An adventure was long overdue and much needed, and Belize had been a highly recommended travel destination by many friends who had spoken very highly of it. After deciding to plan a two week visit in November, a couple of friends who had travelled to Belize before decided to join me for the second week of my trip. One of them came across a listing on AirBnB for a yoga ashram near San Ignacio, a town in Belize near the jungle and the border of Guatemala. The price was reasonable and not only included accommodations and yoga at the ashram, but also vegan meals, meditation and chanting, kirtan, tea and kombucha. All things right up my alley. And so I booked my first week in Belize at the ashram, and planned to meet up with my friends for three nights in the quiet beach town of Hopkins, and three nights on the party island of San Pedro.
This trip came at a time when I was feeling overworked and overwhelmed with life. I am teaching at my two favorite yoga studios and leading yoga retreats once a year. I am working a part-time accounting job that provides financial stability while being flexible around my yoga lifestyle. And, I recently made the choice to return to school to pursue a master’s degree in accounting which I have been taking prerequisites for. I underestimated exactly how much I have added to my plate. Don’t get me wrong, I am humbled and grateful for how far I have come both in my yoga and accounting careers and am excited for the new endeavor of returning to school. But it’s a lot. And I have completely overextended and depleted myself over the past couple of months trying to balance all of my commitments and at the same time maintain a social life, time for myself and time for other life commitments.
Once I arrived at the ashram in Belize, I had no trouble relaxing and dropping in. I think my body and mind were craving a rest so intensely that it was just a natural progression. I was lucky enough to be the only guest at the ashram, which is owned and run by a Canadian couple who had been living in Belize for more than eight years. They welcomed me into their ashram, which is also their home, with open arms. Each morning began with meditation and chanting and was followed by a 2-hour kundalini and/or hatha yoga practice and a mid-afternoon vegan feast. Afternoons were for me. The first couple of days were very rainy so I spent them inside reading and writing, 
which was a reminder of how much I need more of those things in my everyday life. Once the rain cleared, I spent more time outside hiking around, swimming in the waterfall just a few steps from the ashram, and exploring the sweet town of San Ignacio, which is a 20-minute bumpy ride in a van that shuttles locals to and from the town. San Ignacio is a small and friendly town, where I got to visit Mayan ruins, a cacao factory and a couple of local restaurants. The men certainly love foreign women, I felt like the prettiest girl in town. People in Belize are friendly and laid back. The pace of life is mellow and the stress level seems low. And there is a very interesting mix of people. There are a lot of expats in Belize from all over the world. And from what I hear, transplants living in Belize all have a story. Something they were running from that landed them permanently there. There is a large Rastafarian population in Belize, which is also true in certain parts of Costa Rica. And of course, the native Belizeans sprinkled about.
My time at Chai Garden Ashram was unforgettable. It was restful, regenerative, and fulfilling. I could have easily spent weeks there. I quickly grew attached to Evan and Laine, the owners of the ashram, and had a hard time leaving. I get attached to people way too easily, which can make traveling challenging to navigate at times. In any case, it was more than I could have ever asked for, and I was refreshed and ready to meet my friends for a week of fun.
One of my favorite things about traveling is having my own driver. My driver to Hopkins picked me right up at the ashram. After saying my goodbyes, we set off for a 2 hour journey along a highway that was lined with lush vegetation and natural beauty. It’s incredible how green it is in tropical climates. Eventually I was dropped off at my AirBnb in Hopkins where my friends were waiting for me, drinks in hand. They had rented us the top floor of a sweet beach house just steps from the ocean. There wasn’t another tourist in site for miles. The ocean water was warm and clear. We were in paradise.
The first day we spent lounging on the beach, in the ocean and on the deck overlooking the beach. We enjoyed delicious food and drinks and made friends with the locals. The second day we went on a guided snorkel tour and saw some incredible things. Belize has the largest barrier reef in the world outside of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. This was definitely a highlight of the trip. There aren’t a lot of people around Hopkins, although there are some areas that are starting to develop and build resorts that will start attracting tourists in the future. But I loved the vibe for a chill and quiet beach vacation and hope to return one day.
After three fun nights in Hopkins, we set off for the third leg of the trip, San Pedro. San Pedro is a town located on Ambergris Caye, a Belizean island. To get there from the mainland we took a small 14-seat plane which was not my favorite part of the trip. We made a stop and dropped off everyone on the plane except me, my friends and the pilot. I asked the pilot if I could sit in the front with him and he said yes. Interestingly it felt safer than the back of the plane, and gave me an incredible view of the island.
San Pedro is more Americanized, touristy and expensive than San Ignacio and Hopkins. It seemed like we were suddenly a bit closer to home. It is a bit of a party island, so in order to bring perfect balance to my trip that so far had encompassed a lot of rest and self-care, I spent most of the remaining three days eating and drinking. My friends had traveled to Belize many times before and had friends who lived in San Pedro. We met up with them for dinner one night and rented a boat with them another day, and got to spend our last afternoon having drinks on our own private sandbar in the middle of the ocean.
Belize is by far one of my most favorite countries so far. It is the perfect mix of authentic culture, fun and adventure. It is easy to navigate, and the people are warm and friendly. I will most certainly be returning one day, and highly recommend visiting.
