Chan Chich Lodge

We visited at the end of Feb for only two night. It is an incredible place if you like being off the beaten path and seeing wildlife and birds. We identified over 70 bird species, saw 2 puma (one up close on a hike), spider monkeys, peccaries and tracks of ocelots and maybe a margay. The guides are very dedicated to their work and on night drives Ruben is persistent in scanning with the spot light and excited to point out owls, foxes and a puma. Emil is not only a very attentive server but an expert birder and extremely knowledgeable about wildlife. The cabanas are comfortable but do expect bugs, low lighting and little airflow, the beds have netting and there is a floor and ceiling fan. We took ground transportation to the lodge which was nice to see the landscape and then flew out. We mostly walked the trails ourselves and enjoyed exploring. It had been raining so the trials were muddy and slippery. The food is amazing. Thank you for supporting Belize Bird Rescue!

We absolutely loved our time at Chan Chich. A place to truly escape from it all and be immersed in nature, Chan Chich is decidedly remarkable. While there was WiFi if needed, we loved how "off the grid" Chan Chich was...the chance to relax and recharge in a remote, wild place is a rare pleasure. We loved our daily howler monkey wake-up calls, birdwatching from our cabin's front porch, and appreciating the gorgeous, lush flora and diverse, fascinating fauna. Thanks to expert guides Luis and Reuben, we saw incredible wildlife (our first ocelot!) and I added an impressive number of dazzling bird species to my life list. Habitat for an incredible range of species, Chan Chich is a birder's paradise for certain. Special mention to the amazing folks who run Chan Chich's restaurant. The food was always delicious and the staff was warm and welcoming--the very essence of what hospitality should be. (Shout out to Cali, Shawn, and Emil...you guys are the best!) We can't recommend Chan Chich highly enough--wonderful Elijio and his staff have created an incredible ecolodge experience. We will always treasure our time here and definitely hope to return.

This was our second time at Chan Chich and it’s still as spectacular as it was in the late ‘80’s! The cabanas are comfortable, the food is very good having come from the Chan Chich property, the staff very solicitous, and the education about Belize and its wonders top-notch with the tours on the property and around Belize having very knowledgeable guides. Thank you for helping to make my education about Belize complete.

To properly review Chan Chich I have to reveal some things about myself. I'm a serious photographer. I only go where the wildlife and environment are ethically respected. I prefer locally-owned. I'm a foodie. I like comfort. I'm up there in years. And, I'm a safety freak. Chan Chich meets absolutely all my needs. This is in a fine list of favorite places for wildlife viewing. No doubt there are many a creature to be aware of in the rainforest, but with the local guides, I felt quite at home in this peaceful kingdom. I urge anyone interested in visiting to throughly read the history and ethics of Chan Chich on their website. To learn about the various animals flying, climbing, roaming and slithering in this pristine land. Your participation in spotting wildlife will only enhance your experience. And at the end of the day, an incredible meal is prepared from the farm on the estate. Afterwards you wander back to your cabana to find your bed turned down, a cookie and a story on the bedside table. Darkness falls quickly and the comfort of your bed welcomes you to slumber until you hear a loud roar outside during the wee hours. At breakfast, you find it wasn't a puma but territorial howler monkeys. Chan Chich is one of those places to visit when you truly need to get away from the craziness of man's world and reconnect with the real. All too soon the staff take you down the 7-mile track to the Gallon Jug airstrip and a Cessna single engine is waiting to take you back to BZE to head home fully refresh. Will I return? Do hummingbirds return when the cold wind blows? Of course, I will.

If you want an authentic rain forest /birding experience, this is the place! In 3 days, we saw and photographed over 40 species of birds ( that does not include Boa constrictor, monkeys and Peccarys, or the other mammals we saw ) . The lodge setting itself had plenty of wildlife, but the outings were very special. There were organized activities from 6:30 AM till 9 PM. The staff was wonderful and amazingly knowledgable - always making sure no one felt rushed and could experience the wonderful wildlife. The food was great, as was the service in general. Even the vehicles they used for the driving tours ( day and night ) were top notch - Elevated rows of seats for optimal viewing, Bean bag camera perches, cofortable 4 wheel drives. They are thoughtful, protective of the animals and forest, and worked hard to minimize human impact. Rooms were nice. You are in the rain forest, not on the outskirts. I can't imagine anything more magical.

My friend and I stayed at Chan Chich Lodge for four nights. The estate is beautiful but our room wasn’t. We were in a basic room with two beds which was run down and freezing cold. We are not sure if this was down to our agent or the Lodge telling us it was the only room available. Unfortunately It was cold and raining when we were there, I asked for extra blankets and was given only one. There wasn’t anywhere for us to put our cases just a small cupboard which my friend used and I left my things inside my bag. When we left all our clothes and soft cases were damp including fact everything was damp including the beds and towels. When the weather is bad there isn’t a plan B so there isn’t anything to do except read. We did go on a couple of night drives and saw one Ocelot which was the highlight. We had a tour around the estate which was the most successful trip and we both really enjoyed. After the night drives we were freezing cold but unfortunately there isn’t an option to get a drink as the bar was permanently closed, there were on a few of us staying here so maybe no demand. The food is delicious all homemade, we would have liked to try the sauces made on the estate but they weren’t on the table to try with meals. Ruben and Luis were excellent guides but we didn’t see much wildlife because of the rain. We would have liked the opportunity to upgrade to a room with walls and air conditioning, also we would have rather arrived by plane instead of having to endure the road journey but this wasn’t offered to us. A lovely estate but our shabby room let it down.