The Rainforest Lodge at Sleeping Giant
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This was quite possibly the best vacation/stay I’ve ever had and I travel a lot. Rooms: Better than the photos. Spacious, clean, calming, great smell, great soaps. The couch in our room was so comfortable we fell asleep in it lol. Fantastic spacious showers. Clean drinking water from a water dispenser. And the views — you truly are nestled in the jungle. We had an avocado tree right in front of us, vines with leaves bigger than my body. Beautiful and unbeatable accommodation. Food If you do not eat here you are doing yourself a disservice. The food AND cocktails were out of this world. Everything had flavour, richness, and freshness - I truly believe they source everything locally because you can taste it in the meat, vegetables, sauces, fruits, drinks. Oh, and everything is made in-house. Recommendations: - oxtail on sourdough was soft, easily pullable, bread was somewhat sweet and just delicious. Came with house-made plantain chips that were just chefs kiss. We ordered again the next day for the chips alone - pollo asado was out of this world. We got the leg — it was so juicy, so tender. The handmade flour tortilla was a dense, moist texture. Beautiful in the mouth, also great flavour. Great pairings with the sauces and the onion garnish. - chicken chile for dinner was hands down our favourite dinner dish. There are hints of cinnamon that just absolutely complete the dish. Highly, highly recommend. - sleeping giant cocktail was sweet — more of a dessert drink, but not so sweet that you can’t have it with a meal. Absolutely delicious. - nopal jalapeño margarita is a MUST. Best margarita I have ever had. They make the syrup from nopal/cactus themselves and it’s just, the flavour can be tasted instantly. It’s sour and salty but not at ALL overwhelmingly so; the flavour balance is perfection. Highly, highly recommend. - cocotel is almost like a Long Island iced tea because of the mesh of alcohols but don’t be mistaken; it is a drink of its own in both flavour profile and texture. It is made out of carbonated coconut water (incredible); you can taste the coconut. High in alcohol so you are sure to get tipsy from this lol. It’s great. - MAYAN CHOCOLATE CAKE !!! SO rich. So delicious. We had it for breakfast the day that we left because it was so, so good. Very rich though and surprisingly filling so make sure you have enough room to fully enjoy this. Facilities/grounds Hands down the most beautiful resort I have ever been to and we came during a tropical storm — it rained the entire time — this did not subtract from the experience. Instead, it was almost more beautiful watching rain drip from all the vegetation, seeing the ducks swim in the little rivers and waterfalls that are scattered across the grounds. The plants are vibrant, in full bloom, birds of paradise the size of trees over 20 ft tall. I have to give kudos to the gardeners because the landscaping is just breathtaking and we never got tired of it. Everyday we discovered something new. It’s beautiful. Flowers and vines and jungle in just every direction. I would book for this alone. The resort is like a maze lol and it’s a joy getting lost in it. I highly recommend doing all of the hikes. They put you properly in the jungle. It’s refreshing, exhilarating, humbling. We biked the entire orchard in the back until the path took a turn only for us to find more orchards. It’s truly a choose your own adventure kind of (natural) playground and for anyone who is adventurous or an athlete, this place is a dream. Staff The staff — oh my, the staff — so kind, so fun, many of them incredibly knowledgeable and happy to answer your questions. I hope they get taken care of because they deserve it. They make you want to stay and come again because of their genuine kindness and generosity. Some very passionate about the food! Really will miss them. All in all, come here. Eat here. Hike here. One of the best experiences of my life and we’re already planning on coming back. Thank you, Sleeping Giant staff!
