by Julia

Nim Li Punit is a small Maya ruin found in the jungle of the Toledo District. It is not as big as other sites found in Belize, however what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in beauty, artefacts found there, and shade!!

In the small museum you can find a range of pots, jewellery, and magnificent stones, or carved stelae illustrating the ancient city’s rulers. These rulers can be seen sporting rather fetching ‘big hats’ which gives the site its name – Nim Li Punit means Big Hat in Kekchi Maya.

The site has become famous due to one of its most stunning findings, a beautiful, and large, jade pendant found in 2015. Sadly the pendant can not be seen here, however we got the opportunity to speak to the team of archaeologists who were currently working on the site. Digging and sifting in the heat was no easy task, I think the archaeologist was quite grateful for the distraction our questions gave him. Being a smaller site, and a lesser known one, the archeology major from the US was able to enjoy the wonderful opportunity to dig here. He told of the secrets the site had already revealed, and the many secrets still to be solved. It is easy, in an area so rich in Maya history, to overlook these smaller lesser known sites. Especially with the likes of Xunantunich and Caracol in the Cayo District, however these smaller sites can afford quieter and more serene visits, and as we found, can sometimes offer fantastic opportunities.

by Hilary

The drive up to Kura Design Suites was unnerving. 400m up a mountain side is not something that would normally phase me, but I am not normally driving a brand new Hyundai 4×4 that has only 9km on the clock and I had not appreciated how steep and uneven the terrain would be. And it was dark.

Finding the understated electric gate was a relief, but also a slight concern. Was this it? Where had I brought us? I definitely did not want to retrace the track down!

But then the gate opened and the wonderful haven hidden behind reassured us that we were unmistakably in the right place. Arriving at Kura at night meant that the view the following morning was the true sense of breath-taking. We woke up in our brand spanking new Junior Suite, perched on the edge overlooking the immense Pacific: 180⁰ ocean to the front, 180⁰ rainforest to the back, and toucans crossing playfully between the two. Nothing more. Utter privacy. We had had intentions to explore Bahia Ballena (Whale Bay) down below in the town of Uvita, but with the suite’s private heated infinity pool and cocktails and snacks being brought in (without us even noticing), we decided to stay put and watch the bay from our private paradise.