About Us

Ignoring sound advice Judy and Ken duPlooy (originally of Maryland and Zimbabwe, respectively) left their cozy house in Charleston, South Carolina, to head for Belize. Unable to find good homes for their five daughters, aged 4-16, they brought them along. The duPlooy family made their way through the US then Mexico and into the Cayo district of Belize. When they reached San Ignacio, in January of 1988, they got stuck in a mud hole 4 times in one day. They took this as a promising sign and began to look for a house.

At the time there was no such luxury as a paved highway to San Ignacio and if you think the road to duPlooy's is bad now, you should have seen it then! The family found the property by churning their way through the wilds one day. They spied an isolated farm for sale and agreed that it was the ideal location to begin hauling construction materials. Their two teenage children were thrilled with the relocation and demanded tickets home! The three youngest couldn't have been happier frolicking in the river while their elder sisters cooked meals on a camp stove and carried water buckets to and fro.

Over the years additions such as running water, chairs and adult sized stoves have added much to the place, but the most noteworthy change has been the property itself. At the time of purchase a few citrus trees were the only plants around, everything else had been cleared for farming. If you look around now it is hard to imagine, as duPlooy's has grown into its 'jungle lodge' title. There are hundreds of tropical plant species and thanks to the lush climate the trees look like they have been around for decades.

At the time of the duPlooy's arrival the only existing buildings were, what is now, The Belize River House, which was then the family home, and a small tool shed, now the office. Despite setbacks, wailings and gnashing of teeth, duPlooy's Jungle Lodge opened in 9 months with 6 rooms and a dining room/bar building. Over the next few years the great "Hangover Bar" was added as well as a few more lodge rooms and the three bungalows. La Casita was the finishing touch for a grand total of 19 rooms.