Need opinions on Hamanasi

[GAFUN]

Wife is wanting to go to Hamanasi resort for diving and other adventures. I see it has great reviews.
I would like some info from people that have been there, about the diving. Compared to AC area diving?
Pelagics? Looking at going the first part of May. We have not dove in Belize yet, any other options that we
should consider?

Thanks!
Russ

 

[Charles2]

My wife and I went to Hamanasi a few years ago. The resort is a great place for a vacation. The rooms are spacious and very comfortable and the food is excellent. Since Hamanasi is on the coast, there is a bit of a boat ride to the diving, but worth it when you get there. The other adventures are very interesting as well. Great, well run resort.

We have also been to Turneffe Island Resort. Again, the rooms are spacious and very comfortable. The food is Belizean and perhaps a little different to the palate, but good. Here, the diving is spectacular as well as being practically in your front yard. If the Blue Hole is of any interest, Turneffe Island Resort is very close, less than an hour boat ride. Also a well run resort, but dedicated to diving and fishing.

My wife doesn't dive. She certainly preferred Hamanasi over Turneffe.

 

[caruso]

We stayed at Hamanasi 5 years ago. The local diving didn't hold a candle to the atolls. For us not worth a return visit.

 

[Downing]

My wife and I have been to TIR a couple of times for a total of three weeks and enjoyed it very much. Since then, I've been to Placencia many times, and my wife goes with me every other time. Obviously, we also like Placencia a lot.

All of that was leading up to that imho the diving all over Belize is very similar. The advantage to TIR is that it's an all-inclusive summer camp for adults type place (eat, sleep, dive and repeat) and the dive sites are literally just minutes away. And while the BH isn't everyone's idea of a good time, I love that dive as well as the ones that follow on that day. The advantage to Placencia as well as Hopkins is that you're on the mainland so if you're into any sort of land-based activities these two places work better.

We haven't stayed on AC but from what I've read here the diving is similar to Placencia. Some complain but most seem to enjoy it.

As far as pelagics, there won't be a lot. Turtles, rays, nurse sharks and dolphins. We did see some Short Fin Pilot Whales once but were told that was unusual and my experience since bears that out.

I haven't stayed at Hamanasi but I did have lunch there once and took a tour of the property and dive shop. First class operation. Both Hopkins and Placencia have grown tremendously in the last few years as Canadians are retiring there in droves. It's easier for them to retire to Belize as part of the Commonwealth as opposed to trying to move to Florida. Still, both villages will have a much more Belizean "feel" than AC. Some people prefer that but others not so much.

 

[drrich2]

Is this the place that doesn’t have air conditioning?

 

[Downing]

You may be thinking of Turtle Inn in Placencia. I'm 99% sure Hamanasi has AC.

Ralph Capeling of Splash Dive Center in Placenicia told me a funny story about an Italian millionaire who brought his family with him to Placencia to dive. They stayed one night at Turtle Inn and were shocked to discover there was no air conditioning at the resort. They were told by the staff that between the ceiling fans and the ocean breeze it wasn't necessary. After spending an uncomfortable night, they moved down the road to cheaper accommodations just for the a/c.

I've spent a few nights without a/c in Belize, mostly in the jungle, and had to get up repeatedly to take cold showers.

 

[Pedro Burrito]

I took my wife there nine years ago. We stayed in the Deluxe Treehouse. We have stayed at quite a few resorts around the world since then and we always compare the others to Hamanasi. Some have been close but none we have stayed in equal the week we spent in Hamanasi.

We only went scuba diving but they have land trips available daily. The dive trip to the Blue Hole was about three hours there and three and a half hours back and it was a brutal trip back in bad weather. The other trips were two hours to Gladden Spit and less for the other dives.

We were thinking about going back next year to celebrate 10 years since the last visit.

A warning, you will have to take a puddle jumper from Belize City to Dangriga and then a van from Dangriga to Hopkins. Be prepared for an interesting airplane ride.

Yes, they have A/C in every room.

 

[drrich2]

You may be thinking of Turtle Inn in Placencia. I'm 99% sure Hamanasi has AC.

Thanks for the correction. I was on my phone IIRC; got home, did some digging, and it's another 'name that starts with H Belize operator' that I was thinking of, Huracan Diving Lodge. Huracan lacks A.C.

Richard.

 

[JGander]

We stayed at Hamanasi in October of 2017 in a Deluxe Treehouse.
The resort is very nice, the staff is exceptional, and the food is great. The nearby town of Hopkins Bay is filled with fun and friendly people.
The drawback is that this isn't an "adventure resort" and you have to pay for "adventures" up front. For the first several days we were told that the water was too choppy at the breakers to take the boat out diving, so no scuba. We were told that the rains had made the trails too risky so no jungle trips.
After a few days we rented a car and they came rushing to ask what we needed when they found out we were going out on our own and tried to warn us that Belize could be dangerous and had "bad areas."
We drove down to Placencia and found another dive shop and set up that if Hamanasi didn't go out we would drive down and dive with them. Then we went to the National Jaguar Preserve and hiked up to Victoria Peak and played in a few waterfalls. On the way out we got information on guides for doing night hikes.
When we got back we were asked how it went and we said we had made plans to go diving in Placencia the next day if the boats weren't going out at Hamanasi, and they assured us that they had checked the weather and everything would be fine. Then we asked about a night hike (something they offered) and were told that the trails would be impassable because of mud. When we said we had already been there hiking and that we had numbers for guides they changed the tune again.
We did manage to get 4 dives while we were there, beautiful, but a long boat ride out to any diving. And we got our night hike from them, with a very good guide.
So, staff wise, great. Adventure wise, we definitely won't be back to there.

 

[Downing]

So, staff wise, great. Adventure wise, we definitely won't be back to there.

Wow, that was kind of a bummer to read. I didn't know Hamanasi was like that.

I've been all over Belize. The only area that I would consider consistently dangerous or "bad" is certain parts, actually most parts, of Belize City. But there's no way you're going to drive that far on a day trip from Hopkins. Even in BZ City, if you are out during the day and stick to the main streets you'll be fine. Of course, random acts of violence can occur anywhere at any time, but I can't think of any place in southern Belize that I would call dangerous or even a bad area. It's a third world country with a much lower standard of living than we enjoy here to be sure, but that doesn't make it bad or dangerous. I think the staff was being over the top protective of you and/or may have wanted you to hire their guides to drive you around.

So good for you for striking out on your own. Cockscomb is an incredible place. Unfortunately, I don't think my knees are up to hiking to the top of Victoria Peak, but I enjoy the hikes lower down in the basin. And yes, sometimes the trails get pretty muddy. That's life in the jungle.