We went to Belizean Dreams for our 1-year anniversary trip, and it did not disappoint. We were there from October 12-19, 2012. The weather and the water were perfect. It was a little windy and choppy the first two days, which caused the water to be cloudy but after a few days, the wind calmed down, and the water was like glass & crystal clear! Perfect for snorkeling right off the beach - we saw several starfish, conch, and lots of fish. Be sure to slow down and enjoy your travel companion, the staff at Belizean Dreams, and the people of Hopkins Village; it will make your trip 'unBelizeable.'

Here's a rundown of everything we enjoyed:

Staff: We felt like we were staying with friends and family. Everyone was so knowledgeable about the town, local culture, and history. They went out of their way to make sure you had a nice stay; we did not meet a single staff member we did not enjoy. However, we did have a few favorites. :) JOSE the bartender was always smiling, super friendly, and always listened to your requests for which music you wanted to listen to (and would even put on TV what you wanted to watch). MARIA, the bartender/waitress, is a little shy (so please don't mistake her for being rude) and warms up very quickly. By the way, any recent reviews about Jose & Maria are completely inaccurate. We spent our entire week with the people who wrote the review and know firsthand that they spent very little time with them and definitely not enough time to get to know them. JORGE, a waiter, is seriously so cute!! We loved our time with him; he will get so excited about a topic and will start talking really fast, we enjoyed it. He is funny and also very knowledgeable. HUESTES, a waiter, looks out for each guest to make sure they are fully taken care of, even if it is not his table. He would be absolutely perfect in a management position and we would highly recommend him for one. He is extremely funny and quick witted too. We thought ETZEL was so professional and very polite. He made sure everything we well taken care of (he even found us on the beach to let us know about our dive trip planned for Wednesday). CHARLES the bartender had an infectious smile. ALFONZO "BALL" took us on the Mayflower hike and was an incredible guide. BUT, our most favorite of all was the beach mascot, a black lab/beagle mix (we think?), Pork Chop!! Her name is actually Buffy, but only her mom calls her that (the owner of Diver Sity). Pick up some dog treats at the supermarket or give her some of your bacon and she will be your forever friend. If you meet Mia, a huge Rottweiler (or her mom, an even bigger Rottweiler), or a pitbull strolling the beach, don't be alarmed, they just want to play fetch or walk with you.

Accommodations: The villas are beautiful! Don't leave the interior light on by your bed or the bugs will find their way in, and they WILL bite you! There is plenty of hot water and the a/c works great. The rooms are cleaned daily. The beds are deceptively comfortable, they keep lulling you back to sleep long after you want to wake up. WiFi is available in the office, dining area, and the bar (even on the beach!). Blow dryer, soap, shampoo/conditioner are available in the bathrooms too. Be sure to bring lots of bug spray with high deet content & sunscreen. Our room had a TV, but we never turned it on. However, there is a TV at the bar & the bartenders are very open to turning it on any channel you wish to see (it is USA satellite TV) or they can turn it off too (which we preferred). Music is played at the bar and requests are taken for volume and style of music. Also in regards to a previous review, the music is hardly loud enough to hear it beyond the beach bar. (If you're looking for a lively bar scene, check out Coco Plum, an island about 30-min off shore from the resort.)

Food: A really good mix between local Belizean and American with a gourmet twist. If you catch it, they will cook it! Jose, the Chef, (or Jos"B" as we called him!) did a great job with the Barracuda caught while out diving. Our favorites included the Healthy Morning Blast with a side of eggs and bacon, the chips and salsa are amazing, the pizza is pretty good, the fry jacks (or, to quote one of the other guests, "Heavenly Pillows") were delicious, the bananas are super fresh, and the jerk lobster was very tasty, but very spicy!

