Belize Trip Review - London, England, June 2009 - Mark Vink
This is an email I’ve been meaning to write for a couple of weeks but home life post holiday is as hectic as ever. However, our experience with you was as such I’ve been determined to make time and put in the effort, my better half has already posted a Trip Advisor review, so here we go.
I’d just like to express our eternal gratitude for giving us one of the best holiday experiences we’ve had. As experienced travellers, it was an absolute outstanding experience staying with you guys!
The place, activities, surroundings and everything were all wonderful, but none of it compared to the simply outstanding service from the staff at all levels.
The food and cooking staff were outstanding, with my partner a vegetarian, it’s the first place abroad we’ve been where she felt overly comfortable and confident in the food being presented. Incredibly polite and courteous at all times!
Despite being in a position where he must of told his tales a thousand times before, Luis was just so incredibly knowledgeable, interesting, and above all still so enthusiastic. We loved every minute we were able to spend with him from the moment he picked us up from the bus station.
David was just a fantastic guy to have around. Simply couldn’t do enough for us and went out of his way to be at our service before we even knew we needed it. Kept us thoroughly entertained whilst poolside and his wildlife knowledge and enthusiasm for it was hugely appreciated, he was only too happy to answer all our questions and show us around.
Finally Karen, how amazing! I felt as though I knew Karen before I got there as she was sooooooo incredibly helpful in her advice to us getting there. We travelled around Mexico the week prior and I was in constant touch with her via email. Her advice and recommendations whilst we were travelling through the country were absolutely invaluable to us. Everything at the Belize Jungle Dome was perfect and better than we’d been expecting. We always get itchy feet if staying in a place more then a night or 2 but for the first time in a long time, the organisation of our time here was so great, it was fantastic to know we’d be heading back to such a superbly run place to relax and prepare for the following days activities.
Please relay our eternal gratitude to all the staff for giving us such a great time, we met some great people and the open invite to come stay in London was a genuine one, anytime!
Kind Regards,
Mark.
For more information on staying at the Belize Jungle Dome or assistance in your Belize Adventure Vacation visit us at our websites :
Belize Trip Review - Tori and Jeff Mcleod - March 2009
Oh my goodness, where do I begin?! We loved our stay at the Jungle Dome so much I am not sure I can put it into words. From the moment that we got to the airport, we were treated so kindly. David was waiting for us when we arrived at the airport. He took us for a nice lunch and filled us with a wealth of knowledge on our ride to the hotel. As soon as we got there, Karen arranged a horse back riding adventure and David offered to lead our night jungle walk. We enjoyed both of these very much.
We did the Black Hole drop the next day which was breathtaking. Although I had never rapelled before, I felt very safe with the guides. Everything went so smoothly. The following day, we did the zip lining and cave tubing. Both of these adventures were great. My only regret is that we did not have more time at the Jungle Dome for more adventures. We usually spend most of our vacations diving at different locations because we love to dive. We did love the first half of our vacation diving around Ambergris and the Blue Hole, but I can honestly say that I enjoyed the second half more staying at the Jungle Dome.
The meals were very good, especially breakfast with the fresh fruit and eggs! We love the different juices and were all eager to see what type of fresh juice we would have with each meal. The family style dining was so nice, because it gave us any opportunity to meet and interact with the other guests. That really added to the experience. The parrots and toucans in the surrounding trees was an added bonus.
We just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much we enjoyed ourselves and to praise the staff. Karen was very friendly and efficient. She kept everyone on schedule for all of our activities and made sure things ran smoothly. We enjoyed getting to know her. The cleaning staff did a wonderful job, because our rooms were immaculate. The grounds were so beautifully maintained and the pool was spotless.
David is just an inspiration to us. I cannot believe he has just learned English in the past few years. We were so impressed with his kindness and eagerness to share his knowledge of his country. He was waiting by the gate for the guests when we returned from our trips offering cold drinks. You could not have a better employee! We believe he truly is a wonderful person.
