Almond Beach Hotel :

We spent 2 days at the Almond beach resort which is one of the excellent brands of the Belize Collection group (like the Sleeping Giant) during our stay in Hopkins. It is located in the hotel zone a few minutes by bike or golf cart from the center.

Located right on the beach, it has two beautiful swimming pools, one of which has a very nice pool bar where we made friends with some American guests. Discussions around excursions and places visited in Belize are going well!

As soon as we arrived and were treated to an excellent welcome drink at the hotel restaurant, the Paddle House, we immediately saw the impressive dock. This is the Big Dock, a beautiful 2-story bar that serves excellent ceviche.
The place is really perfect for taking a dip from a diving board or simply chilling on the nets above the sea with a cocktail and taking pictures. This is the option we have chosen!

The next day we leave for a sea tour organized by the hotel. This is the “island hoping” trick. We board at 9am with 2 other people and our 2 super nice crew members.

In the program:
Visit the charming little island of South Water Caye. Between 2 waters of a magnificent turquoise, we discover how to use the traditional tool of local families which allows to open and enjoy an excellent coconut.
3 snorkeling stops with our guide who really did his best to show us as many species and corals as possible. The seabed was really very pretty, we will see a lot of fish and rays but much less than during our snorkeling trip to Caye Caulker.
Visit of the island and lunch in Tobacco Caye. The vegetarian buritos prepared by the hotel were delicious and went very well after snorkeling! It’s a change from the tours that systematically stop you at the local restaurant for lunch..

Back in the afternoon, we finally enjoy our room with a private plunge pool. The small swimming pool has been set up in the middle of a small landscaped area with a huge palm tree, a lounge area and an outdoor shower. It’s just too cozy! We love.
The rest of the room is just as pleasant, king size bed, beautiful spacious bathroom with shower, outdoor space with a partial sea view. Note that the shower and care products offered were also very pleasant.

A day like this had to end with a good dinner…We fell in love with the private dinner with our feet in the sand with just us and the sound of the waves to keep us company!

The Sleeping Giant:

The Sleeping Giant, our favorite in the jungle hotel category! This is the 2nd hotel of the Belize Collection group where we have stayed.

It is one of those unique hotels in the world. Of those where the beauty of the environment and the quality of the accommodation makes you immediately succumb.

The river-fronted property occupies several acres in the jungle along the Hummingbird Highway between Belmopan and Hopkins. As we were coming from the Almond Beach hotel, we took advantage of the transfer offered by the latter to get there.

The first thing that jumps out at you is the beautiful lush tropical vegetation that adorns the hotel’s walkways. We started our day with some delicious healthy food.

It makes us want to visit the surroundings immediately but that will be for later.
We go to our room or rather our mountain view suite! We can’t wait to climb the hundred steps that separate us from the room on the mountainside. What a reward once you get to the top! We are stunned by the panoramic view of the valley and the surrounding jungle, it is so impressive. A day bed, a hammock for 2 and above all a magnificent private plunge pool: everything is done to make the most of it. You could spend hours there contemplating the jungle!

It will soon be dark, another place is calling us, a famous gazebo perched on top of a hill that our driver told us about this morning. We decide to go there for the sunset. After about twenty minutes of walking on a fairly steep little path, we arrive just in time in this magical place with a 360 degree view of the valley. Breathtaking !

Next and last stop of the day, dinner at Don Tonitos, the hotel’s famous Italian pizzeria. Everything is there to spend a good evening, the fire pit, the wood-fired oven and of course the homemade pizzas.

Day 2 : We get up at dawn because it is unthinkable to miss the sunrise from the bedroom. There the show operates and the jungle which wakes up before our eyes with the rays of the sun which slowly pierce the mist and the canopy is fabulous! Add to that the sound of birds, it’s the absolute dream.

We continue with a breakfast and we embark directly on a waterfall tour organized with great care by the hotel. We feel extremely privileged as this tour is only doable via the Sleeping Giant. You will therefore have to stay there to enjoy it!
The exit through the jungle takes place with 2 guides. We walk along the river and cross it several times to reach a series of 5 waterfalls. The crystal clear water and the natural pools encountered along the way make you want to swim there, but that will be for later. We link several passages by swimming or with the help of ropes or ladders in an increasingly enchanting setting until we arrive at the start of the waterfalls. From there the views of this unspoiled nature are breathtaking. As a bonus of course we will not meet any other tourists that day… On the way back, possibility of jumping into the water from the rocks for the more adventurous! Hardly time to eat a burito at the edge of one of the waterfalls that it is already time to turn back.

Back at the hotel, we had booked the private dinner experience on the heights of the property.

We arrive early enough to take advantage of the last rays of sunshine and feast under the stars to end this exceptional day! A must!

Last morning at the Sleeping Giant and we haven’t had time to see everything yet. The sun diffuses its first morning light and we ride our electric bikes (provided for free) to go to the Nest. It is a wooden structure perched on a tree above the river. We couldn’t have hoped for better to see the sun rise. The spectacle there is magnificent.

We continue our morning along the river on foot this time. Several suspension bridges cross it on both sides. It’s of all beauty.

There is also a yoga space that overlooks a place by the river. We won’t have time to practice that day. Time to have breakfast and enjoy a bit of the swimming pool, it’s already time to leave for new adventures.

We experienced something exceptional in a magical place. This will for sure remain our biggest favorite in Belize. If you pass through this magnificent little country, do not miss to put your suitcases there for a few days!