Although I know many of you have stayed at Ramon's Village and have probably had great experiences there I thought it was a good idea to warn folks about a real ripoff we encountered there. Last friday we decided to eat dinner at Ramon's because we still had our golf cart and my guide book said the chef was very good, plus we thought the atmosphere (eating outside) would be nice. Keep in mind that this was our fifth day in Belize and everywhere we'd been had been great and also the prices had always been in Belize dollars.

When we got to Ramons our waiter told us they were having a special buffet and the price of $25 included all you wanted to eat and non-alcoholic drinks. Their outdoor deck area is just beautiful and so we decided to stay. The food was very disappointing. Appetizers were chips and bean dip, chicken wings, salad (iceberg lettuce) and a flavorless pasta salad. Main course was chicken stew, pork chops and a lobster dish (if you could find the lobster) all served with rice. Dessert was a choice of lemon or banana pie. Well, live and learn we thought... much better meals for less money at Jambel Jerk Pit, Lily's, Estels... until we found out when our waiter brought the bill that it was actually $25 US! :-(

Here's the lesson-- shame on us for not asking up front about the cost... but also shame on Ramons for not telling us. And you could tell our waiter had run into this situation before. When he saw the look of shock on our faces when he presented the bill he was OUT OF THERE!

Well, that's the fun of traveling... you just never know. We will never go back to Ramons... to stay or eat. We felt really ripped off.

Interested to know which guidebook listed Ramon's as having a good chef (I've written four guidebooks to Belize and I can tell you I didn't say that and I can't imagine which guidebook would have).

It IS confusing when one is quoted a price in dollars and it's not clear which currency is being quoted. Many resorts and hotels in Belize do quote everything in U.S. dollars, including the restaurant prices. That's why it's also a good idea, no matter where you are, to ask "Is that Belize or U.S. dollars?"

--Lan Sluder
Belize First Magazine http://www.belizefirst.com/

I've been after the Ministry of Finance to change the name of the currency to "Dolphins" or "Turtles". "That will be $25 Dolphins please!" No more confusion.

the guidebook is published by Moon and the authors are Chicki Mallan and Patti Lange (I bought it long before I found this board :-()

"... the (Ramon's) chef whips up great seafood, Asian meals, and surprisingly good Cajun dishes. It's said that chef Rommie Kie, a transplant from Hong Kong, learned the Cajun touch from Paul Prudomme of Louisiana fame. The fresh seafood is great, along with Kie's Hong Kong specialities."

So, live and learn. I like Barefoot's idea of "dolphins" or "turtles", but I also like a restaurant to tell it like it is. Since there was no menu they should have. This is the one place in Belize that we didn't have above average food and service and it wouldn't have hurt so much if it hadn't been one of the pricier meals we had! Actually, my thought was we were probably subsidizing their guests who are on meal plans...

I'm stunned that you are complaining about the wait staff at Ramon's. Every time I have been there, everyone has been exceedingly friendly and very helpful if I had questions. I have even seen them be patient and give good service to individuals who don't seem to have the AC laid-back attitude!

I think the Belizian money should be called "toucans." Especially the BIG BILLS!

Chicki Mallon's book (her daughter Patti did the updating on the edition you have) is excellent, and Chicki and Patti are subscribers to my magazine -- note they use a blurb from my mag on the back cover -- and we now share the same publisher, Avalon/Moon) but unfortunately the edition you have is now a bit dated. As I recall it was published in 1999 and researched in the year or two before that. They've done an update which should be in bookstores later this year, which should be much more on top of things.

--Lan Sluder
Belize First Magazine http://www.belizefirst.com/

jsbfan,
I think the Belizian money should be called "toucans." Especially the BIG BILLS!

LOL,LOL

I wasn't trying to say that there was anything wrong with the waitstaff. At a buffet you don't really have that much interaction. Our waiter did just "make tracks' when he saw the look of complete shock on our faces regarding the bill. The sad part is that Ramon's would put it's waitstaff into that situation in the first place. All they had to do was say "25 dollars -US" when we inquired and then there are no surprises. No surprises-- what a business concept!

I'm a little surprised at this posting. Any traveler knows to ask lots of questions. It sounds like you got a large variety of food which included lobster as well. A price of $25 US is excellent. You would have paid much more than that in other places. I have eaten there and I agree their food is not the greatest but I am almost certain that their menu clearly states all prices are in US dollars.

L-- please reread my post "the waiter said special buffet" there was no menu. Also, please note that I said "shame on us" we SHOULD have asked, but didn't. The lobster dish was veggies, sauce and very, very little lobster... it wasn't a good bargain for 1/2 the price. I don't mind paying for a great meal... I was delighted to pay what was asked at Capricorn, for instance and Sweet Basil. The reason for my post was just a little "look out" for my fellow travelers... i'm sorry if you misconstrued.