Stoo
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So I am "decompressing" this AM, after getting home at 3 AM from a week at Belize Resort - Huracan Diving - All Inclusive Island Vacation so I thought I'd share a few thoughts for those considering a trip...
First, it's perhaps worth reading my report of Turneffe Island Resort, since there a few comparisons in this report. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/belize/328892-trip-report-turneffe-island-resort.html
We first became aware of the option to stay out on Long Caye while returning from the Blue Hole, while diving withTIR. I noticed some buildings on the Caye and asked our DM what they were. I was looking at the roofs of "ITZA Resort", which is a small lodge, recently reopened after hurricane damage. Long Caye is an odd little "community", with a couple of private homes, Huracan, ITZA and a couple of guest houses.
Huracan itself (the building) was originally constructed as a hospital to serve the community that was expected to unfold out there, but to date, has not.
Six years ago, a young Belgian woman, Ruth, and her partner stumbled across the unoccupied building while investigating opening a dive operation in Mexico. To make a long story short, they bought the place and Huracan was born.
In the ensuing years, that partnership dissolved, and Ruth assembled a noteworthy staff.
By way of an overview, Huracan is essentially one building, with four bedrooms, a kitchen and a dining room/lounge/porch. The place is comfortable and clean and has a wonderful welcoming "vibe" about it. Ruth and her staff welcomed us as friends and by week's end, we were truly sad to leave. It's quite basic, much like we expected it to be, given its remote location. If you go, go with this remoteness in mind. There are a few "support" buildings... staff housing etc., but they are out of sight. Huracan is not on the beach, so access to the "front dock" is about a five minute walk (my sprained ankle didn't help!) or perhaps ten to the "back dock" (which we used when unfriendly winds required a move).
The staff looked after schllepping our gear back and forth each day (using an ATV with trailer) so other than carrying my camera and a towel, this wasn't a hardship in any way.
Throughout the week, Mrs. Stoo and our travel companion (a new diver) talked about what we liked at this place, and the Missus and I frequently compared it to Turneffe... Here's a bit of a summary:
We loved the remoteness and the proximity to the Blue Hole (10 - 15 minutes) and Halfmoon Caye (5 minutes). The diving was absolutely superb... except when the weather didn't cooperate (see below). The staff was not only attentive, but a LOT of fun. "CC" the cook and resident "everything", is simply the hardest working woman I've crossed paths with. The DM (Jerome) and Captain (Jack) are true characters we really enjoyed diving with them. They know the waters well and this local knowledge is invaluable. For the first three days, we were the only guests, we three dove with Jerome and found him obliging and flexible. Jack and Jerome found great humour in hiding bits of my dive gear every day, which was pretty funny.
When four other guests arrived, (parents and two teenaged boys) who were inexperienced divers, Jerome sent us on our own and we appreciated that. Almost all of the diving is drift diving and Captain Jack made sure we never bobbed about for long! Due to the proximity to the Blue Hole, we dove there twice, once with Jack, and once unescorted. In each case, we were back out of the water before any other boat arrived. As a photographer, this was AWESOME since the viz can die fast out there once other divers arrive.
I think the dive operation best suits more experienced divers who are comfortable diving in a remote location, to moderately deep depths.
So all in all, the food was plentiful, yet basic, with fresh seafood (traded for coffee with local fisherman), lots or rice and beans and tasty deserts served at lunch. The food is not comparable to Turneffe, in the sense that there isn't a choice of meal, although they were able to accommodate my preference to not eat shellfish. The rooms were large, airy, clean and the beds comfortable. We slept like logs after three hour-long dives most days.
There are a few things that will disappoint some travellers that are expecting all of the creature comforts. All fresh water is collected rain water, so long showers are discouraged. (Drinking water is provided in large jugs.) You are expected to bring your own boat towels (to reduce laundering "pressures" on the caye). Evenings are spent hanging out on the porch. Alcoholic drinks are extra, but reasonably priced. (We ran into some friends returning from TIR, and they commented on the "punitive" bar pricing at that place!)
