rnaval

We're planning a trip to Belize and possibly Tikal around Thanksgiving time.

We're mostly interested in seeing the rainforest and the Myan ruins either by self guided hiking - mostly as well as just relaxing by the beach or the hotel resort.

I'd appreciate any suggestions on places to see and where to stay on a budget for a family of four and hopefully hiking tips in the Chan Chich forest.

Thanks...RN

hopefulist

Your budget is apparently really different from mine if you have Chan Chich on your list! Here's a link to my pictures, maybe something there of interest. Happy trails!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

AlJ

To do what you describe, you'll almost have to split your trip between two areas. From somewhere near San Ignacio, you can easily get to Tikal and Caracol. Both are very large and impressive ruins. We went with guides. It was more of a way to learn something at Caracol. For Tikal it was to learn and to let someone else deal with the border crossing, etc.

If don't know where Chan Chich is. If its near San Ignacio, you can easily set things up from there. If not, you might look at Chaa Creek. We stayed at Crystal Paradise. I'm sure you'll get other recommendations here as well.

For the beach, you can look at Caye Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye primarily. They're both near the barrier reef and offer easy access to excellent snorkeling. Ambergris Caye is larger and more upscale. Caye Caulker is more laid back and a good bit smaller.

http://www.alandsuejohnson.com/ has our trip reports and pictures from these places. The Belize link is at the top of the home page.

owa

AlJ, We are going to Belize for the first time in January. I really enjoyed reading about your trips. You have some great underwater pictures. We normally go to islands that have off beach snorkeling, but decided to take a chance on Belize. We will be there over two weeks with time spent near the jungle, and then to CC and SP. Oh, I liked your dry sense of humor. Thanks for taking the time to write. Owa

AlJ

Thanks Owa. Glad you enjoyed it. You should really enjoy Belize. We're debating whether to go in February again. We still like it but may want to see something different.

CaymanSue

Just returned (an hour ago) from Belize. I would suggest you look into Rio Bravo as an alternative to Chan Chich. We were ther this last weekend and loved it! You would also be supporting Programme For Belize, which is worthwhile. I'll post a trip report soon.