On March 12, 2015, my sister and I arrived in Belize City after a short flight from the US. We rented a vehicle from Crystal Auto Rental at the airport and drove three and a half hours south to the Maya Beach Hotel and Bistro, which is eight miles north of Placencia. The good accommodations and excellent food made our six night stay there enjoyable. With a casual atmosphere, a location right on the beach in an area relatively undeveloped, and nicely landscaped grounds, the hotel is a fine facility. The one disappointment was the strong wind during five days and the consequential deluge of dead sea grass along the shore that diminished an otherwise idyllic view. Also, swimming off the shore was not feasible either because of sea grass in the water and shallowness. The hotel does have a dock jutting out a way from which guests can lower themselves into weedless deep water. The best use of the narrow beach, therefore, is for sunbathing on the pure white and fine sand.

One of our major vacation goals was to go fishing, but the wind and resulting rough seas prevented that. We learned, also, that, unlike some places in the Caribbean, such as Little Cayman, fishing parties must take long boat rides to the fishing grounds. Since we prefer to do only half day excursions rather than spend eight hours in a small open boat, it was not feasible for us to sign up for fishing.

Twice, we went on excursions with private guides. First, we went to the Monkey River jungle with Percy Gordon, a notable local character proud to have hosted Jack Hanna of the TV animal program. He was an excellent guide who showed us crocodiles, sleeping bats, and sea birds of various species and who aroused the howler monkeys to put on a loud performance. We had a lunch of stewed chicken, beans, rice, and plantain that Percy's sister prepared in a small concrete structure in Monkey River. Even more than the food, we enjoyed talking to the cooks about how they made the sautéed plantain so good (vegetable oil) and admired one's new baby. I actually was a little disappointed by the Monkey River trip because we saw rather few creatures. The fourteen mile ride (each way) over both open water and through mangroves was bumpy and hardly seemed worth the effort. It was moderately interesting and, additionally, we saw several manatees on the way back to Placencia, but, maybe, as an old timer with lots of world travel, I'm a little jaded. I want to add my appreciation to Erin and Lucky Ivy, who own Captain Jak's Rentals in Placencia, for connecting us to Percy. I thank them, too---and, their assistant Wayne---for doing their best to investigate some other activities for us.

Our second excursion was to an area called Red Bank, about forty-five minutes drive from Maya Beach, to see scarlet macaws that visit between December and mid-March each year. We had a guide, Zef, who was recommended by the staff at the Maya Beach Hotel. He was knowledgeable, passionate about nature, and good at helping us spot birds (we saw more than scarlet macaws). The macaws flew around the top of a high ridge in the distance before us and, then, behind it. Occasionally, they circled behind us as they headed back to that ridge. We saw thirty to forty of them and, although they went deep into the Pole Trees where they were nearly covered by foliage to feed, their size, distinctive shape, and brilliant coloration made them easy to identify. We saw some parrots and my sister got a good look at a beautiful Toucan. It was a great morning.

Another day, my sister and I drove up to Hopkins to see some of places mentioned in this forum and to get a early afternoon snack. One thing that visitors to Belize should accept is that Belize is the land of the speed bump---in all widths, heights, and configurations. They are located in the vicinity of every village, settlement, resort, bus stop---near every everything. Furthermore, the grading on the roads is uneven, there are many potholes, and road surfaces change without warning. Additionally, pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers don't bother to look before they cross the road or make some move. I believe that we averaged about 30 mph during the 542 miles we were in our vehicle.

Back to Hopkins. It is very different from Maya Beach (no real town) and Placencia. We saw more stray dogs and deeper pot holes there than anywhere else in our trip. Some establishments that we wanted to check out were closed; one was not at all inviting. Ultimately, we landed at the north end of Hopkins at a new development called Hopkins Bay and at a restaurant call the Rhum Shack. The location and view are outstanding. It looked like Paradise. Even though it was after 2 p.m., the bartender/waiter was gracious and told us what was available for a snack. Everything was wonderful until the end when the bartender/waiter came to the table and said that our bill was US $ 30. We knew that the prices on the menu were in US $, but we were a little surprised. Nonetheless, without questioning the man, we paid it. When we returned to our vehicle, we did a calculation and concluded that we could not have spent more than US $20. The bartender/waiter had been so helpful to us with directions and other questions that we had been charmed out of our defensive mode. That was our only sour note in Belize.

Other dining adventures were at Rumfish y Vino in Placencia (excellent snack and beverage) and Robert's Grove (both at main lodge and at marina---great guacamole and good beverages). If I had to choose only one place in the area for dining, it would be Maya Beach Bistro without question.

