Okay, so I thought it was a sleepy village, but I was wrong. Yes, Caye Caulker is somewhat slow paced, (ya can’t drive fast – pedestrians still own the streets) but there are certainly many options for pretty much whatever you’d like. A one-stop destination in Caye Caulker for accommodations, fine dining, drinks, music, and even daily excursions in Caye Caulker – is the Tropical Paradise Ltd.

Tropical Paradise, located a little south of Caye Caulker, but yet in walking distance from everything, offers a more secluded and private stay. With several private cabins with either garden view or beach view, this establishment was one of the first to offer accommodations to visitors to Caye Caulker. Family owned since 1985, their years of being in the service industry are made apparent by the very high level of customer service offered by staff.

Tropical Paradise Hotel offers true variety when it comes to accommodations; all just a stone’s throw from the crystalline waters of the Caribbean Sea. One can choose the economy room, with two beds and a choice of ceiling fan or air conditioning. Just a bit up from that are the regular rooms or cabanas with two beds and ceiling fans. Now, trust me – even though these rooms don’t have air conditioning – you’d hardly notice. The constant flow of the cool tropical trade-winds at night time along with the rustling of the palm leaves outside your window create the perfect ambience to quickly whisk you to la-la land.

Now, if you insist on the comforts of cool refreshing air conditioning, they provide for that as well. There is the option of the deluxe air conditioned cabanas with Cable TV or the air conditioned suites complete with beds, fans, refrigerator and even a coffee maker.

Thinking of getting married in the tropics? Tropical Paradise will plan every detail of your tropical wedding from your arrival to your very special wedding night, which could be spent in their honeymoon suite. Ahhhhh – the Jacuzzi, wine, candles. Surprisingly, some newly wedded couples would probably enjoy a little TV before celebrating their nuptials properly…or after…or… Yes…you’re right…I’ll shut up now…the point is, there’s even a TV in the honeymoon suite, just in case.

Food and libations are a must while on vacation and at Tropical Paradise; all you have to do is walk outside your cabin door a few steps to get to the restaurant, where these two very important needs are well-catered to. Offering both local and international cuisine, the food at the restaurant is sure to quench the appetite of the most skeptic diner. On our visit to the island, we were offered a chance to experience the super delectable food and drinks at the restaurant.

With my new partner in crime (and date for the night), I made my way to the dining area. Of course our night couldn’t start without a few drinks; I mean it had been a very hot day out in the sun on the beach and we were very thirsty. Tropical Paradise’s blue margarita and tasty rum punch were just what the doctor ordered. Refreshed, we decide to “live the moment” and try the ever famous conch ceviche. Neither my dinner date nor I are conch lovers, but it was calling our name and we had to do something about it. The verdict? Well, the texture wasn’t exactly what I expected; it was really tender and the combination of the vegetables and spices created an extremely fantastic explosion of flavors. You can’t go wrong with freshly made ceviche containing diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, salt and black pepper. Throw in some habanero and fresh, homemade tortilla chips, and you have a great appetizer.

After braving the ceviche, it was time to peruse Tropical Paradise’s extensive menu. As I said before, they offer local and international cuisine – the menu is quite extensive. Our foray into the seafood could only go so far, and we went with our standard fare: chicken. Tropical Paradise aims to please, so we were treated to the very best of their chicken dishes; finger licking barbeque chicken wings served with a steaming baked potato topped with a generous dollop of sour cream plus very tasty coconut rice and beans – it was mmm mmm goooood! Carbs? To heck with them, we were on a mini-vacay, calories don’t count on vacation!! In fact, we threw caution to the wind and decided to delve into the superb chicken kabobs with roasted tomatoes, bell peppers and onions with a side order of garlicky buttered bread and steamed veggies – yuuuummm. The food was absolutely delicious, and our experience was fabulous: from the service to the atmosphere to the amazing food and drinks, Tropical Paradise is definitely a must-go-to while in Caye Caulker.

For more information on Tropical Paradise Hotel and Restaurant, Tropics Too and all their other wonderful services, visit www.tropicalparadise.bz or call them at 226-0124 or 226-0374.