Underrated Tropical Paradise: Plan a Trip to Belize Now!

02 Dec Underrated Tropical Paradise: Plan a Trip to Belize Now!

Posted at 19:00h in Belize, Blog, Central America, Travel, Travel guides by Carmelisse 3 Comments

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Underrated Tropical Paradise: Plan a Trip to Belize Now! | Here and Air

So you’re planning a trip to Belize huh? Congratulations on discovering this underrated tropical getaway! I’m surprised not many people know about this beautiful country.

If however, you just happened to stumble upon this and it’s your first time hearing about Belize, here’s a quick introduction:

Belize is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico, Guatemala, and the Caribbean Sea. English is their official language; Spanish and Creole are also common.

Underrated Tropical Paradise: Plan a Trip to Belize Now! | Here and Air

WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT BELIZE

1. Short flight: From most places in the U.S., Belize is only about a 5-8 hour flight. This is great for travelers who don’t have a great deal of time.

2. Cheap Airfare: You can score tickets right now for about $300-$500 roundtrip.

3. English is their official language: You won’t have problems speaking to locals because everyone speaks English.

4. You can use U.S. Dollars: U.S. dollars are accepted so you don’t need to convert to Belizean dollars. Also, $1 = $2 Belize dollars so it’s an easy calculation.

5. The food is high quality and cheap: I’m not lying when I say that I ate lobster dinners every single night (sometimes twice in a day). I mean, $10 lobster dinners? yes please! Belizean food is a diverse mix of Mayan, Indian, Creole, and many more.

6. The weather: The weather in Belize is pretty warm all year round. So escape the snow storms and have a summer vacation in Belize!

7. A unique snorkeling experience: Belize has the second largest barrier reef in the world. You’ll get to swim with some amazing marine life like sting rays, sea turtles, and sharks!

8. Home of the Great Blue Hole: Don’t know what this is? Google it now.

9. Jaguar Preserve: We didn’t get to do this last time, but apparently Belize is the only place in the world with a Jaguar Preserve.

10. Maya Ruins: Belize has some of the most spectacular mayan temple sites to explore.

These are just to list a few.

Underrated Tropical Paradise: Plan a Trip to Belize Now! | Here and Air

DO I NEED A VISA TO VISIT BELIZE?

According to Belize Immigration:

“All visitors must travel to Belize on a valid passport (non-expired). The passport must be valid for no less than six months after the intended period of stay in Belize.

Nationals of the following countries do NOT require a visa to enter Belize as a tourist for a period of 30 days

Citizens of the European Union Member States (EU)
Citizens of the Caribbean Community Member States (CARICOM)
Citizens of the United States of America and dependent territories
Costa Rica
Chile
Guatemala
Iceland
Mexico
Norway
South Africa
Switzerland
Tunisia
Uruguay
Citizens of the Commonwealth Realms & Monarchies

Nationals of most other countries REQUIRE a visa to enter Belize“

IS IT SAFE?

Any place can be dangerous if you don’t use common sense. Avoid staying in Belize City, stay out of sketchy places (where people don’t go), and do your research. As far as I’m concerned, Belize is safe enough to visit.

Underrated Tropical Paradise: Plan a Trip to Belize Now! | Here and Air

GETTING TO BELIZE

Wherever you’re flying from, the most popular airport to fly into is the Philip S.W. Goodson International Airport (BZE). This will take you to Belize City, but I don’t recommend staying here because it’s not the cleanest and safest place to be.

Where should you stay, you ask? Read on.

WHERE TO STAY IN BELIZE

There of plenty of places to stay in Belize. The most popular places are on an island in either Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye. I personally liked Caye Caulker better because it was less crowded, cleaner, not as commercialized, and the people were friendlier. Ambergris Caye is more of a touristy party island, so if that’s your kind of thing, then by all means stay in Ambergris Caye.

