My wife and I are considering going to Belize December 26 - January 2, 2007 with our two kids, ages 5 and 2. We live in southern California and normally vacation in Hawaii and Mexico because of the short flights. This year we are considering a change.

We wonder however: Is Belize kid friendly? If so, are there better areas to lodge with small children? Are there family freindly hotels?

Any insight would be helpful. Thanks.

Our kids were much older when we visited Belize, but it has a reputation for being very kid-friendly. Check out the Belize Forum, and let us know what your interests (hiking, ruins, villages, diving, beaches, etc.) and general budget category are so we can better advise you.

www.belizeforum.com

Thank you for the reply. We enjoy snorkling and beach activites. My wife an I are fans of the Mayan ruins and have visited sites near Cancun.

Before kids, we would frequently go off the beaten path. With kids, we typically stay in 4 star family freindly accomodations. Typically, these are in tourist centers which is fine at this stage.

Thanks again for the feedback.

With two small kids, I'd look at Banyan Bay on Ambergris Caye. Two bedroom condos, pool and restaurant. Although Belize isn't known for great beaches, the beach there is very swimmable. You're a couple miles from town, I'd look into renting a golf cart. Loads of kids on Ambergris, both tourists and locals. Your children will be very welcome.

There are several tours of ruins that you can do as day trips from AC, but I don't think any of them lend themselves to the kids, mainly because they are long days. The Lamanai tour is about 11 hours total. Altun Ha is shorter, but it involves a couple hours at a jungle spa/resort, which doesn't interest me.

If you want to be closer to town, the Palms are lovely condos as well. Small pool, nicely landscaped, but the pool is in the back. Next door is Ramon's, which also has a lovely beach. This would put you right on the south edge of town and give you easy access to restaurants.

Thank you Jean.

I wonder if anyone thinks Costa Rica is a better option with kids?

Any hotel suggestions?