I mentioned earlier that our weather wasn't great.. in fact, for much of the week it was down right awful.. "cold", windy, some rain. As a result, we found it difficult to get towels and suits dry. Bathroom towels were "refreshed" midweek, which was nice. I think the sheets were too, but honestly, I don't know. I was generally unconscious by the time my head hit the pillow! Most of the "complaints" (and I use the term loosely) were related to the lousy weather... It would have been nice to soak in a long, hot shower. It would have been nice to be able to dry our "stuff" between dives or at least, days. It would have been nice be able to flop in the sun fro a while to warm up... Of course none of these "problems" really are significant...
The weather did restrict our diving, pretty much blowing us out one day, and limiting our sites to the less-desirable east end for a couple of days, and preventing diving at Halfmoon (which was a big part of our reason for going). Mid week, we had to share the only boat with the new family as well as a couple of guys from the the "resort", and this had the potential to cause some "stress" as these folks really weren't up to diving in six-foot swells once were were able to get back to the west side. Fortunately, we were able to get over to Halfmoon by Friday and finished the week on a high note.
Nitrox isn't available the Huracan, but the west side walls, an those at Halfmoon, come up to depths is 25 feet or so, so that didn't matter. In fact, diving air allowed my to get up close and personal to a few larger critters that were hanging out below "32" depths.
I think with such a small place, the other guests and the staff will determine the 'vibe' of the place. Unlike Turneffe, where staff were apparently discouraged from hanging out with guests, we essentially lived with the staff, and Ruth's five-month old baby. Some might cringe at this, but she is a quiet, happy baby, who was a great source of entertainment. We enjoyed hanging out with Jerome, Jack and other support staff, as well as various random folks that seemed to drop in from time tto time.
When we decided to book this place, we had a few concerns, but I'm happy to report than none of them turned out to be issues. As I mentioned the weather was not what we had hoped for, but as awesome as Ruth and her staff are, we recognize that even they can't control the wind. When we compared the high level of "creature comforts" at Turneffe Island Lodge to those at Huracan, clearly TIR comes out on top, however when one factors in the relative cost (Huracan being about half the price), any complaints we might have had simply vanished. Next time, we'll take two boat towels!
Would we return? Absolutely. We are actually considering going again this summer and staying for 10 days or two weeks. (Surprisingly, they have WIFI (satellite) so I can be away from work somewhat longer (Turneffe had one Internet computer, and charged for it's use...) Again, with it's reasonable pricing, it's like a return week is free! ;-)
First, it's perhaps worth reading my report of Turneffe Island Resort, since there a few comparisons in this report. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/belize/328892-trip-report-turneffe-island-resort.html
We first became aware of the option to stay out on Long Caye while returning from the Blue Hole, while diving withTIR. I noticed some buildings on the Caye and asked our DM what they were. I was looking at the roofs of "ITZA Resort", which is a small lodge, recently reopened after hurricane damage. Long Caye is an odd little "community", with a couple of private homes, Huracan, ITZA and a couple of guest houses.
Huracan itself (the building) was originally constructed as a hospital to serve the community that was expected to unfold out there, but to date, has not.
Six years ago, a young Belgian woman, Ruth, and her partner stumbled across the unoccupied building while investigating opening a dive operation in Mexico. To make a long story short, they bought the place and Huracan was born.
In the ensuing years, that partnership dissolved, and Ruth assembled a noteworthy staff.
By way of an overview, Huracan is essentially one building, with four bedrooms, a kitchen and a dining room/lounge/porch. The place is comfortable and clean and has a wonderful welcoming "vibe" about it. Ruth and her staff welcomed us as friends and by week's end, we were truly sad to leave. It's quite basic, much like we expected it to be, given its remote location. If you go, go with this remoteness in mind. There are a few "support" buildings... staff housing etc., but they are out of sight. Huracan is not on the beach, so access to the "front dock" is about a five minute walk (my sprained ankle didn't help!) or perhaps ten to the "back dock" (which we used when unfriendly winds required a move).
The staff looked after schllepping our gear back and forth each day (using an ATV with trailer) so other than carrying my camera and a towel, this wasn't a hardship in any way.
