Belize? Somewhere else?

[zion zig zag]

Searched Belize but most stuff was about fishing (don't fish), I learned iceman hated it in like, 2005 (ancient history). I was looking at VRBO stuff on Caye Caulker, seems ok.

Where else should I consider, Honduras, CR? I have 4-6 days in February, airfare is not a concern but cost on the ground is, I don't want to waste half the trip traveling so bonus to direct or shorter flights. I don't want to stay at an all inclusive mega resort or places that are devoid of all local culture, I'd like to be able to walk to restaurants and bars, preferably without getting mugged. Girlfriend speaks fluent Spanish.

[Mazderati]

Haven't been to any of the islands off Belize, but I liked the island of Roatan better than the mainland of Belize. Snorkeling and diving in Belize was killer, though.

[XXX-er]

I jetted into Roatan from Miami and took a small russiian twin engine to Utila but that was in 96, a very cheap very chill small island, even tho Honduras is spanish they speak english on the bay islands cuz they are all descended from pirates I don't speak any spanish and got along fine

[Blurred]

San Ignacio, Belize has probably the coolest people I've ever met in my life. Stay away from Belize City....probably the sketchiest city I've ever been to.

[DasBlunt]

depends on what kind of "land" you like. here is a simple question to determine what would suit you best.

Which would you choose Florida/Los Angeles/San Diego......OR...... Bar Harbor Maine/ Half Moon Bay?

There are two answers for your choice.

If you picked Florida/LA, you will like Belize, and any Caribbean/gulf of mexico area.

If you picked ME/NORCAL, then you might enjoy a more Pacific experience, head to Costa Rica.

Equatorial comparisons in our area.

[Crampedon]

San Ignacio, Belize has probably the coolest people I've ever met in my life. Stay away from Belize City....probably the sketchiest city I've ever been to.

True. Great food up there. Stop at the Belize Zoo if you drive out from Belmopan or Belize city. Rainforest animals you will not see anywhere else. DO NOT cruz around B. City on foot day or night. Amazing ruins and pyramids near San Ignacio, but again sketchy. The guards and the ruins had machine guns, tourists had been robbed while the guards slept nearbye....

[skifishbum]

did ambergis caye last spring had a blast good snorklin, food, bicyclin round town, beachcombing etc
IT"S NEVER TO LATE TO FISH
shoot me a pm for lodging /more infu

[orlowskij]

My gf and I leave for Belize on Sunday, we'll be doing 3 days on the mainland and 4 on Caye Caulker in a rented house. TR to follow.

[teletripper]

I really dig Belize, and yes it can be a sketchy here and there, but it's all good. If you make to Hopkins say hi to Tricia at Tipple Tree for me. I can't get back there till next spring.

[iceman]

A friend of Tipp's has a place on Roatan Island, I was talking to the guy about it, sounded pretty schweet, I'd look at it at least.

[smmokan]

I'd recommend the South Carribbean coast of CR. I'm going to Punta Uva in March, staying in one of the top rated B&Bs in the country, for $90 a night including breakfast. Surfing, hiking, snorkeling, zip lines, a chill location... Sold me.

[DasBlunt]

I'd recommend the South Carribbean coast of CR. I'm going to Punta Uva in March, staying in one of the top rated B&Bs in the country, for $90 a night including breakfast. Surfing, hiking, snorkeling, zip lines, a chill location... Sold me.

90 a night is baller. Sweet way to thaw.

[Dhelihiker]

Belize rulz, Avoid hurricane season, stay on Caye Caulker, drink rum, scuba dive with sharks, snorkel with rays, street food, chillin like a mofo. The main land sucks

[zion zig zag]

Looks like Caye Caulker it is. The GF said I think too much and bought tickets today, going mid February.

[Blurred]

The main land sucks

Not true. Belize City sucks. Everything else in Belize is dope.

[Alaskan Rover]

Searched Belize but most stuff was about fishing (don't fish), I learned iceman hated it in like, 2005 (ancient history). I was looking at VRBO stuff on Caye Caulker, seems ok.

Where else should I consider, Honduras, CR? I have 4-6 days in February, airfare is not a concern but cost on the ground is, I don't want to waste half the trip traveling so bonus to direct or shorter flights. I don't want to stay at an all inclusive mega resort or places that are devoid of all local culture, I'd like to be able to walk to restaurants and bars, preferably without getting mugged. Girlfriend speaks fluent Spanish.

I don't know anything about the barrier islands...those cays that you're talking about...but I do know that is where the majority of the people head.

When I travel, I usually try and stay far away from 'those places' most people head to. The last thing I want to see when adv enturing around is a gaggle of American/Canadian tourists.

So when I was passing through Belize, I stayed for a few days in a guest house right by the seawall in downtown Belize City. Belize City is a fairly poor, fairly industrial city with little in the way of luxury that would attract American-style tourism...so I found it a good possibility for adventure.

And I was right. Ended up on a wild-ass trip on the back of this mad German's motorcycle with his girlfriend in a side-car going all through out these "flavella-type" ghettos of shacks trying to track down this kid that had ripped us off when we thought we were buying pot from him. Never found the kid or our money...but the adventures we had, asking various residents where this kid might be, being invited into various homes in the process and getting stoned loopy, then continuing the wild goose chase in a crazy stoned state turned out to be one of the most memorable, crazy adventures I've had in a long time.

