We stayed in a family cabana for 3 nights. Our cabin was simple and clean. There was no air conditioning but the ceiling fans cooled down the room just fine in the evening. The family that owns the Crystal Paradise was very welcoming and helpful about helping us plan activities while we were there. They were in no way pushy when informing us about the tours they offered either which was great!

The hotel is not walking distance from downtown San Ignacio so you will need a ride. We had a rental vehicle and it was a perfect getaway for us. Breakfast and dinner are served family style at specific hours so you need to keep that in mind when planning your days. We would definitely recommend this hotel for people looking for an affordable getaway.

Great hospitality, wonderful food and overall nice clean facility.

We stayed here just a couple of nights, but would liked to have stayed longer and done more trips. The grounds were very nice. The thatched cabanas were nice. It is in the "jungle" of sorts, so insects are to be expected. The staff was very helpful and friendly. The owners would come and chat with guests at supper time. The food was very good. We arrived between meals and had missed lunch , but we were able to track down one of the kitchen workers who chopped up some delicious fruit to tide us over until supper. All the guides were out, so were just explored the grounds on our own. We took the trail through the woods on the property. We saw an animal that looked like a capybara (sp?). I was walking in front when suddenly a HUGE snake flew up in the air, doubled back on itself the way it had come from, and crunched loudly through the brush. I about had a heart attack. I'm not used to big snakes. The owner said that people don't usually run into snakes there--Lucky me! It happened so fast, I wasn't able to identify the type of snake.

My favorite bird sighting at the lodge was the keel billed toucan! This was the only place we saw any toucans while in Belize.

We enjoyed our cave tubing trip and especially our day tour to Tikal. They did a good job setting up transfers to the border of Guatemala, hiring a Guatemalan driver to Tikal, and arranging our own personal guide for our tour of Tikal.

We found the accommodations to be very adequate and a great value. We were attracted to the place because of its peaceful setting and the fact that is owned and operated by a Belizean family. Family style meals provided the opportunity to experience local foods and socialize with other guests. The rooms were comfortable and clean, the family warm and accomodating. The tours were the highlight, very personable and knowledgable family members guided us with visits to the Mayan ruins, waterfalls, parks, swimming holes and we were rewarded with sightings of over 126 species of spectacular birds. This area of the country has a lot to offer. Many thanks to the Tut family!