My wife and I stayed here in mid-May for one night. We were leaving Belize the next day and wanted one last wildlife experience before returning to the U.S. The hotel itself seemed dated, but adequate. I found this hotel a little over-priced for what it is ($70 US for a room with A/C in low season). The beds are not terribly comfortable and the bathroom walls don't quite reach the ceiling which is odd. On the plus side, however, this hotel probably had the best water pressure of anywhere we stayed in Belize. The food was just alright, truly nothing to write home about, but filling. Verna, the owner, is a very pleasant woman. She arranged a morning bird walk for us (which, by the way, was very affordable) with a local guide who pointed out many species to us. My wife and I also spent time walking around Crooked Tree village and around the lagoons on our own where we spotted Jabiru storks, crocodiles, and countless other birds. We were here in the low season and only saw one other group of tourists. Crooked Tree is nice also because it affords tourists a glimpse of village life in Belize.

I'd recommend Crooked Tree and Bird's Eye View to birders. In April and May you are pretty much guaranteed to see Jabiru Storks. I don't recommend it for folks who are looking for a five star hotel/dining experience, or those who aren't interested in birds.

My wife and I spent two nights here in mid-April for nature viewing and touring nearby ruins. We didn't rent a car so arranged for BEVL to pick us up from our boat transfer from Turneffe Caye. Spent the next two days touring ruins (Altun Ha, Lamanai) and the adjacent Crooked Tree sanctuary.

Rooms were basic and clean. Our room was US $90 - second floor (extra $) room with A/C ($10 extra)). We really enjoyed the reasonably priced (US $8 and $12 as I recall) breakfasts and dinners at BEVL.

The Lamanai tour was booked through BEVL, but run by another company. It probably would have been excellent but we were put in a group staying at a Caye. As a result the tour was on a very tight and abbreviated schedule. Almost no bird/nature viewing during the boat ride on the river to Lamanai, and a brief stay at Lamanai. Other guests had described their tour, where they enjoyed an extensive nature/birding experience during the boat rides and plenty of time at the Lamanai site. I complained to the BEVL owner and she did refund part of our tour cost, and discounted our return shuttle to Belize City. She also said she made it clear to the tour operator that her guests are not to be put on tours with people from the Cayes (due to their abbreviated schedule requirements). In all, I thought the deal was fair. Still, watch for this if you go on that tour.

Since we didn't have a car BEVL we booked transportation to the sites or (for Lamanai) the tour operation. If you do one tour a day, this would probably pay for a rental car as BEVL charged about US $75 per shuttle (each about an hour's drive one-way).

We spent most of our time with one guide (I forgot his name, a statement of my memory not his performance). He was extremely knowledgeable about wildlife and birds, and very accommodating as we asked to spend some time when returning from tours looking for toucans or revisiting the nesting Jabiru storks for example.

I booked this expecting it would offer a fairly unique experience for viewing birds and nearby ruins. Our expectations were met but I didn't budget nearly enough for all the tours we enjoyed.

This lodge is located on the shores of a lagoon (actually, a sometimes wide spot on the Belize River). Both the lagoon and a small pond behind the ldoge attract lots of birds. Our room was comfortable, the food was very good, the staff was hospitable and the birding guide had a great eye. This place is a winner for birders.

We spend my wife and I 2 nights there and it cost us for the sheapest room plus 1 breakfast, 1 lunch and 2 diners and few drinks around 300 bucks. This is too expensive for a room where the restroom wall stop 3 feet before the seilling, You can imagine the intimacy. Plus you don't have the choice there is no other restaurant close to there, they charge you a lot for a very simple meal.
I will not recommand anyone to go there, it's too much expensive for the quality offered.