Instant Reader Report
on St. George's Lodge / [same] in
Belize / St. George's Caye on
2003/03
by
Dave & Joanne Farrel , WI, USA
Report Number 030405122612824

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 Cayman Islands, Provo, Roatan, San Salvador, Bonaire, Key Largo 

Dive Conditions

Divers were divided into groups of 2-5 people, each with a guide.    

[None]  

Overall Rating

     We like small, relaxed off-the-beaten-path resorts, and were very
happy with our 2 recent choices - St. George's Lodge for our dive resort
and Ek Tun for our "jungle lodge" experience.  
     A driver and mini-van were waiting to take us from the airport to the
boat dock.  Carlos picked up the groceries and us for boat ride out to St.
George's Caye.  The resort is one of few properties on the island.  It has
frontage on both sides of the island with the cabanas on the calm leeward
side, and the lodge and dive boat pier on the windward side.  Lodging is
mostly in over-water cabanas which were roomy and comfortable.  Each one
has a shady front porch where juice and tea/coffee are delivered every
morning.  The cabanas are on a circular boardwalk, which provides an
interesting place to find and watch small critters.  The main lodge has an
open, very informal lounge/bar area for visiting and enjoying the great
appetizers before dinner.  Meals, served family-style at long tables,
consist of several choices and more good food than you can eat.  Fred and
Fran are wonderful, accommodating hosts who do everything they can to make
everyone feel welcome.
     Dive sites were chosen to meet the divers' wishes.  The dive boat was
uncrowded and unhurried, with crew taking care of your dive gear and
bringing your BC to you when you were ready to jump in.  The divers were
divided into smaller groups of 2-5 people with each group led by either
Fred, Fran, or Jose.  Although we had never had a guide before, it
relieved us of having to find the boat on our own and also made it
possible to see things we would have missed.  This would be a great place
for younger or beginning divers, as Fred is a very patient instructor and
spends a lot of individual time with them.  He also is interested in
helping everyone become a better diver and is always available to answer
and discuss dive questions.  
     The water was fairly rough while we were there, so visibility was
somewhat affected.  Sea fans were especially abundant and colorful, and
dolphins often accompanied us on boat trips.
     One day, when many of us chose not to dive because of the weather,
Fran arranged and led a trip into Belize City for sight-seeing, shopping,
and visiting the zoo.  
     After a too-short time on St. George's, we went to Ek Tun near  the
western border.  Phyllis is the owner of this beautiful property.  Remo
picked us up at the boat dock and provided us with lots of information
about what we were seeing on the Land Rover ride to San Ignacio and
beyond. The last stage is a boat ride across the Macal River.  Ek Tun has
stunning grounds which are well-kept but in a natural way, not
manicured-looking.  There is a natural mineral pool where you can swim in
surroundings that can rival any tropical movie scene.  The whole place had
a great feeling of privacy with only 2 thatched-roof cabanas and the sound
of the river always in the background.  Meals were wonderful, served in
the open-air dining room at Phyllis's home overlooking the river.  There
are several choices of activities, including hiking up to and through a
Mayan cave and kayaking/canoeing down the river.  When we kayaked, we
stopped at the home of Remo's in-laws, where his wife Louisa gave us a
tour of their farm and served us lunch.  It was a rare opportunity to
visit with local people and learn more about the area.  Phyllis arranged
activities for us, and we really enjoyed our time with her, whether she
was leading us through the jungle or shopping in Guatemala.  We were happy
that we brought everything on her suggested list.  For hiking and for the
caves, you really do need hiking boots with gripping soles, good
flashlights with extra bulbs and batteries, water bottles, and long pants
and sleeves.  There were absolutely no mosquitoes when we were there.  We
had brought DEET but didn't think we needed it, until we got home and
found out that we had gotten chigger bites, which made for several itchy
days.  Next time we'll use DEET, but will definitely go back to this
beautiful place.         

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