TEST Mary’s Favorites Listing Page

Accommodations Review

The ship was comfortable and welcoming.  Our cabin, while not large, had plenty of storage and was well appointed.

Meals Review

We thought the food was superb.  Both the chef and pastry chef offered a wonderful variety of delights at every meal, and we were always given choices.  The service was always capable and gracious

Crew & Guides Review

Our leaders (Jill Q. and Jill B) couldn't have been better.  They were highly knowledgeable, obviously loved nature and Hawaii, always positive and helpful -- they had that elusive balance of energy and even temper. They went out of their way to give us a beautiful experience!

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

The information provided and Aaron's helpfulness were great.

Traveler Advice

Try to plan some time in Hawaii before and after the cruise.  The "before" allowed us to explore another part of the islands -- and gave the airline time to get our luggage to us two days late!  The "after" gives a chance to transition from the relaxation of the cruise to the hassle of the flight home.

Accommodations Review

The Futura was hands down the most spotless vessel upon which I have ever had the pleasure of journeying. Fantastic crew and very comfortable accommodations. Perfect size vessel and to our delight only less than thirty passengers aboard which permitted the crew to spoil us rotten.

Meals Review

The food was consistently excellent. I ate too much: my fault entirely, certainly not a complaint.

Crew & Guides Review

Our principal leader, Minja, was very good.

Itinerary Review

Dubrovnik was wonderful as were Hvar and Bol. We stopped our last night for the captain’s dinner at the small community of Mila which was extremely charming. We would have been happy to have had a bit more time there. The visit to the family winery at Prizdrina was very worthwhile. The visit to the lakes and monastery at Mljet were my least favorite if you insist upon my selection of a least wonderful day.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Everything about this trip was exceptional, and we will definitely recommend AdventureSmith to friends.

Traveler Advice

Bring aqua socks or Tevas.

Accommodations Review

All the lodgings were very nice. Although the Black Orchid could use some maintenance on the grounds, the other two places were lovely, and the service was great. At Hidden Valley, there were never more than two other couples. At Ray Caye, we were the only guests the first night; then 21 additional people arrived for the next three nights. However, we rarely saw anyone else except at mealtime.

Ray Caye
For someone who enjoys truly being away from it all, this is a great place. If you want nightlife, a large choice of restaurants, and being in a village. It will not work. For us, it was perfect. The island is only 7.4 acres, but it was plenty large enough for guests to feel that they are on their own island, except for mealtime. We would highly recommend this resort for people who want a quiet, relaxed place with great food and service.

Hidden Valley Inn
We can highly recommend this lodge for a stay in the Belizean jungle. It is quite isolated, with only about 12 rooms. Our room was very nice, although not overly spacious. Clients with more luxurious tastes than ours might prefer an upgraded room. For us, however, the room was quite nice. The food was absolutely spectacular, as good as we have had anywhere.

Meals Review

The level of food and service were exceptional, especially considering the remoteness of the locations.

Crew & Guides Review

At Ray Caye our guide (Eyanick) was outstanding, and he was available to us almost exclusively (perhaps because the resort was not overly crowded). At Hidden Valley Inn the staff was superb. We were treated exceptionally well, and our guide (Marvin) for our trips and transportation to/from the resort was outstanding. He was informative and was willing to do whatever we wished. We never felt rushed, as he was always anxious to please.

Belize During Pandemic

Belize, itself, was uncrowded where we were.  Both Hidden Valley and Ray Caye were not full, and even if they were, we would have been comfortable there.  Each resort had a lot of space, and seats in the dining areas were well separated. All of the staff were wearing masks. Overall, Belize felt at least as safe as the US, maybe more so since we were pretty isolated from people at the resorts.  

COVID Logistics

The COVID testing was surprisingly smooth. The necessary test [for our return to the U.S.] was done right at the Placencia airport, and was quick and efficient (~30 minutes). The cost was $75pp, which was less than we had anticipated.

The Verifly app did not seem to process our tests as quickly as it should have, but we simply showed the test results at the airport, and we were free to fly.  Overall, the COVID testing was not an issue.  In summary, we were pretty comfortable with the trip, and we will travel again. 

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

The pre-trip information that you sent was very thorough and helpful. Thank you for the work that you put in to help us make this trip so enjoyable. We will certainly highly recommend AdventureSmith to others.

Traveler Advice

Caracol is the largest Mayan ruin in Belize, and definitely worth a trip, particularly for someone who has not seen Tikal, Chichen Itza, or another Mayan ruin.

Be prepared for varying dirt road and sea conditions throughout Belize travel. The dirt roads to ruins and activities can be quite bumpy for an hour until you reach a paved road. Our 1 hour boat ride to mainland was rough.

Accommodations Review

The family were just blown away by the ship.  That was probably the highlight of the trip.

Meals Review

Very good meals.

Crew & Guides Review

I would rate the guide as good.  Not excellent, but good. The ship crew were excellent.  They made the trip that much better.

Accommodations Review

The lodges were top notch and small enough where we rarely had other trekkers near us.

Meals Review

Local cuisine prepared by local chefs. Organic veggies. Perfect.

Crew & Guides Review

Wilder had everything under control. If anyone had a physical issue or there was a concern with noise, for example, he was all over that.

Itinerary Review

[I most enjoyed] Going to villages away from the big cities, though the dining experience in Cusco was great. The hikes at high elevation were exhilarating. The last couple of days were more transportation days than anything else, save for the several hours at Machu Picchu. The citadel was impressive, but it was a large tourist attraction. We preferred hikes and rides past villages and glaciers.

Transportation Review

It was fine, though we handled transport to and from the airport. It was cheaper that way.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

It was on my bucket list to go to Machu Picchu and Andrew at AdventureSmith helped us choose the Lares Adventure. The [AdventureSmith] booklet was helpful and we used the checklist, though we also looked up recommendations online. This was my second trip with AdventureSmith. The first was to the Galápagos Islands pre-pandemic.

Traveler Advice

Be physically prepared and acclimate to the elevation well before the trek. I took Diamox and avoided any sickness, though breathing took some adjustment and my legs could have been in better shape. Drink water constantly. Don’t get so fixated on Machu Picchu that you take a shorter trip and miss the local villages. In the end, the local experiences were the highlights of the trip.