Roxtons offer a wide variety of sporting holidays in exotic locations all over the world and have an unrivalled depth of knowledge and experience – The best possible chance of sporting excellence
If you are looking for a tropical hideaway to escape from these dark winter months then perhaps you need not look any further than the sumptuous lodges along the coast of Belize. Louise Mackenny has just come back from a visit and tells us just how good they are:-
I have recently returned from a fantastic trip to Belize where I had the chance to immerse myself in the rainforest around San Ignacio and enjoy the stunning beaches and flats of Ambergris Cay and Placencia.
I jumped at the chance of visiting Belize as I had heard so many wonderful things about how friendly the people were, how stunning the scenery is and apparently the fishing is not too bad either!
We are often asked by guests if they can extend their stay in Belize either before or after their fishing so it was a great chance for me to visit another property and this time in the jungle.
The Lodge at Chaa Creek is set in 365 acres of private nature reserve not far from the town of San Iganacio. This was a stunning location in which to start my trip and I stayed in a superb thatched cottage with outdoor shower. The food was incredible and the majority of the fruit and salad comes from the lodge’s organic garden. The activities on offer at Chaa Creek seem endless and I went horse riding through the jungle, bird watching, took a “creatures of the night” tour, visited a Mayan Ruin and of course went to the Spa. The family friendly lodge works perfectly in combination with a stay at the beach or after a tiring fishing trip.
Having arranged trips to El Pescador for many years it was a great opportunity to visit the lodge and meet the staff in person. El Pescador sells itself as a home-from-home destination where you become part of the ‘family’ and this is absolutely how I felt. After a short hop from Belize City to San Pedro and a boat ride along the coast you arrive at El Pescador, nestled in amongst the palms on the beach.
Greeted by such friendly staff who all remember your name and a welcome drink and tour was the perfect process to get things settled. When you live in the UK, dining outside is a very rare occurrence so eating outside every evening was certainly a big treat for me and a great way to find out how all the other fishermen had got on during the day.
I fished for a couple of days from El Pescador and had an excellent guide who was so knowledgeable about the area and wildlife and also had a great set of eyes! The fishing was very productive and the flats seemed endless with lots of bonefish landed. Sadly I only jumped tarpon and could not get them to the boat and I also had lots of failed attempts at getting the fly presented perfectly to permit – as ever they refused!
All too quickly I had to leave El Pescador but when I walked into my room at Turtle Inn, the only thing I could say was wow!
Overlooking the ocean, the cottage sits on stilts with a vaulted thatched ceiling and is decorated in a Balinese style. The cottage had so much space with seating areas, kitchenette and the most fabulous bathroom with a walled private garden and outdoor shower. No ordinary shower, this one flows through a 5 inch piece of bamboo. I found this the perfect place to clean off my flats wading boots after a day of fishing!
Turtle Inn just gets better and better as it has everything you could want for a fantastic holiday along with great fishing. They use excellent local guides who know the area so well and are very enthusiastic. I spent a day on the water here and caught numerous bonefish, saw lots of tarpon and also cast at numerous permit. This is a really good place for permit with lots of flats just perfect for wading and casting to them. For anyone not fishing or in between days, Turtle Inn has two swimming pools and is set on a stunning sandy beach where you can snorkel and kayak or just relax in a hammock.
The staff can organise a number of activities from diving, visiting Mayan Ruins, snorkelling or sunset cruises so there is plenty to do.
The main restaurant, lit by candle and lanterns in the evening, serves fantastic meals by very attentive staff, and overlooks the pool and ocean. You can eat during the day at the Poolside Bar or perhaps borrow a bicycle and ride for five minutes into the town of Placencia and have a meal at a local restaurant. It is a great place for couples wishing to relax and fish or families with children as there is plenty to do and see.
As the snow falls again outside of my office, a trip to cast to the bonefish of Belize sounds very appealing…!
By Louise Mackenny
Contact Roxtons at info@roxtons .com for further details.
Roxtons, Hungerford, UK – Fishing tel: 01488 689701
