Best of Belize on a Budget?
 

Hiya,

Firstly, thank you for all the amazing info on this site. We have spent hours going through it!

We're heading to Belize just after Thanksgiving & will have 10 full days (+2 for arriving/leaving). We're looking to make the most of the country & enjoy the nature, not too touristy, sporty stuff, plus good diving. We're not much into ruins, so no more than 1 not too far away! ;)

We're looking at doing Caye Caulker (2 full days), San Ignacio (2 full days) & Hopkins/SWC/Glovers (4 full days). Giving us 2 travel days in the middle.

We're worried we might be better off cutting it down to 2 places. Can we do jungle from Hopkins or should we really do SI & choose between CC & the south?

We could save travel time by not going south but i'm an avid diver (I did Turnneffe a few years ago) & really fancy the southern atolls. :) If we have to choose between CC & south, should we just go south?

To save the pennies, we're looking to do everything using the bus/tours if possible & stay in nice but basic/cheap places.

Can you offer any advise? Are we crazy & hoping for something that doesn't exist?!!

Thank you so much!

Ciao, DiveMissy

We had a blast in 2003 in Belize We loved every place we stayed and every thing we did; our travelogue is linked below (you may have to cut and paste if it isn't all "blue"). Let me know if you want contact information or have questions. Happy trails!

http://www.belizeforum.com/cgi-bin/u...;f=10;t=000362

Hi DiveMissy

If you're looking for 'not too touristy' then take a look at the Toledo District - the only 'ridge to reef' District in Belize, with jungle hiking and the flora and fauna, caving, kayaking, Mayan sites, and diving conservation holidays out at the Sapodilla Cayes with ReefCI.com. Plus, probably the widest range of cultures found anywhere in the country...

Sure, it's a longer journey to get there (5 -6 hours express bus), but that time would be more than offset by not travelling between destinations.

For budget accommodation, try either the www.ToucanTrail.com website ("affordable accommodation and adventure for the independent traveller"), or the BTB's main website at www.travelbelize.org where you can search for accommodation by area and price.

We loved the Hopkins area. We stayed at the Jaguar Reef Lodge but there are several places in the village which I have heard people recommend. We thought the price of JRL was great cuz of the tours included.

At Hopkins, you have the sea on one side and the rainforest on the other.

Have you been to Belize before? You don't find the crystal clear blue waters with great snorkeling right off the beach in Belize. But the reef, which has fantastic snorkeling, is a short boat ride away.

Went to the rainforest and saw toucans, a puma (red lion) ran across the road in front of us. Hubby & son went kayaking (think it may have been about half an hour away from JRL) and monkeys threw nuts at them. Went on the river tour and saw baby crocs, etc.

Hopkins is set up for tourists yet is off the beaten path of tourism. Highly recommend it.

JRL may not be the right place for you but check out the adventures avaialable at http://www.jaguarreef.com/adventures...ture_tours.php.

The cave tubing was a 2 hour drive but other adventures are close or right off the grounds.

Thank you so much everyone for your advice & info!

We still haven't decided anything yet but that's part of the fun right?!

There's no space at reasonably priced accommodation on SWC, so that's out, & the Sunday only boat to Glover's means we can't go there either, as we fly home Sat. Ho hum...next time. So looking at Tobacco & Hopkins now...

Ciao, Sherelle

I had a great time at Ian Andersen's place in Caves Branch (I traveled by public bus from Belize City) -- cheap place to stay, and great tubing in total darkness in underground rivers.

We loved Caves Branch ( www.cavesbranch.com ) but I don't think of it as a budget place, even though it has dorms, because the adventures and meals are expensive. The day adventures range from $75-$105 per person and the meals are $12 (breakfast and lunch) and $18 (dinner) with no way to cook on your own or buy meals elsewhere. We felt it was really worth the splurge, though - the Black Hole Drop was a rush. The setting is beautiful, group meals are fun, and the river was perfect for cooling off and relaxing.

My wife and I had a great trip Belize in April. We stayed in Caye Caulker and Ambregris. We liked Caulker the best.
We did however have a surprise several months after we got back. Our credit card that we used while there, started showing charges that we overlooked at first, for less than $10. They started on the dates while we were there and still going after we got home. They were porno sites.