We just returned from our Belize vacation and while there were many high points we were disappointed in Birds Eye View. Specifically:

- Price. We were quoted by phone $60/night for an air conditioned 2nd floor room. When we arrived we were told by Verna (the owner/manager) that air conditioning was $10 extra. She literally ignored our protest that we had been quoted a rate including a/c -- basically we were told take it or leave it and, having already arrived at the lodge which is in the middle of nowhere, we had to take it. Then upon check-out we were dinged an additional 3 or 3.5% for paying via credit card - we had been told credit cards were accepted but not informed of the additional charge, which seemed a bit disingenuous. The birding tour was good but the $80 for 2 for 3 hours price was steep compared to other guided tours we'd done in the country (cave tubing, snorkeling, sailing, etc). Also, for some reason when you rent a canoe they charge you per person ($10/hour for two), which seemed strange since the same canoe is used whether there are one or two passengers.

- Cleanliness-bugginess. Despite being told by verna that "bugs are not a problem", our room was FULL of them. Big ones, small ones, in between ones. There was a line of ants doing a conga across our bathroom floor. Literally hundreds of bugs. We were bitten a bit, not terribly badly, but this was easily our buggiest room in Belize. There was a gecko in the room which we thought was a bit charming - you might not if you don't like lizards. The room was also definitely not clean - rug had not been shaken out in ages and there was quite a bit of dirt around (we peeked under the bed which was filthy).

- Bed. The beds are not comfortable. At least our was not. It was old and the mattress was very thin - almost felt like we were sleeping on the box spring.

- Lagoon tour. Not being birders, we were more interested in non- bird wildlife than the birds themselves. Our guide was very bird knowledgable and we saw tons of them, including the jabiru stork, which is impressive. We really didn't see much else (1 iguana).

Overall - if you are a birder you may love the experience. If you are not, be aware of what you are getting into.

This small lodge is definately for bird watchers. You can either walk the many trails or take a morning boat trip. The water in the lagoon was quite high and the Jabiru stork were still nesting. However, we did see the elusive Jabiru stork two days in a row, not at crooked tree, but while driving to our tours. We aren't bird enthusiasts, so we opted to tour a local myan ruin and horseback ride in the preserve.
You don't have to worry about the food or water, as they provide filtered water and the food was wonderful. Each night Verna, the manager described the appitizers, main dishes and desserts. We had a wonderful eggplant dish one night. Verna, the manager made our stay very enjoyable.