Doug Nury’s daughter Kate swimming under Butterfly Falls.

My daughter and I have begun a tradition of taking a father/daughter adventure trip each summer. We started our planning late this year but fortunately, Julianie was able to pull off an action-packed week in short order. Our trip was a mix of mountains, ocean, and jungle.

Brainard met us at the airport and briefed us on Belizean history, local interest, and the area’s geography on our way to Hidden Valley Inn. Hidden Valley is a secluded eco-lodge on 7,200 acres in the central mountains. We quickly dropped our bags in our suite overlooking a verdant, green valley and were offered our first adventure of the trip, a hike to Butterfly Falls. The accommodating staff drove us within 30 minutes of the falls, where we hiked the rest of the way to a secluded, beautiful waterfall with a crystal pool at the bottom that beckoned us to take a dip. Refreshing!

The next day Brainard met us for spelunking at the famous ATM cave. River crossings and a hike through the jungle brought us to the mouth of the cave, where we dove into the stream that guards the entry. Brainard made us feel completely comfortable and taught us about ancient Mayan culture as we made our way past artifacts and actual remains of human sacrifices. It was an experience we will never forget.

The restaurant and bar at Hidden Valley are a real treat but the best culinary experience is the chocolate production class taught by Jose. If you go you must take a few hours to learn how chocolate is made, delicious!

After the mountains, Brainard drove us to the beautiful beaches at Turtle Inn in the little town of Placencia. On the way, we stopped to enjoy the best tamales in Belize at Miss Bertha’s. Our arrival at Turtle Inn was seamless as we were escorted to our bungalow, the Estrella Mar. The next day began our true adventure, scuba certification. Benji made our three-day class fun and kept us safe throughout the entire process. Before long we were diving to see sharks, rays, jellyfish, lionfish, and so much more. In the evening we took advantage of the complimentary shuttle into town. The driver, Mark, was spot-on with his recommendations for restaurants with local flavor.

The last day of the trip was a jungle adventure. We hiked high into the mountains to the top of Antelope Falls where we rappelled down a waterfall into the foliage below. On our return to the hotel, Wilder surprised us with the biggest Mayan lunch ever. The food was delicious and was served rapid-fire at a roadside stand.

Thank you again to Julianie for your help with this memorable father/daughter adventure!

Just back from a family vacation to Belize. We booked a 7-night cruise aboard the 52-foot Ventana Al Mar with our 3 sons through Rachael and Patricia. We landed in Belize City and were met by John, our driver, to take us 20 minutes to the pier where we found our boat. On board were Eric and Hanna as our captain and chef.

Our days were filled with cruising the sparsely populated southern reef of Belize, stopping at a couple of snorkeling spots each day. Eric, our captain, who grew up fishing the same waters we were on, was an expert in everything we found under the surface. He showed us how to find lobsters and how to spear them to eat for our dinners. The reef was beautiful to behold with tons of colorful fish. I personally saw a large octopus, several manta rays, and a couple of large crabs. I have never seen up close a reef so prolific with abundant life.

Eric was a fantastic captain. Easygoing with a good sense of humor, he is deeply skilled in all things boating, and even was able to complete repairs singlehandedly on a couple of issues that came up with the engines and generator. He had our route planned for our stops, when we should leave each morning, and how long to spend at each location.

From a sailing friend who bareboat captains his own vessels, the Belize waters are expert-level terrain boating-wise. There are many shallow areas where one can run aground, and the weather and currents can be tricky. After speaking with my friend, I realized HOW MUCH CAN GO WRONG AND QUICKLY. Every day on a sailing vessel, there are many issues around resource management, navigation, weather, mechanical, the list goes on. For a passenger, a good captain means you never notice any of those issues. Eric is that captain. As a passenger, he made sure our journey went smoothly.

Hanna, our chef and first mate, made great breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinners for us each day. My wife and I tend to travel with food in mind, so having great meals deliciously prepared are always a priority. Hanna knocked it out of the park with every meal. Her style is heavily influenced by her travels across the Mediterranean.

Food/meals included appetizers like shrimp with a sauce and spring rolls, lobster ceviche, and Mediterranean chicken skewers, and dinners like grilled grouper, pork tenderloin, lobster Cajun pasta. One day we had a BBQ-style lunch on the beach that Hanna and Eric set up from the boat, and another night we had lobster tails and large crabs cooked over a fire “fisherman style.” One night, Eric free dove down about 50 feet and speared a beautiful Hogfish that was served that night (fantastic piece of fish). Everything was delicious, and Hanna kept the boat tidy and clean during our stay.

Thank you to Rachael, Patricia, and their team for helping us to have such a great experience in Belize. And thank you to our gracious hosts, Eric and Hanna, for providing such great day-to-day experiences!

Patricia did a beautiful job planning our short trip to Belize. The experience we had was so beautifully customized to our goals and I know that was truly what shaped our experience. Patricia very quickly understood we were looking for solitude in nature, great food, and no busy, touristed attractions, and she absolutely made that happen. Can’t wait to return, next time for much longer!

Jeremy Silverman and family on their favorite day in Belize.

We had another fantastic family vacation to Belize in December with expert planning, care and support from Patricia and Rachael. We visited Belize for the first time in 2021 — specifically Chaa Creek Resort in the Cayo District and then Ambergris Caye — and fell in love with the country and its people. We marked Belize on our list for a return visit and asked Patricia to recommend a different part of the country for our second Belize vacation — this time we spent 8 days in Placencia and, again, had a wonderful experience. Patricia and Rachel set us up with the perfect accommodations at Naia, the best activities and guides and Rachael was on the ground in Placencia regularly checking in on us during the week, both by WhatsApp and in-person.

Belize is a beautiful and easy-to-reach destination from our home in Atlanta, with a wide range of activities, both on the water and inland. I’ll talk about some specific activity highlights, but what stands out most about Belize is the warmth and authenticity of its people and culture. Belize is an incredible melting pot — Belizeans come from a variety of backgrounds, including Mayan, Garifuna, Creole, Mennonite and more, and almost everyone speaks at least 3 languages (including English). This diversity shows through all aspects of Belizean culture, cuisine, art and perhaps is part of why everyone seems so genuinely welcoming of visitors.

In addition, we have found Belize to be the most autism-friendly vacation destination we have experienced. Our 20 year-old son is on the autism spectrum (high functioning) and is a unique and quirky guy. At home in the U.S. and in many other destinations, most people are tolerant of his differences. But in Belize, people consistently embrace and celebrate his differences — they engage with him in a way that’s qualitatively different than anywhere else we’ve been, which is very meaningful for us.

In terms of specific vacation highlights:

– We had a true day-of-days on a catamaran charter to Moho Caye with Nautilus Adventures. This was an epic experience and probably a top-ten day of life so far. The boat and crew were amazing, we caught a fish on the way that Captain Jimmy grilled on the beach for lunch, did some great snorkeling at Moho (a picture-perfect tropical island) and had an otherwise spectacular experience. This is not to be missed.

– We loved our food-hopping tour through Placencia Village, led by Peter, who was our guide for this and another full-day activity and is now our unofficial Belizean cousin. (We are still regularly in contact on WhatsApp)! Peter led us through restaurants and other dining spots that we never would have found on our own (and several of which we returned to later in the week, including to sample desserts being sold on someone’s front porch).

– We stayed at the Naia Resort, which was a great spot for our family of four, including our 20-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter. We rented a three-bedroom private villa right on the beach, with nothing between us and the water other than palm trees and a hammock. The villa provided truly separate living/sleeping/bathing space for me and my wife, our son and daughter, which is key to a great family vacation. The restaurant was very good (don’t miss the fry jacks), the staff super friendly and helpful and the location beautiful. We didn’t mind being 20 minutes from the village, which was easily accessible by hotel shuttle or a golf cart.

– The last experience I’d highlight really captures so much of what’s great about Belize (and an example of what can happen with a WOW Lister planning your vacation). Our last full day was a fishing and snorkeling trip to Laughing Bird Caye. Unfortunately, the weather was not ideal, but we made the best of it and the kids managed to catch a tuna and mackerel on the way back. (Because we had our own tour, we could pull the ripcord whenever we chose.) For our last night, we planned to have dinner at a brand-new sushi restaurant (Koi) that we never would have found without Peter — the restaurant was still in its “soft opening” and appeared in no guides or restaurant lists (yet). We called the restaurant and asked if they would want to use our freshly caught fish for dinner that night. They enthusiastically said yes and we dropped it off on our way out of the village. That night, we were treated to an incredible sushi and sashimi dinner, including the fish we caught earlier in the day, which we shared with the rest of the restaurant. (This meal in Atlanta would have cost 5 times the price). And because this is Belize, who should walk by during dinner — “cousin Peter”!

Back in Atlanta, we operate as the unofficial Belizean tourism board and have encouraged several other families to visit and they’ve all been very happy they did. We are already looking forward to our next vacation to Belize — for the next time, we are planning to do a multi-day catamaran trip with private chef via Patricia and Rachael!

We had the most incredible trip to Belize, thanks to the guidance and expertise of Patricia. Prior to getting in touch with her, I wasn’t very familiar with Belize and all that it offered, beyond the fact that my family (myself, my husband, our 15-year-old daughter, and 12-year-old son) could experience a mix of adventure and relaxation. I reached out to Patricia’s office at the recommendation of Wendy Perrin’s WOW List very early, almost a year in advance, and the entire team was beyond accommodating and responsive at all times.

We loved our time at Chaa Creek, and Patricia’s recommendation for the Spa Villa was perfect. Everyone at Chaa Creek was so accommodating. We had significant delays coming to BZE, arriving at the airport 6 hours later than planned. The team there made sure to have dinner available to us when we arrived past 9:30pm and worked with us to reorganize our excursions so we could have a day to recoup. We participated in many once-in-a-lifetime activities due to Patricia’s recommendations, including touring Xunantunich, where you can take a small hand-cranked ferry. Additionally, the ATM Cave Tour is an experience that I don’t think you can fully understand until you have actually done it. It was unique and beautiful, and it is definitely a memory that our family will never forget. On the way back to the airport in BZE to catch our flight to San Pedro, we decided to stop for a few hours of cave tubing, and we were so happy we did. It was a wonderful way to break up the drive and a great way to complete the first part of our trip on the mainland.

We spent the second half of our week at the Alaia Hotel in Ambergris Caye, and it was exactly what we needed. We had a few days of relaxing at the pool and the beach. My husband and son went fishing one day, and our snorkeling trip to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley was beautiful. We also loved exploring the island in a golf cart!

We are grateful that we were able to experience both the jungle and the beach areas of Belize, and we are so appreciative of Patricia and the entire team for helping us make this trip such a fantastic experience!!

We are just back from a phenomenal multi-generational family trip to Belize that Patricia organized to perfection (taken in February, 2024). It was one of the best family trips we’ve ever taken.

We were traveling with our immediate family (me, my husband, and our two kids ages 4.5 and 7), my sister, and my mom, so Patricia had to coordinate a trip that worked for people from ages 4 to 70+. She did it flawlessly.

Our trip started with four days in the Cayo region, where we stayed at Chaa Creek. What a lovely hotel! Situated on a large nature reserve, we woke to the sound of howler monkeys hanging out in the trees outside our villa and enjoyed the noise from various birds throughout the day.

We rented the Ix Chel Villa for our immediate family, and a cottage for my mom and sister. Both rooms were lovely and spacious and clean. The Ix Chel Villa was great—with a private plunge pool, hot tub, and expansive patio—and I would highly recommend it if it falls in your budget. It also came with a “butler” and Candi was ours—she was exceptional! Every day she would set up our dinner meal in a new spot at the hotel; she greeted us when we arrived back from a day of touring and my kids loved to guess what color drink she’d have waiting for us; she set up spa treatments for me on short notice; she took us up to the butterfly farm after it had closed for the day because I mentioned I was bummed we weren’t going to get to see it. And, in conjunction with Patricia, she helped orchestrate an incredible WOW Moment (thank you Wendy for it!)—the hotel set up a private sunset dinner atop the highest hill in the reserve, with stunning 360-degree views. We had a charcuterie platter and drinks to enjoy while we watched the sunset before moving on to a full meal and ending with s’mores at our private fire pit. It was truly magical. And then we had fun being transported back to our rooms via the hotel’s off-road vehicles—my kids loved it when we had to stop to let a tarantula finish crossing the road!