Way more of an adventure than hanging out in the "tourist zone".

To find adventure, you have to get off of the beaten path...and yes, the possibility of being mugged is always there in such circumstance...but that depends upon how you carry yourself. We could have easily gotten mugged a bunch of times during that wild goose chase through the Belizean ghettos...but didn't...and we had great memories of it.

Sometimes danger justs adds an ingredient to the wonderful stew that is life, is all. The ultra-clean, safe tourist areas are the Cambell's Soup of life...I prefer home-made any day.

I suggest you give yourself a few more days for proper adventuring, though.


--

[zion zig zag]

I don't know anything about the barrier islands...those cays that you're talking about...but I do know that is where the majority of the people head.

When I travel, I usually try and stay far away from 'those places' most people head to. The last thing I want to see when adv enturing around is a gaggle of American/Canadian tourists.

So when I was passing through Belize, I stayed for a few days in a guest house right by the seawall in downtown Belize City. Belize City is a fairly poor, fairly industrial city with little in the way of luxury that would attract American-style tourism...so I found it a good possibility for adventure.

And I was right. Ended up on a wild-ass trip on the back of this mad German's motorcycle with his girlfriend in a side-car going all through out these "flavella-type" ghettos of shacks trying to track down this kid that had ripped us off when we thought we were buying pot from him. Never found the kid or our money...but the adventures we had, asking various residents where this kid might be, being invited into various homes in the process and getting stoned loopy, then continuing the wild goose chase in a crazy stoned state turned out to be one of the most memorable, crazy adventures I've had in a long time.

Way more of an adventure than hanging out in the "tourist zone".

To find adventure, you have to get off of the beaten path...and yes, the possibility of being mugged is always there in such circumstance...but that depends upon how you carry yourself. We could have easily gotten mugged a bunch of times during that wild goose chase through the Belizean ghettos...but didn't...and we had great memories of it.

Sometimes danger justs adds an ingredient to the wonderful stew that is life, is all. The ultra-clean, safe tourist areas are the Cambell's Soup of life...I prefer home-made any day.

I suggest you give yourself a few more days for proper adventuring, though.


--

Yeah....no. I can go walk through a ghetto and get stoned without flying somewhere to do it. Adventure to me is climbing in the Winds or skiing the Grand not walking through some town that doesn't really have any redeeming qualities to me. This trip is about getting away somewhere warm and relaxing with the girlfriend, seeing somewhere new and slowing down for a few days. Not that your trip doesn't have it's place, I'd just personally rather snorkel and kayak through a mangrove forest than walk in a ghetto. Besides, I don't think Caye Caulker is exactly a Sandals Beach Resort where the whole place is gated and Americanized.

[freezorburn]

I was there for my Honeymoon. it was awsome! But I don't like people... so an empty Island with a bar and blue water was perfect.


http://www.blackbirdresort.com/

[Tippster]

I'm going to Roatan over Christmas.

[BigKuba]

I leave for Akumal, Meheeco tomorrow morning for a week. My parents have been going there for a few years and like it -- they're cheap as shit but like low-key, quality vacationing. From what I understand:
- Fly to Cancun, drive 1.5-3 hrs south (so between Cancun and Belize, but closer to Cancun)
- 2br condo smack on the beach for $1000/wk
- Quiet, away from Cancun shit show
- Gulf coast, pretty fishes, relatively calm water
- Presumably lower chance of beheading than other popular vacation spots such as Ciudad Juarez

Will report back

[zion zig zag]

I'm going to Roatan over Christmas.

Yeah, I was gonna ask you about Roatan but apparently I was taking too long. TR when you get back?

[zion zig zag]

I was there for my Honeymoon. it was awsome! But I don't like people... so an empty Island with a bar and blue water was perfect.


http://www.blackbirdresort.com/

That looks awesome.

[Tippster]

Yeah, I was gonna ask you about Roatan but apparently I was taking too long. TR when you get back?

Will do. Super stoked.

[Dubbs]

My wife and I went to Belize a couple years ago and loved it. We stayed on Ambergris Caye about a 10 minute boat ride north of San Pedro. I would recommend that place, but they went out of business. San Pedro is a very cool town. We flew into Caye Caulker on the way and it seemed even more sleepy. We didn't really spend any time in Belize City because we heard it was sketchy. We did go to the mainland though. We went cave tubing and checked out some ruins, which made for a great day. I would recommend hiring your own guide if you venture to the mainland. He drove us around so we didn't have to rent a car and timed our arrival at our destinations to avoid the cruise ship crowds.

I've also been to Roatan. It was way more Americanized, but also very nice. Superior diving there. I went with Barefoot Divers. You'll have a good time, Tipp. The cruise crowds stick to the west side of the island. If we ever go back I'd like to stay somewhere east and on the north shore. Things get less developed as you travel east.

[Dubbs]

In all our travels our favorite place so far was Nicaragua. Granted, we were on our honeymoon and as a wedding gift, my folks paid for the trip. We stayed at Morgan's Rock, which is way out of our usual price range. But if you can swing it, I would highly recommend it. Nicaragua is very poor (the poorest in Central America, but the people are nice and the country is beautiful. It reminded me of Costa Rica, but much less developed/Americanized.