good for you

On the banks of the Rio Grande in southern Belize, with views to the Maya Mountains, this 29-acre property supports six comfortable cabins. The former cattle farm is a sanctuary for humans and animals alike – while the lodge is visited by hundreds of bird species, you'll also spot iguanas ambling along the river bank, abundant brightly coloured butterflies, wild porcupine and even the occasional jaguar.

The meadow-like grounds have been replanted with native trees, and include more than half a mile of riverbank and some heavily wooded areas. The lodge maintains the farm's original orchard, which bears tropical fruits and avocadoes that can all be sampled by guests.

A stay at the Lodge places you within easy reach of the natural beauty spots that abound in Toledo, as well as its rich cultural history, including fascinating Mayan ruins and the contemporary Mayan culture that thrives in this part of Central America, alongside the Garifuna people whose distinct culture was established by escaped African slaves.

The Lodge boasts a full-service restaurant and bar, and is also a licensed tour operator, offering plenty of tours and activities that take in natural history, adventure sports and cultural encounters.

One thing you won't see are any ‘big falls' – this is simply the name of the local village.

good for belize

The Lodge has made an effort to discourage iguana hunting in the area, and all animals species found on the property are unmolested by humans. Water is pumped from the river and purified for drinking, while grey water is recycled for irrigation. Waste is composted where possible and otherwise carefully removed to the town dump – recycling facilities in this part of Belize are still limited. The buildings take up only 10% of the property, creating an ecologically favourable balance. The Lodge relies on mainline electricity, but the power lines have been buried, helping to minimise visual pollution. Energy isn't wasted - natural ventilation replaces energy-sucking air-con and at night the place is lit by kerosene lamps. Indigenous trees have been replanted on the property. The lodge supports local NGOs by donating its meeting and communication facilities, while local villagers enjoy discounts on the much-sought-after internet connection. The lodge supports the local school and football team, and offers Belizians a generous discount to stay at the lodge, so that locals can also enjoy this beautiful part of their country.

Rooms

Food

The lodge restaurant, open for breakfast buffet and dinner, offers a range of local and international dishes, with vegetarian and children's alternatives. The kitchen also offers packed picnic lunches for $10 per person. Breakfast is $12 per person and dinner is $27 per person.

Local dishes include the Belizean national dish - stewed chicken with recado spice, coconut rice, stewed beans and fried plantain. The Lodge uses local indigenous vegetables, many of which would be unfamiliar to most guests - calaloo (amaranth, a vegetable with similar properties to spinach and cooked in similar ways), native pumpkin, yam, chocho and the heart of the cohune palm which is used to make a delicious local curry.

International dishes include a number of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes including Lebanese mezze dishes such as baba ghanoush, hummus and tabbouleh.

The Lodge makes its own bread, cinnamon rolls, yogurt, ice cream and freshly baked cakes and desserts. The well stocked bar offers a wide selection of cocktails, fruit and soft drinks as well as beer and wine, all of which you can sip on the main verandah as you enjoy the spectacular sunset.

Features & Facilities

• Swimming pool.
• Game equipment like table tennis, badminton, horse shoes and frisby.
• Steve, the in-house guide, who will amaze you with his local knowledge and expertise in natural history.
• Kayaks and mountain bikes for hire
• Inner tubes for coasting down the river
• A resource centre with books about the local cultures and the archeological and natural sites that abound in Belize
• A gift shop selling locally made art objects and handicrafts

Local Info & Activities

Culture: The Toledo district is an incredibly culturally rich part of the Americas, home to Kekchi Maya, Garifuna (a unique culture descended from escaped African slaves), East Indian, Creoles, Hispanics and Mennonites. The Mayan culture is the one with the deepest roots here, and within an easy distance of the lodge are several archeological sites built by this fascinating civilization.

mayan culture and chocolate!

Mayan culture in Belize is strongest in the south where there are around sixty Mayan villages. Guests can visit a Mayan home where they learn to hand grind corn, make tortillas over an open fire and share a drink of cacao (cocoa) prepared in the traditional way. An increasing number of farmers are planting organic cacao for export to the UK where it is made into Mayan Gold chocolate by Green and Blacks an organic and Fairtrade producer. You can visit an organic cacao plantation and see how the cacao is cared for, harvested and dried and fermented before shipment. You'll learn how this revival of cacao growing is affecting the lives of local farmers and their families and how inter-planting with trees such as allspice and coffee can provide a second cash crop. Visit a plantation tended by traditional Mayan healers and learn about the combination of herbs used in the treatment of snake bites and other ailments. A spiritual healing ceremony can be arranged for groups.

Visitors can also experience the annual deer dance in the Kekchi Mayan village of San Antonio, and the Garifuna Settlement Day on November 19 in the village of Barranco celebrates the arrival of the Garifuna people on the coasts of Belize in 1832. There is music and dancing followed at dawn by a reenactment of the arrival of the first settlers in their dories. In 2002 the United Nations designated the Garifuna as a World Heritage culture, a designation that recognizes and urges the protection and preservation of threatened cultures.

