I have always wanted to surprise John with a trip, but (sadly) he has never wanted to be surprised. Half of the fun for him is planning the trip, but surprising him is the fun part for me! When I became pregnant, he was more willing to give in to my unusual demands, so this was the perfect time to let me surprise him.
We knew we wanted to do a quick getaway before the baby came, and I figured that 27 weeks was probably the best time to get away before hunkering down in the third trimester. Given that we only took off a long weekend (Wed - Sun), I knew it had to be a short hop from the states if we wanted to go international. I also knew that during the pandemic, Belize had the least strict rules around travel and testing. Using some Marriott and American Airlines points, I found some great deals and booked a quick trip down to Belize for both of us! (Of course, John was emailed by American Airlines a week before the trip to complete paperwork, so my plan was ruined right before - but that's ok!!!)
Take an Island Flight to San Pedro
There are a few ways to get to the island of San Pedro, one being a ferry and another a tiny plane. We opted for the plane as I wasn't sure I could handle a bumpy ferry across the Caribbean waters.
Little did I know that this plane ride would also be one of the wildest flights I've taken. It was a 15 passenger plane and one of the seats is next to the pilot. Though it got us there in about 15 minutes, I was so close to the pilot I could see all his warning alerts the entire trip. Yes... warning alerts that the pilot was seemingly ignoring. Luckily the flight home was less dramatic, so I'd still recommend that as opposed to a multiple hour ferry ride.
Rent a Golf Cart off the Resort
One of the main reasons I chose San Pedro was that the island is primarily accessible by golf cart. I figured that would be a fun way to get around, especially since I planned to be the designated driver the whole time. The roads were very bumpy once you ventured out of downtown, so not ideal for a pregnant person, but still fun nonetheless. This truly would be a great destination for a bachelor/bachelorette party or friends trip.
Go Spearfishing and have Robin's Kitchen cook your catch
A new hobby that John has taken up on recent vacations is spearfishing. Since I planned to mostly lounge at the pool every day, I booked a day of spearfishing for him with a private guide. He had a blast spearing different types of fish in the crystal, blue waters, and was able to take the fish home.
You're probably thinking... well how do you cook fresh fish in a hotel room? The guide actually recommended a local fresh food hut, Robin's Kitchen, that cooks fish you bring them. We really had no idea what to expect as this place was far from an impressive establishment.
When we arrived, we briefly communicated to the woman cooking that we had fresh fish and were hoping she could cook it. She spoke little English, but took our fish anyway. We thought that was a good sign so we sat and waited to see what it would turn out like.
About 10 minutes later, she brought out the most beautiful coconut curry fish dish we had ever seen. It was absolutely delicious, one of the best meals we had on the island, and she didn't want to charge us AT ALL. Of course, we refused to eat for free so insisted on handing her some Belizean dollars at the end. Truly one of the most special meals we've ever had on vacation.
Stay at the Alaia Belize, Autograph Collection
Whenever we travel internationally, we try to look up any Marriott locations to stay at. The service is usually great, the value is good, and every location is unique. We found the Alaia Belize, an Autograph Collection hotel, which had a pool on the beach in San Pedro. It was by far one of the nicest hotels in the area, and felt familiar being a Marriott. Our front desk staff and concierge gave us recommendations and helped us book nearby activities. To top it off, we were given an upgrade with some suite night awards I had. A beautiful stay for a last vacation just the two of us.
Spend the Day at at Secret Beach
The south side of San Pedro island, where the Alaia is located, is not ideal for ocean swimming. There is a lot of build up of ocean kelp and seaweed making the smell nauseating and the water not swimmable. If we wanted to swim in the ocean, we were told the north side of the island was the place to be. If you hop in your golf cart you can take a long, 45 minute drive to Secret Beach. There are tons of fun bars and restaurants along the way, and plenty of options when you arrive to Secret Beach as well. Again, not an ideal ride for a pregnant person as it was very bumpy - so we went rather slow. Again, Secret Beach is a great destination for a bachelor or bachelorette party, as there are fun water activities and picnic tables in the water.
Explore San Pedro and Eat Great Food
Exploring this cute beach town by golf cart and eating all the best local food was truly the highlight of our trip. Can't say enough how perfect of a destination San Pedro, Belize is, even for a pregnant lady!
Stay tuned for our next adventures as a family of 3!
