Author Topic: Belize Master Thread  (Read 19096 times)

Offline E

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Belize Master Thread
« on: May 02, 2013, 11:01:18 AM »
Excited,!! just booked my ticket to Belize for my pre honeymoon vacation.

at the moment the plan is like this fly into Belize city take boat to caye cauker and or Ambergris Caye also considering Placencia there are no chain hotels to e found so will most probably end up booking with expdeia $50 coupons.

there doesnt seem to be any kosher / jewish in belize.

Offline Shreknit

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2013, 11:07:35 AM »
Excited,!! just booked my ticket to Belize for my pre honeymoon vacation.

at the moment the plan is like this fly into Belize city take boat to caye cauker and or Ambergris Caye also considering Placencia there are no chain hotels to e found so will most probably end up booking with expdeia $50 coupons.

there doesnt seem to be any kosher / jewish in belize.

I went to belieze in 2008 it was awesome we had to take a plane to a small island ill find out the name I have it at home and stayed in this awesome villas and go carted around town amazing place though would love to go back and see trip report.

Offline Ergel

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2013, 01:45:06 PM »
Excited,!! just booked my ticket to Belize for my pre honeymoon vacation.

at the moment the plan is like this fly into Belize city take boat to caye cauker and or Ambergris Caye also considering Placencia there are no chain hotels to e found so will most probably end up booking with expdeia $50 coupons.

there doesnt seem to be any kosher / jewish in belize.
do you have an itinerary? when are you going? how are you getting there? how much to the boats cost? how long do they take? what are you planning for shabbos?
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline E

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2013, 02:41:57 PM »
do you have an itinerary? when are you going? how are you getting there? how much to the boats cost? how long do they take? what are you planning for shabbos?
The current Itin is as follows
land in Belize city fly from Belize city to Caye Caulker via http://www.mayaislandair.com/home for ~$40 Per Person and seems to take 15-20 min flights from the municipal airport are much cheaper.
3 days later take boat from caye caulker to Ambergris Caye stay another 3 days, take boat back to bze ( I think  $10 Per person) and fly home from there.
Activities will mainly be diving and some cave exploring, haven't decided on any tour companies will probably do that when I arrive.


Offline Ergel

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2013, 02:43:54 PM »
The current Itin is as follows
land in Belize city fly from Belize city to Caye Caulker via http://www.mayaislandair.com/home for ~$40 Per Person and seems to take 15-20 min flights from the municipal airport are much cheaper.
3 days later take boat from caye caulker to Ambergris Caye stay another 3 days, take boat back to bze ( I think  $10 Per person) and fly home from there.
Activities will mainly be diving and some cave exploring, haven't decided on any tour companies will probably do that when I arrive.
going with wife? shabbos? what season?
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline Fan of Dan

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2013, 03:54:07 PM »
When I go to Belize I want to spend time in the mountains west of Belize city with a side trip to Tikal.

Offline henche

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2013, 12:49:58 AM »
I did a few days in Belize once.

Flew to Belize city, and took the water taxi to Caye Caulker. Stayed on Caye Caulker, in very cheap "hotel". 12.50 per night.

Did snorkeling around on the reef, booked while there on the island night before or even that morning. 42.50 for a day.

Bought fresh fish from fisherman, from his boat. Red snapper. Cooked on open fire at "hotel".

Drank Belize Travellers One Barrel Rum. A lot.

We were on the island for shabbos, and drank more rum and ate more fish. Be cognizant of techum shabbos, if you leave the settled area.

There is nothing jewish in Belize. Closest anything is in Guatemala.

Did the interior a bit also, jungle, etc. meh. Saw a toucan, but that was it. Would have been better to go to where the macaws hang out.

There is mad caving, but that is also inland. We were in some caves in our jungle hike.

Ask me anything.

Offline E

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2013, 01:57:57 AM »
Awesome ! Would you say 6 days is to much for the islands should I go inland for a day or two?

Offline henche

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2013, 08:35:03 AM »
Awesome ! Would you say 6 days is to much for the islands should I go inland for a day or two?

I don't think it is too much. You can do some scuba, and some snorkeling, and just spend a day 100 feet offshore in a kayak, and shabbos rolling around drunk from rum.

We went inland bec we wanted to do some jungling and caving. It sounds like you wanted to do caving also. Is there caving on ambergis? I think the caves that Belize is famous for are way inland (I don't know where; max driving time is like 5 hours anywhere probably, so you'd need to research)

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2013, 09:10:25 AM »
I don't think it is too much. You can do some scuba, and some snorkeling, and just spend a day 100 feet offshore in a kayak, and shabbos rolling around drunk from rum.

