Being marooned on this island in Belize wouldn’t be half bad. Gilligan would definitely approve.

 

You’re flying about 10 miles from the coast, and around 40 miles from the capital of Belize- with the helicopter prop whizzing heavily above you. The royal blue shade of the sea is uninterrupted except for the occasional light blue tint of shallow waters. Amongst it all sits Royal Belize Island, your island getaway.

 

belize aerial

The cockpit tilts back slightly as the pilot makes his descent. Thatch-roofed umbrellas waver and water ripples under firm helicopter gusts. The skids hit the grass, the engine shuts down, and for the first time, you realize how unutterably quiet it is in this tropical isolation. Your heart slows by a few beats.

belize helicopter

Steps away is your red-topped villa. The walls are almost entirely glass as if the villa were inviting the sea in for a cup of coffee. From here it’s difficult to tell, but there are an entire 7.5 acres of island to explore. But first, the island staff greets you and accommodates your every need.

belize house

You finally get to settle into your villa while the rest of your group makes themselves at home at the 2 other villas on the property. They’re all very modern and within footsteps of the water. You discover that when sitting on the front porch the tradewinds make your hairs stand on end and leave goosebumps on your arms. The vista from your chair is sublime. You wonder, why did I wait so long to come?

belize deck

Between all the houses are communal spaces in lavish thatch-roof huts. You saunter in to find that a mojito has already been prepared for your arrival.  There’s a masseuse table in the corner, and you remember that you’d booked a private spa session through THIRDHOME‘s Travel & Concierge department. You mentally pat yourself on the back for the forethought.

belize interior

You feel renewed, limber and several years younger. You say to yourself, I could lay here in this face cradle all day, but you couldn’t possibly. Not when there’s a chartered boat captain waiting to take you saltwater fly fishing! Your captain arrives and hands you a top of the line Orvis fishing rod, made specifically for tackling those wily bonefish.

Belize fishing

Your skipper transports you to various atolls, cays and reefs. He mentions to your crew that these are perfect locales for scuba diving, snorkeling and kayaking. Your crew, in invisible agreement, begins to strap on their diving fins. SPLASH!

belize scuba

The next day, over brunch, you propose a jungle adventure to your crew. “Travel at high speeds through the jungle on Belize’s longest zip line and venture to the well hidden Bocawina Falls,” you read aloud from your Travel & Concierge materials, “natural pools and refreshing waters await.” It all sounds promising, and within no time the rainforest is flying by you at 60+ miles per hour.

belize zipline

Afterward, your crew wants to venture through Cave Branch River, Belize’s longest cave tube float. You explore over two miles of the ancient Mayan underworld followed by a hike through a mixture of ancient Yucatan relics and natural beauty.

belize cave

For some reason, you feel that Royal Belize Island was too cushy- too easy. You came for the true castaway experience! Your skipper fulfills your desire and transports you and your crew to Ranguana Caye for the night.

Belize ranguanacaye

Ranguana Caye features island staff, a beach bar, and three rustic cabanas. Here you find even more fishing, scuba, and watersport opportunities. Your crew lauds this rare find, and you smirk- eat your heart out Tom Hanks.  A fishing spear has never felt so natural in your well-worn island hands.

belize ranguana

You awake in a tizzy to find that your island tan is gone, as is your straw hat. Traffic, clacking keyboards, and a bombardment of city noises return you to reality. And the reality is this: you are only a few clicks away from returning to the private island experience of a lifetime. So what are you waiting for? Royal Belize Island awaits you and your 10+ guest crew!

Packages for this Curated Journey start at $4,999 per person, and the trip is fully customizable to your party.

Get a double dose of private island action today by clicking here.

 

A visit to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, means living in the jungle surrounded by amazing exotic animals that swing through the trees.

Manuel Antonio is a jungle. Literally a jungle. Speaking to all the locals and foreigners about Costa Rica, I quickly found out this is one of the best places in Costa Rica to visit.

This ecologically diverse area is home to one of the largest variety of flora and fauna in the world.

If you want to guarantee seeing animals such as the sloth, a range of different species of monkeys, racoons and overwhelming amount of birds, you must check out Manuel Antonio National Park. Although the park is small, it’s filled to the brim with these occupants of the land. Be sure to join a professional tour with a guide during your visit as they will disclose some of the most interesting facts about the wildlife and Costa Rica. Having the tour guide find the animals for you in the jungle is priceless.

Within the park, you will also find one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. They filmed parts of Jurassic Park here and it’s no guesses why. The jungle trees’ hugging the ocean shoreline is a sight that must be witnesses.

Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica may be a tourist town, however it’s a very quiet tourist town. People that visit this area of the country are interested in relaxation, surfing, wildlife watching, dining, lounging at the beach and live music.  

The perks of being a tourist village however is that there are many activities to occupy you if you want some adventure in your day.

From zip lining through the tree canopies, riding an ATV through the jungle and rivers, swimming underneath waterfalls, hiking, catamaraning next humpback whales and their calf (during the right season), abseiling from waterfalls, tasting freshly made chocolate or real vanilla beans at the local Vanilla Spice farm, fishing, horse riding, water rafting or jet skiing – there’s always going to be something for you to do. 

My visit to Costa Rica occurred during the rainy season and a common misconception is that the rain never stops. This is very far from the truth. The rain always started in the late afternoon for about 3 hours and that was it.

The result – luscious greenery everywhere, perfect temperatures, less tourists around and beautiful rain pouring whilst you’re enjoying your dinners.

So whether you’re looking to go during the dry or wet season, you’ll be guaranteed a memorable time in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.

To all of you that already have Manuel Antonio on your list of places to visit, you’ve got the right idea.

-Sorelle Amore

 

During her trip to Costa Rica, Sorelle stayed at this beautiful home, Villa Punto de Vista, in Manuel Antonio. Click here to view all THIRDHOME properties in Costa Rica.

Sorelle Amore won THIRDHOME‘s “Best Job On The Planet,” which garnered more than 17,000 applications from around the world. In her position as a Luxury Travel Connoisseur for THIRDHOME, she is traveling the world, staying in 12 luxury homes.

THIRDHOME is the exclusive luxury property and travel club that enables second home owners to exchange time in their home for stays in spectacular destinations around the world. Click here for more information on how to become a member.

 

Search our luxury travel blog

Search Icon

Hit ESC to close, ENTER to search