Belize Cool - Practical Information For Your Belize Trip

ABOVE: Mayan handicract on Ambergris Caye Beach.

By LAN SLUDER

PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR YOUR TRIP

The following is extracted from San Pedro Cool. You can download this Free eBook
in PDF format here.

About Belize: Belize (known as British Honduras from 1862 to 1973) is on the
Caribbean Coast of Central America, bordered by Mexico to the north and
Guatemala to the west and south. To the east is the Caribbean Sea. In Belize
waters are as many as 400 islands, most unpopulated specks of sand or mangrove.
Belize is about the size of the state of Massachusetts — 8,866 square miles —
with a population of about 300,000, about as many people as in metro Savannah,
Georgia, making it one of least densely populated countries in the hemisphere.
From north to south Belize is less than 200 miles in length, and at its widest
point it is less than 70 miles across. Ambergris Caye is in Northern Belize,
separated from Mexico’s Yucatán by only a narrow channel of water. In fact, at
some point in the geological past it was a stalactite hanging from the ceiling
of the Yucatán. The island is about 25 miles long and 1 to 4 miles wide.

Ambergris: No, you won’t find any whale vomit on the island. The waxy secretion
of sperm whales, prized for use in perfumes, is sometimes found floating in
tropical seas, but there is no convincing evidence that its presence on
Ambergris Caye was the source of the name. (Some amateur historians say it was,
however.) Locally, the island’s name is pronounced Am-BURR-griss. Caye is
pronounced key. Spanish speakers usually refer to a key as cayo, but one way it
is not pronounced is kay.

Banks: Retail banks on the island include Belize Bank, Alliance Bank, First
Caribbean International and Atlantic Bank, all on Barrier Reef Drive. Scotia
Bank is across from Tropic Air on Coconut Drive. Caye Bank, on Coconut Drive
south of town, is an international (offshore) bank and cannot do retail banking
in Belize. Belize and Alliance banks are in new buildings, and Atlantic Bank has
a new office under construction as of this writing. Belize Bank and Atlantic
Bank have ATM machines that accept foreign-issued ATM cards. You will be charged
a small fee, around US$2 by the bank, plus your home bank may also charge a fee.
You will get funds in Belize dollars. Cash advances with Visa or MasterCard bank
cards also are available on the island. There is a small fee, usually around
US$5, for the cash advance, in addition to whatever fee or interest your bank
card issuer may charge. If you are stuck in San Pedro without funds, friends or
family can wire money to you via a bank or Western Union.

Bargaining: In general, prices in Belize stores and shops are fixed, and there
is no bargaining. Of course, bargaining is an accepted practice for big-ticket
items such as real estate. For better prices at hotels, you may want to do some
low-key bargaining, especially in the off-season. Just say that you’re on a
budget and ask if any discounts are available. Ask: “Are there any discounts
now?” or “Is there a better rate?” Walk-in rates can be up to one-third off the
prevailing rack rate, especially from late August to early November. You may
also get a discounted rate by booking direct via the internet rather than
through a travel agency. Tour guides or dive shops might offer a better rate for
groups or repeat business.

Bugs: Surprise! Mosquitoes, sandflies (no-see-ums) and other noxious bugs are
not as big a problem on the island as you might think. San Pedro Town sprays for
mosquitoes. Only on North Ambergris and the far south of the island, mostly away
from the beach and the prevailing sea breezes, are mosquitoes a threat. Truth to
say, though, the mosquito level varies from year to year -- after rainy periods
outside of town they can be bothersome. There are sandflies in some areas of the
island, especially on North Ambergris, but they don’t even begin to match the
sandfly quotient around Hopkins or in South Carolina.

Business Hours: Most businesses open around 8 a.m. and close at 5 or 6 p.m. A
few close for lunch, usually from 1 to 2 p.m. Gift shops, groceries and some
other shops are open in the evening until 8 or 9 p.m. and also are open on
weekends and many holidays.

Cars/Golf Carts: Although there are privately owned cars and trucks on the
island (a permit from the San Pedro town council is required before you can
bring a vehicle in by barge), rental cars are not available on Ambergris Caye.
Golf carts are available from several companies on the island. Cart rentals cost
nearly as much as a car rental: around US$40 for an 8-hour rental, US$50 to $65
for a 24-hour day, and about US$250 for a week’s rental. Discounts may be
available off-season or for longer-term rentals. Among the cart rental companies
on the island are Cholo’s, Moncho’s, Castle Cars, Ultimate Golf Carts and Island
Adventures. Both electric and gas carts are available – if you’re doing a lot of
driving, you’ll want to get a gas cart. Valid driver licenses from your home
country are required to rent and operate carts. Most hotels can arrange cart
rental for you. For long-term stays, you can purchase a golf cart for US$2,000
and up. Keep in mind that maintenance and upkeep on carts can be expensive.
Replacing batteries can cost you several hundred dollars.