Wilderness: A large proportion of Toledo's land area has protected status. The Nature Conservancy and Flora and Fauna International both work with local NGOs to assist sustainable development in the area. Major inland forest reserves include the Sarstoon-Temash National Park, the Columbia Forest Reserve, Bladen River Nature Reserve and The Rio Blanco Waterfall Park. A cool dip in one of Toledo's numerous natural swimming holes is always on the itinerary. The Temash is probably Belize's finest example of an unspoilt tropical river. The mangroves lining the banks for the first few miles give way to high forest where visitors can see troops of howler monkeys in the trees, turtles basking on logs and Montezuma's Oropendolas weaving their hanging nests in colonies. The Moho, Rio Grande and Monkey rivers all offer similarly exhilarating exposure to the tropical rain forest with the trees, flowers, birds, animals, butterflies and other insects making each trip a uniquely memorable experience.

Adventure activities: Visitors with a taste for adventure will find plenty of thrills in Toledo. River kayaking gives guests the opportunity to get up close and personal with the birds and animals along the river banks. At Blue Creek guides escort visitors upstream from the cave mouth several hundred yards to a point where the river emerges as a waterfall from the side of the cavern. Blue Creek also offers cave hikes and jungle treks up the steep hillside overlooking the rainforest around Blue Creek Cave. A recently opened trail at Aguacate village leads (during the dry season only) to a system of seven caves, some linked by underground rivers and streams which are yet to be fully explored. Off the mangrove-forested coast, snorkeling, fishing, and manatee watching around the caves which once sheltered buccaneers and pirates is another unforgettable southern Belize adventure.

Mayan ruins: The two major Mayan sites in Toledo are Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit. Lubaantun, near the Mayan village of San Pedro Colombia, is a Late Classic ceremonial center where the famous crystal skull was found by the daughter of archaeologist F.A. Mitchell-Hedges in 1926. Nim Li Punit, a few miles north of Big Falls, is most famous for its concentration of sculpted stelae. Both sites have been partially excavated but much remains to be discovered and both locations are within easy reach of The Lodge at Big Falls. Other minor sites in the area include Uxbenka and Pusilha, where research and excavation continues each year during the dry season. There are also Mayan sites along the coast and on several offshore cayes, where the ground is strewn with pottery chards and obsidian blades. The importance of this region to the ancient Mayans is very much in evidence. All these sites can be visited by boat from Punta Gorda.

Marine life: Toledo District is rich in marine reserves. The Port Honduras Marine Reserve contains many idyllic islands (cayes) which are exceptional locations for snorkeling, manatee watching or just relaxing on one of the white sand beaches. Further out, the Sapodilla Marine Reserve lies along the southern end of Belize's barrier reef, the second longest in the world. This area, dotted with palm-fringed coral islands, is an unrivaled location for scuba diving and whale shark watching. Fishing is permitted outside the Reserve and this area has some of the best fishing grounds in the Caribbean. Fresh fish such as snapper, king fish, grouper and barracuda are common local dishes.

Bird life: There are around 350 species within 5 miles of the lodge, and 490 in the Toledo district. Lodge staff, some of them keen birdwatchers, have recorded 219 on the property. The lodge grounds themselves offer a variety of habitats - river bank, orchard, open meadow and forest – while the caves, rivers, mangrove swamps and forest in the district provide excellent diversity for the birder. The annual bird count on December 19, 2001 totaled 276 different species in a single day. Jabiru, Woodstork, Roseate Spoonbills and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are some of the wetland species. Kingfishers, herons, raptors and Sungrebes can be found along the deep green tropical rivers as well as an abundance of six feet long green iguanas basking in the overhead branches. Red-lored parrots, Olive-throated Parakeets, Chachalacas, flycatchers, Trogons, Woodpeckers, Orioles, Tanagers, cuckoos and Tityras make the lodge grounds a paradise for birdwatchers in the morning. Keel-billed Motmots and Blue-crowned Motmots, puffbirds, trogons and forest falcons can be found under the forest canopy.

