Birding in Belize - help wanted please (1 Viewer)

Boys and Girls...planning a trip to Belize in late November for 8 days. It is with the intent of birding as much as is humanly possible all day, every day (sshh...don't tell the girlfriend!).
I will likely get found out pretty quick, so my compromise is that I want to plan a trip that involves a split between 3 nights beach/relax and 3 nights birding at one of the following lodges:
DuPloys, Black Hole or Pook's.

I also would like to do a day-trip to Tikal, Guatemala for the ruins for a tour (possibly one night stay in Tikal?)

As I look into this any basic planning would be helpful. Most of the lodges are 2 -3 hours from Belize Airport, but any recommendations on:
- a good resort/hotel to stay at for the "beachykeepthelasshappy" part ?
- if going to Tikal, is one of the lodges mentioned above better situated for that?
-any recommendations for the best lodge for birding would be cool.

Not sure about renting a vehicle given the time, so may opt to have the lodges take care of transport unless frugal birders have options to take a taxi instead.

Many thanks!

Julian

Anybody?

I went different time of year (March), and can't really compare places, but I enjoyed my time at Birdseye Lodge, Crooked Tree and also did three nights at Crystal Paradise Lodge, which did trips to Tikal and also days out locally. Stuck using phone at the moment (PC inoperative) but will.provide link to trip report when I can (it's here on Birdforum if you want to go looking for it in the meantime), and will try and answer any questions you may have, with the caveat that my answers will be based on one trip nearly ten years ago!

Hi Julian,

Can't help with Belize, but we stayed a couple of nights in El Remate (Guatemala). Day trips to Tikal were a doddle to organize from there and enjoyable. We were surprised how easy going the trips were too (i.e. you didn't need to take a guide, hardly any hawkers etc.). We stayed at Posada del Cerro which has good open-air cabins and is right next to the Cerro Cahui nature reserve (quiet and good birding). Between El Remate and Belize are the ruins of Yaxha which are really good and very quiet - we were the only visitors there between 6 and 10 am and it felt like 'discovering' the site yourself. Hope that helps a bit!

Joost

Thanks guys...appreciate it!

Trip report here...

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=83137

And the fruits of my own info request are here...

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=72267

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, I hope you do too. Be sure to let us know how you get on!

Cheers

James

Thanks James, I will look at these!