A Look at South Ambergris Caye’s New Hula Bar

Earlier this year, South Ambergris Caye got a new addition and this place went all out! It’s called “Hula Bar” and it’s an homage to all things TIKI.

And if you weren’t around in the 40s- 60s (the “Tiki Boom”…and even 70s and early 80s (the “Tiki decline” – ha)…you might not know what “tiki” means exactly. Even though I took my first step (allegedly) in a tiki bar in Fairlawn, New Jersey in 1974, I wasn’t exactly sure what it was either.

A tiki bar is a 1930s California creation that quickly spread all over the world. Bamboo, flickering torches, vinyl booth seating, carved masks, coconuts, pineapples, and rum-heavy cocktails with umbrellas. It’s kinda a retro-Polynesian-inspired fantasy all set in the tropics.

On Ambergris Caye, it’s definitely not an exact cultural match, but it’s a fun fit: a bit of kitsch, lots of rum (which Belize excels in), palms trees…and beachy vibes.

And place it over the Caribbean Sea? WAY better than in an industrial area in Fairlawn, New Jersey!

I bet you could spend ALL day on Ebay finding fun tiki items. I can TOTALLY see collecting vintage scorpion bowls.

But for now…I’m just going to show you all the pictures I took when I was down there over a week ago. It’s a super fun addition to the island.

And it’s set between “the pink condos” and “the blue condos” – which makes it even more pastel-fabulous.

A look inside “the pink ones” – Grand Caribe Resort in 2021. And inside a BIG condo in “the blue ones” – Sunset Beach Resort. All this area, called “The Mosquito Coast”, is pretty gorgeous.

A huge HUGE space with tons of inside seating…a smaller outside porch and in the water seating…

We were there mid-afternoon at the end of August…a slow time! And there were just two other tables with folks…

For food and drinks, they have a serious website…so you can take a look. (They are also closed for vacation & renovations right now – the website has the details)

It’s a cool, different, funky fun spot. With tons of cute little details…like this sign at the ladies bathroom.

The outside seating…not a good picture but it’ll give you an idea.

LOVE ALL THE DETAILS!

Let me know if you’ve been…I would love more details and feedback on this cool spot.

I found this picture on their facebook page of what it looks like at night. Over the water…it must be beautiful.