Exotic Caye Resort - Private oceanfront suites set in a tropical ambiance. http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/hotels/Belize/exoticcayebeachresort/hotel/273/3/ en-us Copyright 1998 e-TravelMedia.com/CaribbeanMag.com Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:54:49 EST Relax on pristine white sands, shaded by majestic palms, overlooking the crystal blue waters of the sparkling Caribbean. Relish the sumptuous tastes of fresh seafood prepared with island flare. Retire to your condominium suite accommodations within the tropical ambiance of a cabana. Join us at Exotic Caye Beach Resort for your next vacation. Come alone or bring a group, we will accommodate all of your needs. This beautiful country has so much to offer. If you come to dive, fish, explore or relax our expert staff can arrange fantastic adventures for you on both Ambergris Caye and the mainland of Belize. There's an indescribable feeling when you walk over the warm white sand and feel the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean embrace you like an old friend. It's the feeling where nothing else exists -- shedding the day-to-day grind and discovering once again your real sense of being. You've felt it before. It may well be the most perfect moment in the world. The Exotic Caye Beach resort is full of perfect moments. Floating in the clear ocean saltwater. Soaking up the sun. Relaxing in the freshwater swimming pool. Lounging peacefully in an oceanfront hammock. Smelling the fresh air. Doing nothing. Your needs beckon, our friendly staff responds. The tranquility of a relaxing massage. Dancing the night away to live music at Crazy Canuck's Bar. Our staff makes sure that this is a vacation you will never forget. Want an adventure? We've got that, too. Diving or snorkeling in the colorful coral caves of Rocky Point. Exploring ancient Mayan Ruins. Threading a fly for tarpon on the reef. Or hitting the links for 18 on private Caye Chapel golf course. Alone or with a group, whatever you want to do, we make sure it's perfect. At Exotic Caye Resort, there's plenty of perfect moments to go around. AMENITIES: Features - Fully equipped oceanfront suites - Freshwater swimming pool - Full service dive shop - Massage therapists - Private boat dock - Beach volleyball - Maid and laundry service - Night security - Crazy Canuck's Bar featuring live music ACTIVITIES: - Dive or snorkel to your heart's content - Visit ancient Mayan ruins - Take a relaxing sunset cruise - Sea kayak - Tour other local cayes - Float through jungle river caves - Experience deep sea, reef and fly fishing Enjoy a full day scenic tour of Belize's incredible nature and ancient ruins. After a boat ride over to the mainland, we will visit the Northern New River Lagoon and have the opportunity to see different varieties of beautiful orchids and bromeliads, and exciting wildlife like crocodiles, bats, and reptiles. Our experienced guides will help you learn about the incredible Mayan Culture as you walk around the ancient ruins of Altun Ha ("Water of the Rock"). After visiting the ruins, we'll take a short ride to the beautiful Maruba Jungle Spa where you can enjoy lunch in an exotic jungle setting. Choose your lunch from Maruba's intensive menu while enjoying a refreshing rum punch or pina colada. After lunch you can go horseback riding through some magnificent nature trails, relax in their famous pool, or be pampered by one of Maruba's many unique massages. One of the hottest experiences on your vacation in Belize. This is a full day of adventure which takes you around the island and over to the mainland. From there we proceed to the Old Northern River to the beautiful village of Bomba. Then by bus it's over to Tower Hill and your journey begins down the New River to Lamanai ("Submerged Crocodile"). Along the way you are likely to encounter a rich variety of indigenous animals like crocodiles, monkeys and birds. At Lamanai you will get a guided tour of the majestic ruins that perch on the waters edge. This is a day full of awe as we journey into the northern heart of the Maya Mountain Range to visit the fabulous 1,000 foot waterfalls of the Hidden Valley; then roll on to the rainforest area of the Rio Frio Cave for exploration (watch your step); lunch is at Rio On Pools and swim in the delightfully cool pools of this great mountain stream flowing over huge granite formations. * This trip may require an overnight stay. Visit nearby Caye Chapel for a round of golf. This private island has an 18 hole course. Reservations are required at least one day in advance. See the front desk to make arrangements. Enjoy a boat trip from Ambergris to the islands near the mainland where you'll have the opportunity to see one of nature's most docile animals, the gentle manatee. After visiting these mammals, stop at one of Belize's most beautiful small islands, Goff's Caye, for lunch and snorkeling. We'll stop at Hol Chan and Shark-Ray Alley on the way back to the resort. A snorkeling "must-do" on Ambergris Caye is a trip to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark-Ray Alley. Hol Chan is an underwater park with a 30-foot-deep channel known for its beautiful coral grottos and caves abundant with schools of fish. Also a great place for night dives. We follow that with a ride one mile south to Shark-Ray Alley. As you might have guessed, you will have the opportunity here to swim among stingrays