Thatch Caye Resort

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• Shannon Hessler

  16 December 2017

  My husband and I recently stayed at Thatch Caye Resort for our honeymoon. I would rate our stay between a 3-4 and it really is personality dependent as the resort isn't for everyone. The good news is - the resort is just as advertised so what they say and post, is what you get. From my experience - here are the pros and cons:
  
  Cons -
  -This is not the best place to enjoy when the weather isn't great. For probably 3-4 days of our trip a cold front came through which really limited our ability to do much. None of the rooms have a TV, internet or anything with only one small TV in the main lounge and wifi in that location only. The lounge has board games but many are missing pieces. My husband and I played a lot of cards but they only had one deck, so definitely bring your own! Again, the TV/internet free lifestyle is very much advertised so you get what they say.
  -We stayed in an overwater bungalow and while there was a lot of excitement surrounding that, it was a bit disappointing for me. The deck over the water is not very large and the hammock there takes up a majority of the space. there are two VERY small wooden chairs that are super uncomfortable and unrealistic to sit on for any period of time. I had hoped with the money we paid to be in an overwater bungalow that we would have been able to spend an entire morning or afternoon on it should we have liked but the bad furniture made that hard to do. Also, there is no water access from your bungalow so you have to go to Barefoot Beach to get in the water.
  - We took cold showers almost every night we were there. We let the GM know we were having issues with the hot water but never received a follow up and the issue was not resolved. We know others were having the same problem.
  
  Pro's
  -THE STAFF IS AMAZING! They really go out of their way to make sure you have a good experience. Right when we were picked up we were met with drinks, shots and smiling faces. Ben and Jess are amazing bartenders and not only make great drinks but are great for conversation. For the excursions we went on, Captain Ben, Darwin and Barry were fantastic. All are very knowledgeable of the islands, culture and marine life. We had a really great time snorkeling and on the island crawl/booze cruise (which we asked for super last minute and they accommodated very quickly). We also wanted to enjoy our bungalows (despite the crappy furniture) and Ben was great about getting buckets of beer together for us to take bag to our room so we would not have to go back and forth between the lounge and our room.
  -Food was fantastic! My husband isn't a huge fan of seafood and even he couldn't complain. We had a nice mix of seafood and red/white meat meals and never had one bad dish the 6 nights we were there. Mundo was amazing and even now we miss him coming out to introduce what we are having for dinner.
  -Island Activities. The days we had great weather, the island toys were so much fun to use. We went paddle boarding for the first time, kayaked, laid out on the beach, etc. All free with the all-inclusive package (which is really more cost effective than paying a-la-carte)
  
  What I mean by personality dependent is my husband would rate this place 5/5 stars and can't wait to go back. Belize and the resort are beautiful and the staff is top notch which is really what was most important to him. For me, I think there are little things the resort could do to improve like updating the furniture on the bungalows to be more enjoyable for those who actually want to spend time there and thinking about what types of activities or games they could add for when weather is bad and no one can leave the island or do island activities.
  
  Hope this helps others who are planning a trip!

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• Krystina

  30 November 2017

  Thatch Caye Family-
  
  From the moment we stepped on the island we were treated like family *those welcome drinks were amazing!!! The memories and friends we have made while on the island are ones we will cherish forever.
  
  Thatch will go above and beyond to make your trip the best. We fell in love with our
  bartenders Ben and Jess. They make some killer drinks and I loved just chatting with them. They always made sure we had a good time :)
  
  Thank you to our boat caption and tour guide Ben and Darvin. They are so easy going and will ensure you have a great time at sea. I got a little sea sick while on our snorkeling trip and they were able to coordinate for me to be dropped off at an island while the rest of the group finished the tour. It showed they will go above and beyond to ensure guests are enjoying their time.
  ***I was able to see a turtle hatch and make his way to sea, so it was not wasted stay on the beach :)
  
  Thank you to the chef! Wow, what they can pump out of the kitchen on an island in the middle of know where is amazing! The food and presentation was far beyond what I was expecting. Picky eater? vegetarian? Just let them know before you arrive and they will make it happen. Remember we are on an island so they need to plan ahead!
  Also, we loved the family style dinners. We met two other couples on the island and instantly bonded. From our excursions together, to one of their honeymoon stargazers cruise that they insisted be turned into a friends “booze cruise,” we have made some amazing memories. We already want to start planning our reunion trip.
  
