Here is a Review from BenSW (London) on Trip Advisor that talks about the visit to Ian Anderson's Caves Branch Jungle Lodge during their honeymoon in Belize. He talks about different sections of the lodge and goes into detail about each section explaining his initial thoughts versus his experiences:
“We were visiting Belize for our honeymoon and opted for the River View Treehouse. As accommodation, it was stunning. Fantastic views, privacy, incredible view of the sunset, sumptuous furnishings and the delightful novelty of the outdoor jungle shower. From that perspective, it couldn't have been better for us.”
“We checked out the reviews beforehand, and after initial doubts, decided we would come in spite of what others had said of the food (and, to a certain extent, the tours). Actually, we are very happy to contradict what has been said before us, as we found the food very tasty on the whole. As we are a vegetarian and a pescatarian, we can't speak for the meat dishes, but so far as dinner and breakfast were concerned (the two meals served in the lodge) everything else was delicious. It is buffet and canteen style, i.e. everyone shares fairly large tables of 8, but we enjoyed that aspect as we met some lovely people while we were there.”
“Apart from the accommodation, the real highlight of Ian Anderson's Caves Branch is the tours. They have a vast property (50,000 acres, we were told) which covers a lot of jungle, cave systems and sinkholes, most of which they keep as conservation land (a small part is leased to citrus farmers). A whole range of tours are offered from the pedestrian (horseback riding, Belize zoo, Mayan ruins) to adrenaline-pumping ziplining, waterfall jumping and the ubiquitous "black hole drop". Frankly, it may not be worth coming here if all you wish to do is see the zoo and ride a horse, unless your childhood desire was to stay in a huge treehouse, but the rest of the tour menu is second to none.
Two more brief mentions – we went on an after-dark jungle safari hike, which was also fun, although again may not be for the faint-of-heart (on this occasion it was just the two of us and our guide, and several times we switched off our torches to encourage the wildlife to come closer). Second, we were planning at one point to do the 2-day jungle exploration, which when it was explained to us sounds particularly fun and challenging. It is subject to availability, since if the lodge is too busy they may not have enough guides available, but you leave the lodge with just a machete and bag with water, and you must then catch you own food and build a shelter for the night. It sounded fantastic, and may go some way to mitigating my initial statement that this is not for the very hardy adventurer. Worth booking in advance if you plan on doing this (they also offer a 3-day version).”
“All-in-all, we had an excellent time at Ian Anderson's Caves Branch. A wonderful way to get out into nature and leave the world of iPhones and facebook behind for a while, We found the isolation refreshing, the tours exhilarating, the company excellent and the accommodation second to none. Well done, Caves Branch! (Now work on not scaring people with your disclaimer, or warn them in advance).”
We really appreciate reviews like this and are glad that they enjoyed their time here with us especially during their honeymoon! If you plan on coming here for your honeymoon, consider a Belize honeymoon package that will include all you need to make your honeymoon special. See you soon.
