Chan Chich Lodge

The staff were amazing. Being in the middle of the nowhere. And seeing the clear night sky

Rooms have a lot of critter due to the location. We slept with scorpions and roaches. Our rooms had lots of gaps that made it easy to hide. The room also needs a bit of refreshing in my opinion.

Chan Chich is amazing! There's a LOT of things to like. The birding was excellent. We stayed 3 night and identified almost 100 bird species (on our own). Being able to explore the (non-excavated) Mayan ruins (mounds) on the property was amazing. There were plenty of hiking trails to keep us busy. The accommodations were quiet and comfortable for the 3 of us. The breakfast and available coffee was excellent.

The one dinner we had was WAY overpriced for what was on the plate (e.g., $140 for 3 of us without appetizer, drinks, or dessert). On my plate, there was a single portion of fish (which tasted good) and one slice of carrot. I ate the 5 bites of fish and slice of carrot, and was still hungry. You'd think for that price, they at least add a decent portion of vegetables (given the meal description said vegetables). You'd think they might include some cheap dessert. On check out they charged me an extra $100 service fee (on top of the the total on Booking.com I agreed to pay). They wouldn't budge. That's the first time the total on Booking.com is not what I had to pay, and I've made over 200 Booking.com hotel/resort reservations. I'd be glad to pay a service fee, but it should be included in Booking.com final amount. This sets a bad precedent. Also, I expected there would be an excellent bird feeder setup, but no. They did have a nice bird feeding set up which would have been great for bird photography from the breakfast area, but they don't put any food out (e.g., no fruit or seed or anything). They do have a couple hummingbird feeders, and a water feature that attracted a few birds. One of the servers told me they haven't put food out for months, because when they do the birds don't come. I admit was skeptical, so I put some fruit (I had brought) in front of my room and the birds came within an hour. I can only guess they don't put food out for the birds, because they are trying to save money. Maybe they have a better reason. The hot tub was cold, which was too bad, because it would have been enjoyable given the pool was too cold to use. We didn't see anyone using it during our 3 days.

We loved the remote jungle setting amongst unexcavated Mayan ruins, with exotic birds and wildlife. Our cabin was very comfortable and was equipped with a pair of excellent hot showers. The staff were friendly and the guides very good.

The food was good but the portions far too large. We ended up splitting all our meals between two to avoid waste. We were not warned in advance about the roads to and from Gallon Jug, which were in very poor condition, with deep mud and huge potholes. A four-wheel drive vehicle with generous ground clearance is needed.

The grounds are lovely. The farm tour was very informative. The guide was knowledgeable and had very good communication skills. Nice to have the pool. I left a shawl at the lodge and they kindly gave it to a driver who was going to San Ignacio for me to pick up. We appreciate the efforts the Bowen family seem to be making toward conservation. The Gallon Jug coffee and bottled sauces (made on-farm) are the best and offered for very reasonable prices on-site.

The maps/signage is not terribly accurate for the trails around the property. We were told that dinner was $45US but one of us is vegetarian and the only option was a cheese and bean enchilada, as opposed to the very good, generous steak option. It took a few questions before we were told that there were prices on each course so it was not necessary to pay the full $45US if we only wanted one course. None of us in our party mind paying for quality but it felt like we were being forced into the "full meal deal"!