Hopkins Village: If you're willing and able, we would suggest walking into Hopkins (instead of taking a golf cart or a bike) as you'll catch plenty of local gems along the way. It is a long walk (about 4-miles to the very end of town, one-way, but well worth it!). Check out Maureen at Iris' Sunny Side Up, she is great and can tell you a lot about the area. Alex (who is located right across from Maureen) makes some very nice local jewelry - coconut bracelets, shell necklaces, etc. Driftwood Pizza is everything everyone says it is - Delicious!!! Try the Hawaiian Pizza (coconut shavings are sprinkled on top!). Innies - we heard it is simple, but tasty. Shop & Save Super Market is nice!

Other Places to Check Out: The Sittee River Marina (to the left when you leave Belizean Dreams). Curve Bar, located at the Marina, is a great spot for a Belikin and has a fantastic view of the Monkey River. It is approximately 2-miles from the resort. Hamanasi is next door; Franklin is a great waiter and will greet you on the beach ready to take your drink order. It is quiet, peaceful, and relaxing! Chef Rob's & Barracuda Grill are yummy.

Diving: Check out Hamanasi and C-Dog for a structured, organized diving trip. It is perfect for newbies to old pros alike. Coco Plum & Scuba Steve are great if you know what you're doing and you just a need a means of getting out to the reef. They have a more laid-back approach.

Bottom Line - we had a FANTASTIC trip. Truly wonderful & everything we could have ever hoped for. We recommend coming with an open heart and an open mind to really soak in the local culture; you will not be disappointed. If your vacation time allows, go to the Belize Zoo - it really is "the best little zoo in the world"!! A must see!

Katie & Jason

My husband and I (in our 50s) absolutely loved this secluded, quiet spot on the southern Belize coast near Hopkins, a fishing village. We got a deal with Groupon.

People in-the-know bought wine and liquor at the duty-free shop at the Belize City airport before boarding a small plane to their resort destination. It's much cheaper than always buying drinks at the beach bar. ($7 margaritas.) If you buy wine, don't forget a corkscrew!

Winslett, the manager of Belizean Dreams, was waiting for us at the Dangriga airport after a 15-minute flight in a small plane. He stopped at a convenience store where we bought crackers, chips and salsa for snacks. The drive to Hopkins was quite bumpy, with many working people riding bicycles on the road. Winslett drove us down the main road and pointed out various places to eat. He said it was a very safe town and only a mile away from the resort. We could ride bikes or walk into town anytime. (Or rent the golf cart.)

Finally we arrived at Belizean Dreams and were welcomed by Noemi while our bags were delivered to our one-bedroom suite (5A) which was so beautiful! We could see the ocean from our front porch and the jungle and mountains from the back porch. The king-size bed had mosquito netting all around for a lovely romantic effect. Lots of wood -- floors, ceiling beams, tables and chair, armoire and sofa. There was a microwave, mini-frig, and coffee maker which I was not expecting! The bathroom is big, with Saltillo tile floors and two huge Talavera sinks. I recommend bringing a sleep mask as bright sunlight fills the room by 6 a.m. and maybe ear plugs. Or just get up early, drink coffee on the balcony, and watch the variety of tropical birds flitting from the trees.

We had two welcoming rum punches at the beach bar and I admired a local artist's artwork he had for sale. Didn't buy anything but should have because I didn't see him there again. There are also occasional vendors on the beach with nice items, not pushy at all.

The grounds are a little dark by 6 p.m. (no Daylight Savings Time) but solar lights illuminate the paths and steps around the pool. We decided to eat dinner ($12) at the cafe. (Did not get the all-inclusive option.) The food is good but we wanted to try the other places too. Since we were the only ones eating at that time, our waiter Huestes, told us a little history of Belize and the types of people that live in this country.

This is the perfect place to relax on the beach and take advantage of the free kayaks. We took kayaks out on the water which was pretty smooth in the morning, then got choppy in the afternoon. The white sand is coarse and the beach is small, but the clear water is so warm! Bath water warm!

