My buddy and I, @Kim Hunter, usually dive NC and Florida and do a lot of tech diving. We decided to try something a bit different and do some easy dives at Huracan Dive Lodge on Lighthouse Reef, Belize. We booked a four night trip because we weren't sure what to expect. We figured if we didn't like it, we wouldn't have to stay so long. From the moment we stepped foot on the island we realized that was a mistake. Ten days wouldn't have been long enough! Many thanks to @Stoo for steering us to Huracan. And with apologies to @drrich2, I'm sure my report won't be as detailed, but I'm hoping I can provide some useful information for others who might be considering. Happy Holidays all!
The Lodge: It is an ecolodge, so that means no AC, compost toilets, etc, but more on that in a bit. The front of the lodge is a small dining room/living room. All the meals are eaten here and there are some comfortable chairs for relaxing. Everyone tended to congregate here for drinks and discussions about the day’s dives. They have the Humann/Deloach reef guides and everyone enjoyed looking up the fish and critters from the day’s dive. Behind the dining room is a central hall that runs the length of the lodge and opens to the back. Off the hall is the kitchen and four guest rooms (there’s a fifth room where the captain/lodge manager stays). The inside of the lodge is beautiful; it’s built of tropical wood (maybe mahogany?) and has beautiful, dark polished floors and walls.
The lodge is powered by solar panels and a generator. This means that electricity is limited, so there’s no A/C. Fans kept the lodge and rooms comfortable though. I even got a tad chilly at night. I had to ask for an extra sheet (which they gladly provided) and turn the fan down! This was Dec, so I’m sure July is a bit hotter. Overall, I found the temperature to be exceptionally comfortable, even without A/C. Sandflies were present and ready to bite, as they are pretty much everywhere in the Caribbean. I’ve seen the density worse in other places though. During the day I didn’t find them terrible and I’d often sit out front without insect repellent (I avoid the stuff whenever I can). At night, I opted to just hang out in the living room instead of wearing bug spray.
Each room is equipped with it’s own bathroom and a composting toilet. I was envisioning a pit toilet like I’ve seen in many national parks. I was a little afraid! My fears were unfounded. The toilet has a valve that keeps “sewer”gases out and economizes on water use. It worked really well. Water for showers/toilets/hand-washing is provided by rainwater they collect. There is hot water, but it’s hit or miss. I didn’t care. When the hot water didn’t fire, I just enjoyed the cool rinse.
Food & Drink: It was extraordinary! Every single meal was on par with something I would get at a really nice restaurant in my home town. There was lots of fresh seafood and fruits, as well as some traditional chicken and rice type dishes. We only stayed four days, but we never ate the same meal twice. Snacks (fruits, nuts, cookies) were plentiful. The only added charge was alcohol. Given the location, and that I've paid more elsewhere, I felt like the alcohol prices were really reasonable. In addition to beer and wine, they had a variety of cocktails available. Bottled water, fresh juice, and coffee was always available. I was having some ear issues and was a little worried about not being able to dive. Fortunately, I was able to dive. If I had ended up not being able to dive, however, I would have actually been ok just hanging out and eating the food. It was that good! At one of our first meals, one guest told the chef (Benji) hat she couldn’t eat the dessert it because of a gluten allergy. When booking on-line, there is place to report any dietary restrictions. Benji seemed genuinely upset that he didn’t know about her restriction ahead of time. He asked if she noted it. The guest was really gracious. She told him that she was diagnosed after she booked, so it was OK. Less than 10 minutes later Benji showed up with an amazing gluten free dessert that she could eat. Benji also provided meals for vegetarians along side the dishes with meat. On one dive day, we spent the day on the neighboring island (Half Moon Caye). In addition to loading up dive gear, we loaded up Benji and the grill! He made us a great lunch during our surface interval on the island! He even put down a table cloth and put locally picked flowers on the table! It was rather decadent!
The Lodge: It is an ecolodge, so that means no AC, compost toilets, etc, but more on that in a bit. The front of the lodge is a small dining room/living room. All the meals are eaten here and there are some comfortable chairs for relaxing. Everyone tended to congregate here for drinks and discussions about the day’s dives. They have the Humann/Deloach reef guides and everyone enjoyed looking up the fish and critters from the day’s dive. Behind the dining room is a central hall that runs the length of the lodge and opens to the back. Off the hall is the kitchen and four guest rooms (there’s a fifth room where the captain/lodge manager stays). The inside of the lodge is beautiful; it’s built of tropical wood (maybe mahogany?) and has beautiful, dark polished floors and walls.
The lodge is powered by solar panels and a generator. This means that electricity is limited, so there’s no A/C. Fans kept the lodge and rooms comfortable though. I even got a tad chilly at night. I had to ask for an extra sheet (which they gladly provided) and turn the fan down! This was Dec, so I’m sure July is a bit hotter. Overall, I found the temperature to be exceptionally comfortable, even without A/C. Sandflies were present and ready to bite, as they are pretty much everywhere in the Caribbean. I’ve seen the density worse in other places though. During the day I didn’t find them terrible and I’d often sit out front without insect repellent (I avoid the stuff whenever I can). At night, I opted to just hang out in the living room instead of wearing bug spray.
Each room is equipped with it’s own bathroom and a composting toilet. I was envisioning a pit toilet like I’ve seen in many national parks. I was a little afraid! My fears were unfounded. The toilet has a valve that keeps “sewer”gases out and economizes on water use. It worked really well. Water for showers/toilets/hand-washing is provided by rainwater they collect. There is hot water, but it’s hit or miss. I didn’t care. When the hot water didn’t fire, I just enjoyed the cool rinse.
Food & Drink: It was extraordinary! Every single meal was on par with something I would get at a really nice restaurant in my home town. There was lots of fresh seafood and fruits, as well as some traditional chicken and rice type dishes. We only stayed four days, but we never ate the same meal twice. Snacks (fruits, nuts, cookies) were plentiful. The only added charge was alcohol. Given the location, and that I've paid more elsewhere, I felt like the alcohol prices were really reasonable. In addition to beer and wine, they had a variety of cocktails available. Bottled water, fresh juice, and coffee was always available. I was having some ear issues and was a little worried about not being able to dive. Fortunately, I was able to dive. If I had ended up not being able to dive, however, I would have actually been ok just hanging out and eating the food. It was that good! At one of our first meals, one guest told the chef (Benji) hat she couldn’t eat the dessert it because of a gluten allergy. When booking on-line, there is place to report any dietary restrictions. Benji seemed genuinely upset that he didn’t know about her restriction ahead of time. He asked if she noted it. The guest was really gracious. She told him that she was diagnosed after she booked, so it was OK. Less than 10 minutes later Benji showed up with an amazing gluten free dessert that she could eat. Benji also provided meals for vegetarians along side the dishes with meat. On one dive day, we spent the day on the neighboring island (Half Moon Caye). In addition to loading up dive gear, we loaded up Benji and the grill! He made us a great lunch during our surface interval on the island! He even put down a table cloth and put locally picked flowers on the table! It was rather decadent!
