The Ultimate Uber Cool Dream Vacation Destination, aka, Perfection Done Right: A Modern Fairy Tale

Guest Review by Miye Matsumoto

You all know the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This is too big, this is too small, but THIS is JUST right, in fact, it’s perfect. That sums up Little Harvest Caye.

Affectionately known as LHC. Just the right size for a great family, or fun couples, vacation. Big enough for up to 12, but small enough it’s not overwhelming. Five bungalows with their own bath on a private island, all to yourselves. It’s not too near the town of Placencia, where you can see the town and hear it. Nor is it too far out to sea that you’re stuck out there. Some islands are so far out in the Caribbean that it makes doing inland tours difficult. Who wants to get up at 5AM on vacation?! LHC is perfect. Private, yet close. Go explore the cute shops in the quaint town of Placencia, which is only a five minute boat ride away. Want to try a restaurant, or get some Tutti Frutti Gelato (the best!) you can!

LHC is surrounded by water, peace and tranquility, nothing but the wind, waves, moon, stars, sunshine and zero neighbors. You don’t have to share the island with strangers, where you rent one bungalow and someone else rents one, as does another, like on some other “private islands”. On LHC, it is just you and the lucky ones you’ve chosen to join. Other islands, you might have to pay extra for a chef. LHC comes with. Do NOT pass up the opportunity to eat as many meals as you can with Chef Ernesto. His culinary skills are epic, Michelin star all the way! The staff is super nice, friendly and helpful. The ratio of staff to guest is about 1:2. Try and find that in a hotel. Pack light, your laundry gets done regularly, how awesome is that? The rooms and baths are clean and beautiful. Not too slick, not too rough, a perfect blend of tropical elegance, comfort, and style. It’s just right. Open air bathrooms are the most wonderful experience ever. The island is lush and tropical, with beautiful palms, exotic plants and flowers. The main living area under the stunning giant palapa, with its fabulous, fun swing chairs and comfy seating, is great for games and conversation. The carved wood table and bar need to be seen in person to fully appreciate their artistry. Lounging in the sparkling pool with a cold exotic fruity concoction is beyond relaxing.

Comfortable beds, the cool breezes, and the sound of wind and waves through the screen doors create an environment for some of the deepest and most restful sleep we’ve ever had, yet we woke early to see the sunrise out the window.

Want to do excursions? Check. Do nothing, except relax in the pool and enjoy the beauty of the island? Check. Have a massage and do wine tasting? Check. Want to go snorkeling, fishing, sailing, or do any of the numerous excursions that are available? You can! Explore the town? You can do all that too. LHC is not an all inclusive, so you get to choose what you want, when you want, with what interests you and not some random choices that someone else has chosen for you.

LHC is SO much cooler in person. SO much greater than a manufactured Mouse World vacation. SO much more private and relaxing than a hotel, or cruise ship. SO much better than any “all inclusive” where you don’t have a choice as to what is “included”. SO much more exclusive than any slick, high-end resort with strangers. SO much finer than any branded, artificially created island where you have “experiences” with inflated prices and the STREET CRED you will gain with your kids? Priceless.

On LHC it is just you and those you’ve chosen to join you on this very special tropical gem. Truly a PRIVATE island! We realized that the cost of this vacation, including food, alcohol brought in from the duty free shop in the airport, massages and excursions, cost the same, or even less(!) than a high end hotel, so we are planning a return. A luxury experience for less. Do the math, then book it and get ready to make some great memories! Finding more reasons to return. Anniversaries, birthdays, reunions, LHC is perfect for all!

Rooms

Five bungalows, two of which are connected and all with the names of Belize’s land and sea critters. Not too big, yet not too small. Spacious and cozy at the same time. Beautiful, elegantly rustic, yet charming and luxurious. Fun tropical colors with a very Caribbean vibe. The gorgeous, open, outdoor, palapa covered bathrooms for each suite are also spacious, elegant and completely private. Cleverly designed and laid out for complete privacy with fabulous views. Showers have a toggle to switch from a regular rain spout to a really cool bamboo spout. Such a fantastic detail, really gives the tropical island vibe! Comfortable beds, good linens and appointments. Gorgeous Belizean hardwood furniture and details. Really beautifully appointed rooms.

