Belize is a very casual country. You don’t need evening clothes or even a coat and tie or other U.S.A.style business dress. You’ll live in tee shirts, shorts, loose-fitting slacks and shirts.
A really dressy occasion for men might require a guayaberra or collared long-sleeved shirt and long pants; for women a simple skirt or dress. Leave all your fancy jewelry and Rolex watches at home. They will impress only thieves.
Here are ideas for your packing list: - Lightweight cotton clothes or quick-drying cotton or synthetic blends. Comfortable walking shoes.
Extra swimsuits. Maps, guidebooks and reading material. If available at all in Belize, these will cost more than back home and may be out of date.
Cap or hat, be sure it’s one that won’t blow off in windy conditions on the water. Sunglasses - the darker the better. Small flashlight with extra batteries, baggies in various sizes, a roll of duct tape, a large garbage bag, pen and writing pad, and Swiss Army-style knife — with these you can go anywhere and do anything.
Extra film or the digital equivalent, plus spare battery - you’ll shoot many more photos in Belize than you think you will. Film is readily available in Belize, but it’s expensive.
Health kit consisting of your prescription medicines and a copy of your eyeglass prescription, plus aspirin, insect spray with 30% DEET, sunscreen (more than you think you’ll need), baby oil or Avon Skin-So-Soft for sandflies, Pepto-Bismol or other tummy medicine.
Here are our picks for Belize’s best accommodations and dining establishments, in several categories. Remember, your mileage may vary.
Belize’s Best Jungle Lodges Blancaneaux Lodge, Mountain Pine Ridge Chan Chich Lodge, Gallon Jug, Orange Walk District duPlooy’s Lodge, Cayo Hidden Valley Inn, Mountain Pine Ridge Lamanai Outpost Lodge, Indian Church The Lodge at Big Falls, Toledo The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Cayo.
Best Lodges for Not a Ton of Money Cohune Palms, Bullet Tree, Cayo Crystal Paradise, Cayo Macal River Jungle Camp, Cayo Hickatee Cottages Lodge, Punta Gorda Sun Creek Lodge, Toledo.
Belize’s Other Notable Jungle Lodges Black Rock Lodge, Cayo Caves Branch Adventure Camp, Belmopan Ek’tun Lodge, Cayo Five Sisters Lodge, Mountain Pine Ridge Jaguar Paw, Belmopan Machaca Hill Lodge, Punta Gorda Pook’s Hill Lodge, Belmopan.
Belize’s Best Deluxe Beach Resorts Caye Chapel Island Resort, Caye Chapel Cayo Espanto, off Ambergris Caye Hamanasi, Hopkins Inn at Robert’s Grove, Placencia Turtle Inn, Placencia Turneffe Island Lodge, Turneffe Atoll Victoria House, Ambergris Caye.
Belize’s Best Barefoot Beach Hotels Barnacle Bill’s, Maya Beach (Placencia) Beaches and Dreams, Hopkins Maya Beach Hotel, Maya Beach (Placencia) Pelican’s Pouch (Pelican Beach), South Water Caye Tradewinds, Placencia.
Belize’s Best Value-Priced Beach Resorts Banana Beach, Ambergris Caye Corona del Mar, Ambergris Caye Mata Rocks, Ambergris Caye The Tides, Ambergris Caye San Pedro Holiday Hotel, Ambergris Caye Seaside Cabañas, Caye Caulker Westwind, Placencia.
Belize’s Most Romantic Hotels Blancaneaux Lodge, Mountain Pine Ridge Mata Chica, North Ambergris Caye Maruba Spa, Belize District Portofino, North Ambergris Caye Turtle Inn, Placencia Victoria House, Ambergris Caye.
Belize’s Best All-Inclusives Cotton Tree Lodge, Punta Gorda Kanantik, Hopkins Mopan River Resort, Benque Viejo del Carmen.
Belize’s Best Condotels Belizean Dreams, Hopkins Belizean Shores, North Ambergris Caye Blue Island Reef Resort, North Ambergris Caye Chabil Mar Villas, Placencia Grand Colony, Ambergris Caye The Palms, Ambergris Caye The Phoenix, Ambergris Caye Xanadu, Ambergris Caye.
Belize’s Best Most-for-Your-Money Lodging Cahal Pech Village, Cayo Casa Blanca Guest House, San Ignacio Clarissa Falls, Cayo Copa Banana, Corozal Town Hotel de la Fuente, Orange Walk Town Jungle Jeanie’s, Hopkins Lydia’s Guest House, Placencia Martha’s Guest House, San Ignacio Rubie’s, San Pedro Tipple Tree Beya, Hopkins Tobacco Caye Paradise, Tobacco Caye Tree Tops, Caye Caulker The Trek Stop, Cayo Yim Saan, Belmopan.
