PLANNING OUR NEXT TRIP

There are different ways to see Belize. I know some people who have spent weeks at all inclusive resorts & loved it, this is also probably the most expensive way to go. When we decided to go to Belize we wanted to see the country & meet the people, really get a feel for what it was like there. I chose to plan everything myself. Since we are pretty flexible, I looked for cheap air fare. Cheap is relative when flying to Belize. There is only one airport & the taxes are pretty high, so it is more expensive than many other countries at the present time (they are planning a second airport which may bring the costs down). We decided to focus on March or April. I use sites like Priceline & trip advisor. We found the cheapest flights for those months to be in March. Days of the week for departure & return make a difference too. After considerable research I found air fare for under $700 each departing on March 3(a Monday) & returning March 20. Before I booked the flight I checked hotels in the towns we wanted to stay in for availability, it's kind of important at this time of year as this is the busy season, if you go in the fall you can get great deals & not much problem with availability. We had chosen to stay in Placencia again, Hopkins, & a few days on Caye Caukler. Hopkins & Placenica are in the same general region in the southern part of Belize, & we chose them as we plan on looking for property while there.
To find hotels I first try the town's web page. This usually lists the hotels, I then check the websites for hotels if they are available & trip advisor for ratings