to be in Belize right now.

I don't dive but any good snorkeling around turneffe or Placencia?

Absolutely! In both places it is excellent. Same with Ambergris, Caye Caulker, etc.

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All of Turneffe is good diving. But the elbow is awesome. We would make 1 trip down there during the week and a lighthouse reef trip as well. TFlats is known for the fishing program but we had a great dive program as well.

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Do you know anything about Itza Lodge or Huracan Diving out on Lighthouse? Itza is the place I was thinking of on my earlier post.

I don't know about any of those lodges on lighthouse. The snorkeling around Turneffe is great. We ran an Atoll Adventure program that was first class. You essentially explored the Island with a guide for a week. This was offered as a 1/2 week package.

Going to a resort on Turneffe is going all in. There is nothing around and you will rarely see another boat unless you are at lighthouse reef or the elbow. You have to love the solidarity and all in for diving or fishing

I'm anxious to hear my friend's trip report from Turneffe Flats. As I said, we thoroughly enjoyed Turneffe Island Resort. My only complaint (and I'm nitpicking as a Divemaster). Is they they poorly set up and ran their night dive on my trip to TIR. I would have also liked a second day trip to Lighthouse Reef to dive some of the walls there in addition to the Blue Hole Trip. (Which again, once you've been to Blue Hole twice, and gotten the t shirts, it's kind of a non-event dive). But again, I'm nitpicking.

No doubt that Turneffe is a special place!

I'm with you on the blue hole. All of our returning divers ask to skip the BH and dive an extra trip around lighthouse. That is an expensive trip to make to the blue hole. We would only do it once a week. Our night dive wasn't that great that we offered where we were located it was tough to get out of the reef into deeper water. So it was essentially a night Lagoon dive in 15ft of water.

We went to Ambergris Caye in March. We stayed at the Caribbean Villas, which is a no frills boutique hotel. I prefer the small boutique style places when I'm on a tropical island. If you request room 3A, 3B, or 3C, you will have a breathtaking view. The staff was amazing, the location was super convenient. There is a golf cart rental about 2 blocks away, and I recommend renting a cart for one day to explore the island. The hotel is within walking distance to pretty much any bar or restaurant on the south side of San Pedro.

Breakfast - You must try The Baker. We had breakfast there 3 times and it was always great. It's owned by a friendly Australian couple.

Dinner - Pineapple Restaurant was delicious dinner. I had the bacon wrapped shrimp - I highly recommend it. Their bread and butter was also delicious.

Drinks - Wet Willy's is out on a dock, over the water. If you go during the day, you can get in the water from the dock. The drinks were super cheap and very tasty. The bartenders and patrons were very friendly. We met three different groups of people in the hour we were there.

Drinks/Food - Rain is on the other side of the bridge. You will need a taxi or water taxi to get there. Go in the evening and enjoy happy hour during sunset. We just ate appetizers and they were fantastic. The couple we were dining with had steak and it looked great.

My understanding is the beaches/water are not as nice as other Caribbean locations due to the reefs and sea grass. Are there any day trips to nice beaches?

There are no big sweeping white sand beaches. The beaches are very small and mot of the water close to shore has some sea grass. If there is a beach, it is man made and has damaged the surrounding reef. The water color is amazing

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My understanding is the beaches/water are not as nice as other Caribbean locations due to the reefs and sea grass. Are there any day trips to nice beaches?

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There is a beautiful, almost secluded, beach on the side of the island that is opposite of San Pedro. You just have to ask for directions from several different people. From the hotel to the beach, we had to ask for directions 3 times. It was totally worth the hassle.

My wife and I spent some time on ambergris caye last year....her only complaint was the lack of quality beaches...i want to check out Placencia next time...any better beaches there? Also want to snorkel the blue hole area...

Placencia has a beach but it is farther from the open ocean than Ambegris, so the water isn't as clear. It is kind of on a bay and probably not what you are looking for.

I think the beaches are fine in Belize, but seagrass doesn't bother me.

I think for those seeking really nice "swimming" beaches in the Caribbean, I would go to Cancun, Jamaca, Aruba, Grenada or St. Maarten. Honestly, I think the best beach in the whole area is the stretch of the Florida Panhandle between Pensacola and Sand Destin.

There is so more to Belize than a beach.

We visited Caye Caulker two weeks ago and had a blast. The snorkeling is amazing and a must do! My husband and I had swimming with sharks on our bucket list and was able to cross it off. Caye Caulker is a quiet, cheap surfer town. If you are looking to relax this this a good place, if you are looking for a big party I don't think this is the place to go. The island is so small, there are no cars. Everyone travels by foot, bike, or go cart.

One thing we weren't impressed by was the food - I was just expecting a lot better food like super spicy jerk chicken and never really found that. The lobster was good and cheap - about $12-$15 for a whole lobster meal. If you go there, stick with eating the seafood and drinking rum. Beer is over priced, 6 pack is about $10.

I forgot about this thread for awhile. Thanks for all the good info!

Right now we are leaning towards trying a combination private island deal. We are thinking Hamanasi and Coco plum, or chabil mar and hatchet caye resort. Anyone have any experiences on these?

We don't really care about the nightlife and I think it would be pretty cool to stay on a private island. We won't be diving, but would like to do some good snorkeling. And definitely want to fly fish and do the cave tubing.

I like that the rest of Belize not including Ambergris seems much less touristy. The one thing I worry about on the private island is the food. But you can't have it all I guess.

As far as Placencia and Hopkins....any pros cons vs the 2? And what are some recommendations on things to do there from those that have been?

I'm going to ambergris over thanksgiving and looking for a good dive shop to use. I used ecologic few years back and they were absolutely terrible even though they got awesome reviews on trip advisor. We're staying and Isla Bonita condos just south of the airport.

I see a few people mentioned Coco Plum in this thread. Did either of yall end up going? Our honeymoon is in October and we are thinking about booking there.

Check out Hamanasi in the Dangriga area.

As I've said before, do the treehouse.

But really, all of these places are quite nice.