The tree of life guesthouse is in a beautiful area. The sense of community and teamwork amazed us. While we were there we saw several times where the neighbors helped eachother out. Jason took us to a Mennonite neighbor where we bought homemade banana bread. Another neighbor makes burritos and pizza that she sells (julias kichen). I'm not sure if this will continue because
Julia (she's 15) is going to Germany for the summer. Another neighbor (Ronnie) did a bbq lunch that we purchased and we were able to work out a deal to purchase a few lunches from them. There is a place up the road called Ayala's Natural Pool and adventures (5 minutes walking) Beautiful place to spend the day swimming and a small area for kayaking. The water level is affected by the amounts of rain so keep that in mind. We were able to swim but the waterfalls weren't visible. I'm sure it's even more beautiful with more water. They even have a small Zip line. There you can order food in advance as well as plan different tours. (I wouldn't go at night because one of the caretakers said there are lots of snakes at night!!) I have to say, this place is not easily accessible. If you have a vehicle, great! On foot it's more challenging. We got a bus to drop us off close to agua viva but they will NOT pick you up there. You have to get a ride either to Armenia village or Belmopan in order to get around. Jason and Natalya were very gracious to let us ride with them into town for some groceries and then gave us a ride to the bus station when we left. I say this because you NEED to take food with you if you plan on eating. Natalya sells eggs and they provide purified water. Also provided are soap, towels, and kitchen items. The place is spotless clean! Beautiful area! And of all the places we went to in Belize (8 different beds) this place felt the safest. We went for walks at night with no worries. In fact one of my favorite Belize memories was strolling in the evening and watching the fields of twinkling lights coming from lightning bugs. They have great plans for the future of the guesthouse and are currently adding all kinds of things. I have no doubt it will keep improving.