Turneffe Island Resort Vacation
Have you ever seen the TV show Fantasy Island? Have you ever wanted to experience a place with beautiful surroundings and a staff whose goal is to make your visit the most memorable ever?
Our family has only experienced this quality of service once. That was in the early 80’s during our stay in the Mandarin Hotel in Singapore. I am happy to announce we have found incredible service once again.
Our son, Bill, who is a scuba instructor for Giglin’ Marlin in Houston, Texas, told us about a scuba trip that he and our granddaughter, Jessica, were making to Turneffe Island Resort which is located Southeast of Belize City, Belize, in Central America. Bernie, my husband, and I don’t scuba dive, but we do like to snorkel. As we approached the boat dock and saw the resort staff lined up on the dock to greet us, it became apparent that this was not an ordinary resort and our visit would be something special.
All the rooms in the resort face the Caribbean Sea and have a screened in front porch with two recliners. As you walked into the room, you are surrounded by beautiful Belizian wood on the floor, walls and ceiling. Our four poster bed was draped on each side by a sheer, white net. The bathroom was actually divided into two rooms both with the same large, red tile on the floor. One of the room had an indoor shower and the other had a large outdoor shower. The outdoor shower soon became our favorite.
Just a short distance from our room was a two story building with picnic tables, office and shop on the first floor. On the second floor was a large deck and inside were the sitting and dining area with the same beautiful Belizian wood as the bedrooms. On the deck was a large bell that became the focal point of our stay. At 7:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 7:30 pm, one of the staff would ring the bell to announce our family style meal was ready.
It continually amazed us all week how the kitchen staff could present such a variety of high quality, fresh, delicious meals all week on an island where all the food had to be imported. The island is only 14 acres.
The resort produces its own electricity and water. The water is so pure that you can drink it straight from the tap. You don’t want to do that in Houston! Next to the office and dining area were the swimming pool and a circular seating area where a variety of drinks were served by George. While waiting for the dinner bell to ring, all the guests would gather at this area around 5 o’clock to share fishing, scuba, and snorkeling stories. Did I mention that appetizers were brought out at 6:30? In addition to serving the drinks, George had an unlimited supply of tricks and brain teasers that entertained young and old alike.
The boats left at specific times for the packages that you signed up for such as fishing, snorkeling, or scuba diving. After the first trip out, the staff took care of cleaning all of your equipment. If you wanted to go on an outing, all you had to do was show up 20 minutes before the boat left.
If you just wanted to relax, there were recliners, hammocks, chairs and even a swinging bed.
One of the favorite ways of relaxing for Bernie and me was going to the Tranquility Spa for a massage by Mary. Mary is an outstanding massage therapist. We provided our Young Living Essential Oils and she did her magic. She gave Bernie a “Raindrop Massage” and with our other massages, she used our favorite Young Living oils such as Lavender, Idaho Balsam Fir and Peace & Calming.
Karen and Jason du Pressis not only managed all of the details of meeting their guests needs, including recognizing birthdays with a cake and song, but they also provided the evening entertainment for our last night with a unique “best out of three winner for a crab race”. At night, you had to walk carefully or you would be crunching hermit crabs under your feet.
The boat leaves for the mainland on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Bernie and I thought about hiding under the bed on Saturday so we could have a few extra days, but Karen and Jason must have had other guests with the same idea, because they had a checklist to make sure that everyone got on the boat.
As “The Natural Lady”, I had my oils ready for the occasional sunburn (Lavender), headache (M-Grain), insect bites (Purification) and scrapes (Thieves), but for the most part Bernie and I were able to rest and relax. The resort only holds 40 people.
If you go, be sure to tell them that the Robinetts sent you, but remember to tell only your closest friends. After all, we don’t want the resort to be totally booked when we go again.
