Chan Chich Lodge

Everyone went out of their way to make us feel like royalty. I especially enjoyed the farm tour and learning about regenerative agriculture. It’s a great place to get away for a few days and experience Belize’s incredible protected nature. If you want a Hard Rock Cafe-style resort, this won't be your place. For relaxing and enjoying the natural setting, it’s perfect.

The villa gave us plenty of space, though for an upscale property I expected it to be in better shape. I have mixed feelings about the stay, and don’t like leaving negative feedback. The lodge’s conservation work and natural surroundings are wonderful. The guides were fantastic, especially Ruben, who knows his birds and was willing to go the extra mile. We asked management for more time on excursions, and he was happy to agree. We came for birding because the lodge is known for it, but it felt like that focus may have shifted. The scheduled activities were limited, with just a one-hour morning bird walk and no way to hire or bring in a guide for a half-day of birding. One hour isn’t enough for a destination advertised for birding, and there should be more options. The night drive was so fast that we didn’t get much chance to see wildlife. The chef and kitchen staff were great, though housekeeping could have been a little better. We also had bats in the hot tub, and problems with the toilet, plumbing, and hot water. My two companions, both MDs, reported bedbug bites.

I first came here 30 years ago and loved it just as much on my return. It’s a consistently amazing place, whether you want to stretch out in a hammock or head out and explore jungle wildlife.

We saw 72 bird species during our five-day visit, including six lifers. Ruben helped a lot with birding, both on walks around the lodge and on excursions, and we’re grateful for his guidance. We’d hoped for more scheduled birding outings, but there seemed to be only two guides, which may have limited that. We also liked that some servers, noticing our interest in birds, pointed out species and suggested places to look for others. The dining area and food were good, though some farm-to-table items seemed fresher than others. Most servers were friendly and helpful, and everyone seemed to work hard. The setting was lovely, and we were surprised to learn that the grounds sit entirely within an unexcavated Mayan plaza. It was fascinating, especially after visiting excavated Maya sites. The lodge is isolated, as expected. Our cabana was comfortable and fine for an eco-lodge, though dated. After looking at the Chan Chich website, we’d expected something a bit posher. Housekeeping was adequate, but afternoon service was inconvenient since we were usually out walking or driving in the morning. We bought the beverage package for three of our five days. Its description was misleading, the price was wildly high, and our cabana was never stocked with the promised water, soda, and beer. That was disappointing. The biggest letdown was what felt like poor management and coordination. We got a printed activity schedule at check-in, but times and activities changed often, sometimes at the last minute, and we weren’t told about a couple of changes to our plans. One timing change meant we missed birds we could have seen at the original time. The manager tried to fix issues we raised, with mixed results. We appreciated refunds for botched service, but they don’t replace delivering the service promised in the first place. Overall, Chan Chich offers good chances to see birds and other animals in large natural habitats. We’d lower our expectations a little for comfort and service to avoid disappointment.