Service provided by local specialist: Outstan...
Belize | Apr 23 - May 2, 2023

Cynthia
Cynthia C.
San Leandro, CA | Reviewed on May 06, 2023

Service provided by local specialist: Outstanding!
I wanted to give my husband a surprise vacation to Belize, a gift for his 36 year retirement celebration (we've never been) I chose KimKim as a starting point and was assigned to Columbus Guatemala Travel. I worked with Catharina, she helped me plan a 10 day trip. I expressed to her that I wanted to spend half of our time doing land excursions and the other half doing water activities. I also was very certain on what type of accommodations I wanted , as well as preferring private tours over group tours. Long story short- our trip was amazing! We spent 5 days in the Cayo district at a mountain jungle ridge resort- then transferred 3 hours away to the peninsula coast and spent the remainder of our time. Renee our personal tour guide in the Cayo district was awesome, he was very thoughtful and really tried to tailor the experience to what was important to us. We had different guides at the coast and all were very friendly and professional. While abroad we had 24 hour access to Catharina and her team- and when an urgent situation arose in the middle of our trip I reached out to her and within a few hours the situation was resolved and we were able to continue with our vacation.

Hotel Reviews
Blancaneaux Lodge

Amazing, I highly recommend the Honeymoon Hut with plunge pool over looking the forest mountain ridge (Hut 12) No Television, No Air Conditioner- I never missed either! We really connected with the vibe, so relaxed, so tropical, so unique, so beautiful!

Authenticity & Character
Loved the cultural influence in all the decor
Location
Felt like I stepped into a tropical daydream
Staff
Staff provided excellent service with a smile- everyone made a point to know/remember our names and what we liked (food, beverage,snacks and services)
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean!
The Placencia Muy'Ono Resort

Let me first say....I chose this resort, I stayed here 1 night- the next morning being very distraught ...spoke to Catharina about the condition of this place- she jumped into action! she immediately , set up our transfer driver, and booked us into the Turtle Inn Lodge ( another Francis Ford Coppola Resort) where we finished out the rest of our amazing Belize adventure! The Placencia Muy'O Resort is NOT as advertised- Not a 4 or 5 star resort- Think more along the lines of a timeshare resort with deferred maintenance throughout the resort and including the room I booked . I chose Placencia Muy'Ono Resort based on the advertised pictures (chose ocean view king size bed rm 221) -Upon arrival we noticed the beach was beautiful and the pool seemed really nice. However our room wasn't ready for us so we hung out a little and walked around. We began to notice all the missing tile around the pool sitting area, cracked /broken tiles along pathways and stairs- broken or missing ground lights (and the kicker) we went to see the organic garden , that was actually a weed patch. -Room: worn old furniture, stained light shades, water damage stain on up-wall near ceiling, stains running under a/c, hole in balcony ceiling , open electrical with missing light fixture outside bedroom door, dirty coffee cups for use in cabinets, bathtub with mold, the list goes on and on (we took pics of everything) -On-site Restaurant : Food was awful and overpriced, my husband sent his pork chop dinner special back and ordered a burger - I simply could not eat my fish dinner plate. Staff: some were really friendly others were not. Management : assistant manger took our call, listen to complaint (my husband did not sleep at all on the worn spring mattress- I woke up with a headache) she looked at the pictures we took of everything that was broken/dirty etc...and she apologized, said she was working on our request for the one night stay refund. We were told K.Williams was the manager and was the person to approve the refund. However K. Williams was never available when we called .....and still has not responded to our complaint or request for refund of our one night stay ( we were stuck for the night ) -We asked 3 people that worked there if this resort was a timeshare, they said yes- assistant manager said no -Length of stay: we were booked for 5 nights, we stayed 1 night -The Casino is closed down (local tour guide said an incident happened) ...Maybe at one time this resort may have been really nice, I can't speak to that- but based of my experience, I would say vacationer beware !

Staff
Service was not of a 4 or 5 star resort....Poor management
Cleanliness & Comfort
Clean the rooms, update the furniture , complete routine maintenance ....so rooms will match advertised pictures
Activity Reviews
LEISURE DAY
LEISURE DAY
Belize

We spent our leisure day exploring the surroundings and relaxing at the resort, which set the tone for our entire trip.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Discover Xunantunich
Discover Xunantunich
Belize

We had a great time visiting the Xunantunich Mayan ruins, even though not everyone would want to walk up 120 steps in humidity our local guide, Rene, made the experience memorable and informative as he was of Mayan descent.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Caracol And Rio Frio Cave & Pools
Caracol And Rio Frio Cave & Pools
Belize

Our visit to Caracol and Rio Frio Cave & Pools was enjoyable, thanks to our guide, Rene, who understood our interests and made the experience more engaging. If we went back we would definitely want to explore more of the caves. His wife even prepared a delicious, traditional lunch for us, which added to the authenticity of our experience.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Barrier Reef Snorkeling
Barrier Reef Snorkeling
Belize

We had a good time snorkeling at the Barrier Reef, but we were in a group, which impacted the experience. In the future, we would prefer a private snorkeling experience.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Jaguar Preserve
Jaguar Preserve
Belize

The Jaguar Preserve was educational and a great experience for those interested in the preservation of jaguars. Even though we didn't see a jaguar, we enjoyed the hike.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Catherina Tittaferrante
Catherina
Catherina Tittaferrante
Local specialist in Antigua Guatemala | Replied on May 15, 2023
My lovely Cynthia!
We value your friendship, going through the creation of your celebration trip was priceless.
Your happiness is ours and I loved being able to participate in every step. Our goal is to make experiences that can print unforgettable moments and I am very grateful to know that
we accomplish it.
It stopped being a job a long time ago and our passion became our lifestyle, our communities have better opportunities and they improove their life interacting with travelers and we... Read more

My lovely Cynthia!
We value your friendship, going through the creation of your celebration trip was priceless.

Your happiness is ours and I loved being able to participate in every step. Our goal is to make experiences that can print unforgettable moments and I am very grateful to know that
we accomplish it.

It stopped being a job a long time ago and our passion became our lifestyle, our communities have better opportunities and they improove their life interacting with travelers and we have achieved that when traveling the impact is positive, keeping in mind our main pillars Caring for Nature - Preserving Culture - Connecting with Intention & Mindfulness - Quality in Details with our golden rule Safety First, second and third.

Thank you for being yourself, thank you for trusting us. Hope to see you soon, Guatemala is nocking at your door \0/ !

Be safe my dear and share a huge hug with Brian, keep enjoying your time now more than ever!