My husband and I just got back from our trip and we loved our stay at the very remote home, Casa Santa Maria. The house itself is beautiful and the views were even more phenomenal. Jim was very helpful in emailing me back and forth prior and during my trip in answering all my questions and also gave me lots of good tips, advice, and suggestions on things to do, travel, where to eat, and so on. Although we did not meet Jim personally, he is a great guy! Lucy was our host while we were there and she is the most endearing host we've ever had. She is so warm and kind and her meals are super delicious. She makes everything from scratch! We had a great time getting to know her and more about life in Belize as she grew up in Cayo. We would def recommend this place if you are looking for a retreat or simply looking for a unique experience in the rain forest.

Just to be fair, I have to share a few areas that could improve:
- The Road. This is nothing they can help personally but you have to keep in mind the 10.5 mile road up to the house is VERY intense. It is extremely bumpy and rough so this will tack on another 35-45 min per way onto your day just to get in and out of the house. We mostly spent our time in San Ignacio which is 15-20 min away so it was easily close to an hour per way to get in and out of town. This is something to keep in mind if you are limited on time.
- Communal areas. While the dining table outside on the deck is wonderful. It would be nice to have a dining table inside for rainy days or to eat inside when it is dark out. A couch or some kind of indoor seating would be nice. There is no where to hangout inside the house besides the bedroom which sometimes we weren't ready to be in bed yet.
- The Bed. The bed frame croaks ALOT (no pun intended). Even when I simply turn to my side or move slightly, the wood croaks. My husband and I are light sleepers so this sound kept us up the first night. After that, we moved the mattress to the floor the rest of the for a more quiet sleep.