Our days in the Cayo were spent with Patricia’s excellent guides in the area, specifically Oscar and Darryl. They were amazing and I would request them both when I return. Darryl spent three days with us and handled our airport transfers, which were quite an experience with my tired four-year-old. He was a wealth of knowledge on the days he spent with us, trying his best to spot a crocodile on our pontoon boat and ensuring we hit the highlights of the Belize Zoo before the crowds (and talking our way into some animal experiences there when my youngest was a bit too young for them). He was wonderful taking us to the Barton Creek Caves (and again, getting my youngest in when he was questionable on height requirements), and just such an enjoyable person to spend time with. He even offered to go out of his way and drop our car seats off at Patricia’s office at the marina so we didn’t have to take them with us on the catamaran. Likewise, Oscar—who was with us one day to explore the Mayan ruins—was engaging with our kids, full of interesting information, and patient when our boys wanted to run around or play dinosaurs at one of our stops. Outside of the guided tours we did with Darryl and Oscar, we also enjoyed a few activities offered at the hotel: a night walk critter search through Chaa Creek, and the complimentary morning birdwatching walk—both were such fun and I’d highly recommend them.

The Cayo was absolutely fabulous and we barely scratched the surface of things to do there—if our kids had been a bit older, we could have tried many other wonderful adventures. I wish we’d had more time there and I would absolutely recommend including it on any planned trip to Belize.

After four lovely days in the jungle, we transferred down to Belize City, where Patricia had smartly arranged a flight transfer for us out to Ambergris Caye. The pilot on our flight took extra time to give us the “scenic” route and pointed out sights as we flew over them. It was such an unexpected pleasant addition to our trip, and much better than taking the water taxi.

When we landed at Ambergris, we transferred to the nearby marina where Eric and Hannah, our captain and first mate, were waiting aboard the Nowhere, a 50’ catamaran that was to be our home for the next five nights. A catamaran charter had not been on my radar, and I had my concerns—having two young children on a boat for five days, in such a small space, seemed like it could go sideways quickly—but Patricia was absolutely right in her recommendation and it truly was a superb experience. Eric and Hannah cared for our whole family with such kindness and positivity, and by the end of the trip we felt like we had two new friends. The food Hannah prepared was incredible—I wish I could get her recipes!—and Eric was a superb snorkeling guide. He was very patient with my seven-year-old when he was hesitant to get in the ocean, and then when he knew my seven-year-old was interested in eels, Eric found an eel and coaxed it out of the coral. He also caught fresh lobster for our meal, let my four-year-old help drive the boat, and went out of his way to try to spot manatees for us (no luck, but I’ll just have to return and try to spot them next time). Hannah kept the entire boat spotless and ensured we had everything we needed—often before we even knew we needed it. And she even offered to watch our younger son on board the catamaran so that both my husband and I could go snorkeling at the same time with our older son—we came back to see them playing games together at the table on deck…truly above and beyond! They were a fabulous team.

The catamaran itinerary was excellent and, again, Eric and Hannah went out of their way to make every stop special for our family. They took us to spots where they knew stingrays would appear, so my kids could pet them. On Rendezvous Caye, Eric knew the caretaker and the caretaker was happy to cut up a fish for us so we could all try feeding the stingrays. At Goff’s Caye, Eric introduced us to Gilroy, who taught my kids how to hunt for hermit crabs—they loved having hermit-crab races on the beach. Hannah consistently packed snacks for our excursions, had amazing appetizers and drinks waiting for us upon our return, and was so accommodating of our kids’ limited palates.

It was truly an outstanding trip, flawlessly executed and one of the best values for the money that I can think of in terms of our travels. Every one of us had an amazing time and I’m surprised Belize isn’t on everyone’s radar, as this little country offers so much in terms of natural beauty, activities, hospitality, and friendly people. We all cannot wait to return (and we will absolutely do the catamaran cruise again—I’m hooked!)!

WOW Lister Patricia Johnson joined Salena and Allen Kern for lunch one day.

As it says in an ad, “Belize has it all.” And that is almost true: I don’t believe there is an ice-skating rink, yet. But it has Patricia Johnson to make your trip what you want it to be.

This is how I found Patricia: We had no winter plans and needed to renew our passports. The passports came back much earlier than expected (5 1/2 weeks) and I said, “Let’s go somewhere.”

My criteria was a direct flight from Newark, warmth, a place we’d never been to with lots to do if we wished, and a Wendy Perrin advisor. It took about a minute to find Patricia. And we were off….

The next day Patricia contacted me via Zoom and by that afternoon we had the trip sketched out. There was one enormous coincidence. Patricia recommended a few places to stay and two of the resorts (one in the jungle and the other on the beach) were owned by Francis Ford Coppola. Who knew? Not I, for sure. Well, my husband was an extra in Apocalypse Now many years ago and that was that. He was thrilled to be seeing what Coppola had created in Belize.

Both resorts were beautiful, but Blancaneaux Lodge was one of the nicest places I have stayed in my life.

Patricia suggested many activities. I was reluctant to commit to some of them, thinking we might not be up to them, so we booked some and decided to decide later about others. She and I were in almost constant contact during the trip and she was good with that. As it turned out, we climbed ruins, rafted through a cave that should have been a cathedral, and visited an entrepreneurial coffee “factory,” amongst other things. Most important to me, however, was that we got to know something about the current economy of this young country and much about its varied cultures. On our first full day, after a very, very busy morning, we were surprised by our WOW Moment. At this most beautiful site, overlooking a series of waterfalls, we were served lunch by a local family (now, Patricia did know that I am a bit of a foodie) who served us a traditional Mayan lunch nouvelle style. The family has a catering company called U Janal Masewal, Ancient Recipes for a Modern World. That sort of sums up my worldview too. We were happy! And Patricia met us there for lunch. Thank you, Patricia and Wendy.

This lunch opened our eyes to what was happening in the local communities. The Mayan culture isn’t stuck in the past or lost as it is in Chiapas, Mexico, where I visited last year. The Belizeans are creating a wonderful and mixed culture ripe for all sorts of tourism.

Our week in Belize was full of surprises. I would recommend it to older people like us, to young families, well, to anyone who likes travel.

We had a lovely time in Belize in January 2024. We worked with Patricia’s team to split a week sailing and going to the mountains at Chaa Creek Resort.

We very much appreciated Patricia and Julianie’s attention to detail in making this a carefree holiday for us. The transfers were seamless. Our first transfer from the airport to the boat was with John, who was delightful and helpful. Darryl picked us up from the boat and drove us to Chaa Creek for the second part of our vacation. He’s a very knowledgeable guide and expert in Mayan history and birds who shared his love of the Cayo District with us. He even took us to the farmers’ market on our way back to the airport to show us the wide range of fruits, vegetables and spices from the local area. We appreciated his service very much.

Our crew during the sailing portion, Eric and Brianna, were terrific. The boat we originally chartered had a mechanical issue, so we were upgraded to a lovely bigger boat. We had a ball sailing around, just wish the weather had been nicer so we could have done more but the passing storm allowed us to indulgently chill out. Brianna’s cooking was absolutely wonderful, she really spoiled us. Eric was fun, competent, and laid back. He even managed to catch fresh lobsters for dinner one night. We really enjoyed our time with them.

Chaa Creek was lovely. The grounds, service, onsite activities, and local Mayan ruins were great. If anything to share, the food while wonderfully fresh, was a bit lackluster in its preparation. We will never forget our first night there with the incredible howler monkey vocals above our thatched roof room!

Patricia and Julianie were very helpful in pre-trip planning and problem solving when we had a pre-departure family emergency and then a missed connection en route. We are so very glad we did not have to cancel the trip and were in good hands the whole journey. It was just what we needed!

We had a wonderful trip to Belize and Guatemala planned for us by Patricia. She worked with us to find experiences and hotels that worked well for us. Our trip was eight days long and divided into two parts—one was in the jungle and the other was on the beach at Placencia.

We flew from Newark to Belize City (a direct flight of less than five hours) and were picked up by our driver/guide Brainerd. Over the years, we’ve learned that a guide can make or break a trip. We had a phenomenal guide with Brainerd—very knowledgeable, warm, and just a lot of fun. (He’s named after a town in my home state of Minnesota.) We learned a great deal from him. He, without our asking, took loads of photos of us with my phone and his own. He later sent me the ones he took, which I very much appreciated because I make a photobook of all our trips. He made a habit of checking in to see if we wanted water, if the temperature in the car was okay and if we needed a bathroom break. Very considerate.

We stayed first at the Lodge at Chaa Creek, a 400-acre eco-resort. Lots to do there: visit the butterfly farm, the natural history exhibit, the organic farm; canoe; hike; birdwatch or sit with a delicious drink and admire the beautiful grounds. The staff could not have been more hospitable. They asked and remembered our names, where we were from and our food preferences. Very professional.

We used Chaa Creek as a base from which to explore the Maya ceremonial centers at nearby Xunantunich and Tikal in Guatemala. We absolutely loved the Belize Botanic Garden tour. I am a gardener, and the tour was one of the highlights of the trip.

The Naia Resort, right on the beach near Placencia, was lovely. We were very happy with our little bungalow, which was about 30 feet from the water. The staff was helpful and friendly.

While we were there, Patricia arranged for us to spend time with a group of six Maya sisters who taught us how to cook on an open hearth. They showed us how they weave baskets and extract the juice from sugar cane. It was fun!

We really enjoyed our trip and met people who go to Belize year after year. We can understand why.

I knew just who to call after deciding last-minute to book a family vacation over the Christmas to New Year’s holidays — Wendy Perrin WOW travel agent Patricia Johnson. In a matter of days, Patricia organized a world-class 12-day trip for our family us to Belize, with features that kept our 3 kids (ages 17, 17 and 20) engaged and happy, including climbing Mayan ruins, riding horses, lounging at the pool and snorkeling. Lots of snorkeling.

Christmas Day was spent relaxing on and snorkeling off of idyllic islands near the village of Placencia. New Year’s Eve was spent on a “catch and cook” adventure off the coast of Ambergris Caye with dive master and boat captain extraordinaire Carlos Cordova. We fished for bait, dove for conch and lobster, and went fishing. Then we cooked our catches on the beach. The highlight was ceviche made with fresh conch, lobster and fish. We particularly enjoyed the accommodations at Hidden Valley Wilderness Ranch and Naia Resort & Spa in Placencia. Patricia, Rachael and Josue were in regular communication with us throughout the trip. They even rearranged one of our outings when they noticed the weather forecast didn’t look favorable. We couldn’t have asked for a better family trip.

The Ring family and friends at the Indian Creek Mayan Arts Women’s Group, where they learned local cooking techniques, basket-weaving, and a traditional dance.

Our family (parents, 1 teen and 4 20-somethings) and 2 friends of my adult children visited Belize for 2 weeks over the Christmas/New Year’s Holiday season. We stayed in San Pedro at the Grand Caribe and The Enclave in Placencia. There were complicated logistics with some people traveling from different cities and joining at later dates, and Patricia’s office handled that incredibly well. The housing options recommended were luxurious and enjoyable as well. Patricia’s team did a fantastic job of keeping everything on track while we were in Belize and checking in with us to fine-tune trips. Our family’s favorite excursions were the trip to Xunantunich, the sunset Catamaran rides, a helicopter charter over the Blue Hole, river tubing in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve and snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve. They organized a private chef to make us meals in our villa in San Pedro, which is a tip when large families travel at the holidays—sometimes it is difficult to get a reservation for a large group.

Patricia’s office excelled at communication and trip-planning process in the months leading up to the trip, when we were deciding what the trip would look like. Also, in terms of value added to the trip, they organized a surprise singer/guitar player that came to play for our son’s birthday party and another surprise picnic after our river-tubing excursion, both of which were completely appreciated and really great highlights of our trip.

Just back from a wonderful week in Belize with our adult daughters (23 and 25). Patricia, Rachael and their team did a great job. They exemplify why I use your planners — they really listened and planned accordingly, were easy to communicate with, have in-country expertise and contacts (Rachael met us at the airport!), and were able to adjust on the fly.

