Personal Tour Guide for Belize And To Travel Up The Coast
 

My boyfriend and I are are traveling to Belize and Cancun for a week in January. Our plan is to stay in Belize for 2-3 days and make our way up the coast to Cancun and explore.
Does anyone know of a personal tour guide that we could pay for a week to take us from Belize to Cancun (safely) and to see the sights along the way? If not what are your recommendations on making it up from Belize to Cancun safely? Thanks!

Are you flying into 1 and out of the other? I really love Belize - seems a shame to only devote 2-3 days there. :(

An alterative is for us to make our base camp in Belize City and rent a car to visit the sites within a 2 hour drive. Then find transportation to Cancun

Are there any do's and don'ts for this area regarding areas to see and don’t see?

What are the options for transportation from Belize City to Cancun?

We hope to fly into Belize, explore, make our way up to Cancun and fly out of Cancun

It's so much cheaper to just take the bus. Where do you plan on spending your few days in Belize? If on Ambergris, you can fly to Corozal and transfer across the border. Or, if you travel on the weekend, take a water taxi from San Pedro to Chetumal.

You really don't need a tour guide.

Here's my 2 cents' worth for you to take or leave as you wish. With just a week I'd pick either Belize or the Yucatan, not both. You're going to lose at least a day making the trip between and if you do it in pieces you'll be moving every night. Imo splitting your week between 2 bases is plenty.

Most of us who visit Belize avoid Belize City. With a week you could head inland to the San Ignacio area to visit ruins and caves and do a bit of hiking, then head back to Belize City and ferry to either Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker (smaller, less built up, more budget options) for some blue water time.

In the Yucatan you could head inland (Valladolid?) for a taste of a colonial city and some ruins, then hit the beach (Tulum? Akumal?) before heading home.

Tell us what your interests and general budget are and we can help you more.

Thank you. We have never been to Belize or Central America. We will spend a couple of days playing, diving and resting in Cancun prior to heading back to the States. What would you recommend we see / do in Belize? ATM?

We are now thinking of spending 3 (full) days in San Ignacio and then 3 (full) days in San Pedro. Any recommendations on places to go and stay?

BETTER PLAN! ATM cave is amazing. Tikal in Guatemala is amazing and can be done as a day trip, though an overnighter is better. If you're not a total ruins junky checking out Xunantunich and Cahal Pech near/in San Ignacio is easy and they're both very nice, though not as huge as Caracol (a long day trip from San Ignacio) or Tikal. You could also visit Lamanai as a long day trip from Ambergris.

We chose Caulker over Ambergris so I can't help on accommodations there. Places in the Cayo district we've loved (all for very different reasons) are linked below and there's a link there to our photos with travelogue/blog links on the main pages (Tikal photos in the Guatemala 2007 and 2009 collections as well as Belize 2003).

If you tell us your budget/comfort level and interests in lodging (fancy, jungle, pool, all inclusive, not all inclusive, etc.) we can help you more.

ATM CAVE: http://www.pacztours.net/pages/tours/ATM.html

THE TREK STOP: www.thetrekstop.com
MACAL RIVER JUNGLE CAMP: www.belize-camp.com
which is the cheaper, junglier part of www.chaacreek.com
THE AGUADA: www.aguadahotel.com
CAVES BRANCH: www.cavesbranch.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

While in San Ignacio, we would like a safe, comfortable place with electricity, air conditioning?, and indoor plumbing. I like the idea of a Jungle atmosphere but do not want to be so removed that booking tours and transportation is hindered.

At this point, I have no preference of Caulker over Ambergris. We want to have a safe place similar to San Ignacio, with beach access/views and access to snorkeling, SCUBA, local dining and drinking holes. Do you have a recommendation for Caulker?

I am far from wealthy. But, an not looking at the under $30 USD per night route either.

Thank you

If they're not booked up, check out Macal River Jungle Camp: great jungle setting (we saw iguanas and motmots and toucans and parrots from our hammocks), sweet tent/cabins, great camp host (Dolcio - hope he's still there), delicious food, hiking trails, access to canoes and all the goodies at Chaa Creek: pool, natural history museum, butterfly place, internet, tours. No electricity, shared bathrooms, hot showers; Dolcio goes around before dinner lighting kerosene lanterns in the cabins and along the walkways. I think it's still $55/night/pp which includes dinner and breakfast. Chaa Creek's tours have a great reputation but are a bit spendy.

For a great budget option, check out the Trek Stop which is in an old mango orchard, wildish but not a jungle. The Caribbean pine cabins are cute, composting toilets, solar showers, rustic share kitchen and you can shop at the Chinese grocery in the village of San José Succotz. The cabins have electricity for lights and fans but no ac. The owners are really helpful and it's a great, easy jumping off place for tours; in fact, you can hike to Xunantunich from there. I think it's $25-35/double per night.

The Aguada is a fantastic hotel across the bridge from San Ignacio in Santa Elena. We had a huge room with ac and a kitchenette and there's a pool and a good onsite restaurant; tour folks like Pacz picked us up and dropped us off there.

Caves Branch is south of Belmopan, great jungle setting but they've gone all resortish and, though their tours are amazing, it's really expensive.

On Caulker Sailwinds is great - full 1 bedroom suites with kitchens, ac, right on the beach near the docks. We were there in the summer, though, and if I remember right the price nearly doubles during high season. Here's a link:
http://www.staycayecaulker.com/sailwinds.html

You can also check out the Toucan Trail section of the Belize Forum for budget to mid priced options: www.belizeforum.com

Keep us posted!

A few years ago we spent a couple of nights at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel. The room was ok, the place has tennis courts, a nice pool and a very pretty short hiking trail. There's also an iguana nursery on site. Also a bar and restaurant.

The location is walking distance to San Ignacio, but it's a steep hill back to the hotel. We decided that for our next trip to the area, we'll either stay at a true jungle lodge or right in town at Martha's.

A bit further away from town, and right by the ruins of the same name is Cahal Pech. We did a short walk about the property, I'd certainly be happy there.

Casa Blanca gets high marks in town, too. We considered it for last summer but it was booked 6 months in advance for our dates. Aguada was perfect for our needs last summer but there are lots of great options.

Frommer's recommends De Real Macaw as a moderatly priced option in Caulker http://www.frommers.com/destinations...er/H32327.html
Check it out. I think it is charming, comfortable, clean, and vry affordable.

Thanks Hopefulist and all!

All we ask in return is a travelogue. ;)