Casual elegance is the very essence of Victoria House, one of the premiere resort hideaways on beautiful Ambergris Caye. Set amongst mature stands of coconut trees and extensive gardens planted with hibiscus, bougainvillea and oleander, we offer an ideal mix of seclusion and easy accessibility to San Pedro and the rest of beautiful Belize. http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/hotels/Belize/victoriahouse/hotel/324/3/ en-us Copyright 1998 e-TravelMedia.com/CaribbeanMag.com Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:53:21 EST The plantation style building is home to the STATE ROOMS, PLANTATION ROOMS and PLANTATAION SUITES. Elegantly furnished and located on the second floor they are accessed by a wrap-around balcony overlooking tropical gardens, white sand beaches and a beachfront swimming pool and patio. All rooms are air-conditioned with private baths and offer mini-bars for your convenience. Two spacious Plantation Suites each features a king bedroom with private living rooms for relaxing at the end of another day in paradise. CASITAS: Greet a stunning sunrise from the private verandah of your thatch-roofed cabaņa. Each cabana is decorated with mahogany beds draped in custom mosquito netting allowing you to enjoy the cool evening breezes, or if you prefer each unit is air-conditioned. The Cabanas are separated from the Caribbean by only a white sand beach and a wide expanse of verdant lawn. Casitas are available with a queen or two single beds in each cottage. All casitas have their own private baths. PLANTATION: Plantation Rooms are surrounded by tropical hibiscus filled gardens and coconut palms. Each room features a private entrance, individual verandahs with lovely views of the pool and beach and private bath. All rooms have Caribbean plantation style interiors with either a queen or king size bed. THE RAINFOREST SUITE: or Honeymoon Suite is only fifty feet from the waters edge with a wrap around furnished verandah. The suite is a secluded unit with private bath and an oversized room featuring jungle style, whimsical flora and fauna wall frescos painted by a renowned local artist. Floor to ceiling windows and French doors provide all the views you could wish for in this tropical paradise. VILLAS: This lovely single story villa with vaulted hardwood ceilings is located on our white sand palm shaded beach. Both bedrooms and the living room open onto the spacious hardwood deck which overlooks the beach, providing the perfect spot to enjoy an island sunrise over the barrier reef. Although the bedrooms mirror each other in size, one features a king bed and the other two queen beds. The living room, kitchen and dining room also have a garden view deck in the back allowing for cooling tropical breezes and a view of the sunrise and sunset. The bedrooms, which have private baths, may be closed off from the living area and reserved as a Master Suite (the bedroom plus living area). The living room offers a double sofa bed. Just next door a spacious three bedroom two level plantation house. The main floor master bedroom features a customized bamboo queen bed and an en suite master bath. The living room, dining room and kitchen all open onto an oversized covered verandah furnished with locally-crafted wicker and mahogany furniture. Upstairs are two privately accessed bedrooms, each with an en suite bathroom and featuring two double beds or one queen and twin. A shared balcony overlooks the beach and barrier reef. The lower level of this lovely house can also be taken as a Master Suite: master bedroom, kitchen and living area. AMENITIES: ACTIVITIES: The ambiance of Victoria House provides the perfect setting for planning and later, reflecting upon your days' fishing, exploring, or underwater adventures. Let us help make your dreams a reality. Definitely worth a visit is the Hol Chan Marine reserve, perhaps our most famous snorkeling destination. Established in May of 1987, this entire area is literally a natural aquarium. In the Maya tongue, hol chan means small channel. The entire reserve consists of only 5 square miles and is adjacent to the Marco Gonzalez archaeological site. Diving or snorkeling this unique area will give you the opportunity to see myriads of colorful reef inhabitants going about their business seemingly oblivious to visitors. Come discover one of the wonders of the natural world, the Great Belize Barrier Reef. It's the longest such eco-system in the northern Hemisphere and a living treasure, rich with uncounted species of colorful fish, aquatic plants and coral. With the exception of excursions to the Blue Hole and the outer atolls, the majority of our diving is done on and around the reef , which on Ambergris Caye is no further than half a mile from the shore. A combination of cuts, canyons and caverns, some of which are visible from the air as