mrscalkins

My husband and I are planning a Belize trip in mid-March. Nothing is booked yet, so we have flexibility. What we are NOT flexible on is the lenght of our trip due to my husband's job. We will be arriving on a mid-day Monday and leaving mid-day Sunday. Times seem to be pretty consistant no matter what week we leave.
We have been on rainforest hikes in the past, and snorkled in heavier currents. My husband would like to experience a little "jungle" on our trip, and I would like to have an amazing snorkling experience.
We have our own snorkling gear, so we wouldn't need a tour that provided equipment. I was a little spoiled on our last snorkle trip where we saw puffer fish, eels, sting rays, lobster, crabs, and lion fish quite frequently. I would like to see something other than just tropical fish. One spot that has caught my eye is Shark Ray Alley/ Raggamuffin tour. Seeing nurse sharks would be amazing! It would also be great if we got to see any whale sharks, dolphins, or sea turtles. Are any of these common sightings? It seems like the nurse sharks are pretty easy to find? Anyone have any information on this, such as where we would go to set up a tour/ what's included, where the best places to go would be to see any of these creatures?
At first we were looking at staying in the Placencia area. The beaches there seem like an amazing sight to wake up to in the morning, plus would give us access to ATM and the jaguar reserve, which are other things that we would really love to do. Alot of the hotels say you could see dolphins playing along the shore, but I get the feeling this is very rare. One place we came across included kayaks as part of the room so we could grab our gear and paddle somewhere, but it sounds like there may not be good snorkling spots near by? I'm also seeing that alot of these places want a 5 night minimum stay, which limits us on splitting our trip.
I saw a brief mention somewhere about a wreck site. Does anyone have info on this? I got the impression it was northern, like the nurse sharks.

I would also like to see at least one Maya Ruins while we are in Belize. It sounds like our best bet would be Xunantunich or Lamani. I would love to see Tikal, but this sounds really confusing, because of crossing the border. I have no idea how this would work, with country entry/exit fees and everything else. Any advise on this?

We don't have any "must do" destinations in mind yet. If there was any way to combine awesome snorkling with ruins and a southern jungle trip, that would be great. I don't want to stay in a different place every night, but I don't have a problem with splitting the trip. My husband would love to see some monkeys, he always got a kick out of that in the past. I would love to see some jungle cats. Are they a common site at the jaguar reserve, or is this a spot to skip? It seems like the monkey/baboon sanctuary would be interesting. It looks as if the monkeys will come right up to you?

Any advise on what is a must do, or what we should skip is greatly appreciated. I am not opposed to cutting snorkling out of the trip if most advise tells me that the only way to experience everything else is to let the northern spots go. I want to have a little beach on my vacation but I'm not in love with swimming if there isn't much to see snorkling. We are also curious about transportation. We rented a car on our last vacation and it was nice to have the freedom to drive. Is there a big worry about break-ins if we rent a vehicle and leave Belize City?
I plan to order a few travel books (fodors, lonely planet snorkling/diving and the new frommers pre-release)

Thank you so much for any help you can offer!

JeanH

Here's what I would do. I'd head straight to the San Ignacio area, either by rental car or shuttle. If you stay at one of the jungle lodges, you could do some late afternoon hiking. Tuesday, I'd arrange a trip to ATM.

Wednesday, I'd head to the beach. Maybe with a stop on the way for cave tubing, or a stop at the zoo (you could also stop at the zoo on the way to Cayo).

Personally, I'd head to Ambergris. You are probably too early for whale sharks, which you would head to Placencia for. If you stay far north on Ambergris, or a bit south of town, you can easily kayak out to the reef and snorkel. The reef is less than a mile off shore, closer as you head north up the coast.

Thursday or Friday, I'd do a day trip to Lamanai. Takes all day, but it's awesome. Lots of wildlife, last time I saw manatees, crocodiles, howler and spider monkeys, and, I got to hold a really big tarantula. The ruins themselves are cool as well. Just a nice day. I've always gone with Tanisha Tours, but Searious or Seaduced do good tours as well.

The day you don't go to Lamanai, head to Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley for snorkeling. I've always seen rays and nurse sharks. Sometimes sea turtles. I've not seen dolphins while snorkeling, but they aren't an uncommon site off the docks in the early mornings. If you're really into snorkeling, you could also do a trip to Mexico Rocks in the afternoon.

