Roughing It in Belize—But with Massages, Cocktails & Picnic Lunches
Looking for a getaway that is both remote yet not too rustic or far from home, the Brawny Sherpa and I book a stay at the Cotton Tree Lodge near Punta Gorda, Belize. We will be in the jungle, but I will still be able to access the internet which pretty much makes this destination perfect. Indulging a bit, we opt for the all-inclusive option, meaning our rooms, meals at the lodge, and even our daily excursions are covered. The most difficult decision we will need to make each day is what to select for the following day’s outings.
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Visitor Activities at the Cotton Tree Lodge
Staying at the Cotton Tree Lodge in Punta Gorda, I can choose a daily field trip or two. I might spelunk in a cave and reach an underground waterfall, visit nearby ruins and become appalled at what turn-of-the-last-century ‘explorers’ did to the real treasures they found (explode some in the search for gold), indulge in the harder-than-I-would-have-thought business of making chocolate (although the sweet reward for all my work makes the effort worthwhile), or explore the garden where the food I might be eating later in the week is still growing.
Make Time for Spa Services at the Cotton Tree Lodge
I learn how to breathe at the Cotton Tree Lodge. Partway through my weeklong stay, while enjoying a massage by a somewhat mystical masseuse, I am told to breathe deeply. I try. I do. She tells me that Americans don’t know how to breathe; they have never had to breathe as if their life depended on it. Instead of being offended, I listen. I listen and I practice and I learn how to breathe deeply as if my life depends on it.
What Are the Rooms like at the Cotton Tree Lodge?
For our stay at the Cotton Tree Lodge, we elect to spend one night in the honeymoon cabana, where we delight in a long soak in its tub. But we are here for nature as well as romance, so we choose the Jungle Cabana for the remainder of our time. A bit removed from the other cabanas, and with sleeping quarters up on the second floor where we are closer to the treetops and to the sky, we feel immersed in nature while still enjoying conveniences like running water and furniture.
Seeking an even more get-back-to-nature adventure? You might consider backpacking Central America.
This is what a vacation in the jungle can give you: the occasion and the willingness to listen, to hear. After some quality time spent in a hut with a thatched roof at the Cotton Tree Lodge, a visitor cannot help but notice the sound of life all around. Little is better than hearing the howler monkeys, those tiny creatures with big, booming voices, go off in the mornings. While I am here, I get to see bats, who I begin to appreciate both for their cuteness and their mosquito-eating prowess, and snakes and possums, who, it turns out, are sort of like big rats but with very cute faces. There are scorpions, too—little guys with big stings.
What Will Bashful Adventurers Like?
- I find the Cotton Tree Lodge soothing because it is far enough away from my real life and an adventure just in getting there, because in addition to offering the jungle, it also offers comfort: that massage, daily meals, everything that is organizationally required to orchestrate my daily jaunts.
- Also, there is Internet access and electricity and running water.
- It is authentic but also contemporary. This traveler has her needs. Showering just happens to be one of them.
Cotton Tree Lodge, Punta Gorda, Toledo District, Belize
—Lori Tripoli
Lori Tripoli is the editor and publisher of Bashful Adventurer. Based in the New York City vicinity, she writes about travel for a variety of publications.
Contact Lori at loritripoli@bashfuladventurer.com.
Thinking of visiting Belize? You might like these posts:
- Why Belize? Why Not?
- Unexpected Treasures of Lubaantun
- Making Our Way to the Cotton Tree Lodge
- The Mystery of Belize: Where Everyone Has a Back Story
- Independence Day, Belize