Nearby activities

Jungle excursions, Howler Monkey river tour, Jaguar preserve, Mayan ruins, zip-lines, waterfalls, waterfall rappelling, river tubing, cave tubing, ATM cave which is a must see, horseback riding, fishing, fly-fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving the reef and other islands, sailing, banana farm tour, chocolate farm tour, shopping in town, dinner in town, visit a local brewery, bowling, wine tasting on island, massages on island. Sunset cruises and booze cruises, but why bother, when you get epic sunsets from your own private island with your own curated booze stash brought in from Duty Free at the airport. Do the wine tasting on the island, super fun and you get to “taste a bit of Belize”, including cheeses, chocolate, meat and wine, all while the sun sets. Another Rockstar moment. Adventures and experiences for all. We’ve done so many and they are all fun, fantastic and exciting. You will not be bored.

Safety

You are on a private island, ’nuff said. Really. For those not convinced, we’ve slept with our doors open, using just the screen doors to hear the wind and water. No air con needed and the best sleep ever. Far enough from town, no one can swim over to start doing yoga stretches on the beach. Far enough from town, you cannot see or hear it. Staff is always on site and sometimes there is a cute little doggo around to alert if boats get too close. We hope he becomes a permanent addition as it’s nice to have a little life force running around and helps to make missing our own fur kids less painful.

Food & Drinks

Incredibly delicious food with stunning presentations. All freshly made. Freshly squeezed juices. Made from scratch breads, tortillas, pastries, desserts and pastas. Freshly caught fish and shellfish from the fisherman that come to the LHC dock. Fresh locally grown fruits and veggies. The sweetest variety of fruits. Nothing canned, frozen or microwaved. Did I mention it was all fresh? We made our own cocktails, but if something cold, frosty, fruity and delicious was needed, the staff was happy to accommodate us.

Noteworthy Details

Close to town to experience Placencia and all it’s charms, which is very walkable. Cute shops, good restaurants and the best gelato, ever. Close to the mainland to be able to do fun inland excursions. Many of the tour boats for sailing, snorkeling, scuba, or fishing, will pick up directly. The other guests, that are already on the boat from the mainland, are always wowed and intrigued by the island, which makes you feel like a Rockstar, as they wonder who you are for staying there. Bragging rights, y’all! Other boats, will cruise by slowly to check out LHC, showing it off to their customers who are curious as to who are the lucky ones that are staying on LHC. LHC is not an all inclusive which is great. Why prepay for something you don’t want to do, or have to eat? LHC lets you be the one to choose exactly what you want to do and when. With an all-inclusive vacation sometimes you feel like you have to do something that you are not keen on doing, or eating and drinking something you don’t want, as it is “all included” in the price. LHC is not that. With LHC you can plan your ultimate private island dream vacation, then sit back and enjoy experiencing your dream come true! Epic Instagram moments. Sunsets, sunrises, gorgeous full moons, stars, rainbows, manatee and dolphin sightings, many birds and sea creatures abound. TV’s in all rooms, plus the bar and living area. A separate 1/2 bath off the kitchen, stereo with Bluetooth hookup for your own music. Wi-fi adds to a great remote work space in the most stunning environment. Your co-workers will be so jealous when they see your very real, not fake, background and surroundings. Solar powered with backup generator. Movies on the beach if desired, large lounge chairs near the pool and on the beach with thick padded cushions and large umbrellas. Kayaks, paddle boards, horseshoe, cornhole, pool, ping-pong, other games, hammocks and great dock and beach area. Snorkeling around the island and fishing off the dock which is catch and release. Water is from the mainland and is drinkable, but a large jug of bottled water is available. Hardly any bugs, as the staff regularly rakes the sand and sprays if needed. Nice breezes so it’s cooler than in town, which can be stifling during the hotter months. LHC is great for friends, families, couples and singles for an epic vacation of great memories.