You know it’s a good sign when you don’t want to leave at the end of your stay!

There are many great options in Belize. We decided on Hamanasi after lots of research and I want to tell you all about our experience in case this is what you’re looking for when you go to Belize. Spoiler alert: I loved staying at Hamanasi and think it’s a perfect place for a dive trip, honeymoon, or even family vacation.

Why Hamanasi?

Hamanasi is an adventure and dive resort located in Hopkins, in the southern part of Belize. The closest airport is in Dangriga, about a 40-minute drive, and we took a 20-minute flight on a small commercial airplane after landing in Belize City. The resort books your connecting flight from Belize City to Dangriga and arranges your shuttle from Dangriga to the resort.

We chose Hamanasi because:

• Celebrating my milestone birthday meant a little more luxurious splurge.
• They’re a PADI 5-Star Resort, perfect for top-of-the-line diving options.
• They’re located in Southern Belize, where the better diving in Belize is, and they have options to dive the atolls.
• They have options for outdoor, cultural, and historical activities.
• Their all-inclusive packages minimalized the planning. There are so many options in Belize! (I’ll show you soon.) After the extensive indecisive planning, we decided to make it easy. This took out research for restaurants, tour companies, and transportation.
• They have beautiful treehouse accommodations!
• They have great reviews.

But I was sad to miss:

• Staying “in town” and getting the feel of walking around a city. BUT the resort is located in Hopkins and you can ride a bike (they have complimentary for you to use) or get dropped off to the main part of town (3-5 mins away by car) to explore.
• Conversing with locals in their daily life, though we loved getting to know the staff at Hamanasi!
• Discovering local restaurants off the beaten path.
• Exploring different parts of the country, though we did see it from the air and on our long ride to Mayan ruins.

Even though I felt a little “restricted” at first (because I can’t sit still) staying at a resort, we had the BEST time and I would recommend visiting. As I mentioned, their packages made meals and activities very easy. Our Reef and Rainforest package included:

• Accommodations
• Continental breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Roundtrip air transfers from Belize International Airport to Dangriga
• Roundtrip ground transfers from Dangriga to Hamanasi
• Welcome drink upon arrival
• Five adventures/excursions (They have packages of one to five adventures based on the number of nights you stay.)

What’s the crowd like at Hamanasi?

The resort has about 60 guests at the maximum, so we saw many of the same guests on our adventures and in the restaurant. It was fun to catch up with everyone at the end of the day and hear about everyone’s adventures.

There were guests of all ages at Hamanasi. Many were couples, from honeymooners to retirees. There was a bachelorette party, a couple with an infant, and a family with teenagers. The resort with all its options fits all ages.

Accommodations

Hamanasi has 16 treehouses that are rooms on stilts and surrounded by trees. I loved that it felt secluded while being a short walk to the main building. They also have 12 beachfront rooms in two buildings. The rooms had everything we needed, like the usual amenities of shampoo and a hairdryer. Hamanasi gets handmade soap from a local company and they are wonderful! We got different kinds when they needed to be replaced. They provide daily housekeeping to restock your soap and towels and a turn-down service where they get your bed ready and close all your blinds.

One thing I want to note is there is no Wi-Fi or TVs in the rooms, which for us felt nice! There is Wi-Fi in the main building where the restaurant, bar, and lounging area are and there is a TV in the library, which is also in the main building. We would check in to all the internet happenings for about an hour during happy hour but otherwise, we were focused on relaxing and having fun!

Food at Singanga Restaurant

Their one, spacious restaurant in the main building serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Downstairs was their bar, which was a happening place for happy hour. For lunch, you also had the option of sitting in the tables downstairs by the pool.

• Breakfast options are a buffet with pastries, fruit, yogurt, and cereal or you can order a la carte. We usually got the daily egg special (dishes like frittata, omelette, huevos rancheros) and sides like hash browns and bacon. Of course, you can’t forget Belizean coffee!
• Lunch is a menu of salads, sandwiches, tacos, burgers, and dishes like grilled fish. If you are going on a day-long excursion, you’ll order your lunch of a sandwich or wrap the day before and your guide will have it for you during the trip.
• Dinner is a full menu with appetizers, entrees, and dessert. Our package included a three-course meal every night! Yes, I ate dessert every night!
• Happy hour at the bar included a few drink specials plus complimentary snacks.
• We definitely did not go hungry at Hamanasi. Their portions are big and the food is tasty. I like that there are options for traditional Belizean dishes on all their menus.

Beach and Resort Grounds

With essentially 28 rooms, Hamanasi has a limited number of guests, which makes the resort feel roomy yet cozy. The pool is the focal point of the outdoor area but the beachfront is only steps away. The beach area also has games like cornhole and sand volleyball. You’ll also find paddleboards and kayaks to use nearby.

