Also… significantly more mosquito bites
I am acutely aware of how long this next blog installment has taken me. I’ve had it mostly written for some time but hadn’t gotten round to the editing and adding pictures stage. Life has given us many challenges and distractions of late… But as is so often the case it has found a way, and much like this blog it goes on regardless. I would say I promise not to leave it so long until the next one, and I will do my best to stick to that, but… no promises!
Our first overland border crossing
Leaving Mexico felt bigger than we expected. We’d settled into life in the quiet seaside town of Telchac Puerto and just started to find a rhythm. But this next leg was always meant to be different. Less ‘slow travel’ and more proper backpacking. Short stays, moving often, seeing and soaking in as many sights as we could in 6 weeks.
We broke the journey with a stop in Bacalar, just near the border, still in Mexico. Eight hours in the car meant it was a much-needed stop, but it turned into something we were glad we did. Bacalar lagoon is incredible, water so clear you can see everything and a town which we wished we’d had more time to explore, as it was – a quick swim from one of its pontoons was all we had time for.
Then came the Mexico/Belize border. We’d read about it beforehand, so we came prepared for the “extra fee” that isn’t a fee. Sure enough, the guards tried it on – insisting to us that there was a Mexico exit fee of a few hundred dollars (there is not). But between me, Nikki, and our driver, we held our ground. Calm, polite, but very clear we weren’t paying anything despite their claims, guns and insisting the fee was genuine.
Funnily enough, as soon as we said ‘ok, take us into the building over there and we’ll pay by card’ they muttered, quietly cursed and waved us though. Apparently, the fee is only real if you pay it straight into the guards’ pocket in cash…
And just like that, we were in Belize.
First Impressions: A Different Kind of Travel
The change was immediate.
Mexico had been vibrant, busy, full of life, but Belize felt quieter, wilder & greener. The jungle seemed thicker, closer, pressing in around the roads. There were fewer people, fewer buildings, and long stretches where it felt like you were just passing through nature rather than carving through it.
It was clear straight away that this part of the journey was going to feel different. We weren’t settling into one place, we were moving, exploring, seeing as much as we could in a short space of time. It felt like we’d shifted gears into this wildlife rich country, and wildlife was one of our main reasons for being here.
Bermudian Landing & The Sound of the Jungle
Our first stop was Bermudian Landing, a small village, central in Belize and set along the river. It’s also home to what’s locally known as the Baboon Sanctuary.
Despite the name, there are no baboons here… that’s just what the locals refer to them as, they are actually Howler Monkeys.
We arrived at night to a beautiful cabana right next to the sanctuary, tucked into the trees. The kind of place where you really feel part of the surroundings rather than just visiting them. On our very first morning, we woke to the sound of spectacled parrots right outside the decking, tearing into cashew pods as if we weren’t even there. It became one of those small daily rituals to just watch them go about their morning.
Here we also met Peter and Clarice, fellow travellers from the UK, who left a real impression on both of us. There was something really grounding in talking to people who have held onto that same sense of adventure throughout their lives. They were so supportive of the lifestyle we’ve chosen, and it reinforced something we’ve felt more and more on this journey – that this way of living is truly worth holding onto, and that a spirit of adventure in travel should never leave you.
Thank you, Peter & Clarice, you inspired us more than you know.
The sanctuary itself was as good as we’d hoped. The monkeys were curious and surprisingly bold, coming down from the trees and moving around us with a kind of calm confidence, even the babies were not shy of humans. But it was the sound that stayed with us. When the males call, it doesn’t sound like a monkey at all; it’s deep, resonant, almost like a lion echoing through the trees. The whole jungle seems to vibrate with it.
It felt very wild and you could hear them from some distance!
Food, Fry-Jacks & a Very Different Kind of Cricket
Just up the road, we found one of those small roadside food spots that always seem to become highlights without trying. It didn’t have much competition to be honest, there was not much else around Bermudian landing, but this made it no less awesome. Locally made ice cream in flavours we’d never had before were one highlight, with Soursop a firm favourite. Then of course our introduction to fry-jacks which are somewhere between a fried dough pocket and a pasty, stuffed with spicy chicken or served sweet, they quickly became an almost staple. There were more than a few consumed over our time there.
Not far from that same stretch of road, we stumbled across a local cricket festival—something I was keen to check out, despite Nikki’s long-standing view that cricket is, at best, questionable entertainment.
This wasn’t the version she had in mind.
Instead of cucumber sandwiches, quiet applause and long silences, it was BBQ smoke, music pumping from multiple sound systems, people dancing, kids running around, drinks flowing. It felt more like a festival that happened to include cricket rather than the other way around. Her verdict was simple: “If it’s like this all the time, I’ll go more often.”
A small but satisfying victory for global Cricket!
River Days & Cave Tubing
Life in Bermudian Landing quickly found a pattern – swimming in the river, chatting with locals, slow walks taking in the colour and warmth of everything around us. Even the police station seemed to have more personality than most buildings back home.
