First Trip to Belize
 

My husband and I are planning our first trip to belize for this summer. We are planning on staying the first night in Belize at The Great House, then flying to Ambergris Caye and staying at Victoria House for 3 nights, then flying back to BZE, renting a car from Crystal Rentals and driving straight to Tikal to stay at Jungle Lodge.
How long does it take to drive to Tikal from the airport? We are hoping to get an early flight in, and do a little touring when we get to Tikal -- maybe catch the sunset. One post I read said it takes 6 hours, the other one said 3-4 hours. Just trying to get there before it gets too dark.
After that, we'll head to Hidden Valley Inn for 2 nights, and then on to Placencia for Lobsterfest for 4 nights. We'll be staying at the Maya Breeze Inn there.
Any suggestions for our trip? We are thinking about getting scuba certified and doing our dives down there. Who should we dive with in Placencia? Thanks so much in advance for any advice you can give!
Katie

You may have trouble finding a rental car you can take across the border. Driving time would be about 4 1/2 to five hours, plus whatever delay you experience at the border. I think flying might be a better option.

I just went on my first trip in dec/jan and loved it. when going to tikal, i stayed in flores, guatemala (took a puddle jumper from belize city). i would recommend that it was awesome. then took a tour to tikal from there. placencia was my favorite place, loved it. the highlight of my trip though was the ATM caves (stayed in san ignacio, which we took a shuttle to from flores). feel free to email me with any questions [email protected]. i dove in ambergris caye. you also may want to consider going to caye caulker for a night while on ambergris. one thing i learned....ditch all of your travel plans, play it by ear when you get there. you will have no problem getting a flight or bus or hotel anywhere, anytime, and you will find they are much cheaper than what you probably find online. also, you will meet people along the way and hear them talk about places they love and want to change your itinerary around!

Only Crystal Auto allows their vehicles to cross the border, but the car is not insured on the Guate side. Ask what happens if. Other than that, your trip sound delightful.

We did the Tikal-Belize RT route a couple of years ago. We visited Belize and enjoyed walking around in the island of San Pedro, staying there, and doing a 1-day boat outing including bbq on an island, drinks, seeing the manatees, swimming with manta rays, and snorkeling - it was $75 per person.

From Belize, it might be better for you to take a pullman bus to Flores - we did this to-from and get the RT ticket when you purchase it. It's quite inexpensive. Don't wait to buy the return ticket, because it might cost more, or might not find a return ticket. Between Belize and Guatemala, the roads are really bad (it would normally take 2 hours on a paved road) but it takes 5 hours! 2 1/2 to the border, and about the same from the border to Flores.

And it's probably safer for you to take the bus because your car could break down on the way, and it could be a bad experience. You should take the bus that leaves early in the morning so that you're traveling during daylight. Plus the road isn't that scenic, so you won't miss much by driving it yourself. The state of road disrepair stems from hostilities between the two countries but that's more for discussion in the history textbooks.

If you're still set on driving, just be careful on the roads from Tikal to Placencia, as buses have been held up at night. NEVER drive at night or when it starts getting dark. There has been an incredible surge of crime overall for tourists and non-tourists alike, in Guatemala, evidenced by the local papers (La Prensa and other national papers). Not to scare you, but the following should also be useful. http://guatemala.usembassy.gov/recent_incidents.html

also warnings about the Peten area:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1129.html

We're going to Guatemala in a couple of weeks for 10-days in the interior. And I'm strongly considering bringing mace (to be packed in luggage at a/port til we get there) and keeping handy during our travels, or just setting money aside in another pocket and don't resist, if such an unfortunate event ever arises, hopefully never. I've read that the people that resist get hurt. Just follow your common sense, like anywhere else. But for the 3 times we've traveled so far, we've had no incidents, and have had a great time!

Are there any recent reports of hold ups/violence on road between Belize and Tikal? The links above have reports from other areas of the country. Do the police watch that stretch better than others? We're going as a family this summer and a bit nervous. We've only been to CR and Mexico previous.

I don't think so - local tour operators and lodging folks would know. Have you checked out www.belizeforum.com ?

Our family LOVED Tikal - I'm sure you will, too. Happy trails!

I don't mind driving in foreign countries. BUT, I'd fly into Guatemala. It's so much less hassle, and you'll save a bunch of time. I don't know want the airfares are lately, but I think it's the best way to do it.

Much much safer since the road was paved and cars move at a clip instead of a crawl.