The Local Dining Guide

Ambergris Caye has a wide selection of restaurants ranging from inexpensive local spots to restaurants that are rated among the finest in the world.  Being surrounded by blue ocean on all four sides, naturally Ambergris Caye is noted for its seafood.  Not a seafood lover...no problem!  You'll find just about any kind of dish to suit your taste buds.

Most meals are covered in the cost of the trip, however, there will be some meals that each participant will be responsible for.

BREAKFAST

Most of the cabanas at the resort have kitchenettes.  For breakfast, usually people are on their own. Cereal, milk, juices, breads, and fresh fruit are sometimes provided for everyone to munch on.  Some choose to stop past the local markets and get their own supply of breakfast foods.  Because the focus of each morning is the devotion and then getting to the clinic sites, there is not an organized group outing for breakfast.  If you are at Banana Bank for the morning, breakfast is usually served at the lodge before you head off to the clinic.

LUNCH

Lunch is very dependent on which clinic site each participant is located.  If you are located at Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, Sarteneja, or one of the other sites located in a populated town, usually the group at that specific clinic site chooses a place to eat lunch.  This typically consists of a local dive.  At Banana Bank, the clinic is located about 30 minutes from the lodge.  Around noontime, the women in the village usually bring over a huge pot of freshly made red beans and rice, chicken, slaw, and juice and here you will have the opportunity to try some homemade Belizean cuisine.  Although some foods are safe to eat, you must use caution when trying home cooked meals.  There are usually a few people at each clinic site who have been on the trip before, so allow them to make recommendations on places to eat and give guidance on what home-cooked things are okay to eat or drink.

DINNER

Dinnertime is spent with the group.  Most group participants are back at Ambergris Caye for the evening.  Others will be located on the mainland of Belize for an overnight stay, such as Banana Bank, and the evening meal will be spent with the group from your clinic site.

On Ambergris Caye, a special restuarant is chosen each night as the place of dining.  Favorites include the Jade Garden, Celi's, Fido's, Manuel's, Elvi's Kitchen, BC's on the Beach, Holiday Hotel, and many others.  The meal is a special time for everyone.  It is a time when we all sit around the table enjoying the fine cuisine and really get to know each other.  After the meal, we have a time of sharing.  It is always a highlight of the trip to listen to all the stories of the day that everyone has experienced...some humorous and some life changing.  It is at this time that we also discuss the next day's events.
If your staying at Banana Bank for an evening...you are in for a real treat!  Banana Bank Lodge has some of the best food ever.  You will truly enjoy the cuisine here.  You will also enjoy the stories that go along with the meal.  Mr. Carr is a great entertainer...so are his horses.  Just ask some of the past participants who have been to Banana Bank about the horse and the dining room experience.