Ambergris Caye, Belize on a budget

[Michele]

Where to stay, what to do, places to eat, hang out and meet the local color? Any suggestions? This will be our first time there and we will be spending 5 days in January.

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by Michele

Where to stay, what to do, places to eat, hang out and meet the local color? Any suggestions? This will be our first time there and we will be spending 5 days in January.

Hi Michele!

We stayed at the Xanadu Island Resort...not budget so much..but we loved it!

San Pedro is a cool, laid back funky little town. If you haven't found it already, check out this website that we used to figure things out.......

[Michele]

Originally Posted by Jacko

Hi Michele!

We stayed at the Xanadu Island Resort...not budget so much..but we loved it!

San Pedro is a cool, laid back funky little town. If you haven't found it already, check out this website that we used to figure things out.......

Hola and thank you! That's the same website I have been perusing all day!! Xanadu looks lovely but this is a quick, cheapy trip. I have several reservation requests in. We'll just see what bubbles up.

Nice to see you "In the Roo".

[Tony&Cheri]

We haven't been to Ambergris Caye for a couple of years but we can suggest a couple of things to check out. As far as hotels go, the place we liked has now gone to condos. And unfortunately there aren't a lot of super cheap places in Belize. We have heard it described as 'the cheapest place in the Caribbean and the most expensive place in Mexico.' We never stayed there, but we liked the looks of Coconuts. Check out their website. Mid-range prices. The farther you get from the little center of San Pedro, the pricier it gets. The places in town or on the edges tend to be a little funkier and smaller, the places in the outlying areas tend to be expensive resort types.

For things to do, you must take a snorkeling tour out to Shark Ray Alley. This is a shallow snorkeling area between Ambergis Caye & Caye Caulker where large schools of rays and nurse sharks congregate in the water. The nurse sharks can get as big as 15 feet long but are harmless. It's really a fun trip. We went there on the No Rush catamaran operated by a family of a couple of brothers and a cousin or two thrown in. Lots of rum punch, and the guys are more than willing to apply suntan lotion to the girls.

A day trip to Caye Caulker is also fun. It's really laid back, so there's not much to do but hang out. We suggest going to the II bar (pronounced Eye Eye). Ask anybody for directions. It's a rastafarian hangout with a shrine to Bob Marley behind the bar and a body shot table in the corner. Lots of local rastafarian color (hey mon). A real family outing.

Back on Ambergris Caye, you'll meet locals hanging out in just about any Front Street (nearest street to the ocean) bar. Everybody sings, everybody dances, everybody buys each other drinks. Ask around and see where Dennis Wolfe is playing and go there. Wolfe is the island's local version of Jimmy Buffet/Jerry Jeff Walker. Very entertaining. The Saint Michael/Saint Lucifer (i.e., devil and angel) bar at Coconuts is also fun, and you can use the pool and hot tub next to the bar. And it used to be that there was chocolate pudding wrestling for the ladies every Saturday night at the Iguana Night Club. Or so we were told..

If you want to snorkel or dive, look up Reef Divers and a guide named Ched Cabral. Friendly, competent, good guy. He took Cheri on her first ever dive and calmed her agua-phobia nerves. The reef which runs very close to Ambergris Caye is unbelievable with plenty of sea life including (gasp) sharks.

That's about all we remember. Have a great time, and make sure to write a trip report when you return.

[Jacko]

Fido's , Lily's, Canucks (expat) are all fun places to tip a few....we did Halloween there....

[vikki2]

Michele, Is barefoot Skinny still in town? If so check with him as he used to live there. A must do is the chicken drop and the all you can eat BBQ on sunday at... oops can't remember the name but it is on Ambergris caye web site.

[popeye]

I LOVE San Pedro. Been a few years since( 3 or 4yrs) I've visited but been 8 times- way too much to tell in a message bd. post. T & C got a good handle on it though. O- and check out the Ladies Room inside Fidos
PM me if you like. If you dive- Sunbreeze is a great spot Julia Edwards has run the place for ages she's a real sweetheart. Enjoy- you will!!