Belize’s Best Small Inns Casa Blanca by the Sea, Consejo Coral House Inn, Punta Gorda Great House, Belize City Iguana Reef Inn, Caye Caulker Seaside Cabanas, Caye Caulker.
Belize’s Best Deluxe Beach Houses Azul Resort, North Ambergris Caye La Perla del Caribe, North Ambergris Caye Seascape Villas, North Ambergris Caye Caye Chapel Island Resort (villas), Caye Chapel Cayo Espanto, near Ambergris Caye,
Belize’s Best Deluxe Inland AccommodationsBlancaneaux Lodge, Mountain Pine Ridge Ka’ana Boutique Resort and Spa, Cayo The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Cayo.
Belize’s Best B&Bs Changes in Latitudes, Ambergris Caye D’Nest Inn, Belize City Lazy Iguana B&B, Caye Caulker.
Belize’s Best-Run Hotels Banana Beach, Ambergris Caye Inn at Robert’s Grove, Placencia Lodge at Chaa Creek, Cayo Ramon’s Village, Ambergris Caye.
Belize’s Best Fishing Lodges El Pescador, North Ambergris Caye Machaca Hill Lodge, Punta Gorda Turneffe Flats, Turneffe Atoll
Belize’s Best Restaurants Blue Water Grill, Ambergris Caye The Bistro at Maya Beach Hotel, Maya Beach (Placencia) Harbour View, Belize City Rendezvous, North Ambergris Caye Rojo Lounge, North Ambergris Caye Palmilla, Victoria House, Ambergris Caye
Belize’s Other Notable Restaurants Barracuda Bar & Grill, Beaches and Dreams, Hopkins Casa Picasso, Ambergris Caye Chon Saan Palace, Belize City Cerros Beach Resort, Cerros, Corozal French Connection, Placencia Habaneros, Caye Caulker Inn at Robert’s Grove, Placencia Mambo, Mata Chica, North Ambergris Caye Papi’s, Ambergris Caye Patti’s Bistro, Corozal Town Rainbow Grill & Bar, Caye Caulker Rasta Pasta, Caye Caulker Riverside Tavern, Belize City Running W Steak House, San Ignacio Resort Hotel, Cayo The Smokey Mermaid, Belize City Tony’s Inn, Corozal Town Tutti Fruiti, Placencia (gelati) Wendy’s, Placencia Wild Mangos, Ambergris Caye
Belize’s Most Romantic Restaurants Capricorn, North Ambergris Caye Harbour View, Belize City Rojo Lounge, North Ambergris Caye Rendezvous, North Ambergris Caye.
Belize’s Most Atmospheric Watering Holes BC’s, Ambergris Caye I&I, Caye Caulker King Kassava, Hopkins Lazy Lizard, Caye Caulker. - Lan Sluder Belize First.
At present, five international airlines fly to Belize: American, Continental, Delta, USAir and TACA.
USAir has daily flights from Charlotte. Continental has two non-stop flights a day from Houston and a weekly flight from Newark. American has one daily non-stop from Dallas Fort-Worth and one from Miami.
Delta has daily flights from Atlanta and a weekly flight from Los Angeles. TACA at present has a non-stop from Houston. Its Miami flights to Belize City require a change of planes in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and its other flights stop in San Salvador, where TACA hubs.
The airlines use mostly 737 or other smaller equipment to Belize, with the usual tight seating in coach and grossly overpriced seating in first or business class.
Flights from Miami, Dallas, Charlotte and Houston take about two hours to two and a half hours.
At present there is no scheduled non-stop or direct service from Canada or Europe. In-season, there is one weekly charter from Toronto.
With the lengthening of the main runway at the international airport near Belize City, some service is expected to begin from Europe, perhaps in late 2008.
One of the chief complaints from Belize travelers is the high cost of airfare. Tickets from the U.S. to Cancun or Cozumel often are one-half the cost of tickets to Belize City.
From the chief gateways of Houston, Charlotte, Miami and DFW to Belize City, you can expect to pay US$350 to $800 round-trip.
Several airlines flying to Belize, notably USAir, occasionally have Internet specials with prices as low as US$300, but you have to act fast as the windows for purchase and travel are narrow. Our advice: Sign up for Internet fare notices on the airlines that fly to Belize