For lunch, we rode the resort's free bikes into Hopkins. Innies is rated the best restaurant in town, known for it's local Garifuna dishes. The stewed chicken and coconut milk rice is delicious. In town, make sure you go all the way north of town to a beachside place called Driftwood Pizza where an Irishman/Brit has the best pizza anywhere! Really! Also Rosie at Yugadah's makes authentic Garifuna food. Make sure you talk to Alex, the Rastafarian by the side of the road who makes lovely shell jewelry, and Dave, who creates wood figures in his shop.

Our first excursion was Cave Branch River, a 2-hour drive into the jungle. Many in our party were honeymooners. We were the oldest folks! Anyway, we had such a blast hiking through the rainforest, climbing the platforms and zipping through the trees and valleys! After a buffet lunch at this place, we got inner tubes and helmets with lights, and hiked through the jungle about 30 minutes to the Cave Branch River and an entrance to the most magnificent cave! We hooked on together and our guide jumped into the river and pulled us through, swimming and talking the entire way. The river swept us into a large cavern room, dark and cool, and slowly meandered around the stalactites. There was a lovely waterfall cascading into the cave and more twists and turns. It was better than a ride at Disney World! This was the real thing! After about 30 minutes, we exited the cave and floated down the river, back to the point where we got in. It was a wonderful adventure.

So after a long, bumpy 2-hour ride back to Belizean Dreams, we showered and relaxed on the balcony with some wine and local beer (Belikin) until it was 6 p.m., already dark outside. We walked down to the beach and went to Jaguar's Reef next door for an excellent seafood dinner. The dining room was much larger and very romantic.

You can't go to Belize and not see the Mayan ruins. We went on another excursion to Xunantunich, clear across the country toward Guatemala. Bernard was our driver and guide which was great because he is Mayan.
We also wanted to go on a birding excursion to the Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary the next day however it was kind of rainy and muddy so Bernard, our guide again, suggested driving a loop around the Sittee River where we saw beautiful tropical birds.

For dinner we walked (on the longer street side rather than the beach side because of those pesky sand fleas) to neighboring Hamanasi Resort which was favorably reviewed recently in the New York Times as a ecological friendly place. It was very jungly with treehouses and huts with hammocks on the porch. The restaurant food was delicious but much more expensive. I imagine the lodging was quite a bit more as well.

Final impressions -- Belize is not as cheap as Mexico or Guatemala, but is the friendliest country I have ever visited! Local folks smile, wave at you, initiate conversation, and basically get along with each other. Everyone speaks English and some Spanish. Expect that this is the rainforest, which means rain, bugs and humidity and be prepared. Also, I wish I was a diver or had gone on the snorkeling trip because the reef is supposed to be spectacular.

Additional Tips:
Get a list of excursions from the resort ahead of time. Some trips may be rained out.
No need to buy bottled water. A huge bottle of purified water is in the room. Don't drink the tap water.
WiFi is available in the office only.
Since there was no TV in the one-bedroom suites, it's a good idea to take some books, games or download some TV shows or movies on your iPad or laptop.
Leave your extra Belizean change for the housekeepers. They do a good job.
Nice robes are provided in the room.
The best souvenir t-shirts are at Art Box shop on the way to the Cave Branch zipline tour. There are also cool t-shirts at the airport.
Bring sunscreen and bug spray. And microwave popcorn!
Tip your guides for a job well done!

We took advantage of Groupon deal. Seeing the roos, we are convinced it was an amazing deal a bit of trouble getting booked. However, once that was out of the way, Isabella was helpful in this process, we were off and running. We read that this time of year was low and rainy season, so we expected iffy weather. After a couple of days of windy and stormy conditions, the weather improved markedly and we had a clear and beautiful ocean. The rooms were kept clean and tidy. We had coffee machines and a ideallic view from our baxony, 3a, every morning. Here is where it gets tricky. There is a bar on the beach, its the only one among four resorts. Every day at about eleven, the start playing music. Once we commented to the bartender to turn it down, she was literal
Y blasting techno music, she turned it down, but it was still loud. My husband went up again, but we Finally left to go next door to hamanasi resort for some peace and quiet. Bottom line here: if you are looking for a quiet time on the beach, this may not be the best place. Yo can't get away from the noisy bar, no matter where you are sitting. Also, on our second day, we had 3 families arrive, some with very small kids. If you want an adult emvironment, check to see who else they have booked.