and even pet a few nurse sharks! To fully appreciate the wildlife that Belize has to offer, a trip to the Belize Zoo is a must. Over 125 animals native to Belize can be seen here, including endangered species like the Jaguar, Tapirs, Black Howler Monkeys and many more. Visit the Community Baboon Sanctuary where you can see Black Howler Monkeys, known locally as baboons. Their loud, raspy call can carry over a mile! Take a trip to the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary to see the Jabiru Stork (the largest bird in the Western Hemisphere). Or plan a visit to the Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Preserve to see raw jungle at its best! - Go kayaking, wind-surfing, jet-skiing, canoeing, and take out the new Airboat. - Take a cruise or go sailing by sunlight or moonlight. - Bird watching to see Egret, Great Herons and many other tropical birds. - Visit the Ambergris Museum to experience the history of the island. -Full-day canoe trips on the Mopan River. - Half, full-day, and overnight horseback riding trips. - Mayan ruins of Cahal Pech, Caracol, and Xunantunich. - Visit the Butterfly Farm in gardens of tropical wildflowers. - River trips for bird watching and jungle exploration Dive Shop Let our dive shop take you on unforgettable adventures to fulfill all your aquatic interests. Anything from snorkeling to deep-sea fishing, our dive shop has everything to complete your itinerary. Freshwater Swimming Pool Our freshwater swimming pool is just the place to refresh one's self after a trip to town or during a day of sun bathing. Lay back and enjoy the sunning deck and our bar staff will bring you a tropical elixir to complete the moment. Crazy Canuck's Beach Bar Come relax by the sea and enjoy one of the many fine drinks prepared for you by our attentive staff. Open on three sides and right next to the sea you will be able to watch island life happen around you, while you meet new friends or enjoy spending time with old ones. Relaxation is the rule. So each day our bartenders create a drink special to put just enough change into your life that you will know it is a new day. Kick back with a Belikin Beer, enjoy the fresh breeze and relax with the open air atmosphere of Crazy Canuck's Beach Bar. Beach Volleyball Court Our beach volleyball court located right past our pool, is always open for those wanting to engage in a brisk game. Our court is regularly visited by locals who can't turn down a game of pickup with guests to the island. This is a great way to meet locals and have a lot of fun. Shopping The island of Ambergris Caye has little in the way of big name fashions, perfumes, and designers, but is rich in hand-made crafts to decorate your home or to give as gifts. The most popular form of handicraft are the carvings made from the wood of the Zaragote Tree. This unique wood is extremely hard and has an incredible grain pattern. It also has the interesting characteristic of having both light and dark colors side by side naturally. The carvings are sold widely throughout the island in the shops but even more so in the streets or on the beach. Black Coral jewelry is also very popular with the government controlling the amount of coral that can be used for this purpose. Again, you will find it in the shops but also sold informally along the beach. There are several local artists who may be represented in the galleries in town. "Mad Dog Mike" sits just south of town on the beach and does sketches of island scenes. Near where he sits is Amy who forms ceramic creations that have the life of the sea breathed into them. Ask Mad Dog Mike to point out her home to you. In Fido's Courtyard is an artisan's gallery that you will want to visit. This shop contains the largest collection of differing items from Belize and the neighboring Mayan Countries. They also have a great collection of paintings from the local artist, Walter Castillo. Groceries There are several main grocery stores on the island and then many smaller shops which specialize in either fruits and vegetables or meats. We are fortunate to have two of the larger stores next to our resort. The largest grocery store on the island is located right up the road from Exotic Caye. Another large store is located south of us on Coconut Drive. The fruit and vegetable stands are great for fresh produce. The boat arrives from the mainland on Wednesday so that is the day to buy the best Caribbean fruits and vegetables that Belize has to offer. You will be able to find most items of need in the stores here. You may not always find the specific brand you are looking for but generally all types of items are available. Be prepared to pay twice the US price for US specialty products, like Kellogg's Corn Flakes or Spaghetti-O's, but for main stay items such as milk, cheese, eggs, bread, fruits, vegetables, meats and drinks the prices are the same or less than what you would pay at home. Hol Chan Marine Reserve Shark Ray Alley The Blue Hole Rocky Point- Mexico Rocks Turneffe Islands Lighthouse Reef Cypress Canyons- Victoria Tunnels Scuba Rates Belize is best known for its diving. Divers flock to Belize to see its spectacular barrier reef that runs parallel to the country for over 190 miles. Ambergris Caye sits just inside the reef at its most northern point, with the reef meeting the island at Rocky Point. The variety of coral and aquatic life in the reef is amazing (inhabited with