Everything they planned was just what we asked for. In fact, this is the first time I’ve worked with a planner where they got it right on the first iteration. We were looking for a Christmas week alternative to our typical beach resort experience where we stay at the hotel and rarely venture out. Instead we had a 2 BR villa in a small hotel right on the lagoon with day trips tailored to our desires. That first morning when I opened my door and walked 20 steps in my PJs to the completely quiet beach and into the still, clear waters was magical. All alone in paradise.

We snorkeled, zip lined, floated on the river, visited a spice farm and learned all about cacao and chocolate. We also relaxed on the beach, ate lots of ceviche, and discovered a new taste for rum.

I had stressed about the rain in the forecast and luckily, it only rained once and it was short-lived. Even in the one downpour, my daughter was in heaven touring the spice farm on the tractor — just us and the guide — after a group of 24 (from a cruise ship) had just gotten off. I was surprised to learn that rain was not atypical for December. I had not done my homework on that, but happily, all worked out.

Rachael planned a lovely WOW Moment — a private concert with up-and-coming Belizian vocalist Kylon Eiley on our villa patio, complete with margaritas.

The snorkeling guides were really great and considerate, especially to those who were a bit anxious. We decided to stay and have lunch at a bar at one of the cayes instead of eating the prepared lunch. The guide was completely flexible and we all had a fun time. He also made sure we saw the sharks and turtles nearby. On our second snorkel day we saw a jeweled damsel fish and that alone was worth the trip. How that can exist in nature is amazing. And the corals were spectacular. Rachael had insisted that we add that second half-day snorkel to our trip and I was glad she did.

Itzana was lovely. We very much enjoyed breakfast every morning on the restaurant patio. All the staff were wonderfully accommodating. One big request for the hotel would be more loungers on the beach. We had to drag the ones from our villa patio out to lie out on the sand. There was that little DIY aspect of our stay — no roaming staff to help you like at the resorts in Mexico or elsewhere, but Whatsapp worked perfectly for any and all requests. Drinks and lunch delivered to the beach!

Speaking of the beach, they kept it raked and clean. We tried to take a walk on the beach but beyond the perimeter of the resort, it was not clean and the neighboring hotels and structures unappealing to walk past. There was that unpolished feel to Placencia, but that was also part of its charm. The restaurants in the area were mostly casual, food tasty and the staff eager to please.

As Belize is an English-speaking country that made it very easy to communicate with everyone, we also enjoyed learning from our guides and drivers about the different cultures. Everyone we interacted with was kind and keen to make sure we were happy.

All in all, a super trip. Thank you Brook, for the recommendation, and to Patricia and Rachael’s team.

We are just back from a lovely trip to Belize that Patricia helped us plan, not once but twice, thanks to a day-before-travel positive COVID test result in 2021 that meant we had to cancel our original trip. We ended up doing the exact same itinerary the second time around, splitting our time between the jungle and Ambergris Caye.

We really enjoyed Black Rock Lodge, the jungle, and our activities there. The ATM cave, the tubing at the resort, and Tikal were all highlights — the cave and tubing were in the our kids’ top three — and the guides that Patricia arranged were great. So was the bird and monkey watching. A word of warning though — if steep climbs from your room to the lodge restaurant are not your thing or if air conditioning is a must, Black Rock is not for you.

On the island, we got a little unlucky with the weather at the Portofino resort, but loved both of our snorkeling experiences at Mexican Rocks and Hol Chan/Shark-Ray Alley. The pick-up on the Portofino dock was a very nice touch. On our way to Shark Ray Alley we spotted a dolphin, and our guide Chris stopped and let us hop in to swim with him — that was such a highlight. I would say the only downside with Portofino was we felt a little bit stuck there, particularly around meal time and rainy days, especially since the water taxi apparently no longer runs, which we did not know ahead of time. We might have gotten a golf cart for more of the time there, but Patricia and her staff helped us arrange a second day when we raised the issue.

Patricia and her staff also really rose to the occasion when our son got sick. Since we didn’t have a golf cart that day, someone brought the medicine he needed to us, and they helped us arrange a trip to the doctor the next day when the medicine did not do the trick.

As our son’s illness demonstrates, we are the kind of people who regularly have all sorts of kooky and/or medical things happen to us, and this trip was no exception. At the airport on our departure, the American Airlines ticket agent refused to check us in for our flight due to the fact that I have a different last name than our children and had no proof of parentage. We are fairly certain — as is Patricia — that he was misreading the Belize entry requirements, but he was insistent. Luckily, we arrived early at the airport and live nearby, so I was able to dash home to get the kids’ birth certificates, and we managed to make our flight. That was a new one for us, but we’re glad we made it to Belize!

We used Patricia and her team to plan our company retreat in July 2023. They seamlessly organized 19 of our employees and a perfect boat and beach day for all. Patricia’s office (we especially worked with Julianie) is amazing. I would not hesitate to recommend them to you if headed to Belize. In the lead-up to this trip I had several chats with Patricia about personal travel as well, and she always had the best ideas and knew the ins and outs of each hotel and tour. They know all of the spots and if you need support on your trip they’ll be there for you!

The house we stayed at was wonderful. It was located right on the beach, and the pool and backyard felt secluded. I would stay here again for sure. I would do less excursions next time, as the rainforest tour and the national park tour, as well as the canal mangrove tour, were all pretty similiar.

It was an 8-day trip to Belize and Guatemala, primarily to see the Mayan sites at Lamanai, Tikal, and Caracol. We also spent two nights at Ambergris Caye to see the Caribbean and snorkel. My wife and I have rarely turned a whole trip over to a travel agent, and when we have, the execution has not been as flawless as it was here. Patricia Johnson and her colleagues did a first-class job in turning our travel goals into reality and positive, lifelong memories. I cannot recommend this agency enough. As I’ll explain more below, Patricia’s choices in hotels and guides were excellent. One thing that struck me throughout the trip, was that wherever we were, all along the way, people (working the desk at hotels, guides) were watching out for us and making sure we got to the next place on time.

—Hotels

We loved each hotel (well, not Tikal Jungle Lodge, but it seemed like the best option and was plenty good enough).

The approach to Lamanai Outpost Lodge, speeding along the river for an hour as the sun sets, arriving in darkness to the lights of the lodge, is a memory of a lifetime. It’s incredible to wake up early in the morning in Los Angeles and by sunset be in a remote setting on a river near ancient Mayan ruins. At the lodge, the food was very good, the service excellent, and the room very nice. We enjoyed looking at the river from our deck. We enjoyed the daily activities — two tours of the nearby park (one of the Mayan ruins, the other of the European ruins, for lack of a better term), and a morning kayak trip up the channel dug by the Mayans to look for birds and other animals. The hotel guides were informative, helpful and kind. Can’t recommend this hotel enough.

The Lodge at Chaa Creek was also outstanding. Our treehouse room was spacious, with a great view of the creek below. We used the private pool — how decadent. I went on a canoe trip in the river the morning we were there — all alone on the river; loved it. Highly recommend this hotel.

It’s ridiculous for me to complain about running into rich Americans on vacation, but they were there in abundance at Chaa Creek and a bit of a downer. I wish our rich tourists were quieter and better behaved. Bunch of uncontrolled, obnoxious children at the restaurant for dinner and parents that seemed right out of The White Lotus or Succession. Didn’t ruin the place but noticeable. Sorry for Belize — we Americans can do better.

Tikal Jungle Lodge is obviously a different class of hotel than Chaa Creek, but it was very nice for a national park hotel and we enjoyed our time there. The restaurant was pretty good. It was great to stay in the park and be able to quickly get to the sights and hear howler monkeys (as we did at Lamanai and Chaa Creek).

In any reasonable world, the Lodge at Chaa Creek would be the hotel highlight of a trip, but Gaia Riverlodge was even nicer. We couldn’t believe how nice the creekside villa was, and still don’t. To live for two days in such luxury by cascading water like that. Unreal. The restaurant was very good to boot. Enjoyed breakfasts and dinners there. Service was excellent. The hotel and our room were beautifully decorated. Highly recommend this hotel.

Same goes for Matachica. Our beachfront room was beautifully decorated; loved the bright colors. We enjoyed looking out at the water. We took their kayaks, bikes, and golf carts for a spin — all fun. Restaurant was very good, as was the service. Another great choice; highly recommend.

—Guides

Wilbert was knowledgeable, enthusiastic and went the extra mile — adding a night tour of Tikal, showing us markets in the town on the Guatemala side of the border. I felt he tried to show us how life really is for the people living in Belize and Guatemala, which is important and interesting.

All the drivers were good; one apparently noted we needed more time to get to the airport for our flight to San Pedro — very diligent and thoughtful.

The snorkeling guide continued the theme of going the extra mile — about 15 times he dove to near the sea floor to point out fish, then come up for air and tell me what they were. Remarkable.

—Activities

As already mentioned, the activities offered at the hotels were great — a good selection to choose from, seemingly something for everybody. We took advantage of the options.

—Miscellaneous

I appreciate that Patricia was available by WhatsApp during the trip.

Patricia and Wendy: Thank you very much for a great trip. Can’t think of anything that could be improved or anything we did that other travelers would want to avoid. Patricia definitely added value to our trip and it was money well spent.

We travelled to Belize from March 28th to April 4th. A short time but filled with memorable people and experiences. Patricia was our customized trip organizer and Dave was our personal, well-educated, and super-friendly guide. Providentially, Dave is a birder and so are we! He was also our travel photo/video journalist. What a gem we found in Dave as he showed us around the Cayo district of Belize. My husband and 2 of our grown children accompanied me on this amazing journey. We stayed at Gaia River Lodge, where the staff were authentically friendly and engaging. Starting with a day of Mayan cultural immersion, we learned so much from local Mayan people about their culture, farming, cooking, artistic, and chocolate-making traditions and were honored to actually use their tools and techniques to try our own hand. The exploration of ancient Mayan ruins was amazing in itself, but added to the sights and climbing was Dave’s knowledge of the ruins, local flora and fauna, and the birds! We spotted toucan and Dave took pictures of Montezuma oropendola with his telephoto lens and shared them with us. We went cave tubing and zip lining and swam in the pools made by the falls. And this wasn’t all! We then travelled to Ambergris Caye. So sad to say goodbye to Dave. We snorkeled in the beautiful turquoise waters, up close and personal with sea turtles, rays and sharks. We spent a fantastic day fishing and the crew made delicious ceviche and fed us the fish we caught, bbq’ed on a secluded beach. Carlos, Sayid, Soup, and everyone at Amigos del Mar were wonderful. So sad to have to leave.

Superlatives all around! WOW!

Wendy Perrin’s experts in Belize not only planned an exceptional trip for me and my daughter’s family, but they contacted each of our lodgings with details of our trip, as well as being immediately responsive to our needs in the moment. In addition, their dinner recommendations were greatly appreciated. Three nights at The Lodge at Chaa Creek, a luxury eco-lodge, was lovely. While in this area, we explored the Mayan culture by touring the Xunantunich archaeological site and the amazing Actun Tunichill Muknal cave. Each day our knowledgeable guides shared historic and cultural information. Then off to 4 days at the beachfront property of Las Terrazas Resort on Ambergris Caye. My family are swimmers and had recently been scuba-certified, including my 10- and 12-year-old grandchildren! The dive masters from Amigos Del Mar were extraordinary, with safety top of mind. After two days of diving, we enjoyed a peaceful sunset cruise on a catamaran before returning home. Thanks to Patricia Johnson and Julianne Murray for providing a truly lifetime experience for my family.

We travel a lot but generally to the beaten-track destinations, so Belize was a bit exciting and scary when we were planning! But with Patricia’s help it was an amazing trip that was an unforgettable experience for the whole family—everyone (6 people ranging in age from 17 to 60) loved it (which is rare) and Patricia’s help was just invaluable—so thank you!

In Ambergris Cay we stayed at the Alaia—loved this resort and our villa! Obviously the seaweed situation now is unfortunate, but nothing anyone can do and it affects many Caribbean and Mexican destinations. Loved our snorkeling trip—the reef here is amazing!

Then we moved on to the jungle and Ka-Ana resort—the rooms were very nice and the people were lovely and the special birthday dinner they put together for two members of our party who had a birthday while there was just amazing! This was our favorite part of the trip. All of the activities with Darryl of Unbelizable Adventures were amazing and we all loved Darryl as a guide—just the right balance for us of adventure and caution, of educating us but not droning on or being boring! The Caracol and Xunantunich Mayan ruin tours were amazing (lots of monkeys and wildlife too!), but the pontoon boat trip was an amazing highlight—I don’t think the description in the brochure does it justice! We all had the most amazing day.

