Beauty of Belize: Slide show

Tomorrow, I fly to USC for Parent's Weekend with my 20-year-old. The last time I saw him, he was spearfishing lobsters off of Ambergris Caye in Belize.

Join me for our slideshow of Beautiful Belize:

We forded jungle rivers and spelunked in caves, exploring sacrificial sites of the ancient Mayan.

We stomped up temple ruins and heard tales of ancient civilizations.

We ate dragonfruit and grilled Talapia and a spinach specialty served alongside stewed meats. We ate rice and beans, at every meal, of course! We washed it all down with the island's own, Belikin, and a splash of homemade Banana Wine!

We slept in treehouses, perched 2 flights up, high in the fork of the trees. The Mopan River flowed under us, the fireflies put on a nightly show, and the jungle cats hunted prey through the tall grasses!

The next night, we slept on offshore cayes, where we biked along sandy roads (and even sandy beaches), drifted the reefs with local guides in search of barracuda, swam with sting rays in the marine sanctuary, and... yes... went free diving to spear fish for lobsters!

Come along for our photo tour, showcasing the Beauty of Belize!

Here's the link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/toughlovetravel/BeautyOfBelize#

The USVI... spotlight Maho Bay!

Maho Bay, located on the northern shore of St John in the USVI, was our tented camp home this past July. The camp is scattered through rainforest cliffs, which overlook the turquoise sea and the outlying Whistling Cay. (this view is from the deck of our own cabin!)

The camp is a labyrinth of boardwalks, connecting the few dozen tents with bathhouses, excursion desks, dining pavilion, and even glass blowing studios.

The tents have screen sides to let in the ocean breezes, and taut canvas tops which create a wonderfully percussive stage for the tropical rains!

We loved to lay in bed at night and listen to the rainforest sounds (although one citydweller asked the owner, "how do you turn off that noise?")

The chorus of chirps comes in, but the creatures stay out...like this stunning 4' iguana who lived in the branches just outside our front door!

At the cliff top, the boardwalks converge on an open air dining pavilion... check out the view!

It's a popular gathering place at sunset, and a spectacular venue to watch thunderheads roll across the sea. But most often, it is the scene of creative meals, put out twice a day, featuring yummy, fresh, and nourishing items like yogurt parfaits, spaghetti and meatballs, vegetable omelettes, and even vegan specialties. There's even a bar, for beer and wine at dinner!

There's a lot of snorkeling...

and hiking, right at the Camp...

plus a yoga hut to practice your Downward Dog at 4am, 8am, and 4pm.

A full schedule of fun's at the Excursion hut

where the accommodating staff will set up all kinds of things, from cooking to art, night dives to kayaking.

TLT recommendation? Make time to go sailing on the Pepper!

For more information on Maho Bay Camps and the island of St John, email me at

Melanie@toughlovetravel.com!