It’s just like “White Lotus,” I thought as we approached the dock of the new Prana Maya Island Resort in our small boat and saw the smiling staff lined up to welcome us. While the setting, service and food rivaled that of the luxurious properties in the TV series, we were spared the murderous mayhem and instead reveled in tranquil relaxation during our stay in this new small resort near Placencia, Belize.
Located on Placencia Caye, a small private island just a five-minute boat ride from Placencia Village, Prana Maya sits on an oval-shaped strip of land, with the Placencia Lagoon on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. My happy place is one with a view of the water so I was doubly blessed during my stay.
It was my second visit to Belize and quite a different experience from the first almost 20 years ago. I previously stayed in lodges in wild jungles and rainforests with a soundtrack of howler monkeys, swam in dark caves, and ate lunch in a thatched hut home.
On my recent visit, I lounged by a private plunge pool, indulged in a stone massage and devoured a lobster dinner cooked by a private chef in my elegant villa. My most adventurous activity was trying a water bike for the first time. The words of Parker Posey as Victoria Ratliff in “White Lotus” echoed in my head. “I don’t think at this age I’m meant to live an uncomfortable life.”
Accommodations at Prana Maya
When I walked into the spacious king room in our villa at Prana Maya, I had one thought. This was one of the most elegant and romantic bedrooms I’d ever seen.
I felt mixed emotions – thrilled that I got to spend three nights in this heavenly room but yes, a little sad my husband was more than 1,000 miles away. But such is the life of a travel writer and I was happy to share the experience with my friend Katie who was staying in the upstairs room of our two-bedroom villa.
Prana Maya has a total of 35 bedrooms with 10 spacious open-concept suites at the Inn at Prana Maya and the seven villas, which range from one to four bedrooms.
I stayed in an Oceanview 3,300-square foot two-bedroom villa. Each king bedroom had a spacious balcony or terrace overlooking the Caribbean and a huge bathroom with a shower, tub and outdoor shower, one of my favorite features.
Our villa also had a queen sofa bed and two of the villas have rooms with four queen bunk beds, which makes it a good option for families.
All villas have direct ocean access. I could open my door and throw a flip-flop into the sea. We also had our own private plunge pool and Katie and I relaxed poolside in lounge chairs one night, enjoying a chilled glass of rose with the waves gently lapping just a few feet away.
While I didn’t do any cooking in our villa, we had a fully equipped gourmet kitchen that was put to good use one night when we had a private chef come and cook a feast for us to enjoy that included a lobster and chicken entrée and traditional bread pudding with ice cream for dessert.
Another happy place for me is sitting at a table sipping a glass of wine while someone else is in the kitchen cooking dinner for me.
Dining at Prana Maya
Eating outside tops my list of favorite things to do and while I had a roof over my head while dining at The Grill, the sides were open, allowing gentle breezes to waft in.
The Grill serves Caribbean, international and Latin American-inspired menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner with gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options. In addition to omelets and Belgian waffles, the breakfast menu served up the hearty Prana Maya breakfast with two fried eggs, grilled bacon, grilled sausage, black beans, waffle honey fruit with bread or tortillas.
Lunch selections at the open-air restaurant included a daily ceviche, angus burgers, fish tacos and lobster salad. For dinner, entrees included beef ribeye or cauliflower steak. I enjoyed all my meals there with the fish tacos being a highlight.
You can indulge in your favorite adult beverage at The Cocktail and Ice Bar or try one of their drink specialties, like the Prana Picante made with white mezcal, mango and passionfruit puree, chile de arbol, allspice syrup and lime juice.
The Island Club
Still under construction during my fall visit, The Island Club is now open with The Island Club Kitchen and Bar offering another option for dining from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A large palapa covers a pickleball court with beach games also available.
The non-motorized watersports leave from The Island Club, just a short walk from anywhere on the resort. Guests have complimentary use of kayaks, paddle boards and water bikes. I love kayaking and set out one morning to paddle around the Placencia Lagoon and the Caribbean Sea enjoying the quiet of the morning.
I’d never been on a water bike, which fortunately didn’t require a lot of balance. I know this because I researched it before I dared to get into the saddle. (Thanks to YouTube, whenever I consider an activity outside my comfort zone, I can search for videos and determine my ability and desire to attempt it. This research allowed me to check no on the box asking if I wanted to go up in a glider plane in Hawaii.)
The water bike was stable and fairly easy to peddle. I took a few spins around the lagoon and enjoyed it but the water bike won’t take top billing over my love for a kayak.
I went to the fitness room one day, an unusual activity for me while I travel. While I am diligent about exercise at home, I rarely spend more than 30 seconds in the gym when at a hotel, only stepping inside to take a photo and maybe grab a piece of fruit. I prefer to lie in bed in the mornings, sipping coffee and doing my NYT puzzles to which I am impossibly addicted.
But given all the delicious food I’d been eating and glasses of rose I’d been downing, it seemed like a good idea. The room was small but had a few cardio machines, weights and yoga mats. We enjoyed a yoga class with a local instructor one morning on the dock, with the relaxing poses made more enjoyable with warm sea breezes and the calls of the sea gulls.
One of my favorite activities at Prana Maya was grabbing a snorkel, mask and fins and stepping into the water right from our villa. I swam around the dock and into the mangroves on the other side. I didn’t see too many fish but always love swimming in the warm sea.
The Spa and other activities
Located on the top floor of the Inn, the Spa at Prana Maya has five treatment rooms and a sound therapy room, which is where I began my rejuvenating morning at the Spa. I laid on a table for my 30-minute Sacred Sound Flow treatment, which consisted of various sound frequencies and soothing music. I felt totally relaxed afterwards, ready for my stone massage, which deepened my relaxed state.
The spa uses local products and displays art by local artists. You won’t find any cookie cutter landscapes here, but rather a variety of art that I loved and added to the feeling of quiet luxury.
Off-site Activities at Prana Maya Resort
When you are ready to explore more of what Belize has the offer, the Experience Concierge will help you select from more than 20 excursions that include fly fishing and deep sea fishing, crocodile encounters, sunset cruises, cave tubing, food tours, waterfall rappelling, horseback riding and chocolate tours.
We took the boat shuttle one day, available on demand, back to Placencia Village for a food tour of Taste Belize. Our guide, Becks, shared Belizean specialties with us like garnaches, tamales and chocolates while sharing more about the food culture of the country.
Getting to Prana Maya
After a direct 2.5-hour flight from Houston to Belize City, I hopped on a 30-minute flight on Maya Air to Placencia, with one stop on the way. While I’m not a fan of small airplanes barely larger than an SUV, this one was comfortable and the views of the clear blue water and small islands was amazing. For the return flight to Belize City, I flew on Tropic Air, and it was just as comfortable.
In Placencia we were picked up by staff from Prana Maya, driven to the dock in Placencia Village and took a short, scenic boat ride to the resort.
My direct flight back to Atlanta was around three hours.
– Jan Schroder, Editor-in-chief