Everything you need to know about glamping in paradise!
Half Moon Caye (pronounced “key”) is a 1.x mile long island in the Lighthouse Reef Atol in Belize, near the famous Belize Blue Hole. The island is surrounded by incredibly vibrant water and amazing sea creatures- including huge spiny lobster and docile nurse sharks. The Caye is also home to a colony of Red Footed Boobies and magnificent Friggate birds. There is even an observation tower where you can see into their nests.
The accomodations are 11 raised tents by the water on the breezy side of the island. You will wake up in your tent to breathtaking sunrises, and you can end the day on Sunset Beach. You will spend your days snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing, among other adventures. (Hammock surfing is always an option!) Your only electricity comes from a generator run from 5pm-10pm and wifi is only available if you buy it from Audobon staff on the island. Your food is prepared by an excellent cook and consists of Belizean specialties and seafood. An excellent staff of fun, experienced guides oversee your trip, and if you are lucky, you may get a traditional Garifuna musical performance. I am not the type of person who camps in woods among bugs and bears (eww), but if you can handle an equal amount of magical ” “Wow, I’m waking up on a Belizean dream island” and “OMG, why is there always so much sand in my tent???” then this trip is for you.
I have taken 4 trips to Half Moon with Island Expeditions (your only option to stay on the island) between 2017 and 2025. Please read the official website for information, my account here is my insider’s view of this island trip that is near and dear to my heart! Oh, and it’s hard to capture the magic of this island in pictures.
Getting there
The Island
The Camp
Your Tent
The Food
The Activities
Creatures on the Island
Creatures in the Sea
What I Pack
The Camp
The basecamp consists of ~11 cabanas on the beach, an open mess hall and lounge structure, a free standing kitchen where the chef makes amazing food, and an outhouse structure with multiple compost toilet stalls.
Toilets:
Many people hear “compost toilets” and they picture the grossest outhouse in their experience. Banish that thought. These facilities are cleaned three times a day and are spotless. There is a bucket of wood chips in each stall and after you do your business, you put three scoops of chips down the toilet. This aids in the compost processing and there is literally no smell. The toilet paper goes in a bin, and ou have sinks for handwashing as you leave. If you are concerned about the toilets, do not let that stop you! There are several stalls at the back of the camp, and a few outside the entrance to the camp that are also used by the Audobon and the day visitors from the dive boats.
There is also a stall for urinating only on the beach behind the tents. You will be really thankful to have this in the middle of the night when you need to pee. (And if you don’t need to pee in the middle of the night, you are not drinking enough water!)
Showers:
There is a hut with showers near the back of the the camp. there is also an outdoor shower at the end of the line of tents. For showering, you have a few private stalls “indoor”, but better than those is an outdoor shower shielded on three sides by dried palms, and open to the side facing the sea. You can use this for a quick rinse of yourself and your gear after snorkeling, or you can guarantee your privacy by throwing a towel over the side to communicate occupancy to your campmates.
Your Tent
The tents are set up so that you have a view of the sunrise from either your east window or your door. In any case, is is magical! I can show you pictures here, but it’s another thing that pictures can’t do justice to and you really need to experience for yourself! Your tents are equipped with either two single or one double bed, a couple of tables for nightsands or storage, and a hanging vinyl shelf unit. You have an indoor closeline as well as an outdoor one that you will be using constantly to dry your gear. Your windows and door are all screened to let the wind blow through ( my preference), or you can close the inner flaps for privacy and/or the outer flaps for weather protection. You are also provided with a small battery powered latern for your tent. They lanterns used to be kerosene, but apparently that ended in the most predictable way a few years back. No one was hurt.
You will have a basin for water to rinse your feet before entering your tent, and a broom to sweep out the sand. Best of luck with that!
The Food
There is always an awesome cook on the trip and the food is outstanding. You are served breakfast, lunch, happy hour snack, and dinner. Breakfasts feature a lot of eggs, beans, wonderful Belizean bread such as fry jacks, tortillas, and journey cakes, fresh fruit and often pancakes or baked goods. Cold cereal is also available. Lunches could be soup, wings, tacos, etc. Dinners have ranged from fresh caught fish, curry shrimp, beef tips, pork chops. You fill out an information sheet pre-trip where you list preferences and allergies. I have seen various allergies and sensitivities accomodated.
Drinking water and juice concentrates are always available. Coffee and tea is available in the mornings. You are offered a featured alcoholic beverage with each happy hour, could be beer, wine, rum, etc. You will be taken to a supermarket prior to boarding the boat so that you can buy any drinks or snacks that you want for your own consumption. If you wish, there are sodas and beer available for purchase while on the island.
The guides are Belizean and knowledgable. The best thing about them is that they are fun and excited to show you their world. That excitement is contagious.
Activities:
Typically there is a morning and afternoon activity with lunch in between and bookmarked by breakfast and dinner. If it’s a big group, there will be two activities that you can swap between morning and afternoon.