jacks, groupers, snappers, parrot fish, angel fish, barracuda, eels, spider crabs, lobster, nurse sharks and more). Our team of dive masters at the Exotic Caye Dive Shop looks forward to guiding you as you explore the underwater world of Belize. Our dive shop is located right outside your oceanfront condo. This location is central to the many dive sites located just offshore while also convenient to the Turneffe Islands, Lighthouse Caye, and the famous Blue Hole. Listed below are some of the major dive sites along with information about the aspects of that dive. This site is a national park just a 10 minute boat ride south of the resort. The maximum depth is 30 feet and there is a channel here to open water so currents can be a consideration. Because of its protected status, you are likely to see almost all species of fish native to these waters. Located near Hol Chan, this exciting site affords one the opportunity to swim with a large collection of Nurse Sharks and Southern Stingrays. The rays, having wing-spans of up to four feet, swim close enough to be touched as do the nurse sharks, who are up to six feet in length. This is one of the claims to fame for many divers around the world, been there, done that. The blue hole is a limestone sink hole which is almost perfectly round. It is over 1000 feet across and over 400 feet deep. The walls of the dive are steep and not until you reach levels below 110 feet do you begin to see the stalactites that are the roof of this monstrous cave. It is hard to imagine that just a little over 10,000 years ago this formation was an above ground cave. What the Blue Hole lacks in coral and aquatic life it overwhelms with a true sense of awe. Both of these sites are within a 5 minute boat ride from the resort. Each offers great visibility, abundant fish species, and canyon formations at 60 to 90 feet. Farther north, about 30 minutes, to a point where the reef meets the island is Rocky Point. This is an especially great place to view coral of many colors and also have a chance to see large silver Tarpon lurking around these waters. Mexico Rocks is one of the best canyon sites with several caves in the coral to explore. This trip will allow you to visit the Famous Amigos Wreck. At this site the marine life is abundant, at a depth of 70 feet you may see sting rays, sharks, groupers and a variety of other fish. On your second dive we will take you to a location rarely dived due to the distance from the island. Here you will be able to see barrel sponges ranging from 4 to 6 feet tall as well as a variety of coral. After these two spectacular dives, we will travel close to the island and make a snorkel stop at shark ray alley. Here you will actually get in the water with friendly Nurse sharks and Sting Rays. Turneffe Islands, just 2 hours offshore, are the largest of the three offshore atoll reefs in Belize. Although these islands are little more than small sandbars with mangroves and swampy lagoons, they provide a phenomenal habitat for aquatic life and unique diving. A favorite area known as the Elbow includes species from tube sponges to deep water gorgonians. Lighthouse Reef, about 2 ½ hours, is the farthest offshore reef but it is closer to Ambergris Caye than Glovers reef to the south. It is a popular area for divers especially for its own merits but also because it is the home of the Blue Hole. The best diving on Lighthouse is located at its southern end, at either Half Moon Caye or Long Caye. Both have unique dive experiences and are well worth the trip. Additionally many of the dive trips stop at Half Moon Caye for lunch where you will be able to view the endangered Red Footed Boobie, one of only two known habitats to support this number of their species. Enjoy a full day scenic tour of Belize's incredible nature and ancient ruins. After a boat ride over to the mainland, we will visit the Northern New River Lagoon and have the opportunity to see different varieties of beautiful orchids and bromeliads, and exciting wildlife like crocodiles, bats, and reptiles. Our experienced guides will help you learn about the incredible Mayan Culture as you walk around the ancient ruins of Altun Ha ("Water of the Rock"). After visiting the ruins, we'll take a short ride to the beautiful Maruba Jungle Spa where you can enjoy lunch in an exotic jungle setting. Choose your lunch from Maruba's intensive menu while enjoying a refreshing rum punch or pina colada. After lunch you can go horseback riding through some magnificent nature trails, relax in their famous pool, or be pampered by one of Maruba's many unique massages. DINING/RESTARUANTS: Crazy Canuck's Beach Bar Come relax by the sea and enjoy one of the many fine drinks prepared for you by our attentive staff. Open on three sides and right next to the sea you will be able to watch island life happen around you, while you meet new friends or enjoy spending time with old ones. Relaxation is the rule. So each day our bartenders create a drink special to put just enough change into your life that you will know it is a new day. Kick back with a Belikin Beer, enjoy the fresh breeze and relax with the open air atmosphere of Crazy Canuck's Beach Bar. Type: Resort Beach Location: Beach Front (Directly on Beach/Water Front) http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/hotels/Belize/exoticcayebeachresort/hotel/273/3/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:54:49 EST