Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

Our three-generation trip to Belize was amazing, thanks to Patricia and her colleagues, most particularly Josue—who was our on-the-ground go-to person. When our flights to BZE were delayed, he was able to reschedule our local flights, seamlessly.

First, let me say that Patricia chose the perfect hotels/resorts for our family. There are 11 of us, ranging in age from 6 to 75—five being children from 6 to 14. We stayed first at Sirenian Bay, in the Manatee Villa. We met the owners, and this was the villa that they built for their own retirement. We got that benefit.

The Villa was gorgeous and the private pool was a blessing. The kids almost never wanted to get out of the pool—except to play mini-golf, pickle ball and use the big resort pool.

The one problem with Sirenian Bay, and we devised a work around, was that the service in the main restaurant was incredibly slow. We learned, thanks to our Concierge George, that we could have meals pre-ordered and delivered to the huge dining room in the Villa, or outside on our patio. It worked perfectly. I do have to say that the staff at Sirenian Bay were consistently sweet and friendly. The gardeners would say hello when we passed. That doesn’t happen everywhere.

Patricia also arranged THE BEST SNORKELING TRIP I HAVE EVER BEEN ON! And, as a frequent cruiser, I have been on many. A totally amazing day, with wonderful and kind private guides. They even added fishing for the kids.

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any better, we went to Chaa Creek. Astounding is the only descriptor that says it. The resort is stunning. The staff, again, we were so lucky, was completely friendly and helpful. At one point, the kids lost their diving rings (thrown into the pool and then they dive for them). Turns out they got stuck in the filter system. Two workers, Messrs. Minor and Ramos, took the time to actually swim into the filtration system and retrieve the rings. This was completely above and beyond the call of duty. I believe it is emblematic of the pride the workers take in Chaa Creek.

Our time in Guatemala planned by our WOW List travel team was well-designed and executed. We were able to see some of the most interesting and beautiful parts of Guatemala, and for the most part, without feeling rushed. Highlights included a stay at the Meson Panza Verde, a historic mansion in Antigua with a lush garden in the public/restaurant space and views of the volcanos. We got a good idea of the history of the city on our informative walking tour the first day, which included time in the extensive market (we appreciated the help navigating its maze and understanding our options) and ended with a lunch in a beautiful restaurant.

The next highlight was staying at the Laguna Lodge, which was built into the mountainside overlooking lake Atitlan. There was a gorgeous view of the lake and surrounding volcanoes from our terrace and a restaurant offering tasty food created from hand-picked organic plants. Tours of nearby villages were most memorable because of the vibrant colors of clothes, as well as streets and murals and cemeteries.

Finally came a flight to Flores where we met our excellent guide, Eric, with whom we toured the Yaxha and Tikal National Parks, which protect the temples and public squares of one of the major sites of the Mayan civilization. As we walked through the public squares and climbed to the top of temples, we were accompanied by howler monkeys. Paul is an excellent photographer, and shared some pictures he took of birds that we weren’t able to capture so well. We stayed in the La Lagunas hotel, which is surrounded by nature (jungle :) ) and has a great collection of Mayan artifacts. One regret for this last part of our trip was that we didn’t have one more day to stay at the hotel and enjoy it and its surroundings.

Laurie and Michael Schuftan having a picnic on a beach in Moho Caye, Belize.

Travelers Laurie and Michael Schuftan celebrate their anniversary with a beach BBQ at Moho Caye.

My husband Michael and I had a wonderful time celebrating our 30th anniversary in Belize! Initially, I knew very little about Belize, however, after my face-to-face call with our trip planner Patricia, I was intrigued and excited to visit. We had one week to travel, and Patricia pointed out the non-stop flights between Newark and Belize City. We traveled from December 7th through the 14th. With Patricia’s guidance, I opted to spend three nights in the jungle and four nights in the beach area. We spent four fabulous days with our driver, David, who met us at the airport and took us to our first hotel.

Our private villa at the Lodge at Chaa Creek was beautifully appointed and set amid the lushness of the jungle. Anniversary wishes, fresh fruit, and a ready-to-hatch butterfly pupa greeted us in the villa. For the next three days, David expertly navigated the very rustic roads to our private jungle cruise on a pontoon boat, tours of Xunantunich, Cahal Pech & Barton Creek Cave, and down to Placencia. David was a great guide and very personable. He knew people everywhere! In addition to David, we had Nadir guide us down the river, and Leo paddle us through and tell us about the cave. Michael and I had limited time to take advantage of all the opportunities available at the amazing Lodge at Chaa Creek. Still, we managed a night hike, a morning birdwatch tour, and a visit to the Butterfly Farm.

Our home for the last four nights was a gorgeous beach side villa at Naia Resort & Spa. Again, we were greeted with anniversary wishes, flowers and balloons. The next day, we had a fantastic day on a private catamaran to Moho Caye, where we snorkeled and our guide Mike and Captain Leo (different Leo) grilled a delicious BBQ lunch on the beach. The next day, we had an evening food tour in Placencia. Rego took us to many local spots and explained all of the tasty foods and drinks we enjoyed along the way. He also pointed out other spots to try out on our own. Fortunately, I had previously decided to cancel the excursion I had planned for our final day in Belize. Michael and I spent that day in Placencia taking in more of the tastes of the town and souvenir shopping.

From the moment we arrived in Belize, Patricia’s staff were in contact with us. They established a WhatsApp chat with Michael and me, greeted us on arrival, answered any questions we posed, and provided updates every step of our trip. We found Belize to be an enchanting country with its diversity of topographies and cultures and very warm, welcoming people.

My husband and I recently contacted Patricia to design a very sentimental return trip to Belize. We had visited in 1978 while in grad school and finally decided to go back, but we wanted help in order to explore all the places and experiences that exist today.

Patricia totally embraced the spirit of this return trip and she designed a fabulous itinerary with time in the Cayo District and beach. Her hotel selection in Cayo was magical (Gaia Riverlodge) with the most stunning setting, staff, and service, and she matched us with a fantastic local guide (Brainard) who spent 5 days with us. He shepherded us through Mayan sites (Caracol and Xunantunich are not to be missed!), canoeing in caves, looking around San Ignacio for sites we would recognize from ‘78, and accompanying us to a memorable cooking experience with a local family. The three of us never stopped talking; he had info and answers on every topic—Mayan history, local culture and politics, farming, food, and forests.

Throughout the trip, Patricia and her team were in touch with us to make sure things were going smoothly. When we rather suddenly realized that going to a beach resort in the middle of Tropical Storm Sara was not our best move, and opted to fly out that morning, her team and Brainard smoothly got us back to the airport.

We had such a wonderful time—and were so charmed by Belize—that we’re already working with Patricia to return later this winter. There’s more to see, we’ll have our beach weekend after all, and we couldn’t be in better hands than with Patricia and her team.

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