ADDRESS: San Pedro, Belize
WEBSITE: https://mbvlifestyle.com
VISITED: March 2017

We were looking for somewhere warm to find refuge during the East Coast winter months and came across the #1 rated island in the world by TripAdvisor - Ambergris Caye in Belize. With 60 acres of luxury resort, private residences, exclusive beach and pool club, Mahogany Bay Village is the largest luxury resort in Belize and we were sold! We decided to take the opportunity to learn and explore Ambergris Caye and signed up for Mahogany Bay Village’s Coastal Living Lifestyle Trip for 4 days and 3 nights.

We took an early flight from New York to Houston for a short layover then we were off to Belize City! When we arrived, we went through immigration then baggage claim and made our way to the local flight check-in desks. The entire process took 15 minutes. We pre-booked our local flight on Tropic Air website from Belize City to San Pedro for ~USD$150 per person round trip. It was a quick 15 minute flight on a ~20 seat propeller plane, a little bit shaky (it felt like my flight up for skydiving) but we got an amazing view of the island and landed safely. Alternatively, you can take a water taxi/ boat for a cheaper option and it would take approximately an hour and a half boat ride to reach San Pedro. Mahogany Bay Village arranged our taxi pick up from the airport to the luxury resort 10 minutes away. We made it to Mahogany Bay Village just in time for drinks by Shaken Bar with a view of the sun setting down the Bay and a chef-prepared 3-course dinner.

If you are interested in investing, I highly recommend the Coastal Living Trip package that costs USD$497 per person and includes local flights on Tropic Air, accommodations, food & beverage, transportation, and water activities for 4 days and 3 nights. Our 4-day itinerary is as below:

The 4 day Coastal Living Lifestyle Trip Itinerary

Thursday – Day 1

6pm Meet & greet at Mahogany Bay Village in the Great House with hors d’oeuvers and cocktails at outdoor pool bar, Shaken.

Friday – Day 2

*7amOptional yoga class in The Great House***

9am Breakfast of tropical fruit and freshly-prepared local cuisine in The Great House.

10am Development tour of Mahogany Bay Village.

12:30pm Hop on a boat and learn about the real estate market on Ambergris Caye.

2pm Take a trip to our private Beach Club to enjoy chef-prepared refreshments on a pristine strip of open beach.

7pm Trip recap at Rum+Bean & group dinner a local favorite restaurant.

Saturday – Day 3

8am Breakfast meeting with an international tax representative for questions.

10am World-class snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve, just minutes away from Mahogany Bay Village.

12pm Enjoy lunch and experience Market Day.

2pm Private consultations to answer your remaining questions or free time.

5pm Dressing cocktails at the Bay Club to watch the sunset.

7pm Private dinner at a Mahogany Bay Village Townhome.

Sunday – Day 4

8am Breakfast & coffee on The Great House porch.

We had a small group of 5 on our March trip. The itinerary was planned in a way that we had enough one-on-one time with investment experts and yet plenty of time on our own to discover the island. Throughout our trip, we all stayed in a cottage-like hotel room, Mahogany Bay Resort, Curio – A Collection by Hilton. It was a quaint and private cottage with all the 5-star luxury perks! Each cottage is adorned with natural wood, the warm wood scent permeating throughout the room. All hardwoods were sustainably harvested from Belize’s mainland forests. There is air conditioning in every room and a ceiling-fan to keep you and your private villa cool all day long. I loved that I was on a tropical island surrounded by nature without having to compromise on modern-day luxuries. Each room comes equipped with a mini fridge and clean fresh towels daily. Related: Review on Mahogany Bay Resort Rooms.

The bathroom and shower is separated by a vanity sink and mirror. One thing I absolutely loved about the cottage is the unique shower. With shower walls made of steel sheets and floors of smooth wooden planks, the shower gave me a rustic and yet open nature feel. The shower floors are made with wooden planks with gaps to allow the water to flow under but small enough that your toes won’t get caught! Another amazing surprise is the line of bath and beauty products Mahogany Bay Village provided: Malin + Goetz! Same beauty line as my recent stay at the Four Seasons Chicago! What luxurious bath amenities on a tropical island!

I don’t know if it was the tranquility on the island or the fresh air, I woke up naturally early morning and started day 2 with a yoga class by instructors from The Science and Soul Wellness then a chef-prepared breakfast in The Great House. The sales team gave us an overview of the development and a tour around the Mahogany Bay Village property. We then went on a boat trip along the coast of Ambergis Caye to check out neighboring resorts and discussed comps with local beers in our hands. We got back to the Village for a break and got back on the boat for a quick 15-minute ride to Mahogany Bay Village’s private beach club for lunch. It does not get better than this! We had a delicious lunch of skewered chicken and tuna with salsa and chips and hung out at the private beach for a few hours. A short boat trip back to the Village and we had some time to get ready to go into town for a local dinner at Elvi’s Kitchen.

On Day 3, we started with a chef-prepared breakfast at The Great House with an international tax lawyer. We were able to ask any questions we had and further details on US and Belizean tax law. Extremely helpful. As a former British Colony, Belizean legal system is based on familiar British Common Law. Every Saturday is MBV Market Day at Mahogany Bay Village where local vendors bring their goods and show them off. I had sushi from JYOTO (restaurant opening soon) and tried out aerial yoga for the first time. We then headed off snorkeling at the world-renowned Hol Chan Marine Reserve, the world’s second largest barrier reef. And guess what? This world-class snorkeling spot is only a 7-minute boat-ride from Mahogany Bay Village! This short trip was a pleasant surprise and huge advantage especially for someone like me as I was nervous of getting seasick from a long boat ride. Other snorkelers and scuba divers travelled long distances just to reach this very same spot. 7-minutes! This was barely enough time for us to finish our beers! We jumped into the cool waters with our guide and looked at colorful fish and coral formations. After half an hour of snorkeling, we jumped back on the boat to a different spot 2-minutes away, Shark Ray Alley to swim with nurse sharks. Nurse sharks are very gentle sharks; they are bottom feeders with mouths as big as mine meaning nurse sharks are physically incapable if eating a human. STILL, I swam towards them and brushed up against one and freaked out. It was an awesome experience although I would need to work up my courage to do it again.

The Coastal Living Lifestyle Trip was an incredibly fun and relaxing vacation. I soaked up the warm weather, replenished my scary-low vitamin D levels, and learned about the growing vibrant community surrounding Mahogany Bay Village. The beautiful 60-acre property is the first luxury-branded resort in Belize with consistent Hilton-quality private hotel rooms and service, pool club, spa and private beach. I enjoyed a luxurious tropical vacation without compromising on 5-star amenities and service. Discover this Belizean gem for yourself and book your trip here!

Next Journey Dates: May 11-14, May 25-28, June 8-11 and June 22-25. Check Mahogany Bay Village’s website for the latest updates and news.