Thanks you so much for arranging this wonderful (best ever!!) vacation for us. We will recommend this spot to all our friends and family and hope to return ourselves. Our children are 6 and 8 and are wondering when they can come. I think that sounds like a good reason to come back.
Belize Trip Review - January 2009 - Part 2 at the Jungle Dome
Jan 2nd, 2009
John and Laura West, San Antonio, Texas, USA
Leaving day : (
To all of you here at the Jungle Dome and all who may come. What a beautiful, exciting and amazing time we had. Our hosts were beyond what we could have imagined, the food define (and I will never know how the ladies managed to remove all that mud). The rooms were very clean and the grounds...well, if you are reading this, you can see for yourselves.
The ruins are a must and ask about ATM & the Black Hole Drop: all so much more than worth your while. The guides that they set you up with are more than knowledgeable. So...thank you staff and have a wonderful visit if you are reading this!
Jan. 6th, 2009
Craig and Robert Brown, Clovis, CA, USA
To the staff at the Jungle Dome: Thank you/gracias for everything you did for us.
You gave us something that we badly needed and we appreciate it. We also hope to see you again someday soon.
Mark & I had an incredible stay here at the Jungle Dome. The service and staff have been exceptional and like many who wrote before us, we loved the food. We had a short stay (3 nights) but, with the help of Karen, we’ve been able to pack a lot into 4 days.
1st day: Luis picked us up at the Caye Caulker water taxi terminal and showed us a little bit of Belize City. He took us on a amazing tour of the Belize Zoo, which we believe is a must see! Make sure you have a guide, it really enhances the experience.
2nd day: We woke up early for a run down the mainroad. It’s 2 miles to the Banana Bank sign & worth it, even if you walk most of it. Beautiful horses are grazing everywhere you look. We then went on the ATM tour. It was breathtaking! Be prepared to be wet (wear swim gear) & shoes you don’t mind to have wet for the rest of the trip. This was one of our favourite trips and we particularly enjoyed our guide, Orlando.
3rd day: We went to Caracol. Wow! It was impressive, inspiring, beautiful. I’m truly glad we made the 2 ½ hour bumpy (riverbed bumpy) drive. Luis was our guide again and shared a wealth of history and facts. This was topped off with a treck to the Rio Frio cave (gorgeous) and then a quick dip in the Rio Frio Falls. It was a long day, but worth the trip.
Last day: We’re off the experience the Black Hole Drop. Luis said that we will kissing the ground when we finish the 300 ft descent, you bet it will happen too! Once again, we’ve had such a nice stay here. I hope to return for either a longer stay or just to try out everything we’ve missed. Thanks Karen, David and crew!
P.S. It’s -40 degrees in Fairbanks now. Boy are we glad to be here instead!
Jan. 2nd, 2009
Laura, Tom & Christine,
We really enjoyed our stay here at the Jungle Dome. We really enjoyed the food that we ate. The pool was cold but everyone, except mom, went in. We liked seeing the Mayan ruins a lot. The days at the Jungle Dome went by so fast. The only bad part was leaving!
Thank you Jungle Dome for making our stay in Belize so enjoyable. We hope to come back soon!
My Trip Review - Minnesota, USA - Don and Laura Bischoff - November 2008
We are happy we made the choice to spend our time in Belize at the Jungle Dome. Each day was full of excitement and relaxation all in one. And everything well organized – good job!!! This was our first trip to Belize and we are grateful to have had such a wonderful experience. We will certainly share with others our stay at the Jungle Dome.
Thank you for the company of good people, wonderful food and a lifetime of memories. Special thanks to Karen for all the time spent making adjustments to our excursions.
My Trip Review - Saskatchewan, Canada - Dale and Colette Wenzel - November 2008
To the staff at Jungle Dome
This will be the MOST memorable vacation we have taken in our lifetime. What can we say, but a HUGE thank you!!! You are the most hospitable and kindest people we have met on our journeys. It definitely feels like home – peaceful and safe. Your organization of the tours, the fabulous meals, friendly staff, clean rooms and grounds are beyond!!!
