Belize: Mountain Pine Ridge: Blancaneaux Lodge

Blancaneaux Lodge is a tranquil luxury hideaway located within the beautiful Mountain Pine Forest Reserve of Western Belize. The lodge provides a perfect base from which to enjoy its forested surroundings, outstanding river scenery, numerous waterfalls and caves.

Its 13 thatched cottages and villas are set on a steep forested hillock that runs down to Privassion Creek, a narrow river broken by cascades and granite pools and linked by small wooden bridges.

The lodge is owned by Francis Ford Coppola and the American film director's influence is evident, from his highly regarded own Napa Valley Californian wines served in the restaurant, to the ceiling fan in the bar used in the opening sequence of Apocalypse Now. You can combine the lodge with Mr Coppola's two other properties - Turtle Inn in Placencia, and La Lancha near Tikal in Guatemala.

Excursions available include horseriding and mountain biking through the pine forest. A canoe trip on the serene Macal River is a terrific experience and a good opportunity to spot wildlife. Birdlife and butterflies are particularly abundant. There are numerous other rivers with plunging waterfalls and swimming holes to enjoy.

The nearest town is the Cayo District capital of San Ignacio, a twenty-minute drive away. The lodge can be reached by road from Belize City via the paved Western Highway and takes approximately two and a half hours. Blancaneaux Lodge also has its own airstrip and light aircraft can be chartered to and from Belize City.

You can combine a stay at Blancaneaux Lodge with a trip to Guatemala, given that the border is just 16km from San Ignacio.

In 2009, Blancaneaux Lodge was voted Best Resort in Central and South America by the readers of Travel and Leisure Magazine.