We went inland bec we wanted to do some jungling and caving. It sounds like you wanted to do caving also. Is there caving on ambergis? I think the caves that Belize is famous for are way inland (I don't know where; max driving time is like 5 hours anywhere probably, so you'd need to research)
My wife had a teacher from Belize who told that it's not a very safe place. Did you ever feel that way when you were there in the tourist areas?

Offline Shreknit

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2013, 09:33:28 AM »
My wife had a teacher from Belize who told that it's not a very safe place. Did you ever feel that way when you were there in the tourist areas?

Tourist areas weren't bad but we ventured out a little on our golf cart at night and there was quite a few criminals trying to sell us drugs.

Offline henche

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2013, 12:20:13 PM »
Kosher food in Belize.

There is no kosher food in Belize.

There are a few American products, which will be kosher, so you can buy chocolate, ice cream bars, maybe tuna fish.
Fresh fruit is really really cheap and delicious. Bananas, oranges, etc. Vegetables too. Prob not as cheap on the cayes as inland.
Fresh fish is cheap and delicious--wrap in aluminum foil with some spices and vegetables and throw on a fire.
There is no kosher bread--bring wraps.
We bought honey in a recycled beer bottle with a plastic cap shoved on top. Lots of stuff is sold that way. Hope you got your Hep-A vaccine :)
We bought a fresh blended fruit drink in a recycled soda bottle. Was good by itself, and also with rum.
The rum is mean good. You'll never switch back to water.
The water is not drinkable at all; you must drink bottled water.

Offline henche

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2013, 12:24:02 PM »
The Cayes.

There are two main islands tourists go to. Caye Ambergis and Caye Caulker.
Caye Ambergis is more expensive. Caye Caulker is cheaper.

I think both have an airport, so I don't know why you are flying to one and then boating. Also, we took the water taxi for like 10 bucks, and it was a very nice boat ride over and only took like an hour or maybe less.

I think there are nice enough places to stay on Caye Caulker, and you aren't eating out anyway, so I say you should go Caye Caulker. The nightlife is more authentic anyway. Have a few drinks on the beach, go to a grungy karaoke bar, sit on pier and watch pelicans. Then go to sleep.

Offline henche

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #13 on: May 19, 2013, 12:34:04 PM »
My wife had a teacher from Belize who told that it's not a very safe place. Did you ever feel that way when you were there in the tourist areas?

They have special tourist police whose job is to make it safe for tourists.

Inside tourist areas, felt completely safe. (we were 3 guys, but still).

Outside tourist areas, maybe a bit grungy. But not crazy. Didn't feel like a war zone at all.

Offline henche

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #14 on: May 19, 2013, 12:35:16 PM »
Mayan ruins.

Are inland, mostly near Guatemala. There's a city there, I forgot what it is called. They are pretty cool, but the coolest ones are across the border inside Guatemala.

Waterfalls. There are some really cool waterfalls in the jungle.

Offline E

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #15 on: May 19, 2013, 05:22:15 PM »
Doing flight between the two because although both have airports there is no flight without going thru Belize city , plus I figured I want to experience both the flight and boat ride.

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #16 on: May 20, 2013, 12:47:59 AM »
How are you getting to Belize?

Offline henche

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #17 on: May 20, 2013, 01:29:30 AM »
Doing flight between the two because although both have airports there is no flight without going thru Belize city , plus I figured I want to experience both the flight and boat ride.

Not sure I get that. I was suggesting you either fly directly from BZE to san pedro, or take the water taxi directly from BZE to san pedro.

But if you've got it figured out and it makes sense to you, then cool.

Offline E

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #18 on: May 20, 2013, 01:42:38 PM »
Not sure I get that. I was suggesting you either fly directly from BZE to san pedro, or take the water taxi directly from BZE to san pedro.

But if you've got it figured out and it makes sense to you, then cool.

Very simple I am doing BZE -(fly)> Caye Caulker -(boat)> Sand pedro -(Not Sure yet Prob Boat)> BZE

Staying Here on Caye Caulker
and Here in San Pedro

my trip route is currently EWR - MEX - SJO -SAL - BZE - IAH - EWR
« Last Edit: May 20, 2013, 01:52:02 PM by E »

Offline henche

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Re: Belize Master Thread
« Reply #19 on: May 20, 2013, 04:09:07 PM »
Very simple I am doing BZE -(fly)> Caye Caulker -(boat)> Sand pedro -(Not Sure yet Prob Boat)> BZE

Staying Here on Caye Caulker
and Here in San Pedro

my trip route is currently EWR - MEX - SJO -SAL - BZE - IAH - EWR

I get it. You want to spend some time on Caye Caulker and some time on Ambergis. I thought you just were going to Ambergis.

Why do you want to switch islands? They both have the same activities.