I recommend Ambergris over Placencia for this trip because it's much closer to the reef. Placencia's beaches are postcard pretty, but you're 19 miles from the reef. There is also some ok snorkeling off some of the docks on Ambergris. I've even seen nurse sharks under the dock at Ramon's.

volcanogirl

We did a split between the Cayo District and Ambergris. It was awesome. Tikal is just a two hour trip from Chaa Creek where we stayed. We used Pacz tours, and they handled all the transportation and paid all the border crossing fees for us. Bonus - we saw monkeys there, as well as oscillated turkeys and aracaris. On Ambergris, we did Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley; honestly it's the best snorkeling we've ever done, and we've done it in Hawaii, Mexico, the Carib, etc. We booked our tour through our hotel, and it turned out to be a guided tour which was so fun. The guide would say, "Hey, VG, look to your left" and there would be two big sea turtles, or "Look down" and there would be a huge nurse shark or a ray going by. The wealth of sea life at Hol Chan is really amazing and impressive. Lots of colorful fish as well. At Shark Ray Alley, they chum the water (our tour didn't, but we were there when others did), and the big nurse sharks, jacks, and rays all move in. They were swimming all around us. If you like snorkeling, you'll want to hit these spots. We never had the luck of seeing any dolphins. We did see rays swimming right in front of our hotel though.

volcanogirl

mrsc, I meant to ask you where did you do your great snorkeling before?

hopefulist

Great ideas above, though not what I'd pick - to each his/her own. Jean lives in Belize in the winter and I've just visited twice, so take my recommendations for what they're worth.

I would start in the San Ignacio area, too, and use 1 day for the ATM cave trip with Pacz tours:
http://www.pacztours.com/actun-tunichil-muknal.html

We've stayed at 3 places in the area and loved them for different reasons; you can search for my reviews on tripadvisor.com or via my travelogue/blog/photo link:
www.thetrekstop.com
www.aguadahotel.com
www.belizecamp.com (Macal River Jungle Camp - fabulous jungle setting, great value)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

I'd consider a day trip to Tikal the 2nd day, not a hassle if you set it up through Pacz or Mayawalk. I normally recommend an overnight to Tikal but if you're not going to be back in the area, I'd advise you to not miss it - it's simply one of the most amazing places on the face of the earth, surrounded by jungle as far as you can see in all directions. If you don't want the added expense, both Xunantunich and Cahal Pech are nice (and very different from each other) and easy to get to on your own. We enjoyed Lamanai, too, but it would be a loooonng, expensive day trip from Ambergris or Caulker as well as from San Ignacio, even on a transition day.

Definitely check out the zoo coming or going:
www.belizezoo.org

For island time, I'd choose Caye Caulker, smaller, generally less expensive, more laid back than Ambergris. We LOVED our day snorkeling/sailing trip with Raggamuffin, part of the reason I recommend Caulker:
http://raggamuffintours.com/hol-chan-snorkel/

Loads of photos and recommendations from our 2 trips at the flickr link, above. Happy trails and keep us posted!

Katie_Valk

Whale sharks are present off Placencia in March within 3 days prior to the full moon and up to 10 days after the full moon, March 19. Nurse sharks, two species of dolphin, spotted eagle and southern rays, lobsters, etc are common sights. Jaguars are elusive and your best best to see one is at the zoo. We have howler and spider monkeys, howlers are more common and you can see many on the Monkey River trip out of Placencia. If you stay in Cayo for ATM, Tikal is not a big deal and easy to get to from there. Or visit Caracol instead and drive thru the Mtn Pine Ridge and rainforest to get there. I would not park a packed vehicle in Belize City, but other places are safe, just ask.

