General information.

Clothes – The advice I saw given many times is to take half the clothes and twice the money. That is so true! I did need a long sleeve jacket at times and I did wear light trousers at times. Otherwise I was in sandals and shorts the whole trip. If you plan to do any of the cave expeditions it is important to have closed toed shoes to wear. We had our clothes laundered twice during our trip and this is easily arranged by your hotel or resort.

Money – You can spend as much or as little as you want in Belize. There is a wide choice of accommodation at different prices and the same goes for food. We took a combination of traveller’s cheques, cash and credit cards. USA money and travellers cheques seemed to be accepted everywhere. We withdrew money at the bank when we needed more cash.

Make sure that you have plenty of money for tips. On the whole, Belizeans do not earn good money. Your tips can mean the world of difference to them. We made sure that not only did our cleaners get tipped but the pool boy, bar staff, reception etc. If you wish to be generous there are a number of ways to do it. You can give money directly to people you meet to help them out. You can give money to a number of excellent local charities, or you can donate goods.

Transportation – There is a good bus service, which will get you to most places you need to go. You can hire cars and drive. This may work out to be expensive but in some areas it gives you a much better opportunity to explore. There are planes and water taxis. Be sensible about picking up any hitchhikers. There are road blocks by the police every so often and speed bumps at almost every village. There are often people and animals in the road as well as people driving on the ‘wrong’ side because of potholes. Drive carefully.

Crime – We live in a big, crime ridden city so we are probably over cautious in general. There are drug problems in Belize like everywhere else and crime follows. Be sensible. There was no time during our entire trip that we felt threatened or worried about our belongings (except when I stupidly left my money in the toilet).

Bugs – I was eaten by mosquitoes and sand flies. I used %100 Deet but I had no idea that it would melt my nail polish and just about everything else it came into contact with. If you are sensitive to bugs, do be prepared. It took about a month for all of the bites to disappear once I got home. Be careful about scorpions and check your bed and clothes before getting into them.

Food and Drink – The food was fantastic. I loved the local beef and pork. Butt bacon is really worth trying. There should be something for everyone whatever your taste and it is not just rice, beans and chicken. We tried some wine (never again!), tried the rum and cocktails but preferred Belikin. It is a lovely beer with a bit of a citrus kick.

Entertainment – We are not clubbers although there is some nightlife. We tried one or two bars on Ambergris Caye but it felt like we had gone to North America instead of Central America so we gave them all a miss. There is nothing wrong with large numbers of drunken ex pats, but on holiday we wanted more of a local experience. To be honest, our days were so full with activities that we were exhausted in the evening and up with every sunrise. All I can say is that there is so much to do there.