Hamanasi is an eco-friendly resort, meaning they focus on reducing, reusing, recycling, and having eco-friendly practices. They give guests reusable water bottles to use on their adventures and recycling bins in the guest rooms. Their bar drinks feature reusable bamboo straws. They compost and have a garden on-site that provides fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruit for their dishes. We got a fun tour with one of the gardeners and learned all about it! Lastly, they also donate to organizations that help the environment.

Adventures/Excursions

They have plenty of marine and inland activities to choose from. They have a tentative schedule on their website but they are very flexible. They take into consideration what guests want to do and adjust the schedule so everyone can fit the adventures they want. Have a schedule of what you want to do in your head, and when you arrive, you’ll talk to someone about how the official schedule is shaping out for the week.

All their guides are in-house (not part of an outside tour company) and very knowledgeable about each trip. We ended up doing four dive days, a waterfall hike, a Mayan ruins history tour, and a chocolate tour. Check out their inland/rainforest adventures here.

For diving, the Southern Barrier Reef trips were fully included in the package while the bigger dive trips (like Blue Hole) cost one adventure plus an additional charge. You can see all the reef/marine adventures here.

Conclusion

This is not a sponsored post! We found this resort during our trip research and are very happy we did. It was the perfect combination of the things we enjoy when we travel: diving, cultural experiences, and local food and drink. The cherry on top was the great Hamanasi team. They were always greeting us, many times by name. Hamanasi made our trip to Belize memorable and relaxing!

What hotel or resort do you have fond memories of?

P.S. Looking for similar luxury travel experiences? I recommend this resort in Costa Rica or eating at this restaurant in Thailand.

Keep up with my adventures. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Staying at Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort in Belize appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

I love birthdays, especially my own! It’s a great excuse to gather my friends together and do something fun. I usually have an idea picked and planned months before my birthday, but this year, I had no strong opinion about what I wanted to do. In the past, I’ve thrown a Gold and Pink Brunch, a Wanderlust Party, and a Cake Potluck.

This year, I wanted something low-key, somewhat spontaneous, and with as little planning as possible. (I know, who am I?!) A night out sounded perfect. The Domain is an entertainment area in North Austin, and they opened the Northside area this year, which has exploded with new shops, bars, and restaurants. Rock Rose Street has been unofficially dubbed the “west 6th of the north,” because of the bars and restaurants that line the street. I’m excited about this hip, new area because I’ve lived in North Austin for 10 years and don’t always want to drive downtown when I go out. It also brings some fun stores and restaurants to Austin.

We started the night out by checking into our room at the Archer Hotel. (I LOVE staying in and experiencing different hotels. Check out my hotel secrets post here.) This place is gorgeous! The lobby features high ceilings and touches of a rock ‘n’ roll motif. Black and blue and leather can be seen everywhere. Hallways are lined with photos of legendary rock stars on stage.

These lemon pastries with dried cranberries welcomed us in the room and they were mouth-watering!

Our room had the same black and blue scheme with a touch of animal print. It was spacious with a sitting area. The bathroom was really nice, as you can see from the first photo in this post!

After dropping off our stuff, we met up with friends at Shake Shack for dinner. While technically not in the Northside area, this second location of Shake Shack in Austin opened at The Domain this year. Counter service is easy for big group dinners, and everyone loves Shake Shack! I usually go with a classic Shack Burger but was quickly convinced to get the Shroom Stack. Yum!

If you want to bar hop in the area, Rock Rose Road is your best bet. The bars on this street include:

• Lavaca Street Bar
• Jack and Ginger’s Pub
• Rose Room
• 77 Degrees
• Kung Fu Saloon
• The Dogwood
• St. Genevieve

The highlight of my night: getting to ring the gong at Kung Fu Saloon. Birthday perks!

After a wonderful night of rest, we woke up for brunch at Second Bar + Kitchen. The brunch is all-inclusive for $38 per person and includes passed appetizers, a carving station, a pastry display, and made-to-order entrée dishes. The quality of the dishes wasn’t what I expected of the restaurant but they were photo-worthy.

All-in-all, it was a fun night away to satisfy my love of hotels, birthdays, and quality time with friends.

Visiting The Domain soon? Here are some of my recommendations of places in the Northside to eat, shop, and play!

Eat

• Culinary Dropout – I’ve been hearing great things about this New American restaurant.
• Flower Child – Same owners as Culinary Dropout, this restaurant is focused on greens.
• General Tso’Boy – Counter-service Chinese-fusion restaurant.
• Salvation Pizza – Local Austin, counter-service pizza place.
• Thai-Kun – Great Thai dishes here.

Shop

• Sugarfina – I’ll take you to the candy shop.
• Warby Parker – Need glasses? This is your place.

Play

• Viva Day Spa – My favorite spa in Austin! Read about my experience here.
• CorePower Yoga – I’ve worked out here several times and it’s a great studio for yoga and boot camp workouts.
• SoulCycle – Get your spin on! You’ll find an energetic cycling workout here.