We did not buy all in packages, so we had the flexibility to go anywhere to eat, we are glad we did that. The breakfast here was OK, but very slow. Today, we went to hamanasi, that was great. 14 $us for a really nice buffet that you don't have to wait for.
We also explored all of the restaurants on the beach: barracuda grill is superb, chef robs. In addition, we went into town a couple of nights for some driftwood pizza, fabulous.

Staff is amazing. Enzel, George, filipe thank you enzel for all of yr help and advise. Enzel is one the best front desk people we have come across,ever.

The bar staff is not so deserving. Maria is slow and unfriendly, she may be shy and have a language barrier, but then, she should not be a bartender in a place where 98% of clientele is from the US. She is also the one blasting techno during the day, completely unaware that people may want some peace and quiet. Jose seems perpetually drunk, sporting an unnaturally loud laugh and inticing passers by to come and have a drink. Not very classy, compared with the other places/bars on the beach.

Overall, the lodgings and service are first rate, the bar staff and approach really need a second look. The food is middle of the road.

My wife and I stayed at Belizean Dreams for our honeymoon from 18-24 September. We rented a car with the intent of trying as many things as we could in the area and travel out if we needed to. We drove from Belize City and while it's a beautiful drive, there isn't much help getting to the resort in Hopkins. I recognized Hamanasi and followed the signs there and asked them where to go. It just so happened to literally be the next resort up.

Once we arrived we were taken to our room and then to the bar for a complimentary drink. There is no TV or wifi in the room but that can be a good thing for some. Considering how difficult it is to get around and there being no phones in the room either, having wifi would definitely help when planning activities. Speaking of which, we were left with a one page form on the table describing activities and which days they would be available with the resort. However, there were no times, locations or prices on the paper. A trip to the office rectified this but it seemed none of the activities were really planned all that well. Several trips had been changed and there were no additional options on the same day offered. There was no real communication or a sense of order for most of the trip.

Lightening hit our room blowing something out of the wall and melting the rest of it to the outlet which also blew the circuit the refrigerator was on. We notified the office around 10am but it did not get repaired until after 6pm. At 4pm I again let them know there was a melted plug still in the wall and that they probably would want to have it removed before someone just decided to reset the breaker potentially causing a fire. This same storm knocked out the wifi at the restaurant for the rest of the vacation. They kept saying each day that it would be fixed that evening but they had only restored wifi at the front office.

I'm not too sure how much more the all inclusive cost but we ended up going with the resort for a few trips and it will cost you a good bit so it may benefit you to go that route since everything seems to be a 2+ hour trip away and at 650US a gallon of gas it can get expensive fast if you're not sure where you want to go. ATM's are few and very far between and almost every place takes only cash.

The food stayed pretty much the same throughout the week. Usually a choice of a beef, chicken and fish/seafood meal for dinner at about 25 dollars US. This is usually no choice of appetizer or dessert. Breakfast never changed from the basic menu choices and costs about 12-15 dollars each. Alcohol was relatively cheap, especially if you stuck with the basics. Rum and coke's were 2 dollars each and happy hour was buy one and get one free.

The staff at the bar and at the restaurant really made what could have been a horrible trip into something very decent. They really made this place and were the highlight of the resort stay. Always happy to engage in conversation, very polite and always trying their best to make you as happy and comfortable as possible. I wish I would say that I felt this way when dealing with the office.

The morning we checked out they had none of our paperwork ready. The gentleman at the desk said he wasn't told we were leaving that day. One of the receipts had no price on it and he didn't know the cost of the trip but we were able to still get out without too much of a delay

If you're looking for a rustic stay and just relax with no stress and just float along with the local atmosphere then Belizean Dreams would probably be perfect for you. If you're looking for many activities, a nice beach to lie on and a few modern conveniences then I don't believe this is the place for you.