When my kids were younger, we always vacationed together as a family. But as they’ve grown older, and busier, we sometimes split up.
My nine-year-old son is easy to entertain. However, I’ve learned that keeping my teen daughter engaged can be trickier. To get her head out of her device and immersed into the destination, I enlist her help with the planning.
During our recent trip to Belize, I had my daughter make many our day-to-day travel decisions. It turned out that following her lead was fun for both of us. Here are six memorable things we did during our mother-daughter trip to Belize:
1. Explored Ruins
Belize was once home to more than two million Mayans. Today, there are several major Mayan ruins accessible to visitors. Depending on where you’re staying in Belize, you can typically visit a ruin site on a day trip.
Due to a last minute flight change, we ended up arriving in Belize City several hours earlier than expected. My daughter asked if we could visit some ruins. The closest site to Belize City is Altun Ha, located about 30 miles away. Our hotel arranged for a driver to take us to the ruins.
The driver walked us through the site, providing some historical context as we explored. Altun Ha was a major ceremonial and trade center. One of the crown jewels of Belize was found at the site, the Jade Head. It’s the largest known object carved of jade from the Maya civilization. It’s so significant that its likeness is watermarked on all Belizean currency.
When visiting Altun Ha, you can climb to the top of the temples, including the Temple of the Sun God. From the view atop, you can almost imagine what it was like when the area was inhabited by as many as 10,000 Mayans. People lived here between 200 BC and 900 AD.
A small museum provides additional historical information about not just Altun Ha, but the presence of the Mayans in Belize.
As it happened my daughter studied these ruins last year in history class, so she was excited to see them in person.
2. Flew with Tropic Air
My daughter had her first experience traveling by small plane. Rather than driving three hours to our final destination, we booked round-trip flights with Tropic Air. The airline flies to nine destination in Belize, as well as to several international cities.
Tropic Air’s fleet of Cessnas can accommodate anywhere from 3 to 14 passengers. As luck would have it, we were the only passengers on both of our flights. My daughter was wide-eyed as the plane took off with just us and the pilot on-board. The flight from Belize City to Placencia was about 30 minutes and offered gorgeous aerial views of the farmlands, mountains and beaches below.
[Related: What to Know About Flying Tropic Air]
My daughter thought I chartered the flights just for us. I didn’t. Even if we hadn’t had the plane to ourselves, the experience of traveling by small plane was memorable. But, let’s be honest, having it all to ourselves was awesome and I scored major mom points! The flight was also a better use of our limited time in Belize, saving us the hassle of renting a car and driving several hours.
3. Went Zip Lining & River Tubing
Never one to shy away from adventure, my daughter requested that we go zip lining. It’s something she wants to do on vacation whenever possible. (She also knows that I don’t love it, which could be why she always wants to do it.) So imagine her excitement when she discovered our resort offered an excursion that included both zip lining and river tubing.
Naia Resort and Spa provided direct transportation to the Mayan Sky Canopy Tour, located on South Stann Creek River in Placencia.
We did the zip lining first. The course had seven lines that go through the jungle and over the water. The views of the rainforest, river and mountains were spectacular.
After the adrenaline rush of the zip line, we donned life vests and climbed into tubes. We floated two miles down the river, hitting several Class 2 rapids along the way. We heard lots of birds, but unfortunately didn’t see much wildlife during our float. This area is home to many exotic birds including the endangered Scarlet Macaw, which are sometimes spotted along the river bank.
I was reluctant to do this activity, but I wanted to give my daughter the opportunity to pick the excursion. In truth, I ended up having lots of fun. The float was my favorite part. It was so picturesque and peaceful, but the occasional rapids added a sense of adventure.
4. Spent the Day at the Spa
Getting my daughter to the spa took zero convincing. The hard part was deciding upon the treatments. Naia Resort and Spa had so many to choose from. We wanted to share the experience so we booked the Tranquil Escape package, typically available to couples, but it can also be catered to moms and daughters.
The spa is spread out across six acres. Many of the treatments take place in individual over-the-water treatment suites. Ours included two massage tables, a shower and an outdoor seating area overlooking the lagoon.
