Belize Honeymoon

Today is a little day of celebration! We moved into our house over the weekend! So I decided to treat myself, and torture you, with a completely selfish post about our honeymoon! And because, I finally finished all my wedding posts, and I'm, of course, having wedding post withdrawals. In fact, it's not just posting about the wedding I'm having withdrawals from, I'm having wedding related EVERYTHING withdrawals! I wonder if Adam would be up for renewing our vows in a year... hmm... 

KIDDING! Kidding... kinda.

{Honeymoon in Belize on Ambergris Caye}

But I haven't talked about possibly the best thing about having a wedding, well besides the whole marrying the person you love thing and getting a Kitchen Aid mixer as a wedding present, and that is the honeymoon! I can not express how happy I am that we decided to go on a long honeymoon immediately after the wedding. It's totally worth the credit card bill we are currently paying off. And that is a testament to how awesome this honeymoon was because that money could really come in handy now with the whole house thing. But, for me, it was just what I needed to start our married lives together (and to recoup from the madness of wedding planning). I can't see myself having been ready to buy a house (and all the scary grown up settling down implications that come with it) without getting a little bit of the travel bug out of my system first.

{Snorkel Trip to Mexico Rocks}

We decided on Belize after extensive fights discussions about where to go. Let's just say, the right side won. Quite literally, if you are looking at the picture above. (Get it! I'm on the right.) And it turned out to be everything I dreamed of and none of the negative stuff Adam conjured up in his crazy head. Love you, hunny. 

{Canoeing Down the Macal River}

Belize is incredible. Looking at these pictures makes me miss it so much. What I wanted in a honeymoon was a little bit, well really a lot, of adventure, some relaxation, good food, and of course quality time with my new hubby. A friend suggested Belize because she had some friends who just went there on their honeymoon and loved it. It was the perfect fit for us because it offered the adventure I craved and the ability to kick it on the beach as well.

{At Chaa Creek Resort Before Our Amazing Massages}

{Garnaches Poolside at Chaa Creek Resort}

We went for 10 glorious days. And no, it wasn't too long. It was just perfect. We split the trip into two portions. Five days in the Cayo District of inland Belize near San Ignacio and only about a half hour from the Guatemala border and five days on the island of Ambergris Caye.

What we loved so much about our time in Belize is that the two portions of the trip felt like completely different vacations. The landscape, food, culture, and activities were totally unique to the two regions we visited. It felt like such a bargain getting two different vacations in one vacation! If that makes any sense. Belize is also such a small country, under 350,000 people in the whole country, that we found ourselves continually running into the same people, albeit tourists. We ran into our friends from our time inland at our jungle resort at a restaurant on the island. The people who took our photo on the top of a Mayan ruin in Guatemala ending up staying at the same resort as at the beach. It was crazy! We made some good friends and had a few nights that are both hard to remember (oh, Belize rum and Belikin beer) and hard to forget.

{Rum Drink}

{Belikin Beer}

I can't say enough good things about Belize. The people were friendly, the food was great, I always felt  safe, and it was adventurous. We went hiking in an ancient Mayan sacrificial cave and walked among pottery and skeletons! from 800 AD or earlier. The coolest part about this was that you had to hike 45 minutes, forge a river three times and swim through a lagoon to get into the cave. Once in the cave you waded through water, squeezed through rocks and eventually came upon a huge open room with bits of Mayan history left exactly where the the Mayans left them. Nothing has been moved, there are no ropes and rails. It's just you and your guide (and a few other guides and tourist that you encounter along the way). This was our favorite thing we did in Belize, but no cameras were allowed so I don't have any pictures. But I wouldn't feel right talking about the honeymoon and not mentioning our experience at Actun Tunichil Muknal. That cave was a once in a lifetime experience. Another favorite, venturing across the border (with a guide) to Guatemala to see the Mayan ruins of Tikal.

{Tikal}

{Tikal}

{Tikal}

{Tikal}

{View From the Top of a Temple at Tikal}

{Cave Tubing}

{Ziplining in the Rain}

We went during the low season. And it was very much the LOW season. We were the only ones at our resort in the jungle for the first 2 days. And when we got to our resort on the island it had just opened the day before. It actually made the trip really enjoyable. No crowds on tours and stuff like that. And it only rained 3 times  in the 10 days we were there and it never really was much of a bother. 

{View from inside a Cave looking Out}

{Tamales in Guatemala}

{Our Cabin at Our Jungle Resort - Crystal Paradise}

Our jungle resort was secluded and we went on tours most days we were there. Meals were served family style at the resort and were home cooked by the family that lived at and owned the resort.

{Our Resort Dog, Shane, on the Island}

{Traditional Belize Fast Food}

{At the Belize Zoo}

{Tiny Plane to the Cayes (Islands)}

{Island Feast}

{Fresh Coconut!}

{Our favorite Bar on Ambergris Caye - The Palapa Bar}

{Our room at White Sands Cove Resort}

We went on two snorkeling trips while on the island our favorite was Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley where we got to snorkel with nurse sharks and sting rays!!

{Coconut Shrimp}

The whole experience was out of this world! I would highly recommend Belize if you are looking for a  vacation / honeymoon that is both adventurous and relaxing. 

{Our Last Night in Belize}

Where did you / do you want to go on your honeymoon?

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

An Archaeological Guide to Northern Central America: Belize, Guatemala (Google Affiliate Ad)