Help for Belize Trip
 

I'm thinking about traveling to Belize in March of 2003. I would like to do a "land and sea" type vacation: a few days at the beach, and a few days in the jungle. I'm not quite sure how to coordinate everything, though. I would be arriving at the airport in Belize City at 1:15 pm on a Sunday, and departing the following Sunday at 2:20 p.m. I don't know whether I should do the beach portion first (I'm looking at Portofino on Ambergris Caye--I think it looks nice but would prefer to be closer to "town") or last. For the land/jungle part, I like the looks of Maruba, Jaquar Paw, and Chaa Creek. I am not interested in "roughing it"! I definitely want more upscale lodging, even though I realize that I am sacrificing the true Belize experience to do so. I want to see the beautiful waters, beaches, and countryside, but I need some standard of comfort, and I don't want to see any bugs! I'm looking to spend less than $300 per night on lodging for two people. Any input on hotels/transportation would be greatly appreciated. I'm particularly interested in how others have traveled from Belize City to/from the jungle and to/from San Pedro.

If you don't want to see any bugs then don't go to Belize! March is one of the better months for less mosquitos but you surely will run into some & no-see-ums & an occasional cockroach & that's on AC, don't know what all lives in the jungle!

When I was in Belize this past summer, I expected bugs and was prepared for them, since this was during the rainy season. I don't even remember seeing any on Ambergris Caye, and only received a few bites from biting flies while spending an afternoon at Maruba.

We were in Belize a few years ago in February or March. I don't recall any particular problems with bugs. We divided our time between Ambergris, Placencia and San Ignacio. We flew between Ambergris and Belize City, and took a bus to/from San Ignacio.

Just curious, but I've been told to not even go anywhere near Dangrgia (SP?) because you would be devoured by mosquitos. I was interested in Kanantik but too many people warned me away. Is this not true? I am sure it is different depending on season & rainfall but I have had so many people say they would never return because of the bugs. Last April we did not have any problems but I made sure we went during a time that was considered lower risk for rain & mosquitos.

Some areas of Belize have a lot of mosquitos; others almost none.<BR><BR>For example, much of Cayo has a limestone terrain which soaks up standing water and doesn't provide breeding ground for mozzies, so there are few there. Some lodges don't even have screens on the windows.<BR><BR>On the coast and cayes, as long as you are on or near the water with a breeze, the mosquitos can't fly, so you have no problems.<BR><BR>Some areas such as the far south, the Shipstern peninsula and swampy areas inland do have plenty of bugs, though generally even here it is not as bad as, say, parts of Massachusetts or Louisiana.<BR><BR>--Lan Sluder

When I originally posted and mentioned bugs, I should have been more specific. Mosquitoes I can handle. What I'm really concerned about seeing are HUGE things like tarantulas, scorpions, and rhinocerous beetles. If I'm staying in places that have A/C and I don't open the windows to let the breezes in, what are my chances of seeing any of these?

We just returned from Belize and were bitten by sand flies and mosquitoes. We had on95% deet repellent, but they bit anyway on spots that I must have missed when applying the deet. We saw many people covered with big red spots all over their legs at the resort on Placencia. You can't feel them bite so it's a surprise when you find yourself itching so badly. Take a lot of strong hydrocortisone cream. In fact they were selling it in the gift shop of the hotel. That should tell you something about bug bites in Belize

Just got back, have to say I saw no bugs, or mosquito's in the Cayo district or Tikal. If you go to the beach watch out for sand flies, I am still itching!