First came the sweet coconut scrub. Pure coconut pulp, blended with brown sugar and coconut oil was massaged into our skin. We were wrapped up, and as cozy as swaddled babies, while the coconut worked its magic on our skin. We then washed the scrub off our bodies in our private shower. That was followed by an hour-long massage.
Not wanting to leave our feet out of the fun, we also indulged in a pedicure. Our winter weary toes were ready for a spring sprucing.
Our half-day at the Naia spa was so relaxing. It was an indulgence we typically wouldn’t do when traveling with the other half of our family. Traveling one-one-one with my daughter gave me a chance to spoil her, and myself, too.
5. Relaxed at the Resort
We stayed at a beautiful resort in Placencia. Naia Resort and Spa is one of the newer properties in this area, and it’s absolutely gorgeous.
Our one-bedroom beachfront bungalow was ideal. It was spacious, with plenty of room for each of us to spread out.
It was mere steps from the ocean, and a short walk to the many resort amenities. The resort amenities include complimentary bikes, paddle boards and kayaks. There’s a workout facility and yoga studio. Free yoga classes are offered to guests. And if that’s not enough, there’s also a gorgeous pool that overlooks the ocean. When we weren’t busy with all of that, we simply enjoyed resting in hammocks on the secluded beach.
We opted for the meal plan offered by Naia Resort, which made dining easy. We didn’t have to decide where to eat, just what to eat. The food was amazing, offering a local flair and fresh, local ingredients. Outdoor dining is available for all meals, with an indoor option for dinner. My daughter loved trying the nightly dinner specials. And she insisted that we order dessert with every dinner. I didn’t argue.
While it can be tempting to squeeze as much in as possible when visiting a new place (I’m guilty of this!), be sure to allow for some downtime, too. Especially when staying at a luxury resort like Naia.
[Related: Naia Resort and Spa Review]
A midday break typically works for our family. On this trip, we took a break before or after lunch each day. We each rested quietly in our own spaces (or hammocks!), and, yes, spent some time scrolling on our phones.
6. Explored Placencia Village
We loved hanging out in Placencia Villlage, located on the Southeast Coast of Belize. It’s a traditional Creole fishing village dotted with colorful buildings and vibrant flowers. The resort had a free shuttle into the village.
While not a large village, we spent two afternoons here getting a taste of the local life.
We strolled the “sidewalk,” a famous concrete sidewalk that runs parallel between the main road and the ocean. Before the highway came to town, the sidewalk was used to transport goods from the docks into the village. Today, it’s a convenient way to get from one end of the village to the other. Along the way, you’ll encounter local shops and restaurants with access points to the beach.
The Placencia Peninsula has the longest stretch of beach, 16 miles of it, in mainland Belize. We spent an afternoon sitting beachside where tourists and locals alike gathered to play.
We also did some souvenir shopping, and had cool drinks on the beach. In addition to exploring the “sidewalk,” we also walked the length of the highway through town, and stopped in at the local grocery stores for Belizean snacks.
We had fresh caught shrimp for lunch, and locally made gelato for dessert. The people were friendly. We chatted with locals, like the artisan whose son lived in a small town about 45-minutes away from us. And we met an ex-pat who led me to the post office to mail my postcards. She told me about her relatives that live not just in our hometown, but in our neighborhood. After that chance meeting, my daughter mused about how it really is a small world.
Our stay in Belize was far too brief. There’s so much more to see and do here, which is why we plan to return very soon. My daughter wants to come back with her dad and brother.
KidTripster Tip: If traveling with your child, but without their other parent, be sure to have a travel consent letter with you. This is a good idea whenever traveling internationally with your kid(s) without the other parent, but it’s required in Belize.
I had to show the letter at the airport when checking in for our departing flight and again upon landing in Belize.
The travel consent letter needs to be signed by the other parent and notarized. Our friends at Little Family Adventure have a free template that you can use. Because my daughter has a different skin color, and a different last name than me, I also travel with her birth certificate.
The author received a complimentary stay at Naia Resort and Spa. And received complimentary flights with Tropic Air. All opinions are her own.
