I am in the begining stages of planning a 5(ish) night vacation for May '06 and have been looking at Belize. I have never been snorkeling but would love to try it. I am also looking for a spot to just sit on the beach and waste the day with a good book and some good drinks. I have been to both Cancun and the Bahamas and loved the beautiful water and relaxing beaches, but wanted to try someplace new. So, I guess the real question is - is Belize (either Belize City or Ambergris Caye) a good choice for me or should I look elsewhere. Any input would be great.

We visited Ambergris Caye last fall and will go back again this year. We found our hotel to be very clean and well maintained. The same cleanliness can be found in the restaurants we visited. The sea in most places has sea grass so it's not like the beaches of Cancun and Bahamas. We didn't find it to be a problem - there were plenty of sandy entries. We stayed close to town (about a 15 minute walk). Check out some of the Ambergris web sites.

I posted a very extensive trip report on Ambergris Caye. It's about 7-8 pages long, and is in 2 parts. It's titled: Belize Trip Report 3/29 to 4/6.

If you type "Belize Trip Report" into the search bar, you'll find it very easy. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask. Belize is not for everyone, and if you want the real story, please read my report. It should answer most of your concerns. You'll have to excuse all the inserted question marks through out the report, as they just appeared after transferring to this site via a word document.

Hope this helps.

I wouldn't choose Belize for a "sitting on the beach and wasting the day" vacation. The beaches aren't that great, but the compensation for that is all the great activities: Mayan ruins, reef trips, manatee watching, etc. If you want beach and not activities, there are better places for you -- other Bahamian islands (Out Islands), Anguilla, Providenciales, etc.

Don't get me wrong -- I've loved my Belize trips. But I went knowing that the beaches are not the real attraction.

Thanks everyone for the information. I read the "Belize trip report" and it helped me a lot. I think I have decided to trade Belize for Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic on this go around (although I know the snorkeling isnt even comprable to Belize). I don't know how people planned vacations before Fodor's. Thanks again!!!