The Best Jungle Hotel in Belize • The Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge
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- Belmopan, Belize
So you are traveling to Belize? If you are looking for luxury hotels near the beach it’s never too hard to find one but sometimes trying to find the best jungle luxury hotels can prove challenging. Initially I took this hotel off of my radar when we were planning because I wanted to be closer to the ruins just to make our day trips easier. That said, I’m so happy we decided on this hotel because the Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge is a true jungle oasis in every sense of the word. Located right in the heart of the Belizean jungle, This luxury hotel will make you feel Mayan Jungle Goddess!
"The jungle is dark, but full of diamonds."
BOOK YOUR STAY
You can also book directly through the hotels WEBSITE
getting there
The Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge is located just outside of Belmopan. The hotel offers private transportation to and from the hotel so we booked our shuttle through them and I think it was around $100 each way. The drive from the airport in Belize city is about an hour and a half and there are a few convenient stores along the way if you need to stop for anything. I highly recommend stopping for some Belikin Beers on your way as they are the perfect way to cool down from the Belizean heat! Make sure you stop at an ATM too so you have cash on hand for tipping as the hotel is not walkable to town and there aren’t any stores on the premises either.
our accomodations
We stayed in the Riverview Suites 1 & 2 so our rooms were adjacent to our friends who were traveling with us. Initially we were looking at a different set of rooms but we decided to upgrade to these and I’m so glad we did. I mean, who wouldn’t want their own private balcony pool overlooking a river? Another beautiful outdoor feature of the riverside suites were the private outdoor showers that had a bed for lounging on as well! The inside was super clean and had beautiful floral accents as well as traditional Belizean artwork!
The outdoor shower area is located just off the main bathroom and is the perfect spot to relax with your significant other or to have an outdoor breakfast “in bed.” You can’t tell from this photo but also to the left is another tiny pool that you can actually sim under where you will end up in the pool/walkway that leads to your room’s front door. So cool!
amenities & hotel grounds
Located on 600 acres of lush tropical rainforest, The Sleeping Giant has everything you could possibly ask for! There is a full size pool near the main lobby complete with a jacuzzi and cabana beds for lounging around. If you are into outdoorsy activities, there are also bikes and kayaks that are free of charge to use for guests. If you do decide to take the kayaks out there is a huge river on site! There are miles of trails available for biking and hiking, with a lookout area and a jungle canopy for awesome scenic views!
The hotel also has a complete list of excursions you can book right through the hotel like visiting the Mayan Ruins of Xunantunich, horseback riding and so much more! There is also a complete spa menu and you can book the massage of your choice! We opted for a couples massage and they have a licensed massage therapist come right to your room. There is no actual spa facility on site but lets face it, the entire place feels like a tranquil spa!
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
My only downside was the wifi issue. Since the hotel really does aim for relaxation and for you to connect with nature there is no wifi in the hotel rooms. There is only wifi in the lobby and near the restaurants. Being that the hotel is also pretty remote there is not even regular cell service nearby. It would have been nice to have wifi, although the break from our phones was nice too!
Dining options
Another fun fact about The Sleeping Giant is that they are a far- to-table hotel so everything you eat is grown on site. There is a huge herb garden and the 600 acre property is covered in citrus groves and other fruits and vegetables. Trust me you can expect nothing but the freshest food and drinks here!
Since the hotel is smaller you only have two options for dining. They have an on site wood fired pizza place called Don Tonitos. We loved this place and ate here almost every day. Dining is al fresco but the seating areas are covered with thatch rooves to give you some shade. There is also a small fire to site around at night and have drinks. The pizza at Don Tonitos was fantastic and I highly recommend the Balsamic Arugula pizza!
If you prefer indoor seating the main restaurant is called “The Groves” and has a fully stocked bar and 3 dining levels including a rooftop veranda. The drinks were really great and the food was also very good. My husband loved the stuffed jack for breakfast and I was a huge fan of the pancakes with an Irish Coffee on the side! I also love the Cafe Picaron (coffee with rum)! The menu changes often and for a luxury hotel the pricing was not expensive at all! You can also order room service if you prefer in room dining which we did once and was super easy an convenient.
BOOK YOUR STAY
You can also book directly through the hotels WEBSITE
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All-in-all we absolutely loved our stay here and can’t wait to go back in the future! If you are looking for a great place to stay with lots of beautiful scenery, great food and local culture…THE SLEEPING GIANT RAINFOREST LODGE has it all!
Erica
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What a fabulous place! I’ve been to airport in Belize City tagging along with my pilot husband. Just a small taste of the country. I’d love to see this beautiful spot!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Hi Michelle! Yes you definitely have to take a trip and spend some more time there. It’s such a beautiful country and the people are so friendly!