Trip Review, New York USA - Marielena and Philippe Andre - September 2008
My husband and I are here on the second leg of 3 of our honeymoon….and what an adventure! I would first like to say that we have been to many adventurous and historical places but none quite like this. We actually started our trip in Guatemala and then flew to Belize where we were greeted by Luis at the airport. He was immediately warm, funny and incredibly knowledgeable. We knew we were headed to the Jungle Dome but the Jungle Dome has far surpassed any expectations we may have had.
The staff has been excellent with just the right amount of attention. The Chefs….my hats off to them! I wish I could spend a month or two learning how they cook. Everything is delicious and made from scratch!
Where to adventure to? We are here during the rainy season so our activities have been debated on a daily basis. We first went to the Belize Zoo, guided by Luis who was able to give us an extensive history on the animals and Flora. We got to see the jaguars, puma, harpey eagle and many other wonderful Belizean creatures.
Our next day was a full day – tour of the ruins. Luis again was our guide. We told him his brain was going to explode one of these days for how much information he holds in there. He is a true historian and an invaluable aspect of this resort and our time here.
Next off to Che Chem Ha Cave. Our guide and care taker of the cave was very much spiritually connected to the history and spirit of the cave. Definitely for the active individual who is not afraid of dark enclosed spaces. If you make it in there – what a life-altering experience.
The Black Hole Drop was a vigorous hike only to descend via the mountain between a massive opening between two once-connected caves. The staff was truly professional and knowledgeable. We were quite lucky that only the two of us were on that tour as we were able to trek all the way in the cave. It was one of those experiences that puts into perspective how small we are in the grand scheme of things.
Today is our final day here before we are off to one of the islands. With room for one more adventure (cave tubing).
We have enjoyed our stay and even wish we had booked longer but as always, so much to do, so little time.
Thank you Jungle Dome for all the Amazing memories!
Trip Review - Arizona, USA - JD and Raelean - Oct 2008
Absolutely fantastic!! We will recommend the Jungle Dome and Belize to family and friends. There is no question that if I didn’t have prior commitments (same family and friends listed above and a job) then I would stay here and work!!
The people here are kind, the weather is fantastic and the food is fantastic. My wife and I are here on our honeymoon and we couldn’t have picked a better place to celebrate.
Oh yeah, also the ATM cave tour is a must. Of the adventures we did (Black Hole Drop, Cave Tubing, Zip Line, Kayaking) the ATM was far and away the most amazing.
Trip Review - Long Island, New York, USA - Rick and Kathy Meier - Sept 2008
The Jungle Dome is a wonderful place. The grounds are beautiful, the food is yummy and the staff couldn’t be nicer. They are wonderful. We had a lot of fun zip lining, cave tubing and exploring. We faced our fears of spiders, scorpions and snakes and the jungle is now our friend! We will never forget our stay at the Jungle Dome.
Rick & Kathy Meier Long Island, New York, USA
Sept 30, 2008
Dear Jungle Dome Staff Thank you so much for your hospitality and warmth. It made for a very enjoyable and memorable stay in Belize.
Trip Review - Virginia, USA - Luke and Kate Sebby - Sept 2008
Thank you so much for such a wonderful time! Our stay at the Jungle Dome was amazing. From the food to the rooms to all of our adventures to the friendly staff.
We loved having the cookies greet us when we walked in the room and appreciated Karen and David keeping our drinks full! The day trips were unbelievable and intense!
This was our first trip to Central America and to Belize and we are so happy we could experience so much of the beauty, the culture and the people. We even loved experiencing Max, the world’s smelliest dog, Phoebe and Daphne.
My Trip Review - Chatham New Jersey, USA - Clark Family - August 2008
Dear Jungle Dome Family:
Our stay here has been amazing. All of the trips were fantastic.
