KME

Children are now 9,11and 14. Want more adventurous vacation for Spring Break (early March 2005). Was looking into Costa Rica for diversity of activities. Have gotten a little overwhelmed at all the possibilities so my travel agent recommended Belize as an alternative due to it's smaller size. We want the rainforest wildlife aspect as well as good snorkling and beach activities. I am hesitant about Belize because of safety concerns and the bug/sand flea issues. (daughter is anti flying insect!Also, want comfortable accomodations but don't know where to stay to have easy access to all we want to do. my travel agent suggested Jaguar Reef Resort? Would LOVE advice!
Thanks!!!

Katie_Valk

I prefer Placencia over the Hopkins area (Jaguar Reef), although Jaguar Reef is a great inn. I think it was just sold, not sure if the sale went thru, but too many bugs (doctor flies in particular) for my liking in Hopkins. Look at Roberts Grove, Kittys Place, Turtle Inn (no a/c). For mainland jungle lodges, I prefer the Cayo district, look at Chaa Creek, duPlooys or Crystal Paradise. Many many other great places and options to consider in each and in other areas. Belize has Maya sites, caving, horses, river canoeing and kayaking, fabulous diving and snorkeling. Easy to get around in and get to, English is the official language. Surprisingly few nuisance bugs in the Cayo district along the rivers.

april0404

We were in Belize in March 2003 and had no problems with bugs and I get bit bad!! Even at the ruins where it's more humid, I had no issues.

We were in Costa Rica this past April, and I was overwhelmed with options, too, during our planning, but managed to narrow it down. No issues with bugs there either. If you have any questions, let me know.

P.s. I'm not a "bug person" either, but you have to learn that in places like that, bugs come with the territory! but like I said, we had no problems!


While our experiences in both places were different, we would go back to both in a heartbeat!

Stacey

shabby

Hello we have a 10 and 12 year old we have done both countries. they are very different. We just got back from Belize this weekend. HAd a great time. Westarted off in San ignacio..did the. Zoo, Guanacaste park, Tikal, Xunantunich, Barton Creek cave canoe. We then moved on to Caves Branch in teh Mountain Ridge region. We stayed ina Cabana so we could take jungle showers outside...there we did some cave tubing,blue whole park and water hole...and then did and overnight camp in a cave the hike was hard,,we did a lot of rock climbing...we then repelled into a 300 foot sink hole. We woke the next morning and hiked through teh cave systems with head lamps on and saw maya remains, pottery ect....our last stop was at the beach. We stopped at Jaguar Reef. We loved it it is less crowded than than placencia nd San Pedro...much better for children...we often took bikes into town to visit Hopkins..they people were soooooo very friendly! We snorkeled, kayaked, hiked, swam in waterfalls, and lazed around......hardly saw any bugs.

shabby

Hello we have a 10 and 12 year old we have done both countries. they are very different. We just got back from Belize this weekend. HAd a great time. Westarted off in San ignacio..did the. Zoo, Guanacaste park, Tikal, Xunantunich, Barton Creek cave canoe. We then moved on to Caves Branch in teh Mountain Ridge region. We stayed ina Cabana so we could take jungle showers outside...there we did some cave tubing,blue whole park and water hole...and then did and overnight camp in a cave the hike was hard,,we did a lot of rock climbing...we then repelled into a 300 foot sink hole. We woke the next morning and hiked through teh cave systems with head lamps on and saw maya remains, pottery ect....our last stop was at the beach. We stopped at Jaguar Reef. We loved it it is less crowded than than placencia nd San Pedro...much better for children...we often took bikes into town to visit Hopkins..they people were soooooo very friendly! We snorkeled, kayaked, hiked, swam in waterfalls, and lazed around......hardly saw any bugs. saw way more bugs in Costa Rica

Coskier

KME No worries about safety in Belize. I have been 4x's though not in a few years. Bugs are no worse than anyplace else. Bug spray will do the trick. We did stay once at Jaguar reef years ago so this information may not be valid. It is the only place I would not go back to in all my vacation travels. The staff was rude, I got food poisoning. water was murky. That said management has changed so maybe it has gotten better. At the time the neighboring resort Hamanzi SP? was nicer and the staff was great. We ended up spending most of our time there.

LanSluder

The sale of Jaguar Reef did not go through. I was there a couple of weeks ago and thought it looked better than ever. I've stayed at Jaguar Reef several times over the years, and also at Hamanasi (and 150 other places in Belize), and I've always enjoyed them both.

I was also at Jaguar Reef's place on Coco Plum Caye, which I enjoyed, too.

