Our Un-Belize-able Valentine's Honeymoon
Ahhh.. Belize. The weather, the food, the ocean and the company made for an unforgettable trip!I can't believe it was already 1 month ago!
Initially Frank and I weren't planning to honeymoon anywhere. We eloped in November and we were married in San Francisco City Hall. We also were planning a reception back home in NJ for February so we didn't think we needed to plan yet another thing. Fortunately we didn't really have to! My friend and event planner, Ebony Cattouse Stewart began planning her first couples retreat for Valentine's Day weekend in her home country of Belize. Once we saw the details of the trip it was a no brainer! She took care of all of the details including transportation, excursions, food and more! We had an amazing time and we will definitely be going back next year!
You already know I brought all my cameras! My Canon Rebel with every lens LOL, a Dragon Touch underwater camera (Thanks Dad!) and protective pouch with a neck strap for my iphone! I'm glad I had so many options because we got into a lot! Below I have recapped our trip each day and included some of my favorite images! If you scroll all the way down to the bottom, I have included some videos and a slideshow of more photos as well!!
Click to Learn more about Belize
Day 1 - Arrival
We arrived in Belize City on Valentine's day. We left sub 30 degree NJ weather and stepped off the airplane into 90 degree sunshine. After a very long line for customs, we were off to the hotel where we had a cocktail and did a little walking around the neighborhood.
Later that evening we had a romantic Valentines Day dinner with live music.
Day 2 - Snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve
We started the day with a traditional Belizean breakfast which included Fry Jacks (click here for recipe and pix) Then, we took the water taxi from Belize City to Caye Caulker for snorkeling. We (a small group of about 10 of us) spent about 4 hours in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. It was so beautiful and amazing. On the way to our first snorkeling spot, we spotted a dolphin! We also saw turtles, sting rays, nurse sharks and tons of fish. My camera footage would definitely make you seasick but I managed to edit a few clips (below) and snag a few screen shots. After returning to Caye Caulker, we walked around The Split, had coconut water and almost missed the last 1 hr ride water taxi back to Belize City because I was taking pictures of the rainbow! Oops! Later that evening we had an all white dinner party with Ebony and her husband Omar (credit for some of the pix of Frank and I).
Day 3 - Chukka ATV, Zip Line and Cave Tubing Adventure & Altun Ha Mayan Ruins
More Fry Jacks... then we drove into the Maya mountains, saw the sleeping giant, then arrived at the jungle oasis called Chukka. We rode ATVs through palm trees, up an down steep hills... I managed to only get stuck once! We then zip lined through treetops, had lunch then did some cave tubing which was a unique experience floating through caves, created by rain, seeing bats, and interesting stalagmites and stalactites formed over thousands of years ago. We then dashed to a nearby Mayan Ruin Site, Altun Ha, for a tour. We got there right before closing so we were able to enjoy the views without the crowds of people that normally are there. After grabbing some souvenirs, we chose to have dinner at the hotel since we were pretty exhausted from the days adventures.
Day 4 - Traveller's Tour and Departure Home
Our last morning in Belize. We woke up early for one last stroll in the neighborhood. We snapped some pictures then grabbed breakfast...Fry Jacks... before packing up for home. On the way to the airport, we stopped for souvenirs and for a quick tour of Traveller's Rum facility... and a tasting. We arrived home, in the dark, cold night and immediately felt cranky wishing we had one more day in Belize. Until Next time!
Some Videos:
Snorkeling Video Highlights
ATV Video Highlight
Cave Tubing Video Highlight
Zip Line Video Highlight
Photo Slide Show (Press Play in Lower Right Corner)
