Katie66

pick an Island. So help!!!\
I am a single mother of a 16 yr. girl and 8 yr. old boy. After sitting home feeling sorry for myself, I got the travel bug about two years ago. Thank goodness my kids love it as much as I do. We have been to the Abacos, St. Barts, Bequia and Cayman Islands most recently. I tend to be most fond of the Islands where you actually experience the Island life, like the Abacos and Bequia, but am pretty open to any suggestion. It is just so dang hard on deciding on a destination.
We like a fairly nice place. I have been renting villas but think I may go for a resot this time around so I am not working my butt off.
Nice beach.
other kids around
pool
day trips
fishing
snorkeling
I was thinking about Belize or St. Kitts.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Oh this would be this Easter.
Thanks

JeanH

I'm most familiar with Belize, Ambergris Caye in particular, so I'll start there. On Ambergris the beaches have soft white sand, the water is blue. But, there are no waves since they break on the reef, half a mile or so off shore. Therefore, there is lots of grass in the water. It's a nursery for sea life, lots of critters growing in there, but not very pleasant to walk on. Therefore, most swimming is done from docks. Some resorts have cleared the sea grass, and there is walk in swimming.

The nice thing about Ambergris is that the tourists and locals are together. Lots of local young people around, as well as tourists.

Day trips to the reef are plentiful and not very expensive. Day trips to the mainland for ruins, caving, zip lining are also available, but more expensive.

Good fly and reef fishing.

Most of the snorkeling is done off of boats. There are a few artificial reefs off of some of the docks, and we've seen lots of really neat fish/eels/rays while snorkeling there.

If you choose Ambergris, and you want to be around more kids, I'd stay relatively close to town, as opposed to the resorts further north. Those places are beautiful, but more isolated.

If you can afford it, look at Banyan Bay. Beautiful two bedroom condos, very nice stretch of beach. On site restaurant and bar. Nice pool.

Right in town, look at Ramon's. Once again, a nice stretch of beach. More of a resort atmosphere. I think it's expensive for what you get, and used to stay at one of the condo buildings in the neighborhood, either the Palms (has a small pool) or Belizean Reef, which doesn't have a pool.

Cheaper, but very nice, look at Caribbean Villas. Maybe Banana Beach, or Paradise Villas.

I've also been to St. Kitts, but only once. We stayed at Timothy Beach Resort, loved the place. Not fancy, but clean and spacious. Lots of restaurant choices within easy walking distance. I don't remember seeing many kids, but I wasn't looking for them. We did see a monkey eating flowers in the garden right outside my kitchen window. That was a surprise!!!!

We didn't do any hiking while there. We did hike the volcano, which was fun, but exhausting. Also spent a day lounging at Turtle Beach, what was there a few years ago isn't any more, I'm not sure if it's still a good place to hang out.

There are folks on this board who are much more familiar with St. Kitts than I am. Hopefully, they'll chime in.

Katie66

Thank you Jean H. I am also considering Antigua or St. Lucia. There are direct flights.

Should I be concerned about safety if I go with Belize. I have read some dusturbing posts.

JeanH

I spent three weeks on Ambergris by myself last winter. No problems.

My husband and I are leaving MOnday to spend three months.

San Pedro isn't the sleepy town it used to be, but, it's as safe as anywhere else.

Katie66

Thanks again Jean. I pretty much have decided on Belize. It is a shorter flight for the kids,less expensive, and seems to have that small town feel that we love. I hate going to a resort that basically could be plopped down anywhere.
I don't mind spending more money on a place if it is worth it. If you were going with two kids, which place would you stay. Putting you on the spot huh? Banyan bay, Ramons, or Xanadu? I was happy to read about kids meeting other kids. My 16 year old daughter is a knockout (not bragging) but has absolutely no commen sense so I tend to worry about her on these trips.
I don't understand the flight deal. You fly into big airport and then take a puddle jumper (what we call them) to AC and how do you book the smaller flight?
Do they have internet in most resorts? I use skype to make phone calls when travelling.
Sorry so many questions, but I'm gettting excited.
I would love any other recommendations you may have as well. tour guide
fishing charter
where to rent a golf cart
restaurants
etc.
my e-mail is [email protected]
Thanks a million.

Katie66

I forgot major question. Would you split the trip up with a few days in the jungle. I am thinking of staying put in AC and maybe do a day trip, but am not sure.
Thanks,

JeanH

Ok, let's start with accomodations. Ramons is mostly hotel rooms. The one I've seen was ok, not great, but ok. The beach is lovely, there is a bar and restaurant on site. Easy walk, even for an eight year old, to lots of restaurant options. Lots of kids walking by on the beach.

Xanadu is about 1 1/4 miles south of town. Nice pool. I've never been in the rooms. They all have kitchens. There is a sea wall, no easy walk in swimming. Decent snorkeling next door off the dock at Caribbean Villas.

Banyan Bay is another 1/4 mile down the beach. Once again, full service resort. Restaurant and bar on site. The condo I was in was really nice. This would be my choice, but with an eight year old, I'd give serious thought to renting a golf cart. I know my kids would have whined about the walk into town for food. That said there are restaurants within easy walking distance.

There won't be as many kids wandering by there, but it's a very popular family destination. By the way, there is a very nice walk in beach at Banyan Bay as well.

You are correct, you fly into Belize City, then on a puddle jumper to Ambergris. You can save some dollars by taking a cab to the smaller municipal airport and flying from there. There are two domestic airlines in Belize--Tropic Air and Maya Island Air. You can google them, there fares are similar. Tropic seems to have more reliable flights to Ambergris, Maya seems to be focusing on becoming a more regional airline.

Many resorts, but not all, have internet. Ask when you book. The Belize Telephone company has managed to pretty well block Skype. I know there are ways around it, but it hasn't been important enough to me to figure it out.

That's enough for now. It really depends on how you want to spend your time on the mainland. You can do tours from Ambergris, but they are long days, especially for a relatively young child. When are you planning on traveling?

We leave Monday for three months and I am so excited.....

Katie66

Thanks Jean. I am looking at Easter week for the trip. I have narrowed it down to Banyan Bay and the Palms (beside Ramons). Decisions, decisions, decisions!*&%$?! I still haven't decided on whether to stay a few days in the Jumgle. To be honest I can't get real excited about it but I hate to miss out on the experience.I'm looking at San Ignacio Belize which looks beautiful. I may just play it by ear, and see how the week goes. In your opinion is it a must do?
Thanks for everything. I'm sure you know how it is planning a trip. You really dont want to mess up.

JeanH

We made several trips to Belize before we spent any time inland. We still haven't spent much time in the jungle. We have tentative plans for a couple of short trips inland this winter. I really want to see the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave.

You can always do a day trip from Ambergris to the mainland to get a taste of what the mainland is like.

I think the condos at Banyan Bay are nicer than the Palms, but I think they're also quite a bit more expensive. The pool is much larger at Banyan Bay. But, it's quite a bit further from town. Although, cabs are cheap and plentiful.