Finally we stayed in Placencia at Itzana—loved the resort and the villa and the location. Adored the snorkeling trip to that amazing small island (bird something?); such a fun day in the Caribbean. We enjoyed the spice-farm and chocolate-farm tours as well as a Mayan cooking and drumming demonstration. We also all loved the boat tour of the bioluminescent lagoon and are very glad we added it!

All the flights and arrangements went very smoothly and we had a great trip and loved Belize!

We had an incredible trip planned by Patricia, who was super nice, responsive, and heard our needs and wants. Was one of the most comfortable experiences we’ve ever had with any agent. Patricia encouraged us to do the ATM cave tour, which we were really happy we did. It was easily a highlight of the trip and something we would have missed without her guidance. Thank you so much for an amazing trip!

We contacted Wendy Perrin very late (September) about an 8-person, multigenerational trip to Belize for Christmas. Amazingly, Patricia and Rachael’s team was able to find 2 options for us to choose from. We decided to spend a week at the Naia Resort & Spa in Placencia.

Overall, our trip was low-key and lovely. The house was right on the beach and absolutely beautiful. It even had a plunge pool on the back deck. The service at the resort was friendly and the staff was always happy to help. There are two restaurants, but they share a kitchen and have the same menu, luckily the food was good if slow (hello island time!).

Patricia and Rachael’s office was easy to work with while planning and was always available if we had questions while we were in Belize. Of course, there were some things that did not go as planned. None of our three airport pickups were waiting for us upon arrival and we had to call for them to come. On the flip side, all of our excursions ran smoothly and had wonderful guides. We had so much fun rappelling down the waterfall and zip lining! And the food everywhere was delicious!

We had a wonderful experience with our trip to Belize in January 2023. We started with a Zoom meeting in May with our travel pro and the other couple we traveled with. Patricia Johnson was great to work with and took into consideration all of our requests and had a wonderful flavor-of-the-country trip planned for us within the budget that we were comfortable with. She was quick to reply with answers to our questions, made adjustments in the itinerary when asked, and we had another Zoom meeting with her for last-minute questions and concerns about a week before we left. She was so helpful and personable, and a great ambassador for Belize.

When our flight from Denver to Belize City was delayed by several hours, we simply sent Patricia a message and she promptly replied and assured us that the adjustments to our transportation needs when we arrived would be taken care of, which they were!

The accommodations that we stayed at were first-class and the excursions were great. Some were through the resort, and some through independent companies. All of the guides and their staff were very friendly and knowledgable and our experiences were just as promised. Our favorites were the trip to Xunantunich with our guide Edgar (from Sleeping Giant Lodge) and the Silk Caye Snorkeling and picnic with our guides Carat and Tiger (from Go Sea) in Placencia.

Not having to worry about our transportation from one place to the next was so nice, and the suggestion to have a golf cart rental while on San Pedro/ Ambergris Caye worked out really well.

We found the people of Belize to be very friendly and helpful and the country itself was beautiful, from the beach and ocean to the rainforest and jungle. There was so much to see and do, we had to remind ourselves to slow down and just take it easy some days and enjoy our surroundings. (Our itinerary allowed for that, too.)

The fact that Belize was an English-speaking country and that money exchange was 2:1 made it even easier for us as first-time travelers outside of the U.S.

Thank you so much for a great experience and a wonderful trip!

We had a wonderful trip to Belize 1/7 – 1/21/23!

All of the accommodations were lovely!!

The fresh coffee delivered each morning at Matachica was a treat, as well as the homemade bread basket items!! All of the staff was friendly and accommodating. Our fishing guides were awesome even if the fish eluded us that day—not because the skipper didn’t try his hardest to find us some fish.

It was helpful to have the golf cart available for side trips to town and Secret Beach. We had a nice Belizean Lunch at El Fagon the day we went to town.

I am partial to the rainforest and jungle so I LOVED Sleeping Giant. The private patios looking at the creek were special and not being able to see any neighbors was amazing. Grounds were lit up so pretty at night. Food was good and once again great staff. Our guide to Sleeping Giant and the ruins was Edgar. They are lucky to have him on staff. Outstanding guide. We enjoyed him very much.

A couple snags with the cave tubing. My Husband, Jerry, was told it was a very short walk into the river and no elevation. He was having heart issues and certainly didn’t think a “short, flat hike” was what we experienced along with 2 or 3 river crossings. He would have opted out of that activity had the approach been described more accurately. A minor note is that we were supposed to have been provided water with both excursions out of Sleeping Giant and that didn’t happen. Like I said, minor detail.

Naia is of course a beautiful resort with all of the amenities. Once again, all staff was friendly and helpful. Good guides for snorkeling.

We appreciated all of the arrangements, transfers and reservations made on our behalf. Very well-orchestrated and we look forward to using you again in the near (I hope) future. Need to get the hubby’s medication regulated before we plan another excursion.

It was a long trip from San Francisco, but once we arrived in Belize it was all worth the effort. We chose two destinations: the Lodge at Chaa Creek, in the jungle, and the Phoenix Resort in San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye.

We used Patricia’s team to book the hotels and the experiences. We booked the flights ourselves with points. It was a pleasure to work with Patricia’s staff. They were professional, timely, and always available. In fact, they rescued us when the FAA fiasco occurred on January 10th, which delayed our trip two days. Miraculously within hours, they successfully rebooked our entire trip. We were amazed and very appreciative. If we had planned this trip without them, who knows what would have happened. We would highly recommend them to anyone traveling to Belize.

We loved the horseback riding, Mayan ruins visit, the cave tube-riding that we did while staying at the Lodge at Chaa Creek. The stay at the Lodge at Chaa Creek was wonderful and the meals were delicious. We would definitely stay there again.

We really enjoyed the Phoenix Resort. The room was beautiful and the staff was awesome. We liked being in the middle of San Pedro with all of the activities and restaurants that are available there. We rented a golf cart to spend a delightful day at Secret Beach.

All in all, we loved our Belize vacation.

We had a fantastic trip to Belize. Patricia did a great job planning our trip. We loved the combination of the “inland” and “island” experiences. We first stayed at the Lodge at Chaa Creek, which I would highly recommend. All of our excursions were, I believe, planned through Chaa Creek rather than Patricia’s office, but they were great. This is a “must-stay,” bucket list-type of place to stay. On Ambergris Caye, we stayed at Las Terrazas, which I think was “ok” and not great, but definitely had some positives. The excursions planned by Patricia were fantastic though — we did a food tour, Cook Your Catch snorkeling and fishing tour, and snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. Every aspect of our trip went smoothly. By this point, we aren’t terribly worried about COVID, and most all of our excursions were private and/or outdoors, so that really wasn’t a problem.

To plan for our 50th anniversary family celebration adventure in Belize, Wendy introduced us to Patricia, a native Belizean with a passion for introducing her country to the world. A year of planning with Patricia and Juliannie culminated in a 10-day trip, five days in the jungle and five days on an island. With us were four grandchildren, ages 9-12, so a lot of thought went into making sure we had lots of kid-oriented things to do. We truly wanted to hear lots of “WOWs” from them and we weren’t disappointed.

Imagine four kids flying into Belize City airport and being escorted across the tarmac and realizing they were about to jump into two helicopters and fly to their jungle resort, or their excitement of being whisked from the jungle, via private plane, over to Placencia, then jumping on a boat and arriving on an island? Their reactions when they walked into their luxurious accommodations, complete with plunge pools, were priceless.

Chaa Creek Resort in the jungle didn’t disappoint, upping the “WOWs” to new levels each day. Our butler, Candi, and her trainee Ryan spoiled us with private dinners for 10, breakfast deliveries early in the morning, fresh fruit drinks when we returned from a day of touring, even babysitting so the adults could dine together. At 4:00 a.m. one morning Candi was helping decorate an outdoor pavilion so our granddaughter could have a fun 9th birthday celebration that night. The surprises never stopped, the staff was so generous and kind, the accommodations top-notch, and the food delicious. Our granddaughter with celiac even got special gluten-free desserts every day!

We had a dedicated driver and guide, Darryl, throughout our 5 days of touring the jungle, and when rising water closed the ATM cave tour, Darryl seamlessly changed plans. Darryl introduced us to the Mayan world, helped us explore their temples, took us to a local coffee plantation and to a women’s local co-op where the grandchildren were able to hand-grind coffee beans, fresh corn for our tortillas, and try their hands at ancient pottery making. A trip deep into the jungle delivered us to zip-lining at the end of our cultural immersion day!

Ray Caye Resort beach days were spent in total relaxation mode so snorkeling, jumping off the two-story diving platform, kayaking, canoeing, sailing the Hobie cat, and even scuba diving kept us engaged. But enjoying gourmet meals, sipping drinks around the pool in the near-perfect weather, and playing family volleyball and puzzle games brought us together after far too many years of separation. The island was magical, the staff always ready to help us, anticipating our every need, and on our last night there, they surprised us with a 50th anniversary family meal on the beach. The resort covered the whole island and at one point there were only 16 vacationers on it. Talk about a private and perfect post-pandemic place to be! Leaving “paradise” the last morning was difficult, to say the least!

Patricia ensured that the whole trip worked seamlessly and not once did we have a glitch! She also chose the very best people to support us throughout the trip. We couldn’t have asked for a better family celebration of our 50th!

We recently returned from an 8-day trip to Belize planned by Patricia and Julianie. We are a family of four with 17- and 21-year-olds. We wanted a mix of activities and relaxation. We wanted to explore Belize but also stay in only one hotel. Snorkeling was our first priority, and because we had recently been to Guatemala, seeing Mayan ruins and coffee and chocolate plantations were not important, because we did those in Guatemala. Patricia recommended we stay in the Placencia region at Naia Resort and Spa. It was the perfect location. The rooms are beautiful and well appointed, the staff is very attentive, the beach is very large and the food outstanding. We were able to do both land and water excursions, with nothing being more than 45 minutes from Naia. Patricia and Julianie were in constant contact with us during our stay, including making some last-minute changes to our itinerary due to unexpected rain. In addition to a private, full-day snorkeling excursion, we did a tour of the Monkey River, a hike and river tubing in the Jaguar Preserve and spent a day with a local Garifuna family. We loved every excursion and only wish we could have stayed a few days longer.

We had an amazing time! Everything Patricia suggested was perfect. From the moment we landed we experienced the true spirit of the people and country, and absolutely fell in love with Guatemala… What a hidden gem.

To go more into depth…

Antigua and surrounding areas:
What a beautiful, interesting city! I’m so glad we had the chance to stay several nights, in two different hotels. It was such fun to be able to wander and explore. Every street you turn down is picturesque and cinematic. Not to mention all the great food that we discovered as well in our wanderings! The morning we spent with the family-owned coffee business was very special too. Not only did we learn so much more about coffee growing, but having lunch with them at their house was just one of many(!) favorite moments.

Lake Atitlan and surrounding areas:
Our guide Germano was fantastic. He was so kind and really did a great job sharing all of the history and stories and interesting cultural information. Not to mention we felt like we got a bonus with his passion for bird-watching and fun nature facts! We had such fun every day exploring the colorful towns and markets with him. We loved the day taking the boat across the lake to the different villages. It was such a pleasure to be able to meet various artists and craftspeople and dive deeper into the rich culture. Definitely another highlight was staying at Casa Palopo… Just incredible!!

Flores and surrounding area:
I’m so glad we ended with exploring all of the Mayan ruins. We weren’t sure if we really needed to take a helicopter to go visit the ruins…but what an awe-inspiring experience that was and a lifelong memory that we’re so glad not to have missed! Our guide David was so fun, we genuinely had the best time with him! He was so nice and truly passionate about what he does. Our three magical days climbing pyramids, hiking jungle paths, and learning even more about Guatemala were absolutely due to how wonderful David was. Also, I would be remiss in not mentioning how much we loved staying at Las Lagunas as well.

It’s hard to capture just what an incredible time we had. The activities, the hotels, the experiences…and by far the guides…were just perfection. Thank you a million times over to Patricia for creating such a special trip for us.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We’ve just returned from an amazing trip to the beautiful country of Belize. When we started discussing our summer family vacation, we didn’t know exactly where we wanted to go or what we wanted to do – we just knew we wanted something tropical and memorable. Based upon a recommendation from an avid traveler friend, I reached out to Wendy Perrin to see if a planner may help. I was initially thinking Caribbean and after initial discussions it became clear that it was not going to work for us. While we were disappointed that it wasn’t working out as planned, the WendyPerrin.com planner made some alternate recommendations, one of which was Belize.