One of the standout experiences here was cave tubing. We took a day trip to a local national park and for over three hours, we floated slowly down the river in tractor tyre inner tubes, drifting through cave systems that were once deeply sacred to the Maya. They believed that caves were gateways to the underworld and it’s easy to see why. It was equal parts relaxing and surreal with dark chambers, bats overhead, and stories of rituals and history woven into the experience.
It’s hard to describe exactly why it felt so special, but it did, a truly epic way to spend a morning.
Belize Zoo: Conservation done brilliantly
From there, we headed to the Belize Zoo, staying one night at the attached research centre. Our cabin overlooked a quiet lake where turtles surfaced and herons frequented. In hindsight this was a place we felt we should have stayed more than 1 night, but we definitely made the most of the time we spent here.
Belize was not necessarily hotter than Mexico, but heavier, much more humid and we were already acutely aware that the flying biting bugs were much more prevalent, and it was to only get worse! Still, there plenty of bugs I didn’t mind seeing close up and Leafcutter ants make tracks around this country with almost impunity, they are a sight to behold and we all never tired of.
That evening, we joined a night tour of the zoo, which turned out to be one of the most memorable wildlife experiences of the trip. Seeing Jaguars just a few feet away and even getting to feed them, spotting huge Crocodiles in the dark, and coming across Tapirs, Ocelots, and Jaguarundis gave it a completely different feel to a daytime visit. We ventured back the following day to spend a fantastic day touring this incredible Zoo
What really makes this Zoo stand out is its philosophy. Every animal here is native to Belize, and most are rescues so nothing feels out of place. The enclosures are open and natural, and in some cases (like with the monkeys) you get the sense they could leave if they wanted to but simply don’t need to. The kids especially loved the way each animal’s story was told, not as a list of facts, but as a narrative, often written in rhyme, explaining how they ended up there.
It felt very thoughtful, natural and genuinely the nicest zoo I’ve ever been to.
Deeper Into the Jungle: TREES
From there, we went further inland to TREES which stands for Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society. This is a jungle-based ecological research centre where you can stay in one of many cabins as a visitor. Before getting there though we had to navigate the Belize bus system… Not an easy thing. Whilst the buses are alive with music, chatter and colour, they are also very busy. We actually got disembarked from one bus because it was too full, and had to wait another 2 hours in a hot bus station for the next one… Still, you’re never too far from an ice cream in Belize!
This was a shift again, with more rustic accommodation and even more dense sticky jungle surrounding you. It really gave you the sense that you were fully immersed in nature. Our cabin was simple, but had everything we needed… Once we’d gotten rid of a minor ant invasion on arrival! Every morning brought large groups of keel-billed toucans (the national bird of Belize) moving through the trees, no TV programme or image on a screen can do justice to just how colourful and bizarre these birds are, we never tired of spotting them, as well as all the other numerous parrots and tropical birds.
We were lucky enough to join in with river ecology sessions, learning about local turtle species by tracking and catching them before taking some data and letting them go about their Turtle power business. Our evenings were spent surrounded by bats and the constant, layered noise of the jungle. It never really goes quiet it just changes tone and becomes something you get used to as a soundtrack to your sleep.
And then, unexpectedly, some of the best food and drinks we’d had in Belize came from the small café on site. Board games, good meals, and frozen tamarind margaritas that quickly became an all-time favourite cocktail.
Sattva Land & a Rare Encounter
A short journey from TREES brought us to Sattva Land, a small co-living space with just a handful of resident families. It didn’t take long to feel welcomed in. We have the awesome Yasmin and Andy to thank for that. A British/Swedish couple who relocated here with their 3 children, they again were an inspiration to us, they were incredibly generous and we joined homeschool sessions, jungle walks, music and craft activities, and spent time just being part of a small, open, generous community. These kinds of places seem to attract a certain type of person; curious, kind, and happy to share. I even got invited to the all-dad’s beer and darts night, it’s always surprising us the things that can happen when you just allow the journey to naturally dictate things rather than having too much of a fixed itinerary.
One morning on our way to Sattva land something very special happened. I was walking up the lane with Roscoe; we had one of those moments that stops you in your tracks… A Jaguarundi crossed the path in front of us.
No noise, no fuss, just there, glancing at us, and then gone. Jaguarundis are a much smaller cousin to the Jaguar, not particularly dangerous but just as elusive and difficult to spot in the wild so this was a rare sight. One which we hoped may happen again in the same spot, but it proved to be a one off and all the more memorable for it.
We also took a trip out to Billy Barquedier National Park, where a sticky jungle hike gifted us beautiful waterfalls that you could swim in at the end, much needed and we had the place entirely to ourselves. It felt untouched, quiet, and completely removed from everything else… far less sanitised than the national parks back in the UK, and far less busy.
Tobacco Caye: A Different Kind of Paradise
After all that jungle, we shifted again…this time out to sea.
Tobacco Caye is a tiny island, reached by a 40-minute boat ride, and measuring just a few acres across. The boat ride is not for the faint hearted; I’m ok with boats but I have never been thrown about so much, I think everyone on board was a little terrified at one point or another, but the guy at the wheel didn’t seem to flinch… Smashing into wave after wave until we reached the Caye.
