As a travel writer and mom of two teenage boys, I’ve learned the hard way that typical cultural outings and walking tours don’t cut it anymore.
My older son still hasn’t forgiven me for dragging him to both the Amsterdam Cheese Museum and the Tulip Museum in one day.
So last November I tried something different: a one-week trip to Belize that mixed jungle, beach, and nonstop adventure.
The trip began with an adventure in Belize’s blue waters
We split the trip between Ambergris Caye and San Ignacio to make sure we could experience the jungle and the beach.
The adventure began with a flight to Ambergris Caye, where I chose a three-bedroom suite at the beachfront Pelican Reef Villas. This way, our family could spread out with enough space to help avoid brotherly bickering.
While suntanning on Pelican Reef’s dock, I saw guests hugging their boat crew after a day out, saying things like, “Thank you for one of the best days of my life.”
Intrigued, I scrapped plans to do a group snorkeling trip and booked a private charter departing from that dock, one with Captain Oliver and his team.
At $630 for the day, it was marginally more than the cost of the group trip. (The rate has since increased to about $700, which I’d still say is a good deal.)
Oliver and his crew delivered a fantastic experience. They took us swimming with nurse sharks at Shark Ray Alley, where my boys dared each other to touch a shark (they did).
They also got to try using spear guns to catch fish, and although they weren’t lucky, they loved the novelty of the experience.
While we fished off the boat, the crew dove for fresh conch that became an onboard ceviche snack.
For lunch, we anchored off a tiny private island for a feast of grilled spiny lobster, rice, and beans. The last stop was feeding tarpon by hand off Caulker Caye.
Next, we channeled Indiana Jones in the jungle
Inland, we based ourselves at Vanilla Hills Resort near San Ignacio.
When I asked a staff member what to sign up for, they suggested the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave tour, adding that my “boys will think they’re Indiana Jones.” Sold!
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Our tour guide led us on a hike through the jungle to Actun Tunichil Muknal cave — and our trek was complete with incredible river crossings, where we hung on to a rope for stability.
Once inside, we swam through underground chambers, scrambled up boulders, and squeezed through rocks with ominous names like “The Guillotine.”
We also learned about the sacred cave, which is home to ancient pottery and human remains from ritual sacrifices. I’m sure my boys won’t forget the tale of a ceremony involving piercing a foreskin with a stingray tail.
At $145 a person, this otherworldly adventure was worth every cent.
Even the more mundane parts of our trip, like driving around and getting food, felt fun
Many people were using golf carts to get around Ambergris Caye, so we joined them. Renting a golf cart only cost us about $35 a day.
We loved taking it for spins on deserted sandy roads. We even discovered a golf-cart-friendly drive-thru coffee shop in San Pedro.
It was also fun checking out local eateries, like Robin’s Kitchen, a simple barbecue shack with sand floors and a menu of oxtail and jerk chicken tacked to the wall.
My boys were also impressed by the food in San Ignacio. Local restaurants like Ko-Ox-Han-Nah and Pop’s served teen-boy gold: burritos, milkshakes, and fry jacks (fried dough).
All in all, Belize was a hit with our family
Afterward, my sons declared this the “best trip ever” — and it taught me a few lessons I’m taking to heart when planning future family vacations.
For starters, I hope to continue booking adventurous activities and turning to locals (and happy fellow tourists) for recommendations and inspiration.
Really, our trip to Belize hit a new sweet spot for my family, offering just the right amount of adventure, nature, and fun without a kids’ club in sight.
We won’t be going back to “basic” vacations anytime soon.