belize spice farm & botanical garden

Went to the spice farm in a rainy day August 2013 and really enjoyed the tour. We were shown how all the different spices were grow and how they are dried and processed to be ready to be used. The guide was very friendly and helpful, and he was able to answer our questions about the farm. Great afternoon out.

We dropped in while in the area in Belize and were treated wonderfully. We had a very knowledgeable tour guide who spent time taking through the farm and explaining what the crop was and how it was grown. We were on a golf cart with a guide all to ourselves so there was lot's of chances to ask questions and customize the information. Thank you for the tour. We highly recommend it to others.

We stopped in here on our recent trip to Punta Gorda. We didn't want to do the whole tour (there is a fee) and there was another couple there who also wanted to look at plants, so Matthew took the 4 of us out and walked us through the garden and described all the plants and answered many questions for us.I was happy to find vanilla beans because real vanilla is impossible to find in Belize (at least on our travels and asking friends who bake down there) and purchased some to bring back to Canada.Their plants and trees seem to be very reasonably priced, at least compared to what we would pay in Canada.

On my last weekend living in Belize for 4 months, I decide on a whim to join a friend and visit the spice farm. SO GLAD I DID! It was wonderful. Really knowledgable young guide, absolutely beautiful grounds, and seeing how some of my favorite spices (cinnamon, vanilla, pepper) grow and are processed was quite wonderful. Dr. Matthew also has a great collection of flowers (gardenia, plumeria, etc), several interesting species of bamboo and palms, and a large teak forest. I had a great morning learning and taking photos.

I happened upon the Golden Stream Spice Farm by chance, driving to Big Falls and seeing this little sign. Dr. Mathew was there, again by chance and offered to take us on a tour. It was apparent immediately, that this is no ordinary man. His kindness towards his people and passion for this huge project are infectious. Many of the spices we use daily in my restaurant, in cuisine in general, were all here, growing on trees and vines. Forests of vanilla and peppercorns. Citrus groves, coffee, cocoa, exotic fruits and flowers. Nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon that brought new expectations to my taste buds. Peppercorns were being harvested by young men proud to show us the contents of their bags, then on to the drying room. There was a room all steamy hot with tables and racks of vanilla pods curing. The smell was heaven. We were presented with a fresh squeezed glass of juice from the orange groves at the end of the tour. If you ever have a chance to visit this farm, do it. I wanted to stay, forever. Even though I have to travel across an entire continent to do so, I will go back. I have told every restaurateur I know about my visit. A day I will remember always.

A great experience at Dr. Matthew's beautiful Spice Farm. There is so much to explore and discover it's unbelizable.......so many different tropical fruits to taste, Vanilla par excellence,....etc..

On our road trip to Punta Gorda, we found this hidden gem. The Belize Spice Farm & Botanical Garden,so glad we stopped here. We didn't take the tour aswe were a bit short on time. We did take a nice hikethrough some of the farm with one of the workers, whoexplained things as we walked along. purchased lotsof spices they had on hand, including some vanilla beans. If you are in the area be sure to stop in you won't be disappointed

As frequent travelers to Belize we are always looking for new hidden treasures to uncover. On a drive from Placencia to Punta Gorda we came across the Belize Spice Farm & Botanical Garden located on the southern highway in Big Falls (very easy to find). The staff are friendly and all experts on how to grow everything from vanilla to black pepper and will be more than happy to drive you around their jungle farm comfortably seated on a trailer pulled pulled with a very cool tractor! If you are only vaguely interested in plants, the jungle or where your spices actually come from... this is a Must Stop on your trip! (I will never complain about the price of vanilla ever again).

This was one of the highlights of our trip. We had a indepth tour of the spices farm how everything is grown,harvested, dried, and sold we also ate and tasted everything! We would go everyday if we could

I went with our tour guide, Lyra, and 4 other ladies to the Belize Spice Farm near Punta Gorda. We were greeted by Cipriano, who gave us the history and overview of the farm. We were taken around the farm on a sort of covered coach (8 seats) pulled by a tractor (check out the website). We stopped at several growing areas: vanilla beans, cardamom, black pepper, etc. At each stop, Cipriano explained how the plants were tended and when they would be harvested. Most interesting to me were the vanilla beans, which are pollinated by hand because there are too many beans for the bees to do their job. After a drive through the various plantings, we were taken to the drying area where we learned how spices are dried and prepared for sale. At the end, we enjoyed a delicious refreshing lemonade. It was a memorable experience.

You can't go wrong if in Belize to tour the Belize Spice Farm and Botanical Garden. It is not only the ONLY one of its kind in Belize but is one of a kind in itself. They have not only the beginnings of a new industry for this small country but also a delight to anyone who loves plants and the tropics. The staff are dedicated, friendly, kind and very smart. The tastes and smells will overwhelm you and the commitment to sustainable farming is obvious. Our group of four had such a wonderful time we will take our friends there any time they would like. Thanks for making our visit so wonderful.

Отличная экскурсия. Девушка проводила экскурсию на руссском языке, хотя ей это очень сложно давалось) Потом нас покормили там обедом и даже дали попробовать местной водки Фени. Там собственно эту водку и делают из яблок кешью.Но погулять самим там нельзя.