We did the cave tubing/zip line, Tikal, horse back riding, mountain biking, Black Hole Drop, Kayaking, Zoo and ATV’s. Everyone had a blast! We love Max and Phoebe. Max got into a fight and recovered great. He is a great guard dog. Lucas and Aidan are so funny and are great entertainment. David did a great job learning everyone’s names. He was really fun to talk with. We hope he becomes a guide. Andy & Simone were just amazing. They make this stay even more fun. The food was so good. There wasn’t one person that didn’t like it. The service was spectacular.
We will be leaving this place with good times and lots of memories that will last forever. We will definitely recommend this to anyone that loves adventure and fun. We had a fantastic time. Thank you
My Trip Review - California, USA - Stefan Amshey - August 2008
We had a wonderful time here at the Jungle Dome.
Being our first trip to Belize, we weren’t sure what to expect. We were astounded by the beauty of the country, how nice the people are and by the variety of things to do.
All the staff, especially Karen and Luis, were exceptionally informed and helpful. The food was good and there was plenty of it!
Our favourite trip was to the ATM Cave. Everyone should experience the magnificence of this cave. Caracol was beautiful as well, although beware the plethora of fire ants! Swimming in the natural pools after Caracol was great too.
Thanks to the Jungle Dome for an amazing time! We are off to the beach for some diving before returning home.
My Trip Review - Peachtree City, Georgia, USA - Eric and Susan Snell - August 2008
We decided this year to make our anniversary trip an adventure. The Jungle Dome and its staff made our home away from home a great place. We have had a fantastic week. Coming at this time of year was great because in most cases our activities were simply us and our guide.
Black Hole Drop – start with a bang! A great hike, great rappel and beautiful scenery (a wonderful introduction to the jungle)
Cave Tubing – Luis showed us all the plants and unlike all the other groups, we floated at our own pace
Zip Line – A fun experience which unfortunately ended too soon
ATM – what an amazing trip! First swimming in among the cave was neat but then to be able to see and admire such a beautiful place. Francisco did a great job explaining what occurred and what they think happened in such a sacred place.
Horseback Riding – it was a pleasure to actually run the horses and learn from Cesar.
Massage – Susan enjoyed this brief respite from the jungle
Mountain Bike ride – Eric rode with David to Valley of Peace and back – ahhh forgot how tough riding off road on loose gravel is
Che Chem Ha cave – what an amazing cave and to be escorted by William , the guy who found it. Amazing that places like these are all around.
Kayaking – We enjoyed the botany education from Link but the ride was not quite the adventure we expected
Caracol – ahh the Mayan ruins you read about. Amazing to see the buildings the Mayans made so long ago
Keep the bug spray bottle full, know that 95% of the roads are bumpy, enjoy the adventures and absorb the Belizean culture, life and people.
A fabulous experience, fun filled from start to finish. You all made us feel so welcome. Thank you!
Heather
Everything was amazing! Had such a great time, thank you so much!
Georgie Walker
Houston TX USA
June 25, 2008
Dear Jungle Dome
What a magical place! Our stay here far surpassed our expectations. From the comfortable and clean room to the amazing food to the friendly and helpful staff and guides. Everyone was so accommodating.
Belize is a special place. Our guided tours of the country, caves and ruins were fabulous. We will definitely be leaving with a lifetime of memories and good stories.
Andrea & John Ridgewood, NJ
July 20, 2008
Andy & Simone:
Thank you for sharing your home in Belize with us. This truly is a special place. David is a wonderful host and the kitchen staff is unparalleled. Max is a true guardian of life and property. Phoebe is as sweet as ever. Our honeymoon was very special and will be remembered.
My Trip Review - Monroe, Los Angeles, USA - David and Emma Loyless - August 2008
I am sad to say this is our last night here at the Belize Jungle Dome. These past few days have been paradise for us. The culture and rich history of Belize just seem to entrap you making you never want to leave. The staff here have been beyond excellent. I feel that we have definitely received the royal treatment for our honeymoon.