Cell Phones: In addition to an older analog system, Belize Telecommunications,
Ltd. now offers “Digicell,” a digital serv-ice on the GSM 1900 Mhz technology.
As with cell phone service nearly everywhere, cell plans in Belize are complex,
but BTL offers a package for US$50 a month that includes 200 minutes, and a
US$75 a month plan that includes 400 minutes. Generally, you can figure on
paying at least US25 cents a minute for cell service. You can also purchase pre-
paid cell service at a higher minute rate. Visitors to Belize can bring their
GSM 1900 cell phone and buy a SIM card for around US$25. You can also rent a
Digicell phone from BTL (at the office across the parking lot at the
International Airport) for US$5 a day (not including usage). SmartNet is a new
digital cell service that began operating in 2005 and offers lower rates than
BTL. Smart and BTL also have cellular internet service that start at around
US$50 a month.

Children: Kids are welcome at nearly all resorts on Ambergris Caye. Children of
all ages will have fun on the island, as long as their idea of fun isn’t limited
to malls and fast food restaurants. A hotel with a swimming pool is a must for
many families traveling with kids. Most hotels can arrange baby-sitting. It’s
generally safe for older children to explore the island on their own, but they
need to be warned about watching out for fast-moving cars on the island’s narrow
streets. Note that restaurants and bars on the island often are lax about
enforcing the drinking age of 18, and some young teens seize the opportunity to
try booze while on vacation. Drugs are present on the island, and your teenager
may well be approached by dealers selling grass, or harder drugs.

Churches: The majority of Belizeans are Catholic, and the largest church on the
island is the San Pedro Roman Catholic Church on Barrier Reef Drive. It has
masses in English and Spanish. Another Catholic church in the San Pablo
residential area was damaged by Hurricane Keith in 2000 and currently is closed.
Several other religious denominations also are represented on the island. Among
the churches are Assembly of God Church, San Pedro Baptist Church and Living
Word Church. Check with your hotel for times and places of servic-es. On the
mainland are many Catholic and Protestant churches, along with one mosque. There
is no temple but Jews meet in local homes in Belize City.

Climate: Ambergris Caye, like most of Belize, has a sub-tropical climate. Frosts
and freezes are unknown. Weather in San Pedro is similar to that in South
Florida, with temps ranging from the upper 50s F on the rare cool winter day to
above 90 on a hot summer day. From November through March, expect lows in the
low to mid 60s and highs in the low to mid 80s. The rest of the year, expect
lows in the low 70s and highs in the high 80s to low 90s. Prevailing winds off
the water keep beach and shore areas pleasant most of the time. Winds sometimes
go calm in summer, especially in August and September. Occasionally during the
late fall and winter “Northers” blow in, chilling the air and kicking up winds.
Ambergris Caye gets about 55 inches of rain a year, about the same as Atlanta.
July through November normally is the rainiest time on the island, but even
during this “rainy season” it is unusual to have long rainy periods, and sunny
weather returns after a day or two. Humidity is high, peaking in the summer at
above 80%. Most hotels on the island have air-conditioning.

Credit Cards: Most hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit cards, typically
MasterCard and VISA and sometimes American Express. Discover is not widely
accepted. Surcharges of up to 5% on credit card use are becoming less common but
are still applied by some businesses – ask before using your card. Crime: Most
visitors to Ambergris Caye feel entirely safe.

Dining: Ambergris Caye has by far the widest and best choice of restaurants in
Belize. The range is enormous, from street vendors who sell tacos for 50 U.S.
cents to simple burger and pizza places, to seafront restaurants where trendy
lobster or shrimp dishes go for US$30 or more and an icy mojito or martini will
set you back ten or twelve bucks. In general, restaurant prices in San Pedro are
about the same as in a resort area of the U.S., such as Florida. (See the Dining
sections below for more information on restaurants.)

Dress: Belize is a casual place, and San Pedro is even more casual than the rest
of the country. You don’t need evening clothes or a coat and tie or other U.S.-
style business dress. You’ll live in tee-shirts and shorts. A really dressy
occasion for men might require a guayabera or collared short-sleeve shirt and
khakis, and for women a casual resort dress.

Lan Sluder is the author of Fodor's Belize 2007, Living Abroad in Belize, San Pedro Cool and other books on Belize.  He has been banging around Belize for nearly 16 years.  His web site is at www.belizefirst.com.