  Mundo, we love you!!! We were celebrating my husbands 30th birthday and when Mundo found out he had a surprise birthday cake made and brought out after dinner. It was such a special gesture and made us feel right at home.
  
  To all the behind the scenes staff that work so hard to make this island always look so beautiful, you don’t go unnoticed. The island is truly beautiful and all the staff made it unforgettable.
  
  Till next time - Peace, love and remember always chill like Dewey.

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• Shana Palencia

  25 November 2017

  Amazing resort, super relaxing, food was amazing, all inclusive package is totally worth it. There are several activities available for additional purchase with very knowledgeable guides that is a great price. Definitely try the lobster hunting and snorkeling. The stars are divine And literally twinkle. You will see shooting stars everytime.

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• Matt

  19 July 2017

  My new Wife and I spent 9 days at Thatch Caye in an Ocean View Cabana with their best honeymoon package. Words can't express how wonderful our time was!
  
  We are from Chicago and had a layover in Dallas before flying to Belize city. From there, a puddle jumper flew us to Dengringa local airport, which is about the size of my living room. From there, Ben the boat captain and his co-pilot, Juan, drove us to the island. It was very windy and a little rainy and was an absolute adventure (although unexpected)! When we got there, Juan took our bags and we headed to our little house on the beach. It was like something out of a movie.
  
  The next morning was gorgeous. Around 8:30, a private breakfast was brought to our room and holy cow was it good! That was the start of 9 days of just plain awesome.
  
  It was such a different experience than I was anticipating. We got to know the staff personally! From Orlando and Mundo the servers, Ben and Jessie the bartenders, Ben the boat Captain, Darvin and Barry our tour guides, to even the electrician Bow-wow (who I tried to teach a little German to. I'm sure he would be willing to tell you what he learned haha).
  
  The managers of the Island deserve a special thank you. Justin and his wife, Brooks, were absolutely awesome. A piece of the path jumped out and bit my new wife's big toe and they were incredibly helpful with dressing the wound (it was tiny). Later in the week, when my shiny porcelain skin roasted beyond recognition, their advise was paramount to making the rest of the trip enjoyable.
  
  The water was beautiful and the sights were breathtaking, but what really made it awesome was the resort and quality of the staff. The food was world class, I mean crazy good! However, my over 6 and a half foot self quickly figured out to ask for seconds. Justin also asked if we'd like our breakfast brought to our room. We actually liked seeing the other guests at breakfast and enjoying bloody Clarence's (ask Ben, he'll fix you up) as we sat on the veranda of the main building afterwards.
  
  A couple pointers, if you're looking for something like a Sandals resort with no real soul, it really isn't for you. Also, if you think the outside doesn't have things like bugs it might not be for you. A little bug spray and a bit more sun block, and it's heaven on earth.
  
  On our second to last day, we spent the afternoon chatting with Brooks and learning some of the history of the Island. The company that currently owns the Island has owned it for a couple years now and has been making vast improvements to all of the various housing around Thatch Caye and I can't wait to see what they've done when we go back!
  
  Thank you all for making my Honeymoon perfect!

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• Monica

  11 July 2017

  An honest review
  
  My husband and I came to Thatch Caye for our honeymoon and I had really high hopes for my stay and unfortunately I can’t say it lived up to my expectations.
  