you approach the San Pedro Airport. Belizean waters are justifiably world renowned for sportfishing. Whether your tastes run to landing dinner for your table after a day on the reef, the thrill of hooking a huge game-fish in deep water, or light tackle and fly-fishing for tarpon and bonefish on "The Flats", you'll find our guides are some of the best in the country. Many of our guests have returned year after year for the opportunity of fishing with their favorite guide. You may be back next year for the same reason. Long before the "discovery" of the Americas by Europeans, the land now known as Belize was home to a thriving and advanced culture. The living descendants of this period are a proud part of the mosaic of modern Belize, while the remains of their cities and cultural centers are found literally all over the land. Many are recognized archaeological sites and others may remain undiscovered in a farmers field or a townsman's backyard. We'll be happy to assist you in planning a day trip or an overnight excursion to a unique aspect of our Belizean heritage. Altun Ha is just one of the many archaeological sites which might be of interest to the visitor. In addition, there are a number of ways of getting there. Buses, vans and private guide driven vehicles are perfect for many sites and a great way to see the countryside. Tropic Island and Maya Airways all offer scheduled and charter flights to many parts of the country, one carrier has flights available to Guatemala especially for travelers to Tikal. A wide variety of birds may be observed in the immediate vicinity of the hotel, but a 40 minute boat ride to the leeward side of Ambergris Caye will introduce you to many more of the rare and exotic birds indigenous to this area. Some species observed may include Herons, Roseate Spoonbills, Pink Ibis, Brown Pelican and the five foot tall Jabiru Stork. On your way back to the hotel for lunch you may choose to stop for a refreshing snorkel on the reef. Minimum of 4 persons per trip. If sailing is more your style, just sit back, relax and let nature take its course en route to Caye Caulkner. You'll enjoy snorkeling at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and after a leisurely lunch, make your way back to San Pedro with a refreshing snorkel-stop at Shark/Ray Alley. Private sailing charters on these and other crafts can be arranged. Also available and highly recommended are quick and comfortable trips to the Barrier Reef by twin outboard power boats. The itinerary for these trips is variable. Our boats are spacious and our guides can answer any questions you may have. Long before the "discovery" of the Americas by Europeans, the land now known as Belize was home to a thriving and advanced culture. The living descendants of this period are a proud part of the mosaic of modern Belize, while the remains of their cities and cultural centers are found literally all over the land. Many are recognized archaeological sites and others may remain undiscovered in a farmers field or a townsman's backyard. We'll be happy to assist you in planning a day trip or an overnight excursion to a unique aspect of our Belizean heritage. Altun Ha is just one of the many archaeological sites which might be of interest to the visitor. In addition, there are a number of ways of getting there. Buses, vans and private guide driven vehicles are perfect for many sites and a great way to see the countryside. Tropic Island and Maya Airways all offer scheduled and charter flights to many parts of the country, one carrier has flights available to Guatemala especially for travelers to Tikal. ALTUN HA Altun Ha, named for the incredibly engineered "Rockstone Pond", which gave the area life in ancient times, is where the largest solid jade head carving in the Maya world was found. The most extensively excavated Maya site in the country, Altun Ha covers an area of 25 square miles and had a population of 10,000 at different times over it's 2000 year history. Your trip to this mainland site begins with a boat ride from the Victoria House pier. After a short crossing to the mainland, you'll wind your way up the Mangrove River to Bomba. Along the way, you'll have the chance to see crocodiles, exotic birds and other denizens of the jungle river environment. At Bomba transportation awaits for the short overland trip to the ruins. After exploring the site and learning more about the culture of the ancients, lunch at Maruba Jungle Lodge and a massage or dip in their freshwater pool will be a welcome experience. A short trip back to the cayes and you are home at Victoria House. DINING/RESTARUANTS: Type: Resort Beach Location: Beach Front (Directly on Beach/Water Front) http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/hotels/Belize/victoriahouse/hotel/324/3/ Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:53:21 EST