The days when celebs celebrated their nuptials in Mexico are long gone and every Tom, Dick and Madonna is looking for an untouched, completely private locale to get away from it all with their newlywed partner in crime. It’s no surprise then that Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon chose to spend her honeymoon in the virtually untouched country of Belize.
The 35-year-old Southern belle, agent hubby Jim Toth, as well as Ava, 11 and Deacon, 7, Reese’s children with actor Ryan Phillippe, jetted off to Central America for a week of blessed out family fun following the March 26 ceremony in Ojai, California. She returned on April 11 looking relaxed, rested and tremendously tanned – as would you, should you visit this gorgeous tropical paradise, which is located between Mexico and Guatemala on the Caribbean coast of Central America.
Belize, which is known for its natural beauty, its virtually untouched landscape and its luxury boutique hotels. Reese and her family would have been able to scuba dive or snorkel in the Belize Barrier Reef, raft, hike through the rainforest, kayak or check out ancient Mayan ruins if they wanted to. It is a slow, meandering place where nothing is rushed, glitzy or glamorous, but beautiful because of its naturalness all the same. It is the perfect escape for a Hollywood-harassed starlet to escape from her everyday life.
Before you go, what do you need to know? If you planned things out like the efficient and organized Water For Elephants star, you’ll know that the best time of year to go is before May, when the wet season begins. You’ll know that you might need to be adventurous, and, that despite the luxuriousness of the hotels, you’ll feel comfortable wearing little more than T-shirts, shorts and Panama hats.
Hopefully you have a taste for exotic nosh as well. As a good Southern girl, it’s safe to say that Reese didn’t mind taking a break from her low-cal California diet to chow down on carb-heavy tropical fare; most Belizean dishes are heavy on white rice and coconut milk. You’ll also be eating a lot of rice and beans with meats like chicken, pork and veal.
You know what’s in store for you during your grand Belize adventure, but where should you stay? Although Reese’s location has remained a secret thus far, it’s a safe bet that she stayed at one of the most private places in Belize: the Francis Ford Coppola owned Blancanceaux Lodge or Turtle Inn.
Talk about exclusive: Blancanceaux, which is set in the Mayan Mountain jungle, is only home to ten cabanas, six villas and a cottage. You’ll also have to exclusively drink Coppola’s wine, but that’s probably not a big deal to someone from CA, as his vineyard is located in Geysersville. His Turtle Inn is much larger, with 17 cottages, eight villas, a pavilion home, three restaurants and three bars on site and offers more amenities than the super chic Blancanceaux, including Thai masseuses (that are actually flown in from Thailand) and a gelato bar for kids. It’s also located in the Belize’s money spot: meaning, the Turtle Inn is located in a prime position 30 minutes away from the Monkey River which is, of course, home to colonies of howler monkeys. If you come anytime from March through June, you’ll also be able to say you swam with sharks and survived; docile whale sharks congregate in this area during the spring months.
Of course, if you were Reese and immersed in Hollywood living 24/7, you might not want a reminder of your real life – including The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola – at all. In that case, you’d also better avoid (if you’re Reese, that is) the Matachica Beach Resort in Ambergris Cay, which is just a 20-minute flight from Belize City. It may be secluded, but there are film screenings at the resort’s martini lounge. Of course, you could always ride a bike onto the picture-perfect white powder beaches during movie time
Last but not least, Reese and co. may have stayed at the Ranguana Lodge on the Placencia peninsula in the Stann Creek district of Belize. Cabin prices here are more affordable (and Ms. Witherspoon clearly doesn’t have to worry about money), but this spot is known to be the perfect get-away-from-it all destination for families. Best of all, each room has a hammock in case the kids get over-excited by all the sportfishing Placencia has to offer.
So whether you’re on your honeymoon, need a relaxing vacation with the kids or simply need a break from the craziness of your everyday life, you need to know that you’re going to get it in Belize. Take one look at Reese’s big, sunny, post-vacation smile and you may just be booking your flight before you can say ‘tan.’
http://www.coppolaresorts.com/blancaneaux
http://www.coppolaresorts.com/turtleinn