This lodge is FANTASTIC for an Eco-Lodge….depending on what you are looking for. When we visit any place, we always research it as much as possible, so our expectations are based on reality.
The resort is secluded – which means when you arrive, it’s not that easy to go into town. If you have your own vehicle *jeep size recommended, then it’s around 40m on a very bumpy dirt road. If you don’t have a lot of plans on your own, then you will have everything you need at this place! Food, Tours, etc.! Plus, the south section of Belize has much less tourism than the north, so you can avoid all the crowds which we love. Here’s the inside scoop:
ROOM CHOICES: We stayed in one of the Deluxe Cabanas overlooking the river.
#3 specifically -and we LOVED it.
The rooms were roomy and clean and we felt so comfortable and relaxed in them. We read reviews and then spoke to someone about the amount of bugs that come into the room at night (after our experience at Isla Escondida), because it IS an eco-lodge in the middle of the jungle & river. Except for the first night (where there was a giant “Mende” if you guys remember that word), there were surprisingly hardly any insects in the rooms! No mosquitos, and an occasional moth – one of the most bug-free eco-lodges we have ever been to! I still had Paul check the room with the flashlight every night before I entered, and every morning before getting out of bed because of the first night … but he came up with zero every time! **We can’t speak for the Jungle cabanas or any of the ones that weren’t alongside the river.
TOURS: There are A LOT of tours you can choose to do here. We wish we had more time, because we would have loved to do some of the more educational and cultural tours, such as the tortilla making and chocolate tour. They offer an all-inclusive rate which covers most tours and meals, or you can pay separately.
****The one “problem” with the tours, is that some of them have a minimum number of guests. They don’t reserve the tours in advance, so you need to be flexible because the tour you are interested might not be available. They do make their best effort though.
We did the Sunset River cruise along the Moho River. Our boat driver was “Pop” and he is also a great birding guide! He also leads the guided bird walk along the property. We got to see the sunset along with some beautiful birds. Also, when we got to the open at the ocean – we got a full cell signal! ??
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MEALS: The food at the lodge was great! They offer Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks at certain set mealtimes (like every eco-lodge). Food is more expensive than regular restaurants in town – not only because of the more remote location, but it’s organic farm-to-table and is high quality. The dinners had soup, salad, main, and dessert.
**They do offer meal plans, or you can choose to pay a la carte.
SUMMARY
They have a fantastic website that really details everything they offer, including the prices. https://cottontreelodge.com
There was a cell signal *most of the time * in the main lodge but they do also offer wifi, which you may need to pay $10 for.
In the rest of the property, and the road to the lodge, there is no signal.
As you saw on our story, there were also so many little things that we appreciated:
Hot water for showers, consistent power in the evenings, plenty of fresh drinking water in the room,
two luggage racks in the room, and an umbrella left for us when it rained.
Based on what we wrote, you can decide if the lodge is for you.
If it seems like what you are looking for, you will LOVE it. We sure did!!