Upon our arrival we were greeted by Luis, who gave us a history lesson as we drove in from the airport. He is such a wealth of knowledge. Karen made us feel right at home and our candle-light dinner on the balcony of our room was perfect. The food was beyond compare at every single meal.
Our first adventure was to Caracol with Luis and once again we learned so much. I think this adventure was one of my favourites. The Mayans were such an interesting people and Luis never missed a beat with trying to show us everything. Our next adventures consisted of cave tubing with Luis, ATM with Orlando, horseback riding with Cesar and a trip to the zoo with David. ATM was definitely an experience I will never forget. It’s extremely challenging trying to get to the cathedral but well worth the trip. If you have time for the zoo it is a must.
Everyone here – Karen, Luis, David, Wani, Tea and the rest of the staff – have made this a trip of a lifetime. Getting to know them and where they come from and the rich history here will definitely bring me back for another trip to Belize.
The ATM Cave was probably my favourite trip. It’s a challenge but the cathedral is amazing. Luis is awesome. He is basically a history book on legs and he is not bad with the botany and zoology either. I loved listening to Karen’s and David’s stories of how they ended up at the Jungle Dome. Karen makes me want to pack up and move to Belize and David is a complete inspiration. The food has been excellent and I am going home fat! I loved the zoo and horseback riding was a blast! Everyone here has been so nice and helpful. I can’t wait to come back.
My Trip Review - Richmond, Virginia, USA - Andrea and Bill Reed - August 2008
Thank you all for such a wonderful experience! It made for a wonderful mini trip before we get married in two days. The food was amazing. We never left a meal hungry and everybody was very friendly. We came to Belize not knowing what to expect and have fallen in love with this country. As our trip continues, we hope that Southern Belize is just as beautiful as it is here.
My Trip Review - Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Rose Family At the Jungle Dome Villa - April 2008
Thank you from the rose family (Gerry, Tanya, Trinity & baby Quintin). It was a beautiful experience! Thanks to all the staff for making our stay memorable. Special thanks to Karen, a gool ol’ Canadian girl eh! Only 2 comments, air conditioning in the Villa and safety rails around the side of the pool, please. Peace and love and maybe we’ll see you again.
The Rose family, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
April 8th, 2008
COOL! I LOVE IT!!!! We all loved it. The Villa is beautifully built and situated. The bird life is amazing and we love Belize. Thank you everyone, Karen and all the team of people and dogs.
My Trip Review - North Carolina and Ohio, USA Guests - March 2008
We are all sad to leave the Jungle Dome. We are off to the beach but all agree that we would rather stay here for a few more days. The entire staff was amazing! You made us feel special. We came with our in-laws and sister’s family. This will be a trip that we will never forget!
Thank you!
The Wolfs, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA The Beehlers, Cols, Ohio, USA The Artims, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
March 28th, 2008
I loved it here! It’s so fun! The upstairs bed in the Villa is my favorite! I liked the horseback riding the best! The cleaning was phenomenal! The food was great! The sites were amazing! I’d like to thank David, Karen, Wanni, the cleaning crew, the staff, Luis and everyone! The Villa was very nice. Thank you.
My Trip Review - Long Beach, California, USA - July 2008 - Tim and Julie
This has been our first trip to Belize, but I doubt it will be our last. The wonderful hospitality of the Jungle Dome staff only added to our extreme delight with the culture and the history of Belize. Although we have enjoyed every activity we’ve done, our favorites were climbing to the top of the temple at Caracol, Rio Frio and the Black Hole Drop.
Thank you to Andy, David, Simone and all the tour guides for making this such a special trip.
The hospitality of Andy, Simone & David, coupled with the numerous adventures (and plentiful wisdoms of Luis) cannot be praised enough. We couldn’t have asked for a better stop on our honeymoon. And it didn’t hurt at all that the food was spectacular.
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