I will have to submit several reviews to cover our trip - here is part 1. Getting there: This is the hardest part of the trip. You fly into Belize City and then you have the option of taking an inexpensive but long ferry ride to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, OR flying a 14 passenger plane for a beautiful 20 minute flight. We opted for the flight and were very glad we did! La Perla makes all these arrangements. When you land at the San Pedro airport, you will be met by a taxi scheduled by La Perla. Your friendly cab driver will take you about a mile. Then, he will carry your bags to the pre-arranged water taxi! Yup – now you have about a 20 minute ride in a boat. I suffer from sea-sickness, so my sea bands and sitting outside the boat was the way to go for me! Twenty minutes later, you pull up to a dock where the staff from La Perla meets you. Your luggage is delivered to your villa, and the staff walks you through the house and gives you your keys. They will also answer all of your questions – at this time and throughout your stay.
The Staff: Everyone on this property is wonderful. Toshiva is always there and can do maintenance work, carry luggage, give you advice, etc. Anna, who was new to the property, is your coordinator for everything – spa, dinner, private water taxis, excursions, etc. She was wonderful – very personable, friendly, and prompt in her duties. Rene is the property manager and took time to talk through the few issues we had (more on this later). The housekeeping staff was second to none! They kept us well stocked (towels, water, coffee, etc.). They made sure the villa was spotless and clean. The housekeeping responsibilities include washing all your dishes! The grounds keepers (Daniel and Jose) work tirelessly to keep the grounds, beach, pool, landscaping, etc. looking beautiful.
The Villa: This is a beautiful, well appointed, and comfortable villa. There were 5 of us and we were comfortable all the time. There is a lot of living area – porches, hammock, living room, sitting area, and entertainment room (including an indoor Jacuzzi). The furniture is nice, comfortable, and perfect for the villa. The dining area table is enormous! And the kitchen is big and well equipped. Although I have read in other reviews about no in-villa safes, we had one safe which was fine for the 5 of us. We had no problems with the Wi-Fi during our 8 day trip. Also, we did not experience any bugs, mosquitos, etc.