Black Rock Lodge

I spent a long time thinking about it and it pains me slightly to have to downgrade my rating to 4, as we had a wonderful experience here. We stayed here for 4 nights on a tour of Guatemala and Belize. The lodge was great, the room was spacious and comfortable. The staff were great. We only did one major activity, but the guided canoe trip down river with visit to the Botanical Garden at the end was the highlight of our trip. Don't miss the tubing experience. Even for a couple of OAPs it was great fun - the worst bit is the walk to the start. Now the buts. For a place as expensive as this is, I feel they are not paying enough attention to the hygiene factors. The food is fairly average at best. There is ample space for some comfortable seating in the common area, but there is none. There is no comfortable seating in the cabins, but there is room. There is no light in the bedroom which provides enough light to read a book.

An amazing place! The lodge is very welcoming and is located in a beautiful setting on the Macao river. A variety of humming birds surround the place as well as many other birds in the surrounding area. Food was delicious and included a wide variety. River tubing was great fun and the walk up to the river entry point was also lovely going passed the little allotment. Guides and tours were great and very enjoyable- canoeing especially. Tour of Xunantunich was also very interesting and the guides from the lodge did a great job giving lots of interesting information as well as supplying us with cold water. Tour to the ATM caves a must! We also did some horse riding from the farm before you get to the Lodge- would also recommend! Do not hesitate in going here- beautiful, friendly place!

We stayed 4 nights and wished we had stayed longer as there is so much to do. The service was excellent and the guides really understand wildlife and are keen to point out things of interest. Not a place if you want busy nightlife but if nature and activities are you're thing it's perfect. There is a small pool but swimming in the river was lovely and really warm. Just be careful not to be distracted by hummingbirds during booking in - we couldn't remember the meal times!

While they don’t necessarily cater to solos, I selected Black Rock partly because it looked like I would be comfortable and safe there; and because of the birding, proximity to Mayan ruins, and high caliber of guides as described on their website. It was absolutely perfect. The various cabins are scattered around the property. I was on the riverfront and while it was lovely down there, if I had to do it over again I would select something closer to the lodge for an even higher level of comfort. It’s a hike down to the river so be prepared for lots of steps if you stay down there. The guides are fantastic, extremely helpful and passionate about bird-watching. There are so many resident birds to see, I was actually relieved that I was there post-migration season. You can see dozens of species without leaving the property. The rest of the team is lovely too. Everyone asked my name on day one and they called me by name for the rest of the stay. Miss Yuri and Miss Virginia were as sweet as could be. Loved the kayak float down the river and the visit to Xunantunich with guides Derek and Victor. Henry greeted me at the airport and gave me a guided tour of the local zoo, which has an interesting story behind it. Well worth the visit especially with Henry!