Sustainability

• Electricity comes from the Belize national grid, which was brought onto the property from the road. Big Falls chose mains electricity over the option of using its own generator, as the noise pollution from a generator and the diesel fuel used made locally supplied energy the best option. However, green energy has not yet been installed.
• Solar-powered lights and low voltage lighting light paths at night and timer switches reduce unnecessary use while everyone is asleep.
• The lodge line dries all laundry except when the rainy season makes it impossible.
• The cabanas were designed to avoid the need for air-conditioning systems. The thatch itself helps to maintain a cool environment inside, while in large louvered windows at the corners of the rooms provide natural ventilation, especially when the north easterly trade winds blow during the dry season from March to May. Energy efficient ceiling fans (ranging from 18-80 watts on the different speed settings) help when the wind is low.
• Information in the cabanas encourages guests to re-use towels and economize on the use of electricity and water where possible.
• 100% of the lodge's staff come from the Big Falls village and have been trained by the lodge's owners. The highest position is facilities manager and as the lodge continues to grow its next recruitment will be for an office manager who will also be a local.
• Guest gratuities are shared equally by all staff whether they are front line or have no formal interactions with guests. All staff including new staff with no experience are paid well above the minimum wage, and their vacations are in line with local employment law. - Staff enjoy free use of the internet and the owners have given them basic training in its use, setting up their first e-mail accounts and learning how to search online for recipes and other information.
• All staff have been given first-aid training provided by the local branch of the Red Cross.
• The lodge provided its birding guide with financial assistance with his initial tour guide training and has been linked up with visiting ornithologists to become involved in field research and banding. Kitchen and housekeeping staff have had the opportunity to spend time at a neighbouring resort to help build on their work practices, and internships of this kind are a feature of staff training at Big Falls.

Getting There

location

The Lodge at Big Falls is centrally located in Belize's southernmost district of Toledo. It gives easy access to Toledo's attractions being 6 miles (9.6 kilometres) south of Nim Li Punit, 8 miles (12.8km) from Lubaantun and 13 miles (20.8km) from Blue Creek Cave.

Distances Distances and approximate driving times from the Lodge.

If flying into the international airport outside of Belmopan, you can hire a car or take a coach.

• Punta Gorda 25-minute (18 miles/29km)
• Placencia 1-hour (45 miles/72km)
• Hopkins Village 90 minutes (72 miles/115km)
• Belmopan 2.5 hours (120 miles/192km)
• Belize International Airport 4 hours (165miles/264km)

the lodge offers the following transfers:

• Punta Gorda airport to Big Falls (one way direct): 1-4 persons, $50 for first passenger, additional passengers $10 each.
• Punta Gorda ferry dock to Big Falls for guests arriving from Guatemala (one way direct): 1-4 persons, $50 dollars for first passenger, additional passengers $10 each.
• Mango Creek ferry to Big Falls for guests arriving from the Placencia Peninsula: 1-4 persons, $140 dollars for first passenger, additional passengers $25 each
• Belize International Airport to Big Falls: 1-4 persons, $400 dollars for first passenger, additional passengers $75 each

Connections from Guatemala: Take a ferry from Punta Gorda to Puerto Barrios or Livingston at the mouth of the Rio Dulce. Journey time is between 60-75 minutes.

From Placencia: The lodge offers road transfers (45 miles/72 km) from the Lodge to the Hokey Pokey ferry at Mango Creek. The ferry takes 10 minutes and is much shorter and more comfortable than the alternative road route from the Southern Highway and all the way down the Placencia Peninsula.

From Central and Northern Belize: Punta Gorda is served by Tropic Air and Mayan Island Air which together offer eight flights a day to and from Punta Gorda. The Lodge can make internal domestic flight bookings on your behalf.

Visit our Transport section for flights, hybrid car rentals and train bookings.

Rates & Bookings

Single cabana: $125 in high season; $95 in low season

Double cabana: $155 high season, $125 low season

Triple cabana: $180 high season, $140 low season

• Prices are in US dollars.
• High Season is from 1 Nov to 30 April
• Low season is from 1 May to 31 Oct.

included:

• Children under 12 sharing their parents' cabana stay for free.

excluded:

• Rates do not include meals, whose prices are unchanging: $12 for the breakfast buffet, $10 for a packed lunch and $27 for dinner.
• Children aged 12-18 years pay $25 p/night, when sharing their parents Cabana
• Guided tours are not included in the price, but most are inexpensive, ranging from $12.50 to $30 per person per day.

cancellation policies

• A deposit of 40% of the total cost of booking is due within 14 days of booking in order to confirm reservation.
• The balance must be received not less than 45 days before arrival. If booking is made less than 45 days prior to arrival, full payment is due immediately.
• Cancellation : A full refund minus US$60 handling fee, plus 10% of total cost of booking, will be made on cancellations 60 days or more prior to arrival.
• A 60% refund will be given on cancellations 59 – 46 days in advance.
• No refund will be given for cancellations 45 days or less prior to arrival.

holiday packages

The Lodge at Big Falls offers the following holiday packages:

1. Mayan Footprints (3 nights/4 days)

2. Toledo Explorer (4 nights/5 days)

3. Rivers and Reef (4 nights/5 days)

4. Birds of Southern Belize (3 and 4 nights)

5. Mayan Heritage (4 nights/5 days)

If you're interested in finding out more about any of these, please email us: info@goodtravelcompany.com

Want to avoid cancellation fees? Visit our Insurance section for information on travel insurance.