lightfoot33

My husband and I are trying to decide where to take a week's vacation in or around March. There is so much information out there that we are having trouble narrowing down our choices. We want a location that offers great diving, wildlife, local culture and beaches. Obviously, safety is a requirement as well. We like our vacations to be a balance of very active days (hiking, diving, etc.) and days were we can just relax and enjoy the local scene.

Without doing too much research, Belize and Costa Rica currently top our lists, but we are also intrigued by places like Roatan (although Honduras seems to sometimes make it's way onto the US State Dept's Travel Advisory list).

We have used this board a lot for specific travel questions in the past, but I realize this is a very broad post, so any insights (even if it's just pointing us to a good source of information) is greatly appreciated!

suze

I think any of those places offer what you describe! How about going to the library and checking out whatever guidebooks they have for each place? I like to look at the photographs, maps, read general description of things. I find researching this kind of broad question on the internet toooo confusing at the start of a trip planning process.

lightfoot33

Thanks Suze. The library (or a bookstore) is definitely on my list of places to go for research. The only problem with guidebooks that I run into is that they always paint most places in such a good light, that's it's hard to always get a real perspective.

volcanogirl

If your focus is more on diving, I'd probably go with Belize. If your focus is wildlife, I'd go with Costa Rica. I'd be worried about the political upheaval in Honduras.

suze

It's not so much for the reading... more for the photos. I've planned entire trips because I liked the look of one photograph!

hipvirgochick

Agree with Suze about checking out the guides and resources. I do believe all places have what your looking for it's just what do you want more of? Cano Island is world class diving in Costa Rica, but limited time of year for the best, clear water. Top notch though for wildlife. You might look at the Osa and Dominical area if you're leaning towards Costa Rica. Haven't been to Belize or Roatan yet.

lightfoot33

Thanks for the feedback. I am a total wildlife junkie (more so than my husband) which makes Costa Rica appealing, but the diving in Belize is too hard to ignore. My husband and I are both certified, and our last few dives have pretty intense (due to a cyclone and zero visibility at the GBR and extra cold temperatures and currents in Monterey, CA) so we are looking forward to some more tropical climates and clearer waters.

I think if we choose to go to Belize, then we will definitely still keep Costa Rica on our radar for the future.

Patty

Places in Belize that I've personally experienced with better wildlife viewing are Lamanai or Chan Chich (my trip report from this past Feb/Mar http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...ebmar-2009.cfm) but they're located inland so you'd need to split your stay (though Lamanai is possible as a fairly long day trip from Ambergris or Caulker). Not sure if you're open to that or if you prefer to stay in one location for the week and focus on diving.

Another option might be Thatch Caye which would offer convenient access to diving. They have some rescued animals on the island but are not wild or native to the island.

jetsetj

suze, i too am gulity of that.

hopefulist

I can vouch for Belize and Honduras - both fabulous for all the things you're interested in and more. My photos and travelogues with recommendations are linked below if you're interested. Keep us posted!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

Shooie

Belize sounds perfect for what you want. I second the vote for Chan Chich for the jungle portion--remote and jungly and the lodge is actually built over an unexcavated ruin.

lightfoot33

Chan Chich looks amazing... I would love to spend our first few days there before heading out to the coast. If we fly into Belize City, would you recommend a charter flight to Chan Chich, or land transportation? I am still familiarizing myself with the best way to make our way around Belize.

lightfoot33

Sorry, I should have read Patty's trip report before replying... After reading that report, I think that a couple days in Lamanai might be a better fit for us. The level of luxury at Chan Chich is a little more than we are used to and not to mention, Lamanai keeps us a little closer to the coast, which is where we are ultimately headed.

SnR

I haven't been to any of the places you are looking at, but have done pretty extensive research on Belize, especially for snorkeling. You might be interested in staying on one of the offshore atolls. We are looking at Blackbird Caye Resort. They take you snorkeling in our case or diving in yours twice a day everyday and to the Blue Hole on Tuesdays. There isn't alot to do except look at "wildlife" in the water, but that is supposed to be outstanding. Blackbird has a naturalist that is available or maybe speaks in the evenings. There is a research station of some sort on the same atoll. We hope to be there next Nov. There are other resorts on other atolls that cater to divers more than Blackbird, but we haven't researched them for obvious reasons. We are also planning on going to Lamanai Outpost Lodge and a place on Ambergris Caye. Be aware that there is no shore diving/snorkeling on Ambergris, but the reef is a short (10 minutes I have read) boat ride away and there are trips to a protected area with loads of fish, nurse sharks and sting rays that people feed and "pet". Happy planning and good luck finding what you are looking for!
Sally in Seattle
p.s. then please come back and post a trip report!

lightfoot33

Thanks Sally - You have definitely done more research then we have! I think our next decision is deciding whether (in addition to Lamanai) we want to stay on Ambergris or Caulker Caye. That might warrant a post of its own, since I am hoping that there are plenty of people who could chime in on their opinion.

hopefulist

We chose Caulker and loved it, though we were surprised how much more expensive it was than the Bay Islands of Honduras. Based on lots of comments from Ambergris fans who feel Caulker is too small and slow-paced for them, we have no interest in Ambergris.

You might try a search first before starting a new thread - here and on the Belize Forum - since this has been debated before.
www.belizeforum.com

cher4

I've been to Costa Rica, Honduras and Belize. If safety is a priority go to Belize. Costa Rica is not what the guide books make it out to be! The beaches on the Pacific side quite often have undertows therefore forget snorkeling. I did not go to the Caribbean side as the locals said it is not safe. The only wildlife I saw in 3 weeks was two-legged. Roatan has one of the most beautiful beaches in the world with great diving and
snorkeling but it might not be the best place to visit this year! There is not much to do on the island but play in the water which is great if that is what you like. Both Costa Rica and Honduras have hotter weather than Belize but Belize has much more to offer. If you want to snorkel take a sailboat trip from Ambergris or Caye Caulker to Placencia then bus back north and see the sights in the country. You will wish you had a month to see it all. I've been 3 times and still have some must-sees on my list. Have fun.

JeanH

I'm one of those that prefers Ambergris to Caulker. Yes, it is busier. There are even occasional mini traffic jams around the airstrip. There are also way more choices for food, lodging, and entertainment.

I have spent a few nights on Caulker. It's got a very pleasant laid back vibe. What it really doesn't have is beaches. It's also really small.

On Ambergris, you can walk or bike for miles along the beach.

If you don't hang around the downtown area, it certainly doesn't feel crowded. Even downtown, it's only crowded as compared to other places in Belize. San Pedro is still very much a small town.

shillmac

Costa Rica hands down for wildlife. We've had amazing experiences over the past decade and have never failed to see tons of wildlife, all over the country. The Caribbean side is as amazing as the rest of the country, with a different vibe. We have never felt threatened, but realize that an incident could happen anytime, anywhere, Costa Rica or elsewhere popular with tourists.

That said, our one trip to Belize last March was awesome, and we aren't divers. It is a diver's paradise, and the inland area (we were at Chaa Creek near San Ignacio) was amazing. Not a lot of wildlife, but great birding. We did ATM cave and Tikal, loved it all. We wish we had had time to explore Lamanai--and lots of other areas of the country. We split our time between Chaa Creek and Ambergris and loved Ambergris. Enjoyed the biking (as JeanH mentioned), the snorkeling, exploring San Pedro, the dining options, loved everything about it. No doubt we would have liked some of the more laid back areas as well--for different reasons, but Ambergris, in our opinion, was awesome.

Costa Rica is under our skin, in our hearts. The people are amazing. But we'd go back to Belize any time--in a heartbeat.