In December 2023 I was gifted with a fantastic raffle prize for a place called Mystic River Resort (https://mysticriverresort.com/), known as MRR. This was a fantastic prize and I was really looking forward to going to Mystic River. I finally was able to visit towards the end of January 2024.
The prize I won was a 2 night stay for 2 in a 1-bedroom cottage, with 2 breakfasts included. When I called to enjoy my prize I informed the reservation lady that it would be two ladies who would be coming. My husband wasn’t able to go with me so I had asked my girlfriend from Canada to spend those two days with me at Mystic River.
Can you say accommodating?
The reservation lady not only agreed that 2, effectively single women, could reserve the cottage but that they would add an extra bed to the cottage in the living room for us so we each could have our own sleeping space.
This was the first indicating that Mystic River goes above and beyond to meet and exceed their clients’ needs and expectations.
It was about a 2.5 hour drive from Hopkins Village to Mystic River and we stopped along the way to do a bit of shopping, have some lunch and then carry on. And a beautiful drive it was. I think, along the way we got twisted a bit but we eventually found our way. Mystic River is up through the small village of Cristo Rey. Carry through the other side, up and down the twisting roads through hills, and jungle terrain. After about 10 minutes or so on this road we found the road to Mystic River.
We had arrived.
After parking our car we walked to the welcome desk where we were greeted, and by name. Staff members grabbed our luggage and took it to our cottage.
We were taken by a concierge to a seating area and given the “lowdown” so to speak, about how things worked there. After a few minutes we were escorted to our cottage.
One of the first things we did, of course, was to head to the bar to enjoy our complimentary happy hour cocktail.
Rum punch and landshark became the standard drinks for us during our stay at Mystic River.
It was a beautiful location looking over the Macal River.
After an enjoyable dinner in the onsite restaurant where the waiters know and call you by name, we decided to go for the birding session the next morning.
Much of the food provided is either grown or produced on site.
Day 2
Up early, we grabbed a coffee and met at the welcome desk where our guides came and gave us an overview of what we could hope to see. Binoculars were provided for us and off we went. There was a group of about 8 of us hoping to see the Keel-Billed Toucan, the national bird of Belize.
But first, see those gardens? Those are at Mystic River and provides the vegetables that are served in the restaurant. Farm to table – it doesn’t get any fresher, does it? And the food at the restaurant was delicious. Well-prepared, generous servings, and can you say DELICIOUS? Decent prices as well.
Now, back to the birds. We were not disappointed. We saw the national bird of Belize!
I’m sharing my photos here taken with my cell phone. Unfortunately the zoom function produces more blurry photos the more you zoom but I’m sure you will be able to see that these are, in fact, the national bird of Belize, called the Keel-Billed Toucan.
I’ve seen this bird flying in the distance, easily identifiable by the lumbering way it flies. That beak. How is the bird able to fly with that beak?!?!
After the morning walk looking at birds we spent the day just walking the property, up and down the steep sidewalks, headed towards the river’s edge, went to the pool so my friend could get some sun. I met some people, struck up conversation and just generally relaxed.
The staff did not disappoint us. Very attentive to us, making sure we were taken care of. And of course, using my name every time. My friend was impressed by this. However, this seems to be a characteristic of the Belizean people. Wherever we went, staff engaged us in conversation. About everything and nothing.
Day 3
This was the day we were leaving and there was a problem with the water system. We had been told about 20 minutes or so, so we went for breakfast expecting that the problem would be addressed by the time we returned to our cottage. My friend still needed her morning shower and there was no water. The front desk staff informed us that the water problem was, basically, resort wide however they did the best they could to make showering facilities available. We were provided with no-charge late check-out and there was no pressure felt, at all, to leave.
Just after breakfast I was treated to another photo op. This is the Aracari, which kind of looks like a toucan but much smaller. And oh, so colourful.
While we were waiting I saw a bird perching on the rocks across the river. I had seen it flying across the river towards the rock, a stunning contrast of black and white. I didn’t know, still don’t, what kind of bird it was so while it was on the rocks I snapped about 120 photos in the hopes that it would fly off the rocks again so I could get the right photo to determine what kind of bird it is.
Nope, the bird didn’t cooperate. It preened its feathers, it ate bugs from between the rocks and it even disappeared behind the rocks, but it didn’t fly. This was really my first experience of bird watching. It was relaxing.
This photo is the closest the bird came to flying and giving that spectacular view I was hoping for.
The name Mystic River, I feel, is fitting. The definition of mystic, per the Britannica Dictionary, is a person who tries to gain religious or spiritual knowledge through prayer and deep thought. And this resort can certainly help a person in this journey. With the peacefulness, the calm environment, nature all around you can’t help but feel like you are experiencing something spiritual.
And finally, a most breathtakingly beautiful picture down the river.
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