Snorkeling: A guide will lead you on your snorkels and let you know whether you are expected to follow them and stay fairly close or whether it’s a free snorkel meaning that you can swim around on your own and they will be keeping an eye on you. There is both walk-in snorkeling and snorkelign from a boat. Below is a very brief summary of the sites I have visited. It’s impossible to predict what you will see, so please keep in mind that this is my summary of what I have seen.
What I pack:
Please refer to the official packing list on the Island Expeditions website. This is the advice of a multiple time returnee, and I might forget something critical.
Earplugs:
I’m startign with these because if you are like me, you may think you don’t need these. It’s windy on the side of the island with the tents, especially at night. I can sleep through wind fine, but while the tents are extremely sturdy, they are NOISY! The heavy vinyl is creaky and the poles that form the skeleton of the tent snap in the wind. A lot. I suggest you find earplugs that work for you prior to your trip. They have some of the generic foam plugs but those may not work for you. I have small ear canals and these are the ones that work great for me.
Sunscreen:
The sun is no joke in Belize. You can burn in a fraction of the time it would take in many places. You want to be protected at all times. Please make sure that your sunscreen is reef safe. My favorite is Sun Bum. I will go through 2 three ounce tubes in one week, I recommend packing three to be safe.
Long sleeve swim shirts/rashguards
You’ll want these for snorkeling, boat rides and just protecting yourself from sun on the island. When you are snokeling, it’s easy to brush against rocks or coral, and these shirts will protect you. They are also better for the reef since you dont have to wear sunscreen under them. I take one that is tighly fitted so it stays in place for snorkeling and two that have a looser fit for general purpose. The looser ones can be worn for snorkeling but I either tie a knot in the hem to make them more snug or tuck them into my bikini bottoms so they don’t ride up and leave my lower back uncovered. I learned this the hard way once with one strip of sunburn across my lower back that unfortunately also outlined a tag sticking out of my bikini. It was a lovely look to wear for the rest of the summer season! You can get by with two shirts becuase they dry so quickly on your outdoor line in the wind.
Swim leggings or capris:
Some people choose to wear these on every snorkel, and you can’t go wrong with that. Like the shirts, these protect you from accidental brushes on the reef, no need for sunscreen. They can also keep you warm when the water is chilly. I defintiely recommend them for two-snorkel trips, such as when you go to the Blue Hole and the Aquarium. Your sunscreen will rub off in the boat and also in the water on your first snorkel, so you are very likely to get burned on the second snorkel. Also, if you do a night snorkel, it can be harder to avoid the reef and also it’s chillier. You can use leggings made for water, regular leggings, or even long underwear. Here are the ones I have used for warm weather.
Heavier weight snorkeling wear:
If you are going in the colder months of december and January, I take some thicker UV wear. I’ve bought this jacket and leggings and they worked great. I also liked that I could remove the jacket after the snorkel and replace it with a dry swim shirt and that would keep me warmer for the boat ride back. Teh last time I went in January, I also took this wet suit jacket and I did not regret it.
A buff:
This is a game changer. It can help you keep the sun off your neck, keep your hat on during a boat ride, protect your face from sun. Where it changed my life was in snorkeling. i have long hair and a very forward hairline, and you can use the buvff to keep your hair back as you are putting on your mask. Once your mask is on, you pull the buff ack out of your mask and you are ready! It also keeps the strap from tangling your hair and your hair out of your face while you snorkel. Also a great idea for bald people! They may have buffs for sale on the island which are a great souvenier.
Shorts:
I take three pair of shorts, including one pair that can double as swim shorts. Patagonia is the best brand I have found, ubt you may prefer some with the swim bottoms included.
Tank tops:
I get by with two of these because I prefer wearing long sleeve shirts walkign around the island. I’ll wear tanks on my morning walks. I wear one t-shirt on the plane out and wear the same one on the way back.
Wicking sundresses:
I take two of these to wear at night because I’m comfortable in them . You can wear anything you want to dinner, shorts, swimuit coverup, whatever.
Swimsuits:
I take two bikinis, I find the 2 piece is a lot easier to put on if you are wet or sweaty.
Coverup
I take one, but don’t really need it since most of the time I’ve got swim shirts on. I like to go swiming in the mornings so it can come in handy. I do love taking one Rip Skirt, either the long or midi length so that I can cover my legs during boat trips. When you go fishing, your legs are exposed for a while and without these, my knees get burnt.
Nightshirt:
I take one very light tank top shirt type. In spite of the wind, i get hot when I sleep.
Jacket:
I take one hoodie for nights when the wind gets chilly. I need a very lightweight one, othes prefer to have more of a fleece.
Pants:
I have never put on a pair of pants on this trip, but lot of people do find the wind at night chilly enough. I wear my athleta tuxedo stripe pants on the plane so I have them if needed.