mrscalkins

Wow! Great info and sites everyone, thanks! I've got a lot of research to do but at least I have time to do it. I think I would choose Caye Caulker over Ambergris, I would rather have a more laid-back environment. Does anyone know if Raggamuffin tours can be booked from anywhere other than Ambergris or Caye Caulker for pick up?
And Kaite, you said whale sharks are present off Placencia around March 19? We could be in Belize March 7-13 or March 21-27. I'm not sure, but it sounds like 21-27 would be better for us to possibly see the whale sharks. I don't think I could do the week in the middle of those two. You seem to be knowledgeable about this. Do we have to book a tour from shore to get to where the whale sharks would be, or get a boat to the reefs?
That would be my other question. Since Placencia is 19 miles to the reef, is it easy to catch a boat ride there without a "tour"? Since we have our own gear we would only need something like a water taxi. I know I can't paddle 19 miles one way! Is this going to be expensive to water taxi to the reef (if even possible)
I'm not familiar with Cayo, I have yet to look into it. I will have to. I know my husband will not want to jump lodgings much, he feels it takes away from the relaxation of the trip. I could probably get two different places out of him but I doubt 3. I will look into maybe staying in Caye Caulker for a few, then moving to the Cayo area. We could take day trips to Placencia, or is that too far of a drive?
And on driving, does anyone have any info on that? I would assume we shouldn't drive after dark, that seems to be a common theme.
Volcanogirl, have you rented a car in Belize? Is it similar to Costa Rica? That was our only time renting outside the US and it was easy. You helped alot with planning that trip BTW, thanks!
As for where we snorkled, we ended up in the cliffs of Negril, Jamacia, on accident (we were planning MX and then 2 weeks before, H1N1 broke out) There was not much to do around Negril except hit the water. The waves were very strong and if you swim close to the cliffs you'll end up against them a few times. Bad thing is they are covered with urchins, so you end up pulling spines out of your skin. But it was worth it! Not many other people around because no one really wanted to brave the waters. There were shallow caves you could swim into (which is where we caught a glipse of the baby octopus) and many empty shells that you can dive to collect. Sometimes very large schools of tiny fish hang out along the caves, and it was awesome to swim into the middle where all you can see is little silver darts all around you. We only saw two conch, but my husband was lucky enough to find an empy one he could bring home. The eels hung out in crevices along the cliff shore, as did the lion fish. The rays and puffers hung out around the bottom. There was a small underwater cave where three lobster lived. And of course, colorful tropical fish. Little crabs cling to the rocks aboove the water line. It was an awesome experience in the water, but if I ever did it again I would take a short (maybe 4 night) trip, get a hotel along the shore, and stay there the whole time. Xtabi is one hotel that opens their shore to the public, so even if you don't stay there you can walk over and go in the water by them. We stayed at Samsara (I might have that spelled wrong) in a garden cabin.

volcanogirl

mrsc, thanks for all the info. on the snorkeling. We love to snorkel, so I'm always on the lookout for good spots. We did Mexico Rocks in Belize as well (off Ambergris), and we saw lobsters and eels there. It's pretty shallow, so the fish are smaller there than at Hol Chan, but seeing those things was pretty cool as well. We didn't rent a car in Belize. We had the resorts pick us up at the airport and then used taxis to get around. We stayed at Victoria House which was a very quiet property south of town, and a taxi ride to town was only five dollars, and they also have bikes you can use or golf carts you can rent. Chaa Creek is kind of isolated, so other than our tours, we didn't leave the property for meals or anything. Good luck with your planning. Seeing whale sharks would be amazing. The Cayo District is convenient for all the ruins and caving.

hopefulist

We loved snorkeling with whalesharks last summer off Isla Mujerres - will have to time a visit to Belize for that some year. They don't congregate right on the reef; I don't think you'd find them without a tour and it likely wouldn't be cheaper.

mrscalkins

The Zoo website says it is closed until further notice, they are rebuilding

Fra_Diavolo

Agree that Chaa Creek would be very good for your purposes. They arrange tours to ATM, Tikal, Barton Creek Caves etc. Although it is a bit pricey you can control costs somewhat by purchasing a package.

While Caye Caulker may indeed by more laid back than Ambergris (I only touched down on it for a minute) Ambergris is pretty laid back itself. Everyone is different, but I wouldn't want to stay in a place much *more* laid back than San Pedro. So do check it out. I liked staying south of town in the smaller hotels, but there are AI places north of town if you would prefer that.

hopefulist

According to Sharon Matola's facebook site, the zoo is reopening at 1pm on December 1st.

mrscalkins

Ok, so this is what I was thinking-- If anyone has any ideas please feel free to voice your opinion!
We will arrive at BZE around noon on a Monday. I was thinking heading out to a caye from there. I was looking into Hotel Del Rio on Ambergris or Barefoot Beach in Caye Caulker. Any feedback on these, or other suggestions? I would like to stay $100 or less for a room. Any suggestions on the best way to get out to these cayes, any company that's recommended? Should we do a water taxi from Belize City, or split the journey with taxi/bus? Can we get a bus from BZE to the dock or do we have to take a taxi?
I plan to settle in Monday night. Tuesday I would like to do a Shark Ray Alley tour. I would like to do Raggamuffin, but they only leave from Caye Caulker, so we would need a water taxi over. I plan to spend Tuesday night at the same lodge/room as Monday, and then leave Wednesday.
Wednesday I was thinking we could rent a car from Belize City. Could we do a Lamanai tour on Wednesday and still make it to Chaa Creek Wednesday night to check into a room? Where are Lamanai tours based out of? Could we drive to Crooked Tree and get a tour from there? Or would we be better off to not leave a vehicle around with our suitcases in it? Do have to book out of Belize City? If we cant't do Lamanai and still make it to Chaa Creek, we will skip Lamanai and maybe just do the zoo or the Baboon Sanctuary.
Wednesday through Friday night I would like to stay in Chaa Creek. I want to have our own car so that we can drive into San Ignacio Thursday to Pacz to tour Tikal, and Friday to do ATM. I want to be able go directly though Pacz, since they charge $330 for two people to Tikal, $170 for two to ATM. Chaa charges $417.50 and $338. Saturday I would like to head to Placencia and spend Saturday night there before heading back to BZE Sunday to come home. That way if we get lucky we might be able to catch a tour to see whale sharks. Or we could take a day trip to Placencia and still stay at Chaa Saturday night.
I'm looking at March 21-27. According to the whale shark "schedules" we might be better off to reverse our trip and go to Placencia/Chaa Creek first because the Whale sharks are more likely to be there the 21st as opposed to the 26th? When our trip gets closer we may decide to give up on the whale sharks and spend an extra day in the Cayes. If we do this are there any good