Underrated Tropical Paradise: Plan a Trip to Belize Now! | Here and Air

Caye Caulker – Cleaner Water

CAYE CAULKER

Pros:
- Less touristy and not as crowded
- Cleaner
- Water is bluer
- “Homey” feel
- The island is about 4 miles long, but the town is only about a mile long. So you can get around or walk the entire thing without taking any taxis or anything.
- Cheaper
- Most hotels are beachfront, if not a few minutes away from water!
Cons
- Smaller island
- Less restaurants

Ambergris Caye – Dirtier Water

AMBERGRIS CAYE

Pros:
- Bigger island
- Better resorts
Cons
- Commercialized
- More expensive
- Not as “homey”
- Water is not as blue (dirtier water)
- Bigger island, so walking to places is a bit more difficult
- Touristy

*Note

Caye is pronounced as “key”. Don’t ask me why.

Placencia

One of the places we wish we had gone to was Placencia. From what I’ve heard, it’s a gorgeous paradise with the finest beaches. But it’s quite a ways from Belize City. You will need to travel by plane, shuttle van, bus, or rental car to get there. A shuttle van will typically take 3.5 hours.

Most hotels in Caye Caulker will be beachfront. We stayed at the Tropical Paradise Hotel 1 in Caye Caulker. We spent about $40 per night. It was right on the beach and it had a private dock for guests. You can also stay at hostels if you’re on a budget.

Get an Air Conditioned Hotel

When choosing a hotel, I recommend getting one with air conditioning because it can get really humid! You won’t regret it.

Underrated Tropical Paradise: Plan a Trip to Belize Now! | Here and Air

HOW TO GET TO CAYE CAULKER OR AMBERGRIS CAYE

From the airport, take a taxi to the water taxi terminal. So many taxis, I know. You’ll get a hang of it eventually. It should cost about $20.

Once you get to the water taxi, you will check-in your luggage (if you have any) and purchase one-way or roundtrip tickets to your destination. If you want to get to Ambergris Caye, take the boat ride to San Pedro.

Here is the water taxi schedule: http://www.belizewatertaxi.com/schedule

How long is the boat ride?

From Belize to San Pedro (vice versa) – approximately 1 hr 30 mins
From Belize to Caye Caulker (vice versa) – approximately 45 mins
From Caye Caulker to San Pedro (vice versa) – approximately 30 mins

Underrated Tropical Paradise: Plan a Trip to Belize Now! | Here and Air

SHOULD YOU RENT A CAR? (hint: no)

NO. Getting around Belize is a breeze! Chances are, you’re going to be spending most of your time on the islands. It would be ridiculous to bring your car across a body of water to the islands. I don’t even think they’ll let you do that.

Unless you plan on staying in Belize City, don’t rent a car.

Transportations

Taxis
Water Taxis
Golf Carts
Rental Cars
Planes
Buses
Shuttle vans
Helicopter
Horses (hehe)
Walking

There are plenty of golf carts they call “taxis” on the island. If you’re staying in Caye Caulker, you can walk everywhere! Golf carts are also available for rent, but seriously, just walk…it’s not that big of deal.

Underrated Tropical Paradise: Plan a Trip to Belize Now! | Here and Air

BELIZE ESSENTIALS

In addition to your travel basics, you should also bring:

BUG SPRAY: Or buy one on the island.
Motion sickness pills: for boat rides, snorkeling, flying over the blue hole, etc.
Other pills to alleviate other sicknesses: allergies, diarrhea, headaches, etc.
Sunscreen: because you will get burnt!
A small first aid kit: you never know.
Cash: debit and credit cards are also accepted, but some places will only accept cash
A waterproof camera or GoPro: make those memories last
Beach towels: you need a way to dry up after a good swim
A backpack: for your daily activities
Plastic Bags: for your wet clothes
Hats and sunglasses: protect yourselves

WHAT TO DO IN BELIZE

Stay posted for my next post on the ultimate adventures in Belize! But in the meantime, plan a trip to Belize now!

If you’ve been to Belize before, let me know how your trip went by commenting below. Don’t forget to subscribe if you enjoyed this post. 🙂

xx,

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Underrated Tropical Paradise: Plan a Trip to Belize Now!