Keep up with me elsewhere! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, or Snapchat (@wanderlustanita). You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Birthday Staycation in Austin, TX at The Domain appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

I love hotels. From my many travels to working in a hotel for the past couple of years, I’ve developed a love for the unique experiences at hotels. I love seeing how different hotels decorate their rooms, and hoteliers provide the most friendly customer service. There’s an extra sense of luxury when I’m staying at a hotel, compared with renting someone’s home, and hotels are becoming proficient in providing the “local” vibe that some travelers crave.

With my experience staying in hotels and my insider view behind-the-scenes, I wanted to give you tips and let you know how things work in a hotel. My hope is this information will give you the best experience the next time you stay in a hotel.

1. Know your priorities.
When staying at a hotel, what are your must-have amenities? Some choices include Wi-Fi, convenient location, continental breakfast, parking, non-smoking rooms, fitness center, and shuttle options. Do you want a boutique or chain hotel? Do you need the hotel to be pet-friendly?

2. Know your fees.
What are you willing to pay for and what do you want complimentary? Often, parking, breakfast, and Wi-Fi are additional costs. Some other fees you may encounter: late check-out (usually past 11am or 12pm), items from the in-room minibar, long-distance calls, and receiving packages. Fees should be transparent on their website, your reservation confirmation, or in the room. Also, don’t forget to calculate taxes into your rate when comparing options. Ask if a hotel already includes a service charge in your bill. If not, bring cash and tip your bellmen and housekeeping staff.

3. Stick to a reward program.
Similar to an airline program, staying at the same brand of hotels will get you long-term benefits. These reward programs let you earn points for future free stays. Some hotel rewards programs are linked with credit cards that will allow you to earn rewards with any purchase. Check different programs to see what benefits matter the most to you. Sticking to the same hotel brand/chain does limit you, so you might also look into a rewards credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred that gives you points on any travel-related purchases.

4. Rate parity and revenue management drive room rates.
This is more of an FYI about what goes on behind the scenes and how hotel room rates are decided. Hotels put their available rooms on third-party websites like Expedia and Booking.com. Hoteliers call these websites OTAs – online travel agencies – and the OTAs are advertising a hotel’s rooms to receive a commission (around 20-30%) on any bookings. For travelers, an aggregating site like an OTA is helpful to see the city’s rates at a glance. Rate parity means the rates on OTAs will be the same and OTAs monitor this all the time to ensure that. If there is a high demand for rooms on particular days, hotels will raise the rates comparable to their competitors in town. Similar to all supply and demand situations, it’s not about the value and amenities of the hotel but the maximum price they can get a traveler to pay. How to get the low rate AND reward points? Call the hotel and ask for the OTA price and book it with the hotel directly. You’re helping out the hotel and you get all the bonuses I mention in this post.

5. Be aware of third-party and hotel policies.
You may find a discounted room rate on third party websites like Expedia or Booking.com, but be careful when you book. Many of their policies include non-refundable rates and cancellation fees. (Most hotels have a cancellation policy that allows you to cancel 24 hours before scheduled arrival without incurring a fee.) When you book through a third party, the third party is in charge of your reservation and the hotel must adhere to the third party policy also. For hotels, know their policies for check-in, possible room damage, etc.

6. Use the Internet.
Thanks to the web, you have access to pricing comparison and reviews. Check two or three websites to make sure you’re getting the best price and that there are no concerning issues about the hotel. If you find a lower price for the room you want, it doesn’t hurt to call the hotel and ask if they will honor that price when booking directly.

7. Double-check everything before you book.
Third-party websites and some hotels have strict policies about adjusting reservations. When you’re booking, make sure you the dates you’re staying, the location you want, and your information are entered correctly.

8. Go with the flow when you’re getting walked.
Hotels overbook because it’s likely some reservations won’t show. At times, all the reservations will show, and if you’re the last room to arrive, they’ll need to move you to a nearby hotel. It’s slightly a hassle but don’t sweat it. The hotel you booked with should cover the expenses and sometimes, the next hotel is an upgrade.

9. Communicate issues on-site.
If you have any major issues during your stay, it’s best to discuss it with the front desk as it happens or at check-out. Noise in the hallway or in a neighboring room can be alleviated by hotel security. Give the hotel a chance to improve your stay.

10. Ask for what you want!
Make your ideal stay by asking for what you want at check-in. Want a quieter room away from the elevators? Want a room with the best view? Want a free upgrade? If you get to your room and realize you forgot a toiletry item, call down to the front desk and ask if they can provide it. If they can’t provide it complimentarily, they can direct you to their gift shop. If you need a roll-away bed or a microwave, call and ask ahead of time.

There you have it! After your stay, be sure to respond to guest surveys and post a review. They’re beneficial for hotel improvements and helpful for future travelers.

Have any questions or tips about booking a hotel or having the best stay? Comment below!

Have your best adventure! Check out more travel tips here.

Keep up with my adventures. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, or Snapchat (@wanderlustanita). You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post 10 Secrets for the Best Hotel Booking and Stay appeared first on Fearless Captivations.