Throughout the week, Mrs. Stoo and our travel companion (a new diver) talked about what we liked at this place, and the Missus and I frequently compared it to Turneffe... Here's a bit of a summary:
We loved the remoteness and the proximity to the Blue Hole (10 - 15 minutes) and Halfmoon Caye (5 minutes). The diving was absolutely superb... except when the weather didn't cooperate (see below). The staff was not only attentive, but a LOT of fun. "CC" the cook and resident "everything", is simply the hardest working woman I've crossed paths with. The DM (Jerome) and Captain (Jack) are true characters we really enjoyed diving with them. They know the waters well and this local knowledge is invaluable. For the first three days, we were the only guests, we three dove with Jerome and found him obliging and flexible. Jack and Jerome found great humour in hiding bits of my dive gear every day, which was pretty funny.
When four other guests arrived, (parents and two teenaged boys) who were inexperienced divers, Jerome sent us on our own and we appreciated that. Almost all of the diving is drift diving and Captain Jack made sure we never bobbed about for long! Due to the proximity to the Blue Hole, we dove there twice, once with Jack, and once unescorted. In each case, we were back out of the water before any other boat arrived. As a photographer, this was AWESOME since the viz can die fast out there once other divers arrive.
I think the dive operation best suits more experienced divers who are comfortable diving in a remote location, to moderately deep depths.
So all in all, the food was plentiful, yet basic, with fresh seafood (traded for coffee with local fisherman), lots or rice and beans and tasty deserts served at lunch. The food is not comparable to Turneffe, in the sense that there isn't a choice of meal, although they were able to accommodate my preference to not eat shellfish. The rooms were large, airy, clean and the beds comfortable. We slept like logs after three hour-long dives most days.
There are a few things that will disappoint some travellers that are expecting all of the creature comforts. All fresh water is collected rain water, so long showers are discouraged. (Drinking water is provided in large jugs.) You are expected to bring your own boat towels (to reduce laundering "pressures" on the caye). Evenings are spent hanging out on the porch. Alcoholic drinks are extra, but reasonably priced. (We ran into some friends returning from TIR, and they commented on the "punitive" bar pricing at that place!)
I mentioned earlier that our weather wasn't great.. in fact, for much of the week it was down right awful.. "cold", windy, some rain. As a result, we found it difficult to get towels and suits dry. Bathroom towels were "refreshed" midweek, which was nice. I think the sheets were too, but honestly, I don't know. I was generally unconscious by the time my head hit the pillow! Most of the "complaints" (and I use the term loosely) were related to the lousy weather... It would have been nice to soak in a long, hot shower. It would have been nice to be able to dry our "stuff" between dives or at least, days. It would have been nice be able to flop in the sun fro a while to warm up... Of course none of these "problems" really are significant...
The weather did restrict our diving, pretty much blowing us out one day, and limiting our sites to the less-desirable east end for a couple of days, and preventing diving at Halfmoon (which was a big part of our reason for going). Mid week, we had to share the only boat with the new family as well as a couple of guys from the the "resort", and this had the potential to cause some "stress" as these folks really weren't up to diving in six-foot swells once were were able to get back to the west side. Fortunately, we were able to get over to Halfmoon by Friday and finished the week on a high note.
Nitrox isn't available the Huracan, but the west side walls, an those at Halfmoon, come up to depths is 25 feet or so, so that didn't matter. In fact, diving air allowed my to get up close and personal to a few larger critters that were hanging out below "32" depths.
I think with such a small place, the other guests and the staff will determine the 'vibe' of the place. Unlike Turneffe, where staff were apparently discouraged from hanging out with guests, we essentially lived with the staff, and Ruth's five-month old baby. Some might cringe at this, but she is a quiet, happy baby, who was a great source of entertainment. We enjoyed hanging out with Jerome, Jack and other support staff, as well as various random folks that seemed to drop in from time tto time.
When we decided to book this place, we had a few concerns, but I'm happy to report than none of them turned out to be issues. As I mentioned the weather was not what we had hoped for, but as awesome as Ruth and her staff are, we recognize that even they can't control the wind. When we compared the high level of "creature comforts" at Turneffe Island Lodge to those at Huracan, clearly TIR comes out on top, however when one factors in the relative cost (Huracan being about half the price), any complaints we might have had simply vanished. Next time, we'll take two boat towels!
Would we return? Absolutely. We are actually considering going again this summer and staying for 10 days or two weeks. (Surprisingly, they have WIFI (satellite) so I can be away from work somewhat longer (Turneffe had one Internet computer, and charged for it's use...) Again, with it's reasonable pricing, it's like a return week is free! ;-)
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