Belize was not on our list and not in consideration, however after one conversation with the Belize travel planner, Patricia Johnson, things quickly changed! She presented some sample itineraries and activity recommendations that we immediately fell in love with – and booked the trip right away! From the itinerary to the activities to the transfers to the menus – all was absolutely perfect!

We sailed on a private catamaran captained by Eric and first mate/chef Kainie (both AWESOME) visited uninhibited amazing cayes, paddleboarded thru the mangroves, kayaked, sunned, snorkeled every day, fished, and ate amazing food! I was initially concerned about my two teenagers getting bored on the catamaran for several days, however Patricia assured me there would be more than enough activities to keep them busy – and my husband and I enjoyed the perfect mix of relaxation and fun. It was a great experience!

We then transferred to The Lodge at Chaa Creek and had awesome tour guides thru the ATM caves, the Mayan Ruins and more. The resort was absolutely beautiful. We shared with Patricia that we like our space, and the room she arranged for us was amazing! We had more than enough room in the Spa Villa with great accommodations and we were very well cared for!

From start to finish – our first experience with WendyPerrin.com has been wonderful. And Patricia proved to be an invaluable resource in ensuring our investment in a memorable trip of a lifetime was exactly as we wanted it to be and more.

We are already looking at our calendar to see when we can book our next trip – we never repeat our vacation locations but we are definitely going back to Belize!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We had one of our best ever family vacations in Belize in December 2021, traveling with our 18 year old son (who is on the autism spectrum) and our 14 year old daughter. We didn’t pick Belize as our vacation destination specifically because it was Autism-friendly, but we definitely felt more comfortable during the planning stages given the guidance and shared experience of Patricia, who also has a child on the autism spectrum.

We absolutely loved our time in Belize and it exceeded our expectations on every level. The activities were amazing both inland at and around Chaa Creek and on Ambergris Caye, including the ATM cave, Xunantanich, Barton Creek and the amazing wildlife on the Chaa Creek property, as well as snorkeling, fishing and just lounging at the beach on Ambergris — especially Blue Bayou at Secret Beach!

But beyond the activities, what stood out most for us was the warmth and genuineness of the Belizean people, including the way everyone we met not only accepted our son, but truly appreciated him and his quirkiness as positives. Every waiter and waitress at both Chaa Creek and Las Terrazas knew him by name almost instantly and warmly greeted him every time they saw him. Our tour guides both on property at Chaa Creek and outside of the resorts embraced his differences and he had the time of his life — he still talks about our guides at Amigos Del Mar on Ambergris, especially Burger and Soup, who nicknamed him El Matador! Our day with them made memories that will last a lifetime.

Patricia did an amazing job curating our trip and experiences, as well as laying a “foundation of understanding” at our destinations. She somehow struck the right balance between informing our hosts of our special needs, without causing anyone to pre-judge our son and what he could do. Having private tours for almost all of our activities made for a more comfortable experience, especially given the exceptional guides for everything we did.

We still daydream about Belize and can’t wait for our next visit!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We had a very relaxing vacation. We know exactly what we want, and Patricia managed to plan all excursions. The excursions and guides were excellent. We spent most of our time relaxing at the resorts. At the planning stage, I did pick out all the resorts, but thanks to Patricia for pointing out features of each resort so that I could make a better decision. Patricia is very knowledgeable and delightful to work with.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Patricia crafted a wonderful itinerary for our family of four in April 2022. She did a great job helping me think through how to spend our week in Belize, and explaining the options for activities and accommodation in various parts of the country. We spent 3 nights in the Cayó district in the west (Mayan sites, caving, canoeing) and 4 nights in Placencia on the beach. Her recommendations were spot-on and the tours/activities she organized were great. Only regret: I wish we had opted for more activity on some days – there was a lot of sitting during driving, canoeing, small-boat fishing – but it felt important when booking to keep things unstructured. Patricia asked all the right questions along the way. We had a fantastic time!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We just spent a wonderful spring break trip the last week of March, 2022, in Belize. Patricia Johnson planned a perfect itinerary for us, with 3 nights in the jungle and 5 nights on a private sailboat charter. She did a nice job of keeping us up to date on the changing covid protocols. We felt confident that we were taken care of and never worried about our safety during the trip as Patricia checked in periodically, everywhere we went the facilities were clean, and covid cautions were part of the routine. We loved all of Patricia’s suggestions for this fun family vacation. Every day was a highlight with adventures and downtime nicely balanced. Favorites included the ATM Cave exploration with an excellent local guide Alexis who was both highly knowledgable and experienced. We literally climbed back in time to learn about the Mayan civilization and rituals. We also had another excellent guide Miguel tour us through the Xunantunich temple site. He generously shared of his own Mayan family history which brought the experience to another level. Patricia spoke with us about our interests in experiencing the local flavor, so she also arranged for us to go to the Saturday market in town, and to eat at her favorite restaurant for lunch. Our family had a great time exploring the colorful booths through the marketplace and felt perfectly safe as everyone wore masks and there were hand washing stations throughout. We seamlessly transitioned to the sailboat and were personally greeted by Rachel Wilson and her darling dog “Cpt. Jack Sparrow.” The crew of our sailboat were great and made efforts to meet all our desires for our time on board. Definitely give them details when you fill out your preference sheets because they really listen! We snorkeled usually twice a day along different coral reefs, and managed to see both populated small islands and deserted private islands as well. Our Captain, Manuel, was a divemaster, and took great care to make sure everyone was safe while in the water. Our first mate Brianna was an excellent cook and a fun addition to family game night (and an excellent karaoke partner!). We ate incredibly well, and enjoyed many a rum cocktail from her festive bartending. The boat itself was surprisingly spacious for our party of 9 passengers and we quickly adapted to life on the water. We felt like the trip was a great balance of everything we were looking for in a family spring break trip – especially after having been unable to travel for so long. Adults and teens had family time as well as private time to do their own thing in safe settings. The activity level was enough to keep us all active but not exhausted – and we ALL welcomed early bedtimes and early mornings (which is quite an accomplishment with teens). When it came time to depart, the crew arranged for a nurse to come to the boat and covid test us for our return to the states. No problems, simply easy and enjoyable – this trip was everything I’ve come to expect from traveling with one of Wendy’s WOW List experts.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL My husband and I just returned from a fabulous 10 day trip to Belize. We stayed in 3 different areas and each one was beautiful and interesting with terrific hotels. Since we knew very little about Belize, Patricia was extremely valuable in helping us decide where to stay and in identifying activities and experiences that fit our interests. Patricia arranged for a Garifuna immersion day while we were in Placencia which was very interesting and a lot of fun. We stayed in Chaa Creek Lodge which was gorgeous and where we enjoyed the on-site activities as well as visiting Xunantunich and the Saturday morning farmers market. And on Ambergris Caye, Patricia arranged for a private catamaran snorkeling tour of the famous barrier reef which was perfect for my husband who is not a strong swimmer and was hesitant to snorkel on his own. The crew was fantastic in providing personal snorkeling guides for each of us and preparing delicious food and drinks for us to enjoy. Belize was a perfect destination during Covid given that everything we did was outdoors and all of the staff and guides were vaccinated. Patricia handled all of the logistics which were flawless, including arranging for our Covid tests before returning to the U.S. The trip truly exceeded our expectations!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Rachel and Patricia curated a wonderful trip for us to Belize.
The accommodations were first-rate. Each place at which we stayed was beautiful and serene. At The Lodge at Chaa Creek no matter where we stood the view was picture perfect. Further, at each of the five places we stayed, the service matched the setting. We were treated very well.
We experienced once in a lifetime activities. The highlights were the ancient Mayan sites of Tikal and Xunantunich, Che Chem Ha Cave, a visit to the San Antonio Women’s Group Center, and a back street food tour in San Pedro.
Our guides were consistently good which substantially enhanced the activities we were offered. Brainerd in and around San Ignacio was excellent, and Eder at Xunantunich was fabulous.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we were able to meet, spend time with, and learn from many wonderful people. Gonzo, Andrea, and Calliandra of Che Chem Ha were enchanting. Callie is the definition of precocious and a treat to be around. Timotea and the other members of the San Antonio Women’s Group Center were gracious, committed, and knowledgeable. Eder and his father El Fego at Xunantunich made us feel welcome and taught us much. Don Eladio took us for an educational and entertaining romp through his organic farm, Victoria taught us much as she prepared our lunch, and her children Christian and Tristan made us part of the family for the day. Axel, Vickie, and Isien of Manta Island Resort were so good us that, even in the age of covid, hugs were essential. And then there were the two anonymous guests (fishermen we surmised) who ate dinner at the table next to ours two nights in a row at the Copal Tree Lodge. Their unselfconscious, almost childlike joy (even choosing the entrée for dinner was an adventure to be savored) underlined for us how fortunate we were to be there at that moment.
Rachel and Patricia provided us with many such moments, and for that we are very grateful.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL We enjoyed the trip, especially to Cayo, very much. Thank you for your assistance.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Patricia Johnson is my new best friend. We told her that our trip to Belize was to celebrate our wedding anniversary. She listened to our wants and needs and more than delivered. She suggested that we split our trip between inland and the coast and set us up with activities that satisfied both of our desires since they were not necessarily the same. The bonus was introducing us to Brainard August who was our guide and driver for the first half of our trip. My husband wanted to play golf and Patricia made the arrangements for him. She satisfied our interest in culture and history with the Garifuna Cultural immersion. Additionally, while my husband played golf, she arranged a tour for me of the Mayan ruins at Xunantunich and a day at the San Antonio Women’s Co-op to learn about the ancient Mayan life. Patricia joined me for my tour of Xunantunich and my husband was jealous that he didn’t get to meet her in person. On the coast we both wanted watersports. She arranged 2 wonderful boat/snorkel adventures for us and one included a barbecue of freshly caught fish. Yes, my husband had the opportunity to reel in one fish while we were on the boat. She is wonderful and caring. When my husband had a health issue and we had to cancel one day’s activity she asked if Brainard should come and take him to a doctor. Thankfully it wasn’t serious and no doctor was needed. We had a couple of small issues and Patricia immediately responded to our WhatsApp cry for help. I cannot say enough good things about how we were treated by Patricia, our guides, the staff of the hotels that she recommended and the activities that she arranged.

Part of her job during this time was to keep us informed of Covid 19 testing requirements and restrictions. We followed her advice and there were no issues. She even gave us face masks that we happily are wearing at home and hand sanitizer with tropical scents.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL We almost never return to the same country. As we confronted the possibility of trying to travel between Christmas and New Years in 2021, we decided to make an exception to our ordinary rule and return to Belize. In 2019, we took a fabulous family trip to Belize with the assistance of WOW Lister Patricia Johnson and her team. Everything about that 2019 trip was superb and really easy. Given that we were traveling during Covid, we wanted easy again.

The wisdom of that choice was completely validated by our experience the second time around. First, Patricia and the team knew us well and planned a great itinerary, which was helpfully provided to us on an app on our phones. Our family of 5, with our three active teenagers, spent 4 nights at The Lodge at Chaa Creek in the jungle, and 7 nights at the beach resort at Las Terrazas on Ambergris Caye. While based in the jungle, we kept our three teenagers busy with horseback riding, cave tubing and visiting the Mayan ruins at Xunantunich. We enjoyed fantastic gourmet meals and even squeezed in some time at the spa and the pool. While based at Ambergris Caye, we had many leisurely days at the pool and beach, but also enjoyed two special days of snorkeling, fishing and barbequing on the beach with the same wonderful boating captain we’d had two years earlier. One of those two days was with close friends from our hometown who also planned their trip with Patricia Johnson upon our recommendation.