But despite the nerve shredding speedboat journey and Tobacco Cayes lack of size, it more than makes up for in atmosphere… This place was simply stunning. I’ve never been anywhere like it, just a gorgeous haven circled by reef.
It’s hard to overstate how beautiful it is.
We spent hours in the water, snorkelling alongside rays, barracudas, nurse sharks, and more fish than we could count. It genuinely felt like being inside an aquarium!
There’s also a brilliant marine research centre on the island, currently focused on the impact of invasive Lionfish, which are a huge problem to the local marine-life as they have no natural predator here. Fisherman are paid for every Lionfish they can catch and by chance on the day we arrived we were invited to take part in a Lionfish dissection and education session by the Tobacco Caye Marine Research Centre. We learned all about their biology and even got to eat our dissection fish afterwards (cooked, obviously). I can attest that Lionfish is delicious.
After just 2 nights on this paradise island, we were on our way, but not without a gift from the sea… Roscoe managed to find 2 unmatching pink crocs in some ocean debris hugging a corner of the island. He quickly claimed these and pretty much wore nothing else for the rest of our travels! Free Sea-Crocs, the best kind.
Garifuna Culture in Hopkins
Back on the mainland (after another spine jangling boat ride), we headed to the town of Hopkins and a stay at Palmento Grove with Ms. Martinez.
This was one of the most meaningful parts of our time in Belize. Set among mangroves and only accessible by kayak, it felt both remote and deeply connected to Belize at the same time. It’s hard to describe our stay here than anything other than cultural immersion. It’s a place built around preserving and sharing the Garifuna culture native to Belize, and other countries along the Caribbean coast.
What made it special wasn’t just what we were told, but what we were invited to do.
On our first evening, Ms Martinez offered to cook us a traditional meal, but she ably recruited us to cook alongside her… so we all listened… and we all learned. Preparing coconuts from scratch, preparing barracuda. We cooked together and gained so much understanding on the importance of each step of the process. The way Ms. Martinez involved the kids; patiently, confidently, and with genuine warmth made it feel like something more than just a lesson. It was a truly special evening.
The following day, we kayaked through the mangroves, spotting countless mud crabs and quietly appreciating the stillness of it all. We were both relieved (but a little disappointed) to not spot any crocodiles on our journey. It was still the best way to experience mangroves, via the seat of a meandering Kayak.
What stayed with us most was the feeling of Garifuna culture itself; warm, vibrant, generous, and full of life considering the difficult history it’s had. It’s reflected not just in the people, but in the colours, the music, the food and the way everything seemed to be shared openly without hesitation or motive. Just warm openness and sharing of culture and knowledge.
Final Days: Beaches, Manatees & One Last Jungle Walk
Our final stop was the Funky Dodo hostel, also in Hopkins. Funky Dodo was your typical backpackers hostel complete with long-term resident whacked out hippies, interesting bookshelves and a constantly changing array of people and faces, it was very cool, and the kids loved chatting away to anyone who would listen.
By this point, we slowed things down. Plenty of beach days, warm water, ice creams and a bit of rest after weeks of moving. However, there were still a couple of standout moments.
A boat trip to see Manatees gave us close encounters with these calm, gentle animals. They are an incredible sight to behold, and we were lucky enough to have a mother and calf swimming nearby who were as interested in us as we were in them. Our guide’s passion for them was clear, and his knowledge and love for these creatures added something extra to the experience.
Finally, a visit to Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Sanctuary a veritable mecca for anyone who knows anything about big cat conservation, especially Jaguars. We didn’t see any jaguars which, realistically, we never expected to, but the hike itself was enough. Just the four of us, deep in the jungle and on the lookout for wildlife, with not another soul in sight.
It felt like the kind of ending this part of the journey deserved, the 4 of us connecting as a family over a mutual shared love of wildlife and adventure.
Final Thoughts
Belize isn’t the easiest place to travel. It’s more expensive than you expect, transport can be rough, the accommodation can be basic at times and the mosquitoes are relentless… My legs looked genuinely horrendous, like… more bites than bare skin kind of bad, and no repellent I found seemed to work.
But what it gives you in return is so much more positive than any of the above.
Wildlife on a scale we hadn’t experienced before. Cultures that welcome you in. People with such warmth and happiness you can’t help but feel great about life. Honestly, Belize was stunning and we barely scratched the surface, we would all happily return in a heartbeat.
The nature of this leg of our travels really meant we grew here… As a family and as a team and while it pushed us at times, it also gave us some of the most memorable experiences we’ve had so far.
As the locals love to say, “you better Be-lize it”!
What’s Next
Our next stop is Guatemala. We had a few hours drive to the border, then an ‘interesting’ crossing before another few hours drive to Flores. This next leg of our travels would mean another shift in rhythm, back to longer stays in one place and our next worldschool hub, and another beautiful chapter in our adventures.
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