Lucky Dreamer Lodge ~ Intimate Jungle & Riverside Retreat

Plan an intimate jungle vacation in our secluded bungalow on the river. The views of the river & jungle are awe-inspiring and make you feel like you’re right in the midst of the wilds (while still in civilization). Find everything you need here for a spectacular vacation, including a king bed, private deck, full outdoor kitchen & laundry. Plan amazing outings to nearby adventures or just hang out in your private deck hammock. We welcome all races, ethnicities, genders, orientations & religions. See our website for additional information: LuckyDreamerLodge.com

House rules

We don't really like rules, but to make everyone's experience better there are a few expectations that are important to know.

Please note that this is a totally non-smoking/non-vaping property.

NOTE: Electricity is very expensive here. For this reason we need guests to turn off all lights, ceiling fans and floor fans whenever they are not in the bungalow. If we notice something is on after you leave, we will most likely enter the bungalow to turn it off.

Please store all food and food-related items in the kitchen area. Food and food-related trash in the bungalow is the quickest way to attract bugs.

We don't mind a few extra people on the property as long as we know in advance about any extra guests you plan to invite to our property (even if just to visit for a few a short time). Please be sure any guests ring the gate doorbell, so we can meet them before entering the property.

We cannot accommodate more than the specified booked guests for your reservation, so please do not invite additional guests to stay overnight. We don't mind small get-togethers, BBQs, etc... - but please, no loud or large parties, etc.... Quiet hours are between 9:00pm to 7:00am.

LAUNDRY AREA USE: There is no charge for doing laundry & we provide detergent & dryer sheets. Just let us know in advance when you want to do laundry & we will turn on the laundry area electricity & propane for you. Laundry hours are 8am-8pm.

- When doing laundry, please remain on property & finish drying before retiring for the night.

- Only add detergent to the washing machine tub, fill with water and then add clothes. Do Not put detergent in the center cap of the washing machine. Do Not wash or dry shoes with the laundry equipment.

No third party bookings. (Do not book for someone else, if you will not be traveling with them.)

The space

Steps away from the Macal River in the heart of a small village in the foothills of the Mountain Pine Ridge. The bungalow has a large deck overlooking the river & jungle. The interior is fully screened.

The Banana Bungalow is one of our stand-alone cabins at Lucky Dreamer Lodge - lovingly built by hand, by us and some local friends & neighbors. It was initially meant to be a guest house for family & friends, but everyone said it was too special not to share with others!

Banana Bungalow is made of local hardwoods and local pine from Mountain Pine Ridge. The bungalow interior is fully screened. There is a custom-made mahogany king bed and hardwood nightstands. The covered deck overlooks the property with a peek at the Macal River and hills beyond. There are birds everywhere & of all kinds! We had a birdwatcher recently identify over 60 bird species in a three week period!

There is a separate outdoor kitchen/dining area for the use of our guests. It is a shared area with guests that book the Belize Bungalow. The kitchen is not inside the bungalow - as just boiling water would heat the entire room! Even our own kitchen is 'outside.' 🙂 The outdoor kitchen is a few steps away from the bungalow.

We provide ground coffee, sugar, powdered cream, salt, pepper, and other condiments/cooking ingredients. The kitchen is well-stocked with pots/pans, mixing bowls, dishes flatware, cups, etc. We also have items such as aluminum foil, plastic wrap, non-stick spray, cooking oil, etc.

We also provide a 5 gallon jug of filtered water for the use of guests (which we replace as needed). We recommend bringing refillable/lidded bottles to take advantage of the water and to avoid buying bottled water while here. We also keep one gallon of water in the frig, and have ice packs and ice cubes available for guest use.

There are birds everywhere & of every kind! We had a birdwatcher recently identify over 60 bird species in a three week period!

We pay your AirBnB Booking Fee + we do not charge any Housekeeping Fees!

Lucky Dreamer Lodge has been named 2021 & 2022 Best Central American Jungle Glamping Venue AND awarded the LUXlife Community Impact Award 2022 for Belize.

