We're planning on arriving in Belize City at the beginning of May and staying two nights (one full day). We will be renting a car from that point to head out to Blankeneux Lodge. Should we rent a car the day after we arrive in Belize City (to use the full day) or can we find enough to do in the city without a rental car? We'd like to visit quite a few places that we would not be able to visit once we are in the Mt. Pine Ridge area. What MUST we see in Belize City (or within the area)? My husband and I are young and very active, although we might appreciate lounging by the pool our first day away from the rainy Pacific NW...Thank you!

For many visitors, Belize City is not a particularly appealing introduction to Belize, although its reputation is in some ways worse than its reality. There are no beaches in or near the city, the city has a crime problem and there's not a great deal to see or do in the city.

Having said that, Belize City is the cultural, business and even political hub of Belize and if you want to get to know the country, you need to know Belize City. It does have some good restaurants, a fairly large casino and there are a few sights well worth seeing -- for example, the Museum of Belize, which is wonderful, the House of Culture (formerly Government House) and in general the Fort George area, which still has some colonial-era homes and mansions.

If you want to stay in the city and explore it on foot (safe enough by day, at night, take a taxi), you don't really need a car. In fact, having a car will just be a pain, as it's confusing getting around the jumble of narrow often one-way streets.

A car would be useful, however, to explore areas nearby, such as Crooked Tree, Altun Ha, the Belize Zoo, the Baboon Sanctuary etc.

If you are not going to the coast or cayes after your time at Blancaneaux Lodge (which is great, by the way), you might want to just pop on Maya Island or Tropic Air and spend your first couple of days on Ambergris Caye, soaking up the sun and seeing the barrier reef.

--Lan Sluder <Fodor's Belize & Guatemala, Adapter Kit: Belize, Easy Belize, San Pedro Cool, etc.>

Thanks for the information, Lan. After Blankeneux, we are planning on heading to Placencia for 5 days on the coast...so indeed we will get some time there. Our trip will be a total of 11 days. So...now we're trying to figure out how we can enjoy this trip, but not spend too much money. The transportation to Blankeneux lodge seems outrageous, so the reason we were looking at a car rental was to save some money and have a little more ability to do some things on our own. The more we look into it, the more Blankeneux offers that we'd never be able to do with our car (a trip to Tikal, horseback ride at sunrise). Do you feel it would be just as cheap (and maybe less headache) to just use the trips that Blankeneux offers..take their bus to and from there and hire a private driver while in the city to take us to the zoo, the sanctuary etc.? Are there other options? P.S. what is the pool like at the Radisson?

You could take the bus from Belize City to the hywy junction for BL (and visit the Zoo en route). BL will drive down and get you for 60.00. Once you drive those roads and realize the taxi returns without a fare, you won't think the transfer cost excessive. Radisson has two nice pools.

I always like to have a car, as I like to explore on my own and go when and where I want to go.

Katie's suggestion, though, is a good one. You could spend some time in Belize City (the Radisson's pools are fine, nothing special) and then bus to San Ignacio. The bus will drop you right at the Belize Zoo, and then you could catch another one to San Ignacio, maybe walk around town for awhile, have a bite at Eva's or somewhere, and Blancaneaux could pick you up there.

There also is now air service --I think it's three times a day -- from the international airport to San Ignacio, though the cost is high compared to other flights in the country.

--Lan Sluder

If we do end up renting a car, will we be able to use it easily to make day trips out of Blancaneaux? I know we'd like to do some of their trips, but it seems we could go to most places on our own. We'd like to see Tikal as well. Do you know how much the lodge charges for these trips? Their website does not really have much detail.