We found a pretty remarkable hotel in the jungles of Belize. It boasts some pretty spectacular activities and had jungle themed rooms. The activities list includes zip lining, kayaking, waterfalls and otherwise jungle appropriate sites and adventures. You’ll note that a couple of the activities listed are those that Liz and I interested in trying when we hit the great country of Belize.

Today Courtney and I went to Barnes and Noble to do some research on Belize.

The Barnes and Noble in Chestnut Hill, MA disappointed me. They only had three books on Belize that were mostly tourist related. I was looking for more information on Belize, from history to culture to current day information. While the books were targeted for tourists, we did sit down in front of the window to review the books: Frommer’s Belize (Frommer’s Complete), The Rough Guide to Belize 4 (Rough Guide Travel Guides), and Fodor’s Belize 3rd Edition.

We decided in regards to accommodations that it might make sense to stay a few days in one accommodation and a few in another and so on. With that being said, it might be smartest to rent a car to keep our luggage in in between locations but also it’ll allow us to travel easily to the next location and not waste more time than needed on public transportation. I wonder what gas prices are in Belize?

After researching, I found some interesting information in regards to transportation cost.

Transportation
Gallon of unleaded gas: $4.25-$4.40
Gallon of diesel fuel: $3.00
Bus fare from Belize City to San Ignacio: $3 regular, $4 express
Ferry from Belize City to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye: $15
One-way airfare from Belize City municipal airport to Punta Gorda: $76
Taxi fare within Belize City: $3

The seasons are much different than here in the United States. The peak season, aka the “dry” season in Belize runs February through May. The rainy season runs June-November. Hurricane season runs September-October and the recommended best time to visit is December-March. However, that is also the priciest time to visit. Makes sense how we got our flights so cheap.

The tap water is safe to drink in most tourist locations and areas, however, it is highly chlorinated. It is recommended to bring along a portable water filter. There are certain bacterias found in the water and food there that we are not used to that could be very unsettling for our stomach.

Luckily, Courtney has some free rental coupons for Avis from all his traveling and such through work. That’s something he may consider utilizing.

When asking Courtney what was the most memorable bit of information he retained from the book he read he said, “”In some places it’s best to go to just shop around for price to find best accommodations for the night.” My question to that is, “Is that because you can potentially haggle down prices like in most foreign countries?” I will have to find the answer to that and figure it out.

Also, it is recommended to bring along a first aid travel kit. This is something I would have never considered but I do think it is a good idea. Especially with all the outdoor activities we will be doing, you can never guess what might happen that you may need a quick fix.

As for medical shots, the book said, “At least 8 weeks before make sure you have diphtheria, polio and tetanus jabs, and arrange typhoid and hepatitis A.” I’m not sure what shots I’ve had and which ones are up to date. I will have to ask my mother to fill me in.

Another recommendation I made note of from one of the books was to bring extra photocopies of your passport in case it gets stolen. Hotel/room theft is quite common and you never know what could happen.

I was considering my cell phone and service down there. AT&T will give me roaming charges down there. At points Courtney and I may be doing different things and have to speak with each other (what did they do in the old days? Oh today’s luxuries!). He recommended a set of 2-3 mile walkie talkies. We will look into purchasing a set of those as well.

All the while I am typing this up Courtney is sitting next to me looking up snorkeling gear on eBay and other discount websites. We plan on snorkeling hopefully morning and evening. We just have to make sure to make it to dinner every night. Most places only serve dinner until 9 at the latest, even in tourist areas. Lunch is the main meal of the day and runs from 12 noon to 1 p.m. and is almost regarded as religious.

Unexpectedly, while Courtney was browsing flight prices to Belize (as he had been keeping an eye on them for quite some time) he came across some great deals through Delta. He quickly shot me an e-mail about it and after a brief discussion, he went ahead and booked the flights.

After throwing around a few ideas briefly and slightly checking into everything- we realized this can be more expensive than we had in mind. Scoring cheap flight tickets was great, but we want to be able to experience Belize and a vacation to it’s fullest while there without spending a boat load of money.

Some factors to consider are:
1. Accommodations
2. Activities
3. Food
4. Alcohol
5. Local Shopping for artwork

Accommodations: What could be more romantic than something simple and natural? Courtney came across a website with grass huts as accommodations. While that sounds incredible (think about it- you pretty much just need a place to crash and change/shower. Why pay lots of money for a hotel room when you might be spending 8-10 hours there a day with 90% of that time being in sleep)

Activities: Courtney’s list includes 3 days of snorkeling, deep sea fishing, seeing the mayan ruins and snorkeling morning and evening. Wow. Okay so my list includes any of the above and ocean kayaking and zip lining through the rain forest.

Courtney owns scuba diving gear and is certified. I would have to rent the gear and get certified. Not sure if it would make sense for me to go for three days but I am very much considering at least one day of it.

Deep Sea fishing would require booking a charter boat and renting poles and reels.

Seeing the Mayan Ruins requires travel to and from but is free in itself.

Snorkeling. Well that’s easy! Purchase snorkeling equipment at local sporting goods place.

Kayaking: kayak rental. Probably be a 3-5 hour activity.

Food: Breakfast, lunch and Dinner. Plain and simple.