One part of our visit to Belize that was surprising to us was the number of hitchhikers, particularly women, and, around the Placencia peninsula, they were market women who had backpacks filled with handicrafts that they spread out on the beach near major tourist venues. We had a standard size SUV with room for three additional passengers, so, the first time we saw a woman standing by the road close to Maya Beach, we offered her a ride to Placencia. Well! She talked non-stop the whole way and kept pulling out goods that she tempted my sister with (I'm not a shopper). She succeeded. After that, on at least five more occasions we gave groups of women, children, and one old man rides. When we could, we peppered them with questions.

Rather than waiting until flight day to drive back to Belize City, we decided to return one night early and to stay at the Radisson Ft. George Hotel. En route, we stopped at the Cheers Restaurant near the Belize Zoo for lunch. It has a pleasant setting with bird feeders and plenty of shade to attract birds. The food was average. The zoo had many interesting inhabitants: spider monkeys swinging in the trees, harpy eagle (looked like a penguin on a tree branch), tapirs, a fat jaguar, and one poor cat of some sort that paced eight feet back and forth at a fast clip. The Radisson was good; had everything we needed. We had a light dinner and breakfast. They were fine.

As I mentioned at the beginning, we rented our vehicle from Crystal Auto Rental. I want to commend the company for its operation. From the moment I first contacted it, communication was fast and informative. I was told what vehicles were available and how much they would cost. Rules and conditions were explained. The staff was efficient and helpful. I especially appreciate the absence of any pressure to purchase the company-offered collision insurance.

In conclusion, I'm still processing my feelings about our visit to Belize. You couldn't find more hospitable people. It is exceedingly convenient to be able to use either US $ or Belizian $. There is no language problem (we did have a problem with the old man we picked up as we returned to Belize City; I don't know what language he spoke; we didn't know where he wanted to go, but he got in the vehicle, sat back for at least twenty miles, and then indicated that he wanted to get out; he walked off toward a thatched roof cottage near the road). Food prices, in particular, are cheaper than in the US and maybe at many places in the Caribbean. There is lots of fresh seafood on the menus. The rum's not bad. BUT. The beach is less attractive than I anticipated. It takes too long to get to fishing sites. There is only big boat sailing. What else is there to do for someone not into sea kayaking and related activities? I admit that I have been only to the Placencia peninsula. It may be different elsewhere in Belize.

Thanks for your report. It's been 20 years since we were last in Placencia and Hopkins. Belize isn't known for great beaches because of the barrier reef. Some of the outer cayes and atolls have nice beaches and perhaps easier access to fishing (I don't fish so don't really know). I think Belize's strong points are snorkeling/diving and inland exploration. I don't quite understand the comment about only big boat sailing. From your description it sounds like your Monkey River trip was fairly productive. Belize ain't Africa

Belize has lots of options for all sorts of activities - fishing, diving, snorkeling, caving, hiking, wildlife, drumming, etc. - some other areas might have been been for some of the things on your wish list. We split 3 weeks between the Deep South (Toledo District and the Sapodilla Cayes) and Caye Caulker last March/April and found it to be windier than our previous visits which were all in the summer - not sure if that's typical or a matter of luck. For a quick trip like yours having wind the whole time would be disappointing.

Thanks for taking the time to post such a detailed report!!

Oops - left Maya sites off the list.

Thanks for taking the time to write the report.

Thanks for your report. We've really enjoyed our trips to Belize - we loved staying at the Lamanai Outpost Lodge and hiking the ruins there, doing a sunset cruise to spot wildlife on the river, birding - we also saw howler monkeys every day. Also liked staying at Chaa Creek and going caving and over to Tikal to see the ruins. From Ambergris we had a very quick trip to the reef for some of the best snorkeling we've ever done with huge rays, sea turtles, and colorful tropical fish. Great restaurants in that area too. Victoria House has a beautiful beach, but it also has sea grass in the water.

I thank all of you for your comments. Patty's remark that "Belize ain't Africa" gave me a good laugh. You're right. I have been to Africa more times than I can remember, so experiences there have set the bar high in terms of wildlife.

I need to correct a misstatement in my initial report. I said that we drove to Hopkins to see some of the places mentioned in this forum. In fact, I got their names from another online site that you all probably know well. ZZ

If you like Africa, you might give Costa Rica a whirl. It's pretty fantastic for wildlife viewing. They have excellent fishing as well.