[popeye]

[/img]
Me & Barefoot Skinny at the Grand Opening of his "Hammock House" a few years back on the North Shore of " the cut."

[Michele]

Thanks for all the great pictures everyone!! I'm starting to get really excited about our mini-vacation. I have recieved back some positive responses fro m some of the hotels in and near San Pedro. This is what I have to choose from so far:
Lily's
Ruby's
Corona del Mar
Banana Beach
Hotel del Rio

Comments appreciated. Keep in mind, we like to be in the thick of things and meet the locals in town. I will definitely try to catch up with Skinny. He's easy to find. Thanks again everyone!!

[popeye]

Popeye @ Popeye's n Caye Caulker


Got my scuba certifacation from these two in San Pedro: http://www.grumpyandhappy.com/

[Michele]

Originally Posted by popeye

A fabulous day-trip is with Searious cigarette boat (Fountain or similar) from SP to mainland (1.5 hr) then up the Monkey River to a village called Bomba (cheap handcarved wood sculptures) then bus ride to Mayan Ruins Al-Tun-Ha (I think) then stop for meal and play time at Maruba Jungle Resort (best massage in world)-Great Trip!
Of course as T & C stated, Caye Caulker is pretty laid back- go to Rasta Pasta funky beach bar (the family owned place were good friends with J.Garcia of Grateful Dead) then of course another lil spot is called "Popeye's" I have a great story about my 1st trip to CC and the other Popeye (too long for here) Will you be diving? I got certified there and have names #'s if needed.
Are you driving to Chetumuil (sp?) then flying over or Cun?
Thanks for the kind words on my art, much appreciated!!

Popeye pmed me this info and gave me permission to post it for everyone. I am getting pretty excited about our trip. Our plan for travel is to drive to Chetumal, cross the boarder and drive to Corozal and then fly to San Pedro. My question is...is it better/safer to leave the car in Chetumal and bus to Corozal or to leave the car in Corozal at the airport?

[Tony&Cheri]

Originally Posted by Michele

Popeye pmed me this info and gave me permission to post it for everyone. I am getting pretty excited about our trip. Our plan for travel is to drive to Chetumal, cross the boarder and drive to Corozal and then fly to San Pedro. My question is...is it better/safer to leave the car in Chetumal and bus to Corozal or to leave the car in Corozal at the airport?

When we were there a couple of years ago the "airport" was a small landing strip and a Quonset hut.There really was no secure place to leave your car. We left our car in a secure guarded locked parking lot in Chetumal, took a taxi to the border, walked across, went through customs/immigration in Belize (actually had to wake up the Belizean Border guard to get admittance to the country ) and then took a cab over to Tropic Air ("What time is the next flight?" "When the pilot gets here.") Of course we had a rental which could not go into Belize. But if you leave the car in Chetumal remember that chances are the lot you leave your car in will be closed on Sundays. (How do we know this?)

[Michele]

Okaaaay. Good to know these things BEFOREHAND!! I think what we will do is leave the car in Chetumal, cross the border and catch the bus to Corozal. I understand it's cheap and easy. (Like Rob)

[Tony&Cheri]

Originally Posted by Michele

Okaaaay. Good to know these things BEFOREHAND!! I think what we will do is leave the car in Chetumal, cross the border and catch the bus to Corozal. I understand it's cheap and easy. (Like Rob)

Actually once you walk over the old stone bridge across the river which seperates Mexico and Belize (very cool...like something out of a Bogart movie) you are already in Corozol. No need to cartch a bus. The airstrip is only a few minutes cab ride away.

Have a great time. We are heading over to Negril, Jamaica for our first trip there at about the same time. We can get together and compare notes when we all get back.

[maliasma]

I have nothing worth adding to the Belize thread except my excitement...I can't wait to hear all about your trip, Michele.

Your trip, too, Tony & Cheri. We are supposed to head to Jamaica in May for a wedding but we're not certain if we're definitely going to go or not (just yet).

[Michele]

I am back from Belize and Part I of my Trip Report can be found here. I would post it all again but I am too damn tired from all the fun.
I need a vacation from my vacation! Part II is in the works.