The highlight of the itinerary was the unexpected “WOW Moment.” Knowing that we have a strong interest in learning about local culture, Patricia arranged with the Black&White Garifuna Restaurant to come to our hotel for a private, immersive evening focused on the Garifuna Afro-Caribbean culture. We were treated to a magical singing and dancing performance, and then got dancing lessons and drumming lessons. We also received short, digestible lessons on Garifuna history, language, holidays and cuisine. After we wore ourselves out dancing, we were guided to a beautifully laid table on the beach and served an extraordinary 6-course private dinner prepared by O Restaurant at Las Terrazas resort. While we dined, the singing and dancing continued. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The excellent itinerary was matched by superior management of all logistics. Everything went smoothly and just as planned. We were met on time at every spot by drivers with signs with our names, and all of the guides were first-rate. Importantly, Covid safety protocols received the attention they deserve. We stayed only at hotels with the strictest Covid policies and appreciated the ease of getting Covid antigen tests on the day before departure through the hotel. Prior to departure, Patricia promptly answered all of our questions about Covid requirements and safety conditions. We definitely felt safer in Belize than we did at home.

All in all, the trip was an A+. We had quality time as a family, and interesting, memorable experiences in a beautiful, diverse country. Thanks to Patricia Johnson and the team for making it all so easy. We are very grateful.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We used Patricia Johnson for our trip to Belize 12/16-23, 2021. This was our family of 5 (Mom, dad and 3 older teens) first trip to Belize. As an active family, we decided to split our time in half, between the jungle and the beach. Patricia added so much value in picking our activities and lodging in both locations. We had private transfers and activities to minimize exposure to others in close spaces. Our private jungle river pontoon day, we didn’t see another boat or person. But we climbed waterfalls, rope swung into the river and saw amazing wildlife (crocs and iguanas were our favorite). The other popular attractions like the ruins and ATM cave were timed just right by Patricia and her team so that we’d encounter the least amount of people and even had some to ourselves most of the time. Pandemic travel or not, I always like feeling like we are the only ones there. Patricia added a lot of value arranging the transfers from the hotels to the airports big and small and coordinating all that timing so I didn’t have to do it. The beach part of our trip was more laid back, but we made time for snorkeling with sharks and even a food tour in San Pedro. If we could have a do over, it would be to do the food tour first since we found so many amazing places, we wished we’d had more time to go back and enjoy our favorites again. The day before our flights home, she had our covid tests done in the lobby of our hotel, so we could keep enjoying happy hour on the beach just outside of it. Barely an interruption to our trip at all. She and her team were available on whats app on a moment’s notice if I had a question. I’m already trying to figure out when we can visit Belize again and let Patricia plan some more amazing places for us to visit there.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Patricia interviewed me over Zoom and it was clear that she would give me all the time I needed to describe our family’s interests. She promptly sent several proposed itineraries that included time in the jungle and at the beach. She sensibly included downtime so we wouldn’t overdo it, and also warned us about long drives and bumpy roads for some of the excursions. Our first destination, Chaa Creek, was outstanding. The staff and the food were excellent and we enjoyed the on-site activities. The off site guides were experienced and a lot of fun. We felt safe and appreciated all they had to share about Belize, as well as their senses of humor and photography skills. Our second destination, Las Terrazas, was also good and away from the noisy downtown. Belize’s Gold Standard Safety precautions were followed by all of the people we had contact with, inside and outside of the hotels. Belize in general seems to take Covid very seriously and that was a relief to all of us. It was also very convenient and stress-reducing to have someone come to our hotel room to give us the rapid antigen test the day before departure.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  I can say with confidence that planning this trip with Patricia and her team was a pleasure in addition to being completely stress-free. Our family (my husband and I plus our three college-aged kids) has enjoyed many trips together; on our survey, I was able to describe those trips and what we enjoyed about them and from this information, Patricia put together an ideal itinerary. For example, I mentioned that we liked adventurous things but also wanted some downtime to enjoy the beach. She suggested that we spend time at the beach and the jungle to really see the best that Belize has to offer. Our accommodations were top-notch: We had a private villa at Victoria House on the beach in Ambergris Caye with our own plunge pool. Having the extra space with young adults really made a huge difference in our enjoyment of our time together. The food at Victoria House was excellent, plus they prepared the fish we caught for our dinner one night. Our scuba/snorkeling excursion with Amigos del mar that Patricia arranged was so much fun; the reef and all the sea turtles, rays and nurse sharks were awe-inspiring. After four nights at the beach, we took a short flight and about a two hour drive to the Lodge at Chaa Creek in the jungle. On the way there, we stopped to do ziplines and cave tubing, both of which were great experiences. We enjoyed another private villa at Chaa Creek which may be the most luxurious place we’ve ever stayed. The balcony with its private plunge pool overlooking the jungle was one of my favorite things. We were able to relax at the pool while enjoying a family of howler monkeys playing in the trees just a few feet away. While at Chaa Creek, we enjoyed a Mayan cultural immersion tour and loved being in the homes of Belizeans. Covid tests were provided at our hotel for our return to the US, so that was easy to get done. Patricia and her team prepared everything so well that we had no complaints about our trip. I heartily recommend Patricia and her team to anyone looking to plan the perfect vacation in a tropical paradise.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  I found out about the beautiful country of Belize from another family who rated their trip on WendyPerrin.com. Before seeing the review, I had very little knowledge of Belize. The review caught my attention because it featured traveling on a private sailboat and, consequently, traveling safely during Covid. When I got the a-okay from my husband to start booking a family vacation in Belize, I jumped at the opportunity.

My contacts for the trip planning process were Patricia Johnson and Rachel Wilson. We had a couple of phone calls in the planning stages to go over options. Rachel suggested the new boat in their fleet called “Nowhere” because it could fit my family of 9, plus the captain and chef, onboard. My family had so many personal complications happen right before our trip. We were praying every day leading up to our departure that everything would work out alright. Patricia stayed positive during the weeks of stress and consistently encouraged me. I named her “my angel in Belize.” They were awesome in so many ways!

We arrived in Belize a day before we were planning on boarding the sailboat. We stayed in a resort in the jungle along the river, and we loved it. It was very secluded, and the hotel staff made us feel so welcome. The morning after we arrived, we went on a cave tubing trip. We had a blast! It was incredible to experience.

We then were on our way to set sail. We boarded Nowhere and met our captain, Rueben, and chef, Christie. The sailboat was beautiful, and Rueben and Christie immediately made us feel like we were at home. We sat down for our first meal from Christie and knew that we were in for a fantastic trip. Her cooking was incredible throughout our trip. She never failed to deliver wonderful meals from a variety of different cuisines. Our family consistently joked about bringing her home with us, and we are still missing her cooking.

Rueben was an excellent captain. He always kept us up-to-date on where we were headed. Reuben took us to beautiful destinations in the south bit of Belize. He took us snorkeling, spearfishing, and deep-sea fishing. He set us up with our scuba diving tours. Rueben was always cracking jokes and creating adventures for our family. He got us safely to every destination and made it fun along the way.

One of my main goals for our vacation was to scuba dive. This was our first experience of scuba diving with the whole family together. We did 2, 2-tank dives, so 4 dives in all. They were all so incredible. The underwater life in Belize is extraordinary! Every chance my kids had to jump in, swim, snorkel, spearfish, or dive, they were doing it.

Our trip was spectacular. Saying goodbye to Rueben, Christie, Nowhere, and Belize as a whole was challenging. We made so many memories on our Belize trip that we won’t forget. My family is convinced that we must go back and visit the northern parts of Belize with Reuben and Christie. Who could say no to another round in Belize on a private sailboat with an incredible crew?

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Patricia and Rachael were amazing. Patricia quickly responded to all my questions leading up to the trip with helpful answers. She helped me figure out the best itinerary and activities for our family. She was extremely helpful and made the whole process and experience seamless. I would strongly recommend both Patricia and Rachel to anyone.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We visited Belize in June 2021 with our extended family. Patricia Johnson found the perfect place for us – Sofia’s Beach House at the fabulous Turtle Inn in Placencia. The resort is luxurious, but not pretentious. Patricia planned day trips of snorkeling and island hopping which we all enjoyed immensely. We also did the ATM cave tour – which was an incredible adventure for our family. The staff at the Turtle Inn wore masks, but because of the open air environment, we felt perfectly safe. We would definitely go back!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL The big question was where to go once we had been vaccinated. Belize seemed a great choice with a level 2 rating, easy entry with a vaccination certificate and direct flights from Newark airport which by definition would have passengers on board who had either been tested or vaccinated. We immediately contacted Wendy’s recommended travel agent, Patricia Johnson, and set up zoom calls. She could not have been more helpful and we ended up staying in three places.

Her first recommendation was Cayo Espanto, a private island with a few luxury villas and with two butlers assigned to each villa. It could not have been a better choice, with great private snorkeling trips, bone fishing and water sports at the island. She then arranged a charter flight on Tropic Air to take us over the Blue Hole (well worth doing) and then to fly us out to Hidden Valley. A highlight there was a WOW Moment when we were driven to a pool by a waterfall where lunch had been set up with table and chairs, sparkling wine in an ice bucket, a hammock, and towels for bathing. We transferred from there via the Mayan site of Caracol to the Lodge at Chaa Creek, a magical place we last visited 25 years ago. It may be more modern, but it is still magical with the same owners who live on site. There Patricia organized a birding trip for us with a local expert, we canoed on the Macal River, lounged in our private plunge pool and hiked throughout the property.

Patricia kept in touch with us by text throughout the trip and met us at Chaa Creek. It was a great 8 day trip and we felt very safe there with all the staff we interacted with being either vaccinated or in the process of being vaccinated. Finally we flew home on a plane with 13 passengers on board!

Tony & Jane Ford-Hutchinson trip from April 17th-24th 2021

PANDEMIC TRAVEL We can’t say enough good about our recent trip to Belize. Patricia was amazing to work with and her recommendations of the Lodge at Chaa Creek and a private yacht charter were the perfect combination for our family of five.

We were scheduled to begin on the water but due to some unforeseen flight changes, Patricia recommended that we start on land and made all arrangements for us.

The experience at Chaa Creek was incredible… from our outing to the ATM caves (one of the most amazing things we’ve ever done) to a very special horseback riding morning and WOW Moment overlooking the entire property along with an outdoor cooking experience, we couldn’t have asked for anything more. The horseback ride and gourmet feast set in a truly stunning locale was an experience we won’t soon forget. We are truly appreciative of this incredible experience and all of your help in planning a memorable vacation for our family of five.

From the jungle, we headed back towards town to meet our catamaran and crew. As new “sailors” we can’t say enough about this adventure. Our chef Ellen fed us better than we could have imagined all while giving us a taste of local flavor including conch ceviche and conch fritters. Our Captain made the adventure especially fun for our 11 year old son by allowing him the chance to help on the boat with the anchor, fishing rods, etc…

We are truly appreciative to Patricia and her team for this wonderful introduction to Belize. We can’t imagine a more perfect pandemic getaway.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL It is difficult to put into words how wonderful this vacation was. We thoroughly enjoyed both Matachica and our private yacht charter! My daughter and I both teared up at various times, shaking our heads and looking at each other as we were just overwhelmed at how special the whole trip was for us.

I also feel like we got some insight into the Belize people and culture along the way, and both were enjoyed and admired.

We are already in talks with another couple to try and find a way back for another go at it.

Things that stood out to us at Matachica were:
The attentiveness of the staff. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and always willing to help out or offer suggestions.
Soup, our tour guide to shark alley was enjoyable and was helpful and informative.
The nice quiet atmosphere and the condition of the grounds, it was clear that upkeep was important, the place looked lovely!
Breakfasts were our favorite meal, they were very good!
Azul South…we loved our accommodations, beds were comfortable!
Visiting the Myan ruins. They were fascinating to see, and our guide was very informative and kind. In fact we really enjoyed our guide! Yet another nice person.
Stopping at a roadside restaurant that our guide had arranged after we had mentioned that we had not had breakfast and were hungry. The food was awesome and he had actually called ahead to ask if they could open early for us!!

The yacht charter…..
Our captain Ruben and cook Kainie were beyond expectations. They both were clearly very competent, but even more pleasing was the personality of each. We enjoyed their company very much, and yet they also allowed us our space for family chat, a difficult road to navigate I think, but they did it expertly. They were attentive without smothering. On the downside, … we found it very difficult to say goodbye to them, after 4 days at sea, we all had become very attached to them. They were clearly just very good people, which is no small thing.

