We just returned from spending Christmas in Belize. We spent 5 nights at Crystal Paradise and 6 nights in Placencia. We had such an amazing time while at Crystal Paradise. Eric picked us up from Belize City and
drove us to Crystal Paradise. We stayed in a non-thatched bungalow. It
had a large shower and two double beds. It's not your typical American
hotel which is what I loved about it! The food was wonderful at every meal. The fresh Guatemalan coffee was excellent. I bought some and haven't been to Starbucks since. Everyone in the family went out of their way to accommodate us. The sound of the birds at night was really neat. We went on several tours including Pine Ridge, Big Rock falls, Tikal, Cave Tubing, Zip Lining and canoeing. They were all such
fun adventures!

We felt very safe while we were there and felt as though they were always looking out for our best interest. Something I have never felt
when traveling in other countries. They even did our laundry for us at
no additional charge. On Christmas Day we fell out of the canoe and I lost my camera in the river. Since it was our last day there I had 5 days worth of pictures on it. I was so upset. When the van met us at the end of the trip I explained how we had fallen out and lost my camera. Without skipping a beat Eric offered to dive in the river and find my camera. His brother and several friends came out and they all went diving in the river to find it. 20 minutes and I had my camera back with all my pictures!! Although it didn't work the chip was fine and I was able to have all our pictures back.

Barb's Belize set up our whole trip and I couldn't be happier about where we stayed. The Tut's really made our trip memorable. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

We stayed 3 nights at the Crystal Paradise and just loved it! We had a regular room, it was very simple and clean. The bed was a little hard, but for the price it is a great value. The food was wonderful and the Tut family was very friendly and made us feel very welcome. We did tours with Jeronie and Eric. They are excellent guides and birders. We would highly recommend Crystal Paradise! Wish we would have stayed longer!
The Clays

We just returned from Belize. 7 days at Blackbird Caye and then two days at the Crystal Paradise. It isn't a resort and that was exactly what we wanted. A peaceful getaway far out of town. The dining area and lounging deck just lovely and relaxing. It is aso nice because you eat family style with your fellow travelers. I thought it was a good deal since they took us all the way to and from Belize City and also included all food except lunch. Jeroni and Eric, two of the family hosts can pick out any bird from a mile away and Jeroni took us birding one morning and picked out every bird in sight. They have parrots that come to their orange trees every morning and evening. We took a tour from there to Tikal. I also thought this was a good deal because they took us all the way to the Guatemalan border, carefully handing off to the driver on the other side so we were always being watched over and felt comfortable. I don't know anywhere on earth that you could get two hours each way to somewhere, a driver and a guide, lunch and entrance to a wonder of the world for $200 ($100 pp). The only thing I wish we had done was ask specifically about the tour because the guide nearly killed us running us around. We were with four other people who joined us from another resort once we were there so we had no choice but to keep up. We would gladly have paid for our own guide so we could have set our own pace. It didn't occur to me to ask in advance so I wish the Crystal Paradise had asked us what kind of tour we wanted. The food was the best we had in our eight days in Belize. It was almost like staying with friends who personally wanted to make sure you had a good time.

Having just got back from our trip to Belize, we quickly decided one of the first things to do was to go to tripadvisor.com and sing the praises of Crystal Paradise (CP) and all that they did to make our trip to the inland an unforgettable experience.

First things first, CP is not a resort. It is not the kind of place to lounge about all day, sipping drinks with umbrellas, and basking in the sun. If that is what you are looking for, it would probably be best for you to spend your time on the coast. It is more like a jungle lodge, meant to be a comfortable place to stay, in-between your adventures in the Cayo.

We stayed in a thatched cabana, with two queen beds and a twin, which provided us an ample choice of where to sleep. We did have a slight bug problem on our last couple of days, but that was due to our neglect at keeping the front door shut (We live in the Pacific Northwest, where bugs aren’t much of an issue. In Central America, they are everywhere-- something you have to get used to). The food was simple and tasty, served in good sized portions and was described to us as normal Belizean fare. Victor greeted us every morning, quick with a laugh and a great cup of coffee. The area is very beautiful; well tended and filled with a wide variety of birds, lizards, and other wildlife.

We booked an 8-day stay with them, filled with trips to Mountain Pine Ridge, Tikal, Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM), cave tubing, and canoeing. All of these trips were either guided by a member of the Tut family, or completely arranged by them (I mean completely), so that we did not have to do any of the song and dance involved in putting a trip like this together.

We only had one day that was unplanned and that we spent catching our breath. Since CP provides breakfast and dinner (although they often pack a lunch for some of the trips), we needed to go into town to San Ignacio for lunch. Even the shortest trip in an unknown area can be daunting, and we were reluctant to find our way into town on our own. But as soon as we had mentioned this to Jeronie, he arranged to have his brother Eric drive us into town. Eric suggested a great place for us to eat (Serendib, a great Sri Lankan restaurant), told us where to find a cab that could get us back, and how much we would pay. All of this took the edge off, for inexperienced travelers such as ourselves.

Most of our time spent with the Tut family was with Jeronie and Eric. They are both highly capable naturalists and were always “on”, even while driving from destination to destination. We often would pull to the side of the road, to see snakes, lizards, birds, or interesting plants. And on the extremely rare occasion that they did not have an answer, you can bet they would look it up when we got back. Even Andy, the youngest son, introduced us to the magic of the allspice tree, and other bits of nature on our short trip with him. All in all, they were a joy to be around, and always quick to join in the fun.

If you are looking for a great, all-inclusive lodge to do eco-tourism and learn about Mayan heritage, then Crystal Paradise is for you.