--Lan Sluder
www.belizefirst.com

LanSluder

To respond to the original question, I first went to Costa Rica in 1982 and have been visiting Belize for 15 years or so. I like them both very much.

Costa Rica has changed dramatically since I was first there. On my first trip, a beer at a nice hotel bar was 15 cents. Now prices are about the same as in Florida except for meals at local restaurants. But despite the mass tourism, it's a beautiful little country, far more scenic than Belize, and with more varied scenery ... beaches on two oceans, 12,000 ft. volcanos, a big city, small colonial towns, cloud forests. The highest mountains in Belize are only about 3,700 ft., and much of the country is savannah and rather nondescript bush, though there are beautiful areas in the Pine Ridge and true jungle in the far south, and of course the Caribbean coast and cayes are stunning.

Belize is smaller than Costa Rica, but I don't think that's much of a factor in the average vacation. It takes longer to get around either country than you'd think by looking at a map. Driving from north to south of Belize is going to take 8 hours or so.

Certainly if you want snorkeling Belize offers much more than Costa Rica, though Costa Rica's Pacific beaches are more classically beautiful. Costa Rica also is more of a monoculture than Belize, which is truly multicultural. And of course Costa Rica doesn't have the Maya ruins that Belize has. But, again, in terms of varied and beautiful scenery, Costa Rica takes the prize.

--Lan Sluder

CN467

Summary of our brief experience: LOVED the Cayo Distric (Chaa Creek) and HATED Jaguar Reef -- SO MANY BUGS and terrible food. I think some of the staff are lovely, hardworking, and skilled, but the place itself is terrible. We came back eaten alive by bugs -- as did everyone else at that place and in the area. It really tainted our experience because we were so badly bitten -- it wasn't here or there; even with DEET, it was everywhere.

Wildflower

We love Belize but dislike Placencia with all our hearts. Bugs were terrible in Placencia. Never experienced anything like that on any of our trips to Belize, Costa Rica or anywhere else in the world. There is more wildlife to see in Costa Rica but snorkeling in Belize is superb. I don't know what safety concerns you have in mind but we never had any problems in Belize. We found people in Costa Rica extremely friendly.

JeanH

Bugs in Placencia must be highly variable. We were there about a year ago and had absolutely no problems, other than a jungle tour at Monkey River.

Jessie_

Bugs can vary greatly in both places. I spent 5 days at a place in CR once. Had no problems for the first 3. The fourth night, sitting where I usually did, I was eaten alive.

I, and everyone else, ran into a real mess when we were up in the Pine Forest in Belize near Caracol. The bugs at that time were just horrible. Don't recall any problem with them while in Placencia.

LanSluder

Absolutely right -- bugs are highly variable.

Mother Nature can be unpredictable and inconsistent.

That's why it's useful to get a perspective from a group of people, or from a person who has been to an area multiple times, rather than relying on information from someone who was at a place one time for a few days.

--Lan Sluder

Wildflower

Lan, for your information we were in Placencia three different times (twice on business) and not one time for a few days, as you are suggesting. We never had such problem in San Ignacio area or San Pedro or Chan Chich or Chaa Creek or anywhere else. Never had problems with bugs in Costa Rica.
KME, whether you chose Costa Rica or Belize, your kids will find plenty to do. Both are great places to visit. Just be prepered for bugs and realize that if it wasn't for those nasty bugs there wouldn't be so many beautiful flycatchers and the other insect eating birds.

CN467

Wildflower, that's such a great way to look at the bug problem. But travelers should note that this part of Belize is famous for bugs. When we got there, people jokingly referred to it as "Mosquito Coast." If you want to eat, sleep, and live with the highest formulation of DEET on your body, then this is for you. But do not underestimate this problem. You can't lounge on hammocks or stroll the beaches without lots of preparation. No one we met at Jaguar Reef -- or people at Chaa Creek who had just come from this area -- will ever return.

That being said, here's a big cheer for the wonderful naturalists and guides of Belize. Whether we met them in the east or the west, on the shore or in the jungle, they were deeply wise people who really knew their stuff.

Belize if full of such cool activities -- CAVES! -- but the bugs are intense.

Wildflower

CN467, I feel the same way about bugs, guides and activities. Thanks.

LanSluder

Again, I think it's a matter of perception and when you happen to be there. I've probably been to Placencia for example 30 times and only on 3 or 4 of those occasions was I even bothered a little by bugs ... and that's mostly when the winds went calm.

I hear from people all the time who say they were in Belize for two weeks or whatever and only saw 3 mosquitoes.

--Lan Sluder