Things that stood out to us during our sailing:
Food, of course. Kainies cooking was so good, I am quite sure we all gained weight!
The small islands, especially rendezvous key. The best snorkeling of my life.
Playing volleyball on a remote island
Seeing Cuddlefish
sailing and seeing the ocean… there is nothing like it.
Mornings with a cup of coffee watching the sun rise.
Catching fish
Playing liars dice with Ruben and Kainie.
Watching Ruben and his expertise with the boat.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL So many amazing things to mention on our recent trip (March 2021) to Belize! Maybe I will start with empty airplanes so each of us had our own row…. and customs being empty too! I am already trying to book my next trip before things pick up!!! We were near San Ignacio at chaa creek and portofino on San Pedro island and both were amazing! We had a portable service come to us to do our covid test prior to leaving the United States and they were so sweet with my 2, 6, and 8 year old! The truly amazing parts were seeing my girls ride horses, hold iguanas, attempt to snorkel for their first time, and at the butterfly house at chaa creek when hundreds of butterflies landed on them. My husband and I swam with sharks, Eric and Carlos were so sweet with the kids! They let them feed the sharks because they were too afraid to jump in. The glass bottom boat was perfect. Portofino’s food was awesome and I think I gained 5 lbs on this trip. We had a tour cancellation and the concierge at chaa creek booked chocolate making instead. Mayan chocolate is amazing! The whole trip was incredibly amazing! I can not say enough good things! We went to the Mayan ruins and we had the whole place to ourselves! It was unreal. Usually it is shoulder to shoulder with tourists! I can’t wait for our next adventure!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL An un-BELIZE-able family vacation
Choosing to travel internationally as a family during the pandemic was not an easy decision, but after hearing Rachael Wilson discuss the health and safety measures she was taking during one of Wendy Perrin’s Zoom sessions, we decided to explore the possibility further.

The attraction to us was being socially distanced by miles versus feet. The yacht would serve as our accommodation, dining venue and entertainment for our 10-day vacation.

Another reassuring factor is that the country of Belize requires a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours to enter. American Airlines offers PCR Covid testing through a partnership with Let’s Get Checked. Passengers booked on AA flights are “guaranteed” results within 72 hours. We were pleased with the Let’s Get Checked process and liked that they require you to take the sample while on a video chat with a health care professional.

Traveling during the pandemic does take additional planning. There were no last-minute trips to the store to pick up items as we self-quarantined for 2 weeks prior to our trip. In addition to the Let’s Get Checked test, we took several local PCR Covid tests in the weeks prior to our travels. To minimize transportation exposure, we drove ourselves to the airport and parked in the short-term parking lot. My husband parked the car and walked across the street to enter the airport – well worth the additional cost. We chose flight times early in the morning and late in the evening to avoid the crowds at the airport. Wendy’s seat selection recommendations were greatly appreciated. In our opinion, American Airlines did a wonderful job ensuring everyone was wearing their face mask properly.

If for some reason we would have been unable to travel, we had the option to reschedule the vacation within a year. A very generous offer that put our minds at ease when booking. Rachael and Patricia were very prompt in replying to our e-mails and providing additional information. They even tracked down poker chips at the last minute to add to our yacht – remember, I couldn’t go to the store.

Joining us in our yacht bubble, were 2 wonderful crew members, Eric, the captain and Andrea 1st mate/chef. Whether it was playing silly reindeer games on a rainy Christmas day, spending extra time fishing for the prize catch or cooking up the prized catch, their dedication and attention really made the trip special. They covertly decorated the yacht for our 25th wedding anniversary while we were out kayaking. Andrea even found time to stealthy make a cake from scratch.

We are a SCUBA diving family and diving in Belize has been on our wish list for a while. Rachael and Patricia worked closely with us to arrange private dives and diving equipment that we could procure at the beginning of the trip and keep for the duration. The Amigos Del Mar dive shop in San Pedro were top notch!! We had 7 wonderful SCUBA dives with Carlos and Alex. Having private SCUBA diving excursions limited our exposure to others and ensured we were typically the only boat at the location. Also, it afforded us the opportunity to feel comfortable taking our 12-year-old son to the Great Blue Hole! An amazing experience and bucket list worthy location that not many young divers can say they have accomplished. The juvenile nurse sharks were quite playful and joined us on several of our dives. They showed us around their swim throughs ensuring we all stayed together. In our many years of SCUBA diving, we have never had the wildlife engage with us so much – I think they were feeling neglected with the lack of tourists.

In addition to SCUBA diving, we enjoyed the yacht activities of paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkeling, swimming, fishing, exploring deserted islands, spotting the rare red-footed boobie bird, star gazing and quality family time. My 12-year-old and I had an engaging conversation for 2 hours one evening while we gazed at the galaxies – a moment in time that I will treasure.
We will be talking about this vacation for years to come! Thank you to Rachael and Patricia for helping us feel safe while traveling during the Covid pandemic and making family memories that we will forever cherish.

Patricia Johnson and Rachael Wilson are both knowledgeable travel specialists, they provided invaluable assistance in planning every aspect of our trip from drivers, to excursions, perfect lodging at Chaa Creek and a pimped out Villa at Matachica. With only a week for our family vacation, we were trying to insure we maximized our time between the jungle/mountains of Belize to see the wildlife as well as Mayan Ruins of Tikal in Guatamala and the ATM Cave excursion. Highly recommend Chaa Creek as a fabulous eco-lodge with exceptional employees who really catered to all our needs, the food and activities were terrific as well as their our guides. Rachel and Patricia also assisted Wendy in selecting the perfect WOW Moment at Chaa Creek. Patricia even met us at the airstrip as we departed Chaa Creek for Ambergis Caye, which was so wonderful. At every point of the vacation she was responsive to each question along the way and provided terrific advice for a full day snorkeling trip on a semi-private catamaran that I would highly recommend. Matachica Resort was also perfect destination to relax and enjoy the barrier reef views, visit secret beach & truck stop via golf cart and snorkel. The staff and food were also very good and highly recommend. Patricia and Rachel helped make this a once in a lifetime family trip. Highly Recommend!

We recently worked with Patricia Johnson and Rachael Wilson. They both did an excellent job. We wanted to have a trip that included sailing and some time at a beach resort. They were able to find the perfect itinerary, sailing vessel, and crew. I would not hesitate to use Patricia Johnson and Rachael Wilson again.

Here are a couple specific examples of the service we received from Patricia Johnson and Rachael Wilson:

– While we were on our vacation, the coronavirus/COVID-19 dramatically struck the United States. Patricia Johnson emailed me during our vacation to check on the status of the resort where we were staying, and to help alleviate any concerns about our trip back to the United States. This level of service – and individual attention to clients who were in Belize during a global pandemic – was very welcome and helpful.

– One member of our travel group has mobility issues, and we were concerned about boarding the sailboat. Patricia and Rachael were very knowledgeable about the vessels, and they were able to specifically explain features on the sailboats to help access. We were very thankful for their knowledge of Belize and knowledge of the charter vessel we reserved.

Overall, they did an excellent job.

This is our first trip to Belize. Patricia did an amazing job planning our catamaran/beach trip.
Patricia was a pleasure to work with. She was always available to answer our endlessly questions.

We went to four different islands and did two days of snorkeling on a catamaran. Captain Eric and First Mate Christy were amazing and fun to hang out with. Together, we enjoyed watching beautiful sunset, swam at a private island, grilled lobster, and snorkeled in the beautiful reef. They took good care of us. Christy is a great cook and Eric is a master at the grill. What a match!

At the end of the week, we stayed at Matachica. Everyone at the resort was amazing and attentive. They took care of our every needs.

On our last night, we had our surprise WOW Moment gifted by Wendy, arranged by Patricia, and executed by the staff at Matachica. It was an unforgettable WOW Moment (more “WOW evening”) from the sunset cruise with champagne and delicious ceviche, to the romantic candlelight dinner on the beach, everything was arranged perfectly. The food was delicious and the service was impeccable.

We were sad to leave Belize.

I highly recommend Patricia’s services and her team of safe drivers, knowledgeable boat captain, and friendly first mate/chef. We can’t wait to plan our next trip to Belize with friends.

We had a wonderful Belize experience! We spent Christmas day on a guided snorkel at Silk Cayes, which was great as he helped identify and explain many of the beautiful sea treasures along the reef. We even swam with giant turtles and nurse sharks. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Umya resort and highly recommend it, and Patricia, if you are headed to Palencia!

This trip far exceeded our expectations and was quite possibly one of our favorite trips ever. This was our annual mother-daughter trip. We spent four days in the jungle and four days at the beach. It was the perfect blend of activities and relaxation. Our guides were amazingly knowledgeable and the resorts (particularly Blancaneaux) were fabulous. All aspects provided too-notch customer care and attention, with no detail overlooked. We are already looking forward to returning to Belize and exploring more of this beautiful country with the help of Patricia and Rachael.

Our trip to Belize was extraordinary, thanks to Patricia and her team. We spent several days in the jungle (Gaia River Lodge) followed by five days at the beach at Ambergris Caye. I can say with confidence that we would not have had the same experience without their support. In addition to planning for unique needs in advance of the trip (my son runs competitively in college and needed to be able to train on vacation), she also managed unexpected complications due to heavy rains which made some of the roads near our resort impassable. She was in contact with us throughout our stay; having a local resource in Belize made a huge difference. Patricia went above and beyond, meeting us on Christmas morning during our transfer to the airport, just to check in and make sure everything was going well.

If traveling to Belize, I would highly recommend Patricia and Rachael. I can’t thank them enough for planning this amazing trip.

We had a great experience with Patricia Johnson. Patricia was wonderfully responsive, and helpful us design the perfect itinerary for our family of 5. We loved the two hotels she recommended – Chaa Creek (A+++) and Portofino. All of the recommended activities were outstanding, as were the private guides. Our teens particularly loved the snorkeling trip, the tour of the ATM Cave and the trip to Tikal. The itinerary she prepared was detailed, and all of the logistics went smoothly. Patricia left special notes and treats for us at each stop in our itinerary. She was a joy to work with and highly recommend her.

Patricia was a pleasure to work with and helped plan an awesome honeymoon trip for my son and his new bride! She made some terrific recommendations then helped us alter the itinerary several times until it was exactly what the newlyweds had in mind. Excellent service and attention to detail – would highly recommend Patricia and her team to anyone visiting Belize.

Patricia did an amazing job planning our beach/jungle trip to Belize. She listened closely to what we wanted and helped us make a perfect plan! She has an extensive knowledge of Belize, incredible patience and wants you to enjoy her country, it is all a wonderful combination! She even came to meet us at our jungle lodge bearing souvenirs, (and was as terrific in person as she was on the phone)!

Our overall favorite part of the trip was our guide Darryl, who was all Patricia’s idea. If you go to Belize and can have Darryl as your guide – do it! He is so charming, knowledgeable (like a walking history book) and helpful you wish you could have someone like him on every trip!

We also loved our beautiful accommodations and the staff who took care of us at Matachica and Chaa Creek – special mention to Amy and Jordy at Matachica and Keri and Candy at Chaa Creek.

Of course Belize has awesome activities and experiences (Mayan ruins, snorkeling, cave tubing, golf cart driving, bird watching, etc…) but I think our favorite moment was after Darryl dropped us off at Chaa Creek for our last night. We had finished cave tubing just in time to miss the heavy rain, and after he dropped us off we went to our upgraded villa which had an outdoor hot tub. So there we were on our last night in the jungle in an outdoor hot tub with cool rain falling on our heads as the prelude to our scrumptious organic dinner- it was otherworldly!

Since this was our third trip to the beautiful country of Belize, we wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary. This is where Patricia stepped in with her recommendation to charter our own luxury sailboat to visit the islands (Cayes) along the southern coast.

Each of the four remote islands, where our captain suggested that we drop anchor, were unique in their own way…from watching the sunset from a deserted island, visiting a local beach bar on Tobacco Caye, lounging by the pool before dinner on Ray Caye (thanks Patricia for arranging this with the resort), to spending the day beach combing and picnicking on our own deserted island (our favorite). We would have never seen such beauty from a resort along the coast.

Our four days of sailing on Flojo, the newest catamaran in the fleet of their sister company, was spent eating gourmet meals prepared by Karla, snorkeling in remote reefs with abundant sea life, playing board games under the stars, swimming with nurse sharks and stingrays, sunning on the net at the front of the boat, and catching fresh fish off the back to eat later for dinner. Definitely worth every penny!

