Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge

Een mooie locatie voor uitstappen vanuit San ignacio (ATM, Caracol, Botanische tuin e.a.), maar de weg er naartoe is een uitdaging. Hiervoor alleen al heb je een 4x4 nodig. Het is een groot open terrein met hoge bomen en met verschillende verspreid staande huisjes. Je kan er in alle rust en stilte volop genieten van de vele vogelsoorten. Veel leven kregen we echter niet te zien. Enkele aanpassingen om vogels en wild vanuit de aanpalende jungle aan te trekken zou een meerwaarde zijn. Enkel bij de eetgelegenheid hangt een voederstation om kolibries aan te trekken. De maaltijden (drie gangen) van Raoul zijn lekker en verrassend en geven een beeld van de eigen keuken. Let op, de juices komen dan wel uit eigen tuin, er hangt een prijskaartje aan. Net zoals de vlotjes aangeboden vogeltour. Ons huisje was in orde maar miste een aangepaste verlichting om 's avonds nog wat te lezen. Leti en Raoul zorgen voor een aangenaam verblijf en adviseren voor eventuele uitstappen.

My mom and I had a wonderful stay with Leti and Raul as the kindest, most helpful hosts. If you are looking for ‘off the beaten path’ accommodations, this will be perfect. We did stay during the dry/hot season, but each night, our cabana cooled so nicely and we enjoyed the sounds of the jungle. I cannot wait to return to enjoy birdwatching during the peak months. Leti offered tips for local sites to see. She helped with directions, maps, anything to make our days and travel easier. Raul’s cooking is top notch. When you read past reviews about the food, there is so much truth to this! Everything we ate was delicious. When my mom felt under the weather, Raul brewed tea and made sure that she was well taken care of. They truly care about the guests and this beautiful property. The pride in their work is evident. Macaw Bank is definitely a sweet spot!

Wow! We knew this would be a unique experience, but we were not prepared for the time we had. The breathtaking grounds were great, the accommodations were more than enough, but the true value was the connections we made. Miss Leti and Mr. Raul became family in the short time we spent at Macaw Bank not only treating us as guests, but making our stay truly effortless and as relaxing as humanly imaginable. Miss Leti got us anywhere we wanted to be and Mr. Raul fueled our adventures with food so good, we licked our plates clean. I cannot recommend macaw bank jungle lodge enough, and cannot wait to come back!!!

Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge is outstanding in every respect. The lodges were comfortable and beautifully furnished, with amazingly not a single bug (which is impressive in the jungle!); the screened in porch was a nice place to relax; the grounds were beautiful with well maintained jungle paths, a path to the river and extensive gardens; and the food was amazing, delicious, fresh, and healthy made up mostly of ingredients from their gardens. The hosts Lety and Raul, are the nicest, most knowledgeable, friendliest people who really made our stay special. Lety organized all of our tours, and the guides she connected us with really made the Mayan history come alive. She also convinced us to take a tour to Tikal in Guatemala and that was a highlight of our trip. Raul is an incredible chef. We ate every breakfast and dinner at the lodge (5 days), and each meal was outstanding. Our meat-loving son even enjoyed the vegan meal we had one night! Raul really should put together a cook book, we would absolutely buy it! He is a magician in the kitchen! And as an example of how accommodating and helpful Lety and Raul are, the day of our Tikal trip when we needed to leave at 5:30 in the morning, they got up and prepared a breakfast to go for us so we had food. Unbelievable! The only thing I will caution is that a 4WD vehicle is a must!

Our family of four spent four nights at Macaw Bank. We had a great time and loved getting to know Lettie , Raul (the managers/caretakers) and their sons. And, we had fun experiencing the varied activities in the area. Belize is a beautiful and diverse country and the Cayo District is very special.

My son and I stayed here with the 5 night package. Everything was amazing. The food was excellent. Leti is a great hostess. She happily made all our arrangements and made suggestions of other places to visit. She set up our trip to tikal the day before. She's amazing. Her and Raul really make this place great. It felt like visiting family. Would totally stay again.

We had an incredible time staying at Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge. Some highlights: -Beautiful and comfortable cabins. We stayed in the cotton tree cabin which was perfect for our family, our 5 year old loved the bunk beds, and we loved the relaxing screened in porch. -The incredible setting. Wake up to the sound of birds and go to sleep to the sound of crickets and frogs. Lots of nice walking trails through the jungle. You'll feel a thousand miles away from everything, and yet you're never too long of a drive to all the activities the Cayo District has to offer. You definitely need a 4WD to get here though, so don't skimp on your car rental! -The warm, thoughtful hosts. Leti and Raul were so lovely, and were especially attentive to our 5 year old. They let our kid pick fruit in the garden, answered all our questions about the wildlife and plants, and even baked a special cake for my husband's birthday. But what I want to call out for all my vegan foodies out there: THE FOOD. Raul is an incredibly gifted cook and made unbelievable vegan food for our family. We stayed for 6 nights and every breakfast and dinner was unique, creative, and delicious. Hands down the best meals we had in Belize, and honestly some of the best food I've had period. Many of the ingredients are fresh from their garden, some of the vegan meats came from a friend of theirs who makes homemade products, and all of the food was incredible. (I'm sure all of his non vegan food for other guests was great too, but I wanted all my vegan travelers out there to know how special this place is)

Can’t say enough good things about the place and the hosts Leti & Raul. This could be called a health resort in addition to an eco lodge. In addition to the utter peace & beauty, nearly everything we ate came straight from the orchard/garden on the property. And then cooked just for us the same day. We were totally catered to, with all outings arranged and confirmed, each day. Leti & Raul are very flexible and knowledgeable, about the plants, birds, foods, fauna, flora, outings, etc. A nice balance of complete relaxing, unwinding off the grid, but yet interesting outings & adventures as much as your heart desires. Every suggestion they made turned out to be just excellent. -Dan & Myrna

I met a good friend at Macaw Bank, where we spent 4 days, 4 nights. We were the only guests at the Lodge, so we got very personal attention from the managers, Leticia and Raul. Those two people are the NICEST folks you will ever meet! We enjoyed many conversations with them. They are very experienced in the hospitality business, having worked several decades for one of the oldest and most exclusive jungle lodges in Belize, Chan Chich. Leti is a very efficient manager and top-notch gardener (her garden/orchard is FULL of interesting fruit trees, herbs and vegetables), while Raul is a superb bird guide and excellent cook. They work seamlessly together. We chose not to leave the property for external tours; rather, we enjoyed the grounds, the gardens, the birds, the Macal River, the several miles of trails. We went out two mornings on birding walks with Raul. He is amazing! He knows (and can even whistle) many bird calls and songs, and he is very adept at spotting and identifying whatever bird calls, sits or flies by. One note to guests-- since the property is a long ways from town (8 miles?), you need to pay for transport to/from the property ($45 US one-way to San Ignacio) unless you have a sturdy 4-wheel vehicle) and eat meals on-site. The meals are delicious, but also expensive. Transportation from the airport to Macaw Bank is also very expensive ($160 US one-way), but there aren't many options. All-in-all, we were very happy with our experience at the property and would heartily recommend Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge to others.