It has been a few years since my wife and I stayed at EkTun and I would like to mirror the positive reviews.
We stayed there for three nights in April 2004, the only guests, so we had the place to ourselves.
Absolutely beautiful, in a genuinely interesting area.
We spent our evenings , after delicious fresh home cooked dinners talking local politics, world affairs and anything else that popped up until late with Phyllis (who had opinions about everything much to my delight ) and awoke each morning to the delightful aroma of fresh coffee by our door.
During the day we kayaked into San Ignacio and hiked into the mountans but only after Phyllis gave us a "machete just in case" which seemed odd but on second thought made sense.
The gardens, property, spring fed pool, guest palapas, and all the complementing infrastructure was so well managed that it was hard to believe she took care of it all with only the help of a few very industrious workers. I could not even begin to understand how they hauled all the materials across the river and managed to build the place in such a short time, especially the swimming pool... I guessed magic.
At that time Phyllis had two dogs a few cats and the monkey which was still a baby. The monkey, like most pets , was adorable then, she ignored me but loved Samantha. Phyllis treated the staff and the animals like family.

If we were to visit the area again, EkTun would be our first choice for lodging.

I write about Ek'Tun from the distance of a couple of years, but it is still on the top of our list when we think of memorable vacations. From reading recent reviews, it is clear that Phyllis is still operating an amazing B&B in lush, natural surroundings. Yes, it's rustic roads all the way but once you reach the river and toot the horn for the boat, then climb a hill to your perfect thatch-roofed cottage, you're likely to want to stay for awhile. That, and toss out the bathing suits -- to swim in a natural mineral pool so pristine and scenic is to feel like pre-fig leaf Adam and Eve. We traveled to Ek'Tun after several days in Placencia, then a week sailing among the coral reefs, and couldn't bear the thought of traveling to the resort island which was to be our next stop. Once we heard about Ek'Tun, we were on our way and are happy to this day that we made the decision. It was an opportunity to live simply and naturally -- and even luxuriously -- for a few memorable days.

My wife and I stayed there for our Honeymoon and it was amazing. My only regret is that we didn't stay longer - the rest of Belize, while beautiful, paled in comparison to this amazing place.

We opted for renting our own car, which I was pleased with as it awarded us the flexibility to stop off at the zoo and to just wonder the landscape and try less traveled areas. Plus, the experience of driving in Belize is an adventure in itself! (there are only 3 or 4 paved roads in all of Belize.)

I know that Ek' Tun was going to be different, but just right, from the email with directions I received from Phyllis. When you are told to keep driving through the wondering cattle, you know you're off the map. While the road in was long and bumpy, again - the sites were beautiful, so we didn't mind. When we arrived, Phyllis and her crew greeted us and we traveled by boat to the cabins. The lush jungle surrounded us and looming mountains were ahead. It was breathtaking. Our cabins, frankly, were much lovelier than the website pictures reflect. The bed was very comfortable and while there were a few bugs scurrying about - none that were in worrisome. And for a retreat in the middle of the rainforest - we weren't bitten by mosquitos at all! I think this attests to Phyllis' philosophy of a balanced ecosystem. Her landscaping retains the jungle atmosphere without being overwhelming and it helped in keeping the whole ecosystem in check.

We also felt lucky to have had really wonderful guests at Ek' Tun at the same time. In addition to another honeymooning couple, an additional couple that was staying nearby took part in all of our meals and activities. Although we came from very different walks of life, all of us managed to really get along well and ended up spending a fair amount of our time together. I suspect this happens often at Ek' Tun as one needs to adventurous and free spirited to really appreciate it. I also have to note that for those of you travelling that are queer - this is a very welcoming environment. (My wife and I are queer.)

We spent our days exploring (don't miss ATM. We were lucky to go with our fellow Ek'Tun guests so it was real bonding experience for us all!) We went river tubing, hiking to the bat cave on the property and swimming in the gorgeous spring fed pool (including taking some daring jumps from the surrounding rocks!).

And we ate like kings. The food is spectacular. Phyllis will arrange a night on the town if you like and its fun to go out with her. She knows the local folks and you get a real sense of the expat community that exists in San Ignacio. But if you have the choice - eat her food all the time. It is phenomenal. I would also encourage you to lull about in the open air living room and get to know your host. Its an extraordinary feat to be running this little sliver of heaven and I felt very lucky to get to know the woman behind it.

As noted in earlier posts, there is no monkey but 2 great pups and the absence of throngs of people was a compliment not a detriment. One still gets the chance to interact with others in the communal meals.

For me the enjoyment of Ek' Tun was as much about the people as well as the surroundings. I count the days til we can go back.

My husband and I went for our one year anniversary and were so taken with the beauty and location we wish we would have spent our entire time at Ek'Tun while visiting Belize. Everything about it was perfect to us. We have both done a lot of travelling and this is by far our favorite place yet. It was such an exotic location and Ek'Tun really just blends right in to its surroundings in the jungle. We are used to staying in pretty upscale resorts and we were a little nervous about a bed and breakfast in the jungle without electricity, but let me tell you it was FAR from roughing it. We visited the Chaa Creek Resort down the river which has a 5 star rating and we couldnt believe the difference and how glad we were we ended up at Ek'Tun. Our cabin was clean and beautiful and the kerosene lamps in the cabin at night created a perfect ambience. This intimate experience has changed the way we look at where we stay for our travels. Our meals were excellent and we enjoyed our evenings visiting and listening to the howler monkeys and watching the fire flies light up the sky. Amazing!!