volcanogirl

If you want them to, Pacz will pick you up at Chaa Creek; they picked us up for our Tikal tour. They charge a little extra to do that, but it wasn't much. The road to Chaa Creek is pretty bumpy so they tack on that extra charge.

hopefulist

Your options to the cayes are 1) fly from BZE, 2) taxi to the Municpal airport where it's cheaper to fly to a caye, or 3) taxi to the dock and take a ferry across. On return you have the same options.

This website should be helpful: http://belizebus.wordpress.com/

I can recommend Sailwinds on Caulker - nice little apartments, kitchens, great location on the beach - but the high season rates may be above your budget (we paid $80 in August). If Raggamuffin is a priority I'd stay on Caulker. Then you can enjoy Wish Willy, too.

If you get a really early start you could likely head to Orange Walk in the north where the Lamanai trips up the New River start, tour, and make it clear to San Ignacio in one day but I wouldn't want to do that. OW is hours north of BC and it gets dark by 6pm or so that close to the equator. I would recommend against leaving a loaded car in OW.

I wouldn't rent a car for Chaa Creek in order to head to SI for tours. It would be easier and cheaper to take shuttles in or have Pacz pick you up.

I'd bag Placencia, too. You just don't have time to get there, do a tour that may or may not result in whale sharks, especially if your dates are even off a bit, and make your way to BC overnight. In fact, it makes more sense to do the inland part first and wind up on Caulker (or Ambergris) so you can have 2 bases instead of the 4 you name. Think how much enjoyable that will be, especially since you plan to pack your days full: head to Chaa Creek, do your tours, head to Caulker, do your tours, eat, relax, go home. Just figure that anything you don't do this trip is an excuse to go back.

Fra_Diavolo

Agree that you have too much planned here, and that limiting your stays to Chaa Creek and Ambergris (or Caulker) would be better. There is more than enough to do, though you will probably not make it to Lamanai (don't feel bad, neither did I).

If you decide on Ambergris you might use the snorkel guide Little Alphonse, who leads a most energetic tour, full of information, to both Hol Chan and Mexico Rocks. We saw a spotted eagle ray (why not just call them leopard rays?) with him -- most beautiful sea creature I've ever seen.

Hopefullist --Have you checked out the post on Suchitoto, El Salvador? I'd think it was right up your alley!

hopefulist

You're probably right, Fra. Problem is I'm so enhamored of Guatemala and diving that I keep heading back to some combination of Guatemala with Honduras or Belize. We've started a nonprofit on the lake in Guatemala that's growing into such a joy and force in our lives that we'll be heading back there every year. www.becaproject.org

In 2 and a half years we'll be retired and will have more flexibility so we'll make it to El Salvador (and Nicaragua and Panama) eventually. Happy trails!

volcanogirl

I like the idea of doing the jungle time first and then heading to the cayes for your beach time. It's kind of nice to do all the hiking and ruins and everything and then just be able to relax on a beautiful island. We flew from the municipal airport to Ambergris, and it was such a quick flight, only about 15 minutes. If you can swing the cost, that's what I would do.

mrscalkins

Thanks for all the response. I will change the agenda-- First Chaa creek or another jungle location-- any one know of Cohune Palms River Cabanas, or Martz Farm Treehouse?
It sounds like there is an agrement to not rent a vehicle in Belize. Any ideas on the transport cost or a good website to find transport from BZE to the jungle, from the jungle to the cayes?
If we stay on Ambergris, does anyone have an idea for another tour group to take for a Shark Alley snorkling trip?

Thanks for all the help!

hopefulist

Sounds much better! You can check out tripadvisor.com for reviews of the places you name. There's also the Belize Forum www.belizeforum.com (search 1st, then ask), and the wonderful downloads on Lan Sluder's website www.belizefirst.com

Here's a great blog about transportation in Belize; let us know if you still have questions after reading or want recommendations for shuttle drivers. Good luck!
http://belizebus.wordpress.com/