I just returned from my first trip to Belize where we rented Villa Incomunicada for 8 days at the south end of Ambergris Caye. We rented the property based on amenities, rates and reviews. The house itself was beautiful. It's about 3 miles south of town, 2 stories with a roof top deck, private in ground pool, volleyball, fire pit and pier. There were 5 ladies in total and we enjoyed the friendly people, the beautiful weather and the exciting excursions.
The only negative aspect of the trip is that each of us had money stolen from our bedrooms while we were out of the house. There's no way to prove who did it and I hate to suspect the house manager since he receives such rave reviews but the person who took the cash only took one bill of each denomination out of each pocket. If it was someone robbing the house wouldn't they take all the cash they could find? It seems that they only wanted to take one bill of each denomination so it wasn't obvious we were missing money? In total there was between $400.00 and $500.00 stolen along with my iTouch. There are safes in the house but the house manager did not explain how to use the safe when we arrived on Saturday and did not answer our phone calls on Sunday (his day off). By the time we talked to him on Monday it was too late, the money had already been taken. He mentioned, after the fact, that others that have rented the house have also had money stolen and that the owner has had his phone and laptop stolen from the house. When I contacted the owner he said he didn't know what the house manager was talking about because he has never had anything stolen from the property. I guess we had a false sense of security since there is a house manager who lives on-site with his wife and 2yr. old and we each thought we did a fair job hiding our cash until we figured out how to use the safe. Lesson learned I guess. I just hope that future renters make sure they are given instructions on how to use the safe when they check in.
I love how beautiful the country is and how warm and friendly the locals are with us tourists. I will definitely visit again and hopefully soon. Next time I will stay closer to town so it's easier to get around.