Carmela Gonzales
00
This was the most amazing hotel experience I have ever had! ARRIVAL I coordinated pickup with the hotel, so they had a driver at the airport ready for when we got out. Alex arrived on time, was incredibly nice, made good conversation, shared history, and let us nap. When we got to the hotel he took our bags to our room for us while we checked in. It was such an easy process. CHECK-IN The staff knew our names before we even checked in. We were greeted so warn my!! The check in process was easy, we sat in the lobby and confirmed our information and then we were shown around the main parts of the property, had the map described to us, given all the details for food, and were shown to our room. It was just enough info to not be overwhelming after a day of travel. ROOM We stayed in a creekside cottage, and we loved it! Our cottage was clean, already had the AC on and had its own water dispenser. The private patio backed up to a running stream that had the perfect amount of natural noise. A hammock to lay on, two outdoor lights and ceiling fans, and a little sitting area. We could see our neighbor but there were no windows in our direction so it felt private. The bed was the perfect mix between soft and firm. The pillow are thin, but you get two per person. I liked it, but husband didn’t do much. The bathroom was warmer than the rest of the room, but led to an outdoor bathtub which was so neat! I do wish they had bubble bath to go with it or bath salts. THERE IS NO WIFI OR TV IN THE ROOM. Good luck getting cell service. But lobby and pool do have WiFi. FOOD It is a culinary experience! Every meal is farm to table and you are given only three options, and they are different every day. We didn’t have one bad meal. If you are a picky eater you will have to have an open mind, but nothing is “scary”. Breakfast is NOT going to be anything you’re used to, so don’t expect any traditional American food. It is a bit pricey $30-50USD a meal for a couple (no drinks), but we skipped the “all inclusive” and still spent less than we would’ve with it. STAFF I cannot say enough good things about every staff member. From the driver to front desk to servers and groundskeepers everyone is so nice and they make a point to learn your name. We were always greeted with our names in the lobby and restaurant. They alone make me want to come back. ACTIVITIES OFF SITE They have a board of activities, however they have a lot more options than just those. Make sure to ask!! We ended up doing a rappelling adventure in a cave and absolutely loved it. ON SITE ACTIVITIES There is SO MUCH to do here. Hiking to a gazebo, 5 different bridges, a treehouse with a net above the river, horse rides, citrus grove, rappelling (they are updating it), swimming in the river, yoga, kayaking, paddle boarding, pool, hot tub, exploring the 600 acres. MY ONLY CON We hiked to bridge 3, and wanted to go to bridge 4, but there are no clear signs. Really, the signs for the hikes are almost nonexistent. We missed a turn somewhere and ended up hiking a not-so-clear path and found ourselves at bridge 5. Before you get to the bridge there is a sign that says caution steep ledge” but it’s on the opposite side of the path, so you think you have to go right but if you do you end up at the rappelling location. You actually have to turn left at the sign and cross over a stream on 4 small rocks. It was NOT clear at all. Since it isn’t a well traveled path there was a it of overgrowth and I tore up my legs on thorns multiple times. Once you cross the bridge there are zero signs pointing you back. You assume you go thru the grove but it is so overgrown that there is no path. Do not do in sandals. I ended back at the hotel with blood dripping down my legs, but the staff was nice and found alcohol to clean me up. Overall, this was not enough of a deterrent to knock off any stars. But it was very disappointing. FINAL THOUGHTS If you don’t stay here you are missing out.
