Lamanai Outpost was a perfect start to our family's (girls ages 13 and 9) 2-week visit to Belize. The airport pickup was a great and painless welcome to the country, and the 1-hour boat trip up the New River to Lamanai was the best possible way to unwind into vacation mode (and the rum punch -- no rum for the kids -- that greeted us on the dock at Lamanai finished the job). Accomodations are clean and comfortable -- lovely though not luxurious -- and hammocks are everywhere. Meals are generous and tasty -- simple nourishing Belizean food, served by a very friendly and accomodating staff. Swimming off the dock -- which we shared with a bunch of local village kids eager to practice their English (this is the Spanish-speaking part of Belize), since it was school vacation time -- was fun and refreshing, once our kids were sufficiently assured that no crocodiles would come and eat them.

But the activities, and guides (ask for Greg), are the highlight. Definitely tour the Lamanai ruins (if it's hot, they'll take you over by boat, saving you a sweaty 20 minute hike), where howler monkeys roar as you climb the pyramids. (Wear long pants and use repellent -- this was the only time mosquitos were an issue.) Also, don't miss the night activities -- the "spotlight tour" of the lagoon and river is incredible, as is the croc hunt -- and sunrise canoeing is worth waking up for. And walk up the road to Indian Church Village to visit the craft center, where villagers sell beautiful Mayan crafts.

The Lodge is a bit pricey, though it's all inclusive (including tours/activities, which can be very expensive at other lodges) so you won't spend another dime other than for tips. But it's really a great way to experience a unique jungle/river/lagoon environment in a comfortable, friendly, well-run lodge. Perfect for 3 days or so before heading out to the cayes.

We drove all the way into this remote lodge, rather than taking the boat - what an experience! The place is fantastic! An edge-of-the-world remoteness, while at the same time the highest level of service. We wish we could have stayed longer!

We stayed at Lamanai Outpost Lodge the end of February and had the best time ever. Don't be fooled by the laid back attitude--everything down to the meals and the activities is extremely organized, but with a very relaxed feel. From the moment we arrived in Belize City, to the wonderful New River ride, to the second we stepped onto the lodge grounds where we were greeted with a welcome drink and instantly had an activity for the evening, everything was taken care of. All we had to do was relax and enjoy the wonderful activities available. We felt like we fit right in the moment we got there.

1) Activities: I agree-Lamanai is all about activities. The night activities were exciting and interesting. We saw crocodiles, toucans, howler monkeys, and tons of birds. Exploring the Lamanai ruins with Carlos was awesome and we were able to go ourselves many times to soak in the mysterious atmosphere. But in between activities, we had plenty of time to relax on hammocks with a drink, relax by the lagoon, catch up on reading, or take a nap.

2) Food was good. They had a few options for each meal and all were well prepared. Not gourmet, but you don't go to Belize for the food. (If great food is what you're looking for, go to Italy).

3) Staff: Every single staff member we interacted with was awesome, friendly, and helpful. The guides were enthusiastic, knowledgeable and excited about spotting wildlife. You wouldn't even know that they do this multiple times a day! On activities, there was usually 1 guide to 4-6 people, which made the activities very personal, enjoyable and educational. No huge groups of 20 tourists per guide here!

4) Accomodations: The lodge itself is beautiful with local hardwood construction and a very airy feel. It is perfectly integrated with the surrounding jungle. We initially requested a room by the lagoon but when we got there, they didn't have one available for us. They were able to give us one the next day (Blanca was great), but we actually really liked our room (#17, very private with a large porch, porch chairs, our own hammock, a couch, and a/c) so we ended up staying in there. The rooms were very comfortable with hot water and a carafe of fresh drinking water. Tons of hammocks to hang out in around the lodge.

5) Bugs: Bring DEET. During our 3 day stay, my husband had zero bites. I had 18 bites. The DEET works well for mosquitos (25-40% DEET worked fine, but remember to reapply!), but doesn't really work for the biting flies (which fortunately, were not THAT bothersome during our stay).

6) Other: Don't forget to check out the Indian Church Village arts and crafts and gift shops at the Lamanai ruins to buy local arts and crafts.

7) Bottom line: We absolutely loved it and thought it was well worth it. We spent an additional 4 days in Placencia at Robert's Grove, which had much more of a resort feel. We enjoyed our stay at Lamanai Outpost Lodge much more because of the personal feel and excellent, well-organized activities. Would definately go back in a heartbeat. There are many places in the world we want to see, but we are already talking about when we'll be going back to Belize!

We just returned from a two week trip to Belize. Our first four nights were spent at Lamanai Outpost Lodge. The trip in via van ride and riverboat was exciting but a little chilly and there were plenty of bugs in the air after sunset which even though it was dark made sunglasses a necessity. The casitas are large enough and ours (#9) had two large beds and a neat private bathroom. The view from our front porch included the beautifully landscaped grounds with the Lagoon in the background. The lodge offers plenty of activities to pick from. My husband and nine year old son did a sunrise canoe/birding expedition and saw several varieties of birds. We took the Lamanai Ruins tour and even though we have seen many other Mayan ruins it is still fascinating to learn about this ancient culture. The Croc Encounter at night is by airboat and is very noisy, but the kids all enjoyed it and they even saw a few crocs. We all swam in the Lagoon and there are plenty of canoes/paddles/lifejackets to be borrowed at any time. The guides are all very friendly and knowledgeable. The girls in the restaurant and George at the bar were fun though the food could never be considered great. Nobody we met looked forward to the meals. We also all considered the Lodge to be pretty expensive for what it was. What they don't tell you is that the Lodge is just down the road from a village called Indian Church that is connected by road to Orange Walk, and is really not a "jungle lodge" at all. All in all we enjoyed the experience, met some wonderful people and had a good time.