Belize Hotels
Cayo Espanto - Belize’s most expensive resort
People who’ve visited other Caribbean resort destinations before are often surprised at how affordable resorts in Belize can be in comparison. You might be able to add the super-rich to that group because according to a 2006 CDNN article on the World’s 10 Most Expensive Resorts, the Cayo Espanto private island/resort only ranks 9th on that list (although prices for 2008 are $200 per night higher than in the article).
Date: January 4th, 2008 |
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Tropical Wings Nature Center and the Trek Stop cabins
Many of us automatically think of the beach when we think of Belize, which is a bit ironic since the country isn’t really known for great beaches outside of the Placencia Peninsula. But lets head inland now for a visit to the Tropical Wings Nature Center near San Ignacio.
UPDATE: For a first-hand recommendation from one of our friends about this cool place, please see the recommendation below.
This eco-center is on 22 acres of second growth forest, and the main feature is their butterfly house and the related exhibits, but there is a lot more going on, including a “green lodging” facility that has cheap cabins and various amenities for travelers and day-visitors.
Date: December 25th, 2007 |
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Belize’s Toucan Trail - socially conscious and affordable travel
For those looking for a week-long getaway from their stressful lives at home, Belize has got you covered with loads of posh yet surprisingly affordable places to stay on or near its Caribbean Sea shores. But if you are more of a backpacker than a sunbather, the Belize Tourism Board has a very interesting program you should know about.
Date: December 11th, 2007 |
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The slow way from Caye Caulker to Placencia - Raggamuffin Tours
Belize is a small country with quite a few different flavors in different regions so it’s nice to be able to connect at least 2 or 3 when you visit for a week or more. They have fixed-price flights between all the major areas, and obviously those are the fastest way to get from one place to another, but for something different you might try Raggamuffin Tours’ 3-day/2-night sailing/snorkeling/camping tours leaving twice a week from Caye Caulker.
As long as at least 8 people have signed up, each Tuesday and Friday morning the company sets a course for adventure toward the somewhat remote peninsula in the south of the country that is known for having the nation’s finest beaches. The cost is US$250 per person, which may sound like a lot at first, but it comes with all the equipment you need for 3 days of snorkeling, fishing, and camping on secluded islands with your group, and all your food and drinks as well.
Date: November 27th, 2007 |
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Weddings in Belize
These days, huge weddings where the couple invites everyone they or their parents have ever met are for suckers. Why spend $50,000 on a big place only so all those ingrates can bitch and moan about having to attend, and then in return they give you some consumer item you’ve requested that will go unused up until the day you sell it in a garage sale? Nope, the smart money is all about a limited group of family and friends jetting off to some exotic location like Belize.
Ambergris Caye is the most popular spot for weddings in Belize, and also the most popular spot for honeymoons. There are more boutique and upscale mini-resorts on the island than there are in the rest of the country combined, so the choices are great. Your Caribbean-themed Belize wedding can be far less expensive than a similar ceremony in Hawaii or other South Pacific island. Getting married in an exotic place like Belize is so nice it’s almost worth marrying someone you know you are incompatible with just for the sake of doing it.
Date: November 13th, 2007 |
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January in Belize
January is prime visiting season in Belize, and strangely there aren’t many special events that help define the season. This is probably the best time of the year to visit Belize and there is plenty to do in this tiny Caribbean country as it is, so the fact that you won’t be distracted by strange local events really doesn’t matter much.
January events in Belize
New Year’s Day – There is a dodgy-sounding horse race in a small town called Burrell Boom Village, which is about 30 km northwest of Belize City. It’s well off the beaten path so you’d probably have to plan a part of your trip around being in this village in order to see the race, which is sure to be entertaining and also sure to be a good way to lose all your money if you got involved in the gambling side of things.
New Year’s Day (again) – The annual KREM bicycle race from the Orange Walk city center in Corozal to Belize City. KREM is a TV and radio station in Belize and they sponsor this 50-mile race every January 1 in several different classes.
Date: January 1st, 2008 |
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Belize Photos - now online
If you’ve visited places like Cancun or Hawaii, and you are considering going to Belize at some point, you might be shocked at how incredibly different this tiny Central American country is from the more famous tropical destinations. Everything in the country moves slowly, and until very recently, there has been almost no outside influence on the tourism scene. There are no chain hotels or restaurants, and most of the more popular places have few, if any paved streets. It’s a whole different experience.
So with that in mind, we are very happy to share this new feature with you. We’ve added a Belize Photos section with a bunch of our own shots from our own recent trips to the country. In this first set you’ll see highlights of Caye Caulker, Ambergris Caye, and Placencia, but we plan on adding more in 2008.
Date: December 18th, 2007 |
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December in Belize
The winter in North America is the ideal time to visit Belize for quite a few different reasons. Not only is it almost always warm in this tiny Central American country on the Caribbean, but the dry season starts in mid-November so the climate is usually near perfect in December. Starting around the end of December it can actually get a bit chilly in Belize, even on the islands and beaches, but most of the month is solidly pleasant.
Date: December 4th, 2007 |
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Maya Beach Hotel - gourmet serenity on the Placencia Peninsula
If you’ve ever dreamed of leaving the rat race and opening up a hotel, restaurant, or bar in a tropical paradise, you are not alone. To do some in-depth research you might want to book yourself into the Maya Beach Hotel on Placencia Peninsula in Belize and ask John and Ellen Lee exactly how they pulled it off.
The Maya Beach Hotel has five rooms of its own, but they also manage five other nearby properties of different shapes and sizes, and those are also available for short-term bookings most of the year. They are about midway on the 17-mile-long Placencia Peninsula that has its only real village at the extreme tip. But the hotel is walking distance from several small restaurants and a small local store, so this isolation comes with a sprinkling of variety.
Date: November 20th, 2007 |
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Placencia Hotels
The hotel and guesthouse scene in Placencia is similar in many ways to that of Caye Caulker and San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, and in many ways Placencia is somewhere in between the vibe of those famous offshore islands. It’s not quite as backpacker/hippie friendly as Caye Caulker, and it doesn’t have nearly as many posh mini-resort options as Ambergris, but it does have far better beaches than either of them so this is a big magnet for anyone who likes peacefully lazing around on the sand during their Caribbean holiday.
Getting to Placencia
Getting to Placencia is the trickiest part. It’s easiest to reach on a 40-minute flight from one of the two airports near Belize City, but those flights aren’t exactly cheap. You can take a combination of two cheap buses from Belize City, but that will take you 4 or more hours and the timing can be tricky.
Date: November 5th, 2007 |
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