Real Reviews: Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge in Belize
The grounds of Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge in San Ignacio, Belize
Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge is an eco-friendly resort nestled in the relatively remote jungle hills of Cayo, Belize near the Guatemalan border. It is located a mere 15 minute drive from downtown San Ignacio, which makes it a convenient central location to explore the Mayan ruins and adventure activities in the area. It is however not within walking or (what I would recommend) biking distance from San Ignacio - this resort is quite literally in the jungle, up a very windy and hilly dirt road with a lovely drop off cliff at times. To get to and from town you need a vehicle, especially one with four wheel drive.
They do have a restaurant and bar on-site with the option of purchasing an all-inclusive package (more on that later) and easy access to booking tours to all the big main attractions and jungle adventure activities.
It’s worth noting that since 2018 they underwent renovations and are under new management, so any reviews prior to 2018 should be taken with a grain of salt.
Read on for a completely honest and in no way paid for review.
Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge is Good for:
Nature lovers.
You literally get to eat every meal on an outdoor open air patio in the middle of the jungle. Birds (particularly Motmots and sometimes if you’re lucky “Rasta birds” aka Toucans) will often stop by on the nearby branches while you’re just sitting mere feet away and sing their songs and eat the freshly cut fruit and even chase each other around from time to time. An occasional howler monkey is known to frequent the area to snack on bananas, though none were not present during our visit. And bugs… lots of bugs… flying bugs and large crawling bugs and tarantulas living in holes in the ground and bees that are lured away from diners by purposefully placed fruits just off the main Treehouse Bar, and so many mosquitoes I was unsure I would make it out unscathed. (One suggestion for those of you that mosquitoes also love - Skin So Soft Original Bath Oil. Trust me, I am a walking buffet for mosquitoes and I didn’t even get a single bite since I started using SSS on all my exposed parts.)
Lunch with a view (and some Belikin Stouts) at Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge in San Ignacio, Belize
Anyone who wants some peace and quiet.
Generally, this was true throughout our stay. We had the chance to enjoy the “songs” of birds in the morning, at breakfast, and throughout most of the day; the chirping of insects and what I imagined to be dinosaurs but again, were probably just bugs, all throughout the evening; and the soft sounds of rain that sometimes just happened to pop up. However, as I guess with any establishment, some level of upkeep (read: landscaping) is necessary, so my husband and I lovingly(?) began to use the term “sweet songs” every time we heard another chainsaw cut across the peaceful sounds of the jungle, or when we heard the echoes of a generator at the edge of the property reverberating down the Macal River on parts of our otherwise peaceful canoe ride.
Small groups, families, and couples.
Aka people who enjoy each other’s company and actually like spending unadulterated time with one another. There are very few distractions to keep you entertained if the company of the person you’re with (or the voice is your head if this is a solo trip) is not entertaining enough to keep you from going crazy.
An easy way to tour the local attractions.
I wanted this portion of my exploration in Belize to be adventurous but also relaxing; Sweet Songs allowed me to do just that. It was super easy to reserve tours through the front desk, even with half a days notice, though sometimes I found them to be off on some of the details of said tours (i.e.: if lunch was provided or not, etc.). The tour guides themselves were nothing short of absolutely exceptional - Emil aka “Bling” took us on an fantastic challenging trek through the ATM cave (side note: this was not as touristy and significantly better than I imagined) and Carlos aka “Cohune” took a group of us through the Xunantunich Mayan ruins even in the pouring rain (which honestly made the experience that much more memorable).
For me, these tours literally made my experience in the jungle.
Lounging and enjoying your surroundings.
Arguably the coolest part of Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge - the outdoor webbed hammock two stories off the ground that is complimentary to guests of Treehouse #14.
Sweet Songs is great if you want to go on tours and explore the local archeological sites (ATM cave, Xunantunich Mayan ruins, etc.) and adventures (cave tubing, horseback riding through the literal jungle, etc.) due to its proximity to San Ignacio, but it also has plenty of complementary activities that you can easily spend a full day or more enjoying. Note: most of these activities are of the chill af variety. You can literally float down the Macal River on an inner tube, which, if the river is low enough, can take you almost an hour if you don’t paddle yourself along. Or if you want a slightly more strenuous activity, they also have a canoe that you can take up and downstream along the lodge’s grounds. You can also just spend hours lounging in your personal treehouse hammock; watching the sun set and the stars appearing night after night (a personal favorite activity).
Sweet Songs Lodge is Not Ideal for:
Gigantic breakfast sammie with eggs over easy, Canadian bacon-esque ham, tomatoes, cheese, and legitimately freshly made bread.
Authentic food lovers.
I recently (July 2021) stayed at this resort for 4 nights. Only one of those nights had Belizean food on the menu for dinner and I wish this was a gross exaggeration. Our first night we were subjected to “Pasta Night” (insert eye roll here). Other dinner menu offerings consisted of Chicken Cordon Bleu, Shrimp Scampi, and other non-Belizean or even Central American dishes. I should note that the lodge’s lunch menu does have some Belizean-inspired options (Snapper sandwich, for example) and even a street food sampler platter of empanadas and salbutes, which were literally the absolute worst versions of each of those I have ever had the displeasure of eating, so maybe it’s best to stick with the American options.
Farm-to-table food expectations.
Besides my above (obvious) unhappiness with the food situation, I have some serious questions about this place’s claims of farm-to-table cuisine (which, for the record, is plastered all over their website - here and here, for example). I’m curious which branded box the pasta came out of that makes it applicable for farm-to-table, since I am pretty positive it was not homemade (and yes, you can taste the difference between fresh homemade pasta and the boxed/bagged variety).
Overall regarding the food situation, I found the actual food offerings differed greatly from their website’s claims. Post-visit, I’m now realizing their website content was more just a marketing gimmick that referenced things they assumed travelers want to hear (like myself, who is a big foodie and appreciates the value of a good fresh and authentic meal) than an actual representation of what they offer.
Welcome “Bird of Paradise” drinks at Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge
People looking to party.
Just don’t bother coming here. It’s a quiet idyllic space, the bar area closes around 9pm, and everyone is routinely in bed or in their respective casitas by 11pm at the absolute latest. Also drinks here are decidedly not cheap compared to other Belizean options in downtown San Ignacio, though if you like sweet and colorful mixed drinks that run from $8-14 USD this place might be for you.
Anyone looking for a good travel deal.
Newsflash: this place is not cheap. Obviously I knew this before booking the reservation in the first place, but what bothered me more is that the optional all-inclusive package is definitely not all-inclusive. Yes, it did include three meals a day and a variety of alcoholic beverages, but what it failed to make clear is that everything outside of the “standard” offerings are at an extra cost. They claimed on their website, here, and verbally when we arrived that all local alcoholic beverages were included in the all-inclusive package, yet for some reason the local beer made in Placencia (by Hobbs Brewing, literally a 3.5 hour drive away) is not local enough to be included and incurs an extra charge if ordered. The PDF of their drink menu offered available online to showcase the plethora of options included in the all-inclusive package is misleading at best - as I found out upon arrival, the entire bottom half of the menu features drinks that are not included (even though I’m pretty sure drinks like the Pineapple Express can in fact be made with local rum).
This place will literally nickel-and-dime you at every turn; all-inclusive or not.
Folks with walking impairment issues.
This lodge is definitely not wheelchair friendly or accessible. A stone/concrete path with large steps is the main thoroughfare that connects the main lobby to the casitas/treehouses, the dining area, and the beach below. I did not see a wheelchair-friendly path, but if one does exist behind the scenes I can only imagine it would be a fairly harrowing ride down and a hella strenuous experience on the way up.
