5 Reasons to Travel to Belize, Central America

Image, thanks to Luxury Retreats

Belize, it might not be a destination you are too familiar with but after spending a few hours trawling the web, reading about it, watching videos and drinking in its beauty I can safely say I want to visit this small Central-American nation.

In fact I now have big future plans for a second-honeymoon trip for my husband and I, and there are certainly some vacation rentals in Belize that would make our time there super special. The amazing Belize coastline is just 630KM along the Caribbean coastline from Cancun and Playa del Carmen in Mexico. So you can be assured of a stunning white or golden sand beach if this is what you are looking for.

Belize is rich in culture too and shouldn't just be mistaken for a place to visit and sunbath. Yes, you can do that if you so desire and you'll find luxury rental properties and hotels that are unique and outstanding. Whether you fancy being on a private island, staying out on the sea on a stilted property or having a private infinity pool, these are all possible in Belize.

1.  Explore the Maya Culture
The Maya occupation of Belize began as early as 1500BC and during the classic period, between 250AD - 900AD it was thought the Maya population was as high as 1 million people. Compare that to the current population of around 378,000 and it must have been very busy. There are many temples and ancient ruins that you can visit whilst in Belize, including Caracol, which is one of the most grand. A lot of mystery still surrounds this ancient civilisation, making this is a really interesting place to explore.

Maya Temple Image, thanks to Shutterstock

Review: Romantic Break for Two at Giraffe Lodge, Port Lympne Reserve, Kent

Recently it was my husbands 44th birthday and it happened to fall on his busiest work weekend of the year, so needless to say he slaved away and the day passed by pretty much unnoticed. I knew this would be the case so I was intent on finding a local night away for us that would be memorable. I needed it to be pretty close to where we live as we had limited time with a babysitter and at first I booked a night at the 5* Grand Hotel in Eastbourne for a spa stay over.

We then had our family day visiting Port Lympne Reserve in early August and as we travelled past Giraffe Lodge in the safari truck I knew this was where we were supposed to be staying. This really would be a special night away for the two of us, truly memorable and very different to anything we have ever done before. Thankfully when I spoke to Port Lympne they were very happy to host us and allow us to stay for the purpose of a full and honest review.

View from the Laapa restaurant, across the Romney Marshes and English Channel

8 Top Tips for Enjoying your Stay at Giraffe Lodge, Port Lympne Reserve

Back in August we visited Port Lympne Reserve for the day with our children. We had a super day out and all the family enjoyed themselves. As we rode the safari truck we passed Giraffe Lodge (formerly know as Livingstone Lodge) and I fell in love. 

I just knew that I had to go and stay in one of the sturdy canvas and wood lodges so that I could get the full animal experience without hardly any other people being there. The thought of waking in the morning with the full view of the Romney Marshes and the first thing I saw being a Giraffe, Rhino or Zebra was massively appealing. 

Well, on the 1st September my husband and I were lucky enough to stay for a night to celebrate his birthday and we had the most wonderful time. I'll share a full review of our experience in another post once I have edited all the video together but for now I thought I'd share eight top tips for an amazing stay at Giraffe Lodge within the Port Lympne Reserve. 

I seriously can not recommend this experience highly enough!