  The Bad:
  • The overwater bungalow is really loud at night if its stormy out (which it was every night for our stay). Even with the windows latched and locked shut, rain from the storm came into our room and got our luggage stowed underneath the bed soaking wet. There is absolutely no storage in the bungalow, and we ended up hanging things kind of all over the place to dry out. The only real storage was under the bed, which mentioned, gets wet every time it storms out. There is no fridge/kitchenette/coffee or anything in the room. The bungalows are relatively far away from any of the eating areas/bars, therefore you don’t really get spend that much time in your room and it would be hassle to try and get a drink whether it be coffee or alcoholic to bring it back to your room to enjoy. There are no curtains on the windows which would have been fine for 2 of the 4 windows, however the 2 windows on the north and south ends face the other bungalows and you can see straight through to your neighbors. We talked about this with other guest and all of us felt the pain of there being no curtains on those 2 windows. For privacy sake, it would be really nice if those windows facing your neighbors even just had sheer curtains so you could be “free” in your room.
  • My husband nick-named Barefoot Beach to “Flea Beach” because the sand fleas were so bad. Both of our feet/ankles got eaten alive. This is extremely unfortunate since this beach is where all the island toys are and this is really the only true spot on the island to lay out in the sun. My idea of a tropical vacation didn’t include putting on bug spray to lay out on the beach.
  • A couple of the days that were really stormy all island excursions/activities were canceled so you were either confined to hanging out in your room or hanging out in the main Coco Lounge. The Coco Lounge during the raining days however leaks horribly and there wasn't really a whole lot to do. I wish Thatch Caye could improve the rainy days a little bit better in terms of providing the guest with some form of entertainment.
  • Thatch Caye offers communal meals. At first this was fine, but it kind of got old after a while. If you’re willing to pay for it, you can opt for a private dinner. You don’t get to pick out your meals, you are just served whatever they are serving. There were many times I didn’t really like what they served, it was too spicy, not of preference, etc. I wish there were more food options and more food in general, I was often hungry in-between meals.
  • It’s the luck of the draw when it comes down to what other guest are on the island the same time as you. Unfortunately we happened to stay when there were a ton of children/families on the island. Based on all the reviews I read, I did not anticipate more than 1 or 2 children if any at all to be on the island. For us there were 3 separate large families with multiple children on the island. These families were loud, used up all the island toys, and since the island is just so small, you couldn’t really escape them. This wasn’t the serene peaceful honeymoon I anticipated. What I wish I knew sooner was the island right next door to Thatch Caye, which is Coco Plum, is an adult only island.
  
  The Good
  • Bartender Ben was probably the best staff member on the whole island. He has all sorts of special drinks up his sleeve. And his drinks really are AMAZING.
  • All of our travel logistics were seamless. I used Thatch Caye to book the commuter flight from Belize City to Dangriga and that process was very easy/simple. When we arrived in Dangriga there was a van waiting for us at the airport to take us to the boat. The same happened in the reverse, Thatch Caye has a van arranged to take from the boat back to the airport when you go to leave. You really don’t need to worry about anything once you land in Belize, Thatch Caye takes care of you.

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• Kathleen Brumagin

  27 March 2017

  Very nice ,clean place , service exellent!

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• Roberts Levin

  06 March 2017

  Exotic little piece of paradise. Attentive management and friendly staff. Excellent food and community.

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• Frank Risalvato

  30 December 2016

  I could not have imagined a more amazing place to take my honeymoon. My new wife and I had an amazing time and the staff was beyond helpful with anything we needed. The food was amazing and the island was kept in great shape. Be careful one trip here and you may never want to go home!

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• Carl Payne

  31 August 2016

  Really enjoyed out time at Thatch Caye; the staff is extremely friendly, the island is absolutely beautiful and the rooms are great. Arriving was a bit of a challenge since we drove but managed to meet the Thatch Caye contacts and onto the boat to the island. After a short boat ride, we were greeted by the staff and locals and shown to our room. We stayed in one of the over water cabanas which were amazing; clean, large, comfortable and with stunning views. The food is simple but excellent. There are plenty of activities to do on the island (snorkeling, SUP, swimming, drinking and just lounging in the sun). There are also plenty of excursions although they do cost extra. The bar is always open and bartenders are there to make drinks from 3 pm on (mostly local rum is free, top shelf is extra). Your stay will not be cheap, but will be worth it!

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• Lauren Gaspard

  23 August 2016

  We just returned from our trip to Thatch Caye Resort, and I can definitely say we left a piece of our heart on that island. Everything from the beginning to the end was just wonderful! The staff, food, lodging, island - EVERYTHING was perfect! Thatch Caye should be on everyone's bucket list of places to go!

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