thinking of going to belize
 

i have never been to belize. can anybody give me some input on the country, activities, safety, food. etc.

thanks

Belize is wonderful! Safe, good food, and English is the official language. It has outstanding snorkeling/diving/fishing as it is home to the 2nd largest coral reef in the world. Inland, there is lots to do and explore including exploring really cool caves, hiking, canoeing, and Mayan ruins. Check out belizeforum.com for more ideas.

We went as a family this past summer (kids 6 & 11) and had a blast. We stayed 3 nts at Chaa Creek (Cayo area) and 7 nts Banyan Bay (Ambergris Caye). Not sure what types of activities you enjoy but Belize offers a wide variety. I do not know how long of a trip your planning, but if it's longer than 5 or 6 nts I'd highly recommend staying in a cpl different areas. Enjoy!

We spent nearly a month in Belize 2 years ago and loved everything we did and everywhere we stayed. Here's a link to our travelogue in case you're interested:

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

Happy trails!

Thank you for the last report. My family is going to Belize in another week. I wonder if you feel that it is helpful to bring netting for the mosquitos or any other bugs.

Went to Belize a couple of years ago and found that most people do a surf and turf trip. Spending one week out on an island and the other on some inland activities. We stayed in simple accomodations without rewservations in San Ignacio. It was a safe town that was an excellent hub for exploring the jungles, caves and ruines. Food and adventures were cheap. Keep in mind that anything that involved car travel seemed to add greatly to the cost of our excursions.
I can compare the safety of Belize City to that of Mogodishu. Very unsafe especially at night. Had unsafe feeling about Dandriga also. But everywhere else was fine. It's a country worth seeing.

We didn't have mosquito nets and didn't miss them. There were almost no mozzies in the Cayo area or on the water (we went to Glover's Atoll) because the gentle sea breezes kept them away. The mozzies were FEROCIOUS at Cockscomb and Sittee River Village, so we hauled out the Sawyer's Time Release Deet bug stuff (recommended).

If you're sleeping out in hammocks or cabins without windows in buggy areas nets would be handy, but for most visitors to Belize, unnecessary in my opinion. Also, my best advice is PACK LIGHT (a carry-on sized bag each) so no net means less to haul around.

Happy trails...

Thanks for the info. My family leaves next Sunday. Now I just need to make arrangements for travel from Belize City to San Ignacio and then to Ambergris Caye. Any suggestions for the best way to go?

I'd rent a car to get to San Igancio. Gives you a lot more flexability, and the road from Belize City to San Igancio is an easy and interesting drive. If you went from Budget at the airport, you can return to their 'city' location and they'll take you to either the municipal airport or the water taxi terminal. We choose to fly, from Municipal it's less than $30.00 per person and a lovely 20 minute flight. Other people enjoy the water taxi, but it's closer to 90 minutes and can be wet. Most of the boats are open.

Where are you staying on AC? We'll be there Wednesday at the Belizean Reef. Leaving tomorrow for Caye Caulker.

We won't be in Ambergris until December 15. Thanks for the advice.