After reluctantly getting off the sailboat in Placencia, we enjoyed a few nights at the lush jungle resort, Copal Tree Lodge, near Punta Gorda. We toured their extensive organic farm, kayaked down the Rio Grande River, lounged by both beautiful pools, relaxed with a world-class massage, and listened to the howler monkeys while bathing in the outdoor bathtub (yes, they are very loud).

I highly recommend Patricia’s services and her team of safe drivers, knowledgeable boat captain, and friendly first mate/chef. We can’t wait to plan our next trip to Belize with friends.

Patricia organized an unforgettable trip for me, my husband and 3 boys. A heartfelt thank you! She seamlessly organized lodging, a private guide and driver and flights. She listened to our desires and created the perfect itinerary for us. I highly recommend her!

Belize

We worked with Patricia to plan a special vacation to Belize with our adult children and a girlfriend. We could not have been more pleased with every aspect of our trip. From the planning months in advance to the trip itself, we loved literally every minute. If there is one aspect of the trip that deserves special mention it is our WOW Moment at Naia Resort in Placentia. We really didn’t know what to expect as we were escorted down the beach until we could hear the beating of the drums and see the flaming bonfire awaiting us at sunset. Richard and his family taught us about the Garifuna people and their very interesting history and culture. The many dances including the “Go Mommy” chant for my wife Julie’s birthday were so much fun. The entire resort came out to watch and dance with us. It was quite memorable and was truly a very Wow moment.

We loved both properties that Patricia booked for us. Naia on the beach and Ka’ana in San Ignacio in the jungle. A perfect trip planned to perfection. We highly recommend Patricia.

We had a wonderful trip to southern Belize. We very much enjoyed traveling along the reef in the boat and loved the snorkeling. The food was delicious! And being able to fish off the back of the boat was an unexpected bonus. And then we could eat what we caught! Without Patricia’s input, I would never thought of chartering a boat. The southern reef is about an hour’s ride from the mainland and we got to just be there! The skies cleared in time for the lunar eclipse, and the stars were spectacular. We were happy to head south out of Belize, there were very few others, it was magical!

We had some weather issues getting to Belize and my husband’s bag didn’t make it on our flight. We feared we wouldn’t be able to get it for days as we were on a boat along the reef! The second night, on Tobacco Caye, in the dark, a power boat appeared and threw his bag on board! Thanks to the TTE and the captain, it was only a minor inconvenience!

Naia resort also worked out well. The 3 bedroom house was perfect for us, and we loved having a kitchen so we could just all hang out together. The chocolate tour was very interesting.

We canceled the trip to the jaguar reserve, we were not interested in driving that day, and it was fun to cruise around Placencia – I hadn’t realized that there were so many shops and bars along the sidewalk. Patricia made the change in plans easy.

Our WOW moment was really cool. We were in a dinghy on our way to go snorkeling and there was a plastic bottle floating in the water. I asked if we were going to pick it up, and Captain Dan said no, we’re going lobster hunting! Those who wanted to, free dove with a spear and shot lobsters (it took me five tries). Then Kainie made ceviche and served it with all the fixings, and a bottle of Prosecco. It was a really great experience that I’ve been sharing with friends and family.

We are all very happy with our trip, it was a really great family vacation! And doing the boat first, and resort second was just right.

Patricia was delightful and very knowledgeable. We are a family of four, two parents and two adult children in their late 20s. We love to travel and we wanted to have a nice spot to relax by the beach along with scuba diving and snorkeling. We also wanted to visit a Mayan ruin and spend some time in the jungle. The hardest part of the trip was deciding on where to go in Belize. We looked at a lot of different places and she recommended Placencia based on our criteria of wanting to be off the crowded spots. It was perfect for us. Very laid back with wonderful beach bars featuring delicious fish tacos, conch fritters and great drinks. Los Porticos is ten mins out of town, very small and private, and has a lovely small private beach and pool. Our two-bedroom condo was well appointed and had a lovely outdoor patio overlooking the beach and ocean. We took cabs in and out of town every day and the town is basically one street and one interior sidewalk with water on both sides featuring great bars and restaurants and little shops. We loved it. We went on a three dives and my only disappointment with our location is the distance to the best diving spots. If you are really going to Belize to dive, stay close to the dive sites. We wanted to do both diving and “chilling” so Placencia worked for us, but it was over an hour by boat to get to the dive sites.

Regarding the jungle, we stayed at Gaia River Lodge, recommended by Patricia. We loved it. It’s beautifully manicured and landscaped and sits above an amazing river with waterfalls and rock pools. Just gorgeous. The staff could not be more welcoming and accommodating. The rooms are lovely and comfortable. The food was also excellent and we were there for New Year’s eve and they created a really fun party for the guests.

One note: the drive between Placencia and the jungle is just shy of four hours with the last hour being a very bumpy dirt road. Our car and driver were fine, but it was lengthy. Some of the scenery is really beautiful and we stopped and had lunch in a lovely town and restaurant. All in all, we really loved our ten days in Belize. Thank you Wendy and Patricia!!

Patricia Johnson did a great job in selecting a Belize destination that fulfilled our desire for both rainforest and water experiences, The Copal Tree Lodge in Punta Gorda. She arranged activities tailored to our interests and hobbies. She listened well and was timely in her responses to our questions. We would use her again and recommend her without reservation.

The Copal Tree Lodge was great. The food was farm-to-table delicious, and the room was spacious and comfortable. The staff was the highlight. Warmer and more helpful people we have never met at a hotel setting before.

All of the activities were excellent, the Snorkel with the Chef experience was unique in that they moved us to Wednesday due to bad weather on Monday. We found out later that this was not a day they usually do this activity so we ended up getting a private experience, which was wonderful. The cave swimming day and the Bean to Bar workshop were also well executed and remarkable.
Due to rain, the staff was very flexible in rescheduling our activities several times so we did do everything we had planned.

Rachel and Patricia stepped right up and helped us organize a last minute trip to Belize over the holidays. They were communicative, thorough, and detailed. We stayed, at Patricia’s recommendation, at the Turtle Inn which is fabulous. Seriously fabulous. I have never met nicer and more competent staff in any resort. Melvin, our naturalist guide, is encyclopedic on bugs, birds, Mayan ruins, plants, traditional herbal remedies, and any number of Belizean topics. Our only wish that would have improved the trip was to have known to bring anti-bug remedies and clothing. They are voracious and we were unprepared. But the Turtle Inn had supplies and remedies readily available. So all went well. Thanks for the wonderful experience.

We engaged Patricia to assist us in planning a family trip in December. We have worked with several veteran members on The WOW List, but this was our first experience working with a new member on the List. Patricia worked with us to design an itinerary that combined sea and land activities and properties. While we were pleased with the overall itinerary, there were a few details that could have been handled better, which would have improved our rating from good to excellent. We flew into Belize City and then took a local flight to Ambergris Caye. Our initial flight was delayed and we would have otherwise missed our connecting flight, but a quick call to Patricia and we were all set.

We were met at the Ambergris Caye airport by representatives from the Victoria House resort and transported to our hotel, where we stayed for five nights. The service at the Victoria House was excellent, beginning with their generous offer to dry and fold our clothing, which arrived drenched thanks to the airlines, which had our luggage sitting on the runway soaking in the rain during our long delay. The resort setting is lovely, the rooms are well-appointed (we had a lovely family suite with our own pool right on the beach), and the restaurant is very good; but it is somewhat isolated and requires renting transportation to visit the town or other parts of the island (we used taxis, golf carts and bicycles at various times). Tip: You are better off renting a golf cart in town (about $35/day) than paying the hotel ($17/hr) if you plan on using it for most of the day. After 1 day of leisure at the hotel, we spent day 2 on a charter fishing boat where we caught a few fish and headed off to another beach to relax and eat our catch. This was a well-designed day and we had a great time with our guides. Tip: Prepare for cooler weather when out on the water and dress appropriately, something we wish we had been warned about. The next two days were spent diving by the divers in the family (they thoroughly enjoyed it) and exploring the island and enjoying the sights of San Pedro by the non-divers. On Day 6 we packed up and took a short flight to San Ignacio, where we were met by our guide, Josiah, who drove us to Blancaneaux Lodge, one of Francis Ford Coppola’s resorts. This place is unique and beautiful but also quite isolated and difficult to get to. Our villa was wonderful but once again we were unprepared for how cold it got at night in the mountains and could have used a heads-up to properly be prepared with some warmer clothing. One nice feature was the hot-water bottle they left in the beds at turndown, as we struggled to stay warm in the cold mountain air.

The next few days were packed with activities that we mostly enjoyed (horseback riding, mountain biking and trips to the Mayan ruins at Caracol). In general the activities with Patricia’s guide, Josiah, were much more enjoyable than the ones that were conducted with the Blancanaux guide. The trip to the ruins was a real highlight. Tip: Check the level of difficulty for these activities, as the biking was some of the most difficult we had ever done and our guide was oblivious to how hard it was for some of us. We saved the most unique outing for last, as we took a guided trip through the ATM cave (a 1,000-year-old Mayan archaeological site that includes climbing, crawling, swimming and exploring this sacred place, where you get to test your agility and view the remains of Mayan sacrifices).

Patricia did an excellent job of planning our trip to Belize. She put together a fun and adventurous itinerary with some time allowed for relaxing too. She called me just before we left to go over any last minute itinerary questions and to make sure we had all the details that we needed. She was very quick to respond during our trip to last-minute additions and questions we had while in Belize.

My husband and I took our 13-year-old granddaughter who loves the sea to Belize. Patricia planned 3 destinations for us – Hatchet Caye in the southern cayes, then Kaana Resort near San Ignacio and Turneffe Island Resort in the northern cayes. Each was a beautiful and interesting place. She also planned all the transportation within Belize which worked perfectly – small planes, vans, and boats. Patricia arranged a snorkel trip, a climb of a Mayan temple, ZIP lining and canoeing through a cave. We were met at each stop by a driver/guide all of whom were courteous, pleasant and full of information. The only glitch was that we were not told that we needed a letter of permission to take our granddaughter into a foreign country. After 30 minutes of talking with different customs agents at the airport, we were able to get a letter and ID emailed from our daughter in the states and we were able to enter Belize. It was a great trip and we would recommend Patricia Johnson.

Patricia was helpful, informative, thorough and patient while we were booking our family trip to Belize. We loved both places she had us stay (Chaa Creek, Turtle Inn), and the guides and recommended activities were excellent. She checked in with is several times during our trip and answered on the spot questions quickly! We had no logistical problems at all. We would book with her again in a heartbeat.

Patricia really came through for us when we suddenly needed to plan a trip to Belize and only had a month to do it. And it was during spring break – not an easy task! I initially thought I could book a place online myself but quickly saw most places were already booked. So we contacted Wendy Perrin in desperation who connected us with Patricia Johnson. She found a wonderful place for us in Placencia – “Chabil Mar” and we couldn’t have been happier with the resort or location. Also, she was able to reserve 3 separate tours for us with guides on very short notice. We really enjoyed our last guide, Blasio, on a Mayan ruins tour. In fact, we found out he was also an expert in birding so requested a tour with him the next day to go to yet another nature reserve. We contacted Patricia and her team was able to arrange it for us for the very next morning, with no issues. All of our tours and guides were excellent, as well as all the various transports, including airport transfers. If we go back to Belize in the future, for possibly a snorkeling trip, we would definitely use Patricia. It was a memorable trip!

My husband and I worked with Patricia to plan a trip that we were leaving on in 4 weeks. She put together a plan that we went to Tikal in Guatemala, then to Belize and stayed in the mountains. The guides to the Mayan sites were wonderful, knowledgeable, prompt, and very personable. From there we went to Ambergris Caye and went snorkeling on the reef in several places and had a day to explore the island via golf cart! So much fun! We did have a local concierge try and change our plans, saying that we couldn’t do what was planned. I contacted Patricia and she promptly straightened everything out and sent me a detailed instruction on the plan- it worked perfectly and was much better than what the local concierge wanted us to do.

She had arranged for fantastic guides who also worked with us. They were very knowledgeable, friendly, flexible with the plan, and worked with the weather.

The unplanned, but the wonderful opportunity that came up that we took hold of and did. A charity that was making a gift delivered to a local, small school and we got to go with and assist! Such a Blessing and a highlight of the trip! Thankfully our guide was flexible enough to let us enjoy this …and then our vacation continued with more wonderful things to see and do down by the sea!