Travel Towels:
Pac towels are amazing! They are super-thin, very absorbent, and they dry really quickly. I take one that is a large beach towel size and another smaller one that I wrap my hair in after a shower. Sometimes I pack a third large one that can double as a light blanket if needed, but this one isn’t necessary. I also like using one of the large towels to creat a changing area in my tent so that I don’t constantly need to be pulling down the privacy flaps. Oh- the smaller size is also great for covering your legs on boat trips. I am Hispanic, so not prone to bad burns, but you’ll be getting so much strong sun, I really prefer to limit when I can.
Water bottles. I like taking a lightweight Camelba bottle as well as a quart size bottle for boat trips or longer kayak trips. You need to drink a LOT of water to prevent dehydration that can lead to sun problems and also cause cramps in the water. For packing,i use the quart bottle to pack underwear and socks and put it in the bottom of my backpack. A neoprene sleeve is a good idea and a biner is importnt so that you can attach it to your kayak, paddleboard, etc. and not lose it.
Shoes:
1 pair of tennis shoes or light hiking shoes,, I pair of water shoes. I always think closed toe is safest, but lots of people wear water sandals. Other than that, you might want a pair of flip flops or sandals for walking around the island, or your water shoes may suffice. I have an issue with fallen arches, so sandals can be problematic for me. I have solved this with these watershoes with a foam Dr. Scholls insert and these Dansko sandals. The sandals will get trashed from salt and sand, so I use an older pair of the sandals, use them for a couple of trips, and then discard.
Sunglasses:
These must be polarized or they will be useless on the water. a pair of crocs to hold them is a great idea. I have extremely bad lucl witth losing sunglasses, so a cheap backup pair is a good idea.
Hats:
You need a wide brim hat that ties under the chin and won’t get ruined by water and salt. I swear by OP. A ball cap is also a good idea for situations that the wide brim isn’t practical. You do not need a pretty straw beach hat or a fashionable fedora!
Underwear:
You may need fewer pair than you think if you put on your swimsuit first thing every morning. As for bras, I have the one I wear on the plane and my sports bra.
Dry bag:
You can get by without one but it’s really handy for kayaking or boating. I find this one really convenient because it’s a backpack style.
Headlamp and small flashlight:
The headlamp is a necessity. The island is dark at night and the hands free makes it much easir to get yourself to the bathroom in hte middle of the night. i like havign a small flashlight as well, though the lantern in your room has a flashlight funtion.
Mesh bag for snorkel gear:
This is really handy especially on the walk-in snorkels. I have loved this bag because it packs into itself and has a zippered pocket. I don’t love the thiness of the straps because they dig into your when using it cross body. This velcro strap helps some, but I’d love to find a similary bag with a more comfortable strap.
Snorkel gear:
It’s not necessary to take your own as it will be provided for you. However, if you are hard to fit, I recommend investing in your own. I have my own mask, snorkel, and fins. My fins are child-sized so they fit in my BEST CARRY ON SUITCASE ever!
Swim goggles:
Only needed if you want to do some on your own swimming and like to see underwater.
Socks:
One pair for snorkeling- this is another game changer. Socks can prevent blisters and chafing and can also add a bit of protection on some entries where there are rocks or rubble. I can get by with 1-2 other pair for longer walks around the resort.
Small notebook for journalling:
Even if you just write down what you did, what you ate, and who said funny things, you will appreciate having the written memories.
Reading material:
Obviously a matter of preference. If you have books that you finish on the trip, there is a library where you can leave them for future travelers. If you use an ereader, make sure that you actually download the books so they are fully available offline before boardign the boat to the island.
Chargers:
You will have electricity from the generator from 5-10 in the evening. Ther eare plenty of outlets. Make sure you bring the electrical part of your charger as the USB ports on the charging stations tend to not work due to sand and salt. You do NOT need an adapter in Belize traveling from the US.
Cash
Please read the tipping guidelines on the Island Expeditions website and know that your staff will be workign incredibly hard for you. you will likely want to tip more than you think. They will accept tips on credit cards, but there is always a fee for the company, so cash is best. If you want sodas or beer outside happy hour time, you can run a tab and pay at the end of your trip.
Snacks and Beverages:
Typically, coffee is available at 6:00am, breafast is at 8:00am, lunch is 12:30, happy hour with very substantial snacks and a beverage of choice (sometimes beer, sometimes wine, sometimes rum with mixers) is at 5:30pm, and dinner around 7:00. You will be taken to a grocery store just prior to boarding the boat to buy anything you want personally, including beer, wine, or alcohol. Obviously, personal preference. I will buy beer, a bottle of wine, some plantain chips and some Belizean chocolate. I also bring Cliff bars from home as I need protein every few hours. All meals are VERY substantial and delicious, so you don’t need to supplement much. There is drinking water available at all times, juice mix concentrates. Soft drinks and beer are available in a cooler for $2 and $3 usd, repectedly.
Camera:
I use my phone for camera and video on land and this knock-off go pro for water activities. It’s not great for distance and the light has to be right for underwater, but it has served me well on many trips.
I think that’s all the packing tips I have that are specific to Half Moon Caye. Please check out my general packing tips for packing toiletries, etc.