We were also featured in the Sept 2022 edition of International Living. Check out the photos for the entire article.

Things to know

Guests have access to the 1.5 acre property, which includes a genuine Mayan mound (yes, you WILL find Mayan pottery, guaranteed!) but you have to leave it behind.

Other features include an outdoor dining area/kitchen with a full-size frig and charcoal grill. There is also a double sink and 6-burner gas stove and oven - and lots of countertop space.

We also have a guest laundry facility where guests can do laundry for no additional charge. Please let us know if you want to do laundry so we can turn on the butane and electricity.

We grow fruits, herbs and vegetables. You are welcome to anything ready to harvest! Depending on the time of year herbs include, basil, parsley, oregano, garlic chives, catnip, sage & mint! Veggies include tomatoes, onions, lettuce, hot peppers, and more! Fruits include bananas, pineapples, mangos, soursop, dragon fruit, avocado, raspberries, nuts, and more!

The bungalow has a spacious private covered deck, with a hammock, dining table/2 chairs and extra loveseat for two. There is also a private stone courtyard area.

There is a 2-person kayak available at no extra charge, as well as two inner tubes for use on the Macal River - which is in our backyard! We recommend guests that want to take out the kayak, paddle up river only in the morning and then casually float back to our property. Pick-up service for the kayak is not available. There are places to stop upriver where you can safely dock our kayak. There are no secure places downriver to dock (other than the Belize Raptor Center). San Ignacio is down river and therefore it is not feasible to kayak to San Ignacio. There are dams on the river, so in the afternoon the river rises and flows quicker - that's why we recommend kayaking only in the morning.

Please note that the bicycles are available to use within our village. They are 'used' bikes and would not fare well on the roads outside of our village.

Neighborhood

Lucky Dreamer Lodge is in a beautiful place to vacation, mostly because of all the wonderful Belizeans that welcome guests us with open arms! On any given day you'll see kids going door-to-door selling homemade goodies, or veggies from their gardens. The tortilla man delivers fresh tortillas twice a day (Sun-Fri) - for 95 cents U.S. a pound!

There is a small convenience grocery store directly across the road from us. There you'll find just about everything you need for simple meals.

Just a short walk down the road are "Carm's" & “Sandals” two local restaurants that serve made to order local-style meals. A short walk up the road is a place to go horseback riding!

About a mile down the road is a local spot called "The Showers" - a waterfall area, that very few tourists know about. And it's free!

Lucky Dreamer Lodge is a jumping off point for all the local adventures including Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, ATM cave, Tikal, Caracol, etc…..

But here are some additional adventures/activities nearby:

ATV tours (2 hour or 4.5 hours) A 1 minute drive from us! The longer trip takes you to a waterfall in Elijio Panti National Park.

The Belize Raptor Center is right across the river from us. (5 min swim or kayak ride) It's free (a non-profit that accepts donations)

Two Maya Cooking Experiences that include the meal (5 min & 15 min drives)

You can visit Oxmul Coffee. (10 minute drive). They grow, harvest, dry, roast and sell their coffee onsite. Tours are @ $25 U.S. per person and include a free cup of coffee.

Iguana Conservation Project at San Ignacio Hotel (15 min drive). Super fun, where you can hold iguanas, and baby iguanas can crawl on you!

Hands-on Chocolate Demonstrations (15 min drive)

There is a cave tour in a canoe with no hiking or swimming involved. It is dark with just headlamps. That would be Barton Creek Cave. (20 min drive)

Ziplining: (25 min drive)

Jungle Pontoon Water Adventure (45 min drive), that takes you to 5 different waterfalls

Mountain Pine Ridge (FREE) - specifically .....

- Big Rock Falls (30 min drive):

- Rio On Pools (15 min beyond Big Rock Falls) :

- Rio Frio Cave (15 mins beyond Rio On Pools):

Several butterfly farms: One about 30 mins from us - near ziplining & Barton Creek Cave.