Gretchen Rushing
00
The grounds of Sleeping Giant are absolutely spectacular. The on-site adventures like hiking to the gazebo overlook or the net above the river are amazing. The pool area is spacious and lovely. It’s such a big place that we rarely saw many people at the resort, except at meals. But there are things to work on here, for sure. We had to request housekeeping. When paying $600 USD/night (that’s just for the room—we also paid for many excursions and a lot of food and drink) to stay in the Mountain View Penthouse, I definitely expect housekeeping to be a given. Our housekeeper didn’t come until 2:30 in the afternoon, and considering we were out of the room from 8:00 until 1:30 doing a Sleeping Giant excursion and eating in their restaurant twice, I really wouldn’t expect that. I would expect the room to be serviced during the many, many hours when we were out of the room, not when we finally returned from an excursion and lunch, and finally wanted some privacy. When housekeeping did arrive, she was there and gone in 30 minutes which shows how much time there was to service the room prior to 2:30. The food here is my biggest beef. Most of it is fine, but my wife had the vegetarian penne pasta at dinner and it was absolutely inedible. Almost crunchy, way less done than Al dente. A weird combo of flavors that shouldn’t go with pasta. Absolutely atrocious. But my primary problem with the food was the inconsistency. Here, there was absolutely no consistency on the cheese pizza. I know this because my sensory-sensitive kid with food issues ordered the cheese pizza about six times over the course of 3 days here. The thickness of the crust, amount of sauce and amount of cheese varied wildly. It was visibly different and he noticed all the differences. The first night, he absolutely loved it! The second day for lunch, the crust was much much thicker than at dinner but he still ate it. The next night at dinner there was an absurd amount of cheese and barely any sauce and a doughy crust and he really didn’t like it. The next day at lunch, he also barely touched it and wouldn’t eat. We, his parents, also sampled his pizza each time and there truly was no consistency. In cheese pizza. Our driver upon arrival was outstanding. The driver leaving the resort and going to the international airport was scary. We weren’t in a hurry and he ended up dropping us off at the wrong location and airport security directed us to exit the airport with all our luggage and re-enter at the other main entrance. Not the service I’d expect when paying $210 for a 1.5-hour drive. The room was lovely and had nice touches like fresh fruit on arrival. But I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the penthouse—yes they have a separate bed for a kiddo but it’s all in the same room. No separation or privacy. The spacious penthouse was also poorly designed—the toilet is as far away as possible from the beds. The hot tub on the deck of the penthouse was very, very hot on arrival, and it took them a while to adjust it for us (guests have no control). Repairs, sprucing up and more cleaning was needed. Deck outside had tons of tree detritus on it and there was a dead cockroach in the plunge pool. Despite all this, I would go back. The grounds are lovely, we enjoyed our excursions, lots to do even just in the resort itself.
Cammy K.
00
My husband and I stayed at Sleeping Giant for 3 days during our recent honeymoon to Belize. Our entire experience was absolutely fantastic. The lodge itself is beautiful, as is the surrounding environment. There are beautiful plants and animals all over the place. You are truly staying in the rainforest. There are local hiking trails, bikes, and kayaks that we could use, which allowed us to explore the property more. Our room was absolutely beautiful, with a wonderful patio and plunge pool overlooking both a river and the mountains. The room itself was very big with a lovely bathroom. There is no wi-fi in the rooms, only in the main office (and the restaurant, I believe). We really liked this, as it allowed us to deconnect. There is one restaurant on the property that serves all 3 meals. Every course and dish was fantastic. We even had the opportunity to converse with the chef, as he asked guests what they thought about that evening's special (new special every day). All food is local and there is even an herb garden that the chefs regularly use. All of the servers were very friendly and helpful, often asking us how we spent our days and what adventures we did. We connected best with Marli, a friendly face we saw most days. There are two bars on site - one in the restaurant and one by the pool. They carry local beer, all different types of alcohol, and make fantastic cocktails. Our two bartenders, George and Rudy, were great. They went above and beyond each time we interacted with them. We personally opted for the all-exclusive package, which gave us our meals and local drinks (beer & rum). This was a really nice option for us. During our stay, we chose to go on two excursions. The first was the Sleeping Giant Ceremonial Cave tour. This was by far the best adventure we went on during our entire stay in Belize. Our guide, Rose, hiked with us up to the cave and then took us on a tour through the cave. This is a true cave tour - helmets, head lamps, no trails or handrails included. Rose was very knowledgable, taking us through the cave, providing guidance, and teaching us about all that we saw (including in the forest). We highly suggest this tour for those who visit. Keep in mind that it is a tougher hike. Make sure to wear hiking shoes! We also went on a tour of Xunantunich and the Green Iguana Conservation Project. This tour was great as well! Our tour guide, Abel, was very knowledgeable and friendly. Overall, we had an AMAZING experience and definitely plan to return! The staff is absolutely incredible, including the housekeepers, groundskeepers, servers, cooking staff, bar staff, and front office staff. The only negative we experienced at Sleeping Giant, which is not the fault of the staff at all, was bugs (they really weren't too bad). Not a big deal, but remember to bring lots of bug spray!
