Notes from the host
Howler House On a river
"You will not be disappointed -- in fact you will be blown away when you stay at Howler House."
Howler House is a gold standard accommodation listed under the business name of Rock and Reggae. The House sits high in the jungle canopy over the Belize river just 20 mins from the airport. This is an off the beaten track experience in a unique and friendly village undiscovered by travellers yet central to everything. If you want to experience the local Belize and make some new friends, Kenny and Shana will pick you up and show you all Belize has to offer the curious visitor. Or, I can assist with a rental.
This sweet little tree house sits in the jungle canopy perched high on the edge of the Belize River. With Howler monkey families in the trees, crocodiles in the pond, butterflies and songbirds in the air, this is a unique piece of jungle paradise that offers you an amazing holiday destination. We have a canoe and two bicycles for you. The Howler House is just a short 5 min drive or 15 min walk down a lovely village road to the Black Orchid resort where you are always welcome to enjoy their SWIMMING POOL and fantastic restaurant.
The house has HIGH SPEED WIRELESS internet with and is NETFLIX enabled. The bedroom has a majestic view over the river and a new queen size bed. The main bathroom has a shower with HOT WATER - no tub. The little bedroom sits off the screened in deck with a single bed and hooks for hammocks. The kitchen is fully equipped with a stove, fridge and double sinks and dishes and pots and pans and bowls enough to enjoy cooking.
As well, ALL your transportation needs can be taken care of - if required. The international airport is just 20 min from the House and Kenny and Shana will pick you up, take you shopping for supplies and give you a tour of the village and check you into the house, they also provide transportation ANYWHERE you might want to explore while in Belize -- and fill you full of local knowledge. Touring with Kenny will show you how to really experience what Belize has to offer the curious visitor. If you want to use Kenny's services, I will provide you with his email and you can make arrangements with Kenny.
The village of Burrell Boom is wonderfully central to Mayan ruins, caves, zip-lining, horse-back riding, the zoo, and a good day trip to Hopkins beach -- which is a unique Garifuna village, remarkable diving sites and ocean fishing are also a day trip away. I can help you arrange transportation and/or tours to any part of the country you may dream of exploring.
While the house is a perfect romantic getaway for two, if you want to bring along family or friends, they are welcome to hang hammocks on the two screened in decks and make use of an extra single bed on the outside screened in deck. I ask for an addition $25 per night for an extra guest. The outside deck is huge, and you will probably spend most of your time there.
While the Howler House is nestled on the riverbank high in the canopy and you feel like you are deep in the jungle — really, it is just a 10 -minute walk up to the sweetest little village. If you are using his transportation services Kenny will be happy to give you a little tour of the village. But, most convenient, the Howler House is located centrally to all the activities you might want to enjoy while in Belize.
In the village you can paddle the river, go fishing and bicycling, the wildlife is amazing - birdwatchers are in heaven here; the Howler Monkeys live in the trees above us. Star-gazing and sipping on local wines is magical.
Close to home, there is a grocery store that sells local wines, rum and cold beer and a few groceries. And, the village pub, a short walk or bicycle ride away, serves ice cold beers, homemade juicy hamburgers and a delicious fried chicken or fish dinner for five bucks at Miss Carol's.They also have a pool table if you want to hang around and meet some very sweet locals and perhaps hear a good story or two. There is also a great Chinese Food restaurant in the village. And, people are soooo friendly here, if you want to, you'll make friends with the locals with ease. On Friday evenings people gather in the park to watch the teenagers play soccer and they have music and snacks and cold drinks for sale. Later, if you are a night owl, there is always dancing at Henderson's Bank on Friday and Saturday nights, just a 5 min walk away. And, there is a huge horse race track, with races on Sundays and Holidays - people come from all over for the races -- it's exciting.
A wonderful day (or overnight) trip from the house is to Cay Caulker, 90 minutes away via Belize City. You can arrange a drive with Kenny, catch the early ferry (45 mins) and spend a day exploring the Cay, or take one of the many snorkeling, diving, sailing or kayaking tours, and be back in time for dinner. Or, if you'd like to spend more time on the island, spend a night and Kenny will pick you up the next day. We can help with arranging accommodations for you too.
If you want help with travel arrangements to Belize, just let me know.
Or, you may choose to just spend your time of the Howler House deck where you can take amazing photographs, bird-watch, wait for the crocodile(s) to surface and perhaps sun themselves on the bank, get to know the howler monkeys (they like Reggie music), sit still and a Blue Morpho butterfly with an 8-inch wingspan will eventually float by. Play the stock market on-line on high-speed Wi-Fi. Lie under a gentle fan, swing in the hammock and read a good book. Write a poem, a song, a book or a blog. Watch the sun rise and the river float by, caste a line and catch a fish – yes, right from the deck when the river is flooding.
Here is my favourite Review so far:
"We spent the most unbelievable three nights at the Howler House. It was an experience to remember! The jungle setting was absolutely perfect. If you're looking for peace and quiet with only the sounds of the jungle, this is the place for you. We were picked up at the airport by a friend of Kenny's (the usual driver), Micha. WHAT A GUY!!! Micha really went out of his way to ensure that we got everything that we needed before dropping us off at the Howler House. We stopped at a grocery store on the way to the house. Make a list before hand if you can. It's a huge store! We picked up dish soap, coffee filters and toilet paper but they were not needed, so don't pick them up as they are provided. Eggs, bacon, bread and butter were all available at the store. We made breakfast everyday and enjoyed it on the screened in porch. There really is everything that you need to cook anything at the house. The canoe was a great added bonus. We took it out twice, fished a little and saw the Howler's in the trees! The bikes were also key. We took a ride through Burell Boom (sweetest little town), had fried chicken, (the best fries) and beer at Miss Carol's and spent an afternoon at the swimming pool at the Black Orchid. Fantastic drinks and we had the pool and hammocks all to ourselves. Kenny took us out for a half day trip to Bacab Eco Park. About 15 minutes from the Howler House. There we went on an hour long horseback ride through the jungle, spent a few hours at the pool and went for a stroll through the Medicinal Trail ($80.00 US each). They had delicious cheeseburgers and the drinks were also tasty (additional cost)! Take bug spray. I did get a few big fly bites. Mosquitos don't come out until about 6:00PM and are gone by 6:30PM-7:00PM. Hang out in the screened in porch during this time and they won't get to you! We did not have any issues with bugs in the house. Simply allow the doors to close behind you :-). The shower was one of my favourite parts of the house! Wide open and overlooking the jungle. It feels as though you are outside. We loved the Howler House, it made our trip! We've already recommended it to many friends and family members! Thank you Erika, Kenny, Shana & Micha!"