Alex Niedden
00
We were here for 3 nights the week of Thanksgiving. We felt 100% safe by all the precautions taken by both Belize and Sleeping Giant. Social distancing is done at their open air restaurant, and natural social distancing because their property is so spread out anyways. BIRD WATCHING Early morning bird watching with Abel was an absolute highlight of our time there. We saw 2 types of toucans, parrots, and a bunch of beautifully colored tropical birds. We actually just walked around the property itself and didn't have to go to a 2nd destination at all. Why do I even need Abel you ask? He brings the equipment - binoculars + a great telescope to look through, and his knowledge is unparalleled. He could recognize birds by their calls, and was great at finding them in the trees and sighting them with the telescope. This was an amazing tour! We got some great pictures using our iphones and putting them up to the telescope too. LEAF CUTTER ANTS/ ROPE BRIDGE Another highlight - if you to bridge #2 take the dotted green line (through the jungle). You should come across some leaf cutter ants marching across some logs! This was the coolest thing to see in action. Bridge #2 is absolutely stunning and a great picture spot. It took us maybe 15 min to walk there. ROOM AND FOOD Our room was very spacious, more than I was expecting. The pictures were definitely accurate from what you see online. We loved being able to take breaks during a mid-day rainstorm in our a/c room. Your room has a big tank of water hidden in a closet, which is great. Coffee is in the room too (honestly wasn't the best, but that's ok considering you are in the jungle!) Food was very good, the menu changed everyday we were there. One thing I would have improved was putting prices next to menu items. Typically our breakfast was around $10pp, lunch was $15-20, and dinner was $35-45. Food was great, we never had a bad dish. PROPERTY One thing I would have liked to see is a map of the property layout. Because there is so much beautiful gardening and plants, it can be a little confusing walking around. They have a large map with hiking trails, but it would be great to have a property map that shows the major buildings. We had a great time, felt very safe, and wouldn't hesitate to return!
Katherine Dale
00
Stayed here late September in the Mountain View room.There are a good amount of stairs to get up to the room but for us it was ok because we saw it as a way to burn up extra calories for the day ha ha. I can say the views from the room are incredible incredible, the room was extremely clean, great AV and we were welcomed with a basket of mango and guava. My husband loved the fruit so much he requested some more and they were more than glad to provide us was fresh mango.The water is the private pool of our room was pretty warm so we only used it early mornings and later on the evenings when the temperature was a bit cooler. The team here is amazing, they are super friendly and will go out of there way to accommodate you and make your stay with them smooth. We loved Renee’s service at dinner and the great drinks he served us up. Tristan was extremely helpful at explaining our tours and making sure our tours went smooth. Bryan our driver to and from the tour was amazing! Super friendly and stopped us at a couple spots along the way back from our tour that we truly enjoyed! Josue was super pleasant and always greeted us with a smile and the front desk girls were amazing as well. The food can range between $10-25 US dollars for lunch and breakfast however the quality and freshness of the food is excellent. We took a hike up to the scenic route to the gazebo up talk which took about 25mins, picked an orange from the citrus tress on the property, crossed the 4 hammock bridges, climbed up the tree and house and make sure to take a dip in the creek near the yoga deck, it’s a hidden gem for sure and a great way to relax after a couple hours of hiking. The view at the cliff is stunning and the staff was more than happy to drive us up with the gator they have on on property. Overall 10/10 experience definitely recommend id your looking for a good balance of adventure and romance.
mercy rivera
00
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Mile 36 Hummingbird Highway, Belmopan, Belize
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Phone
(888) 822-2448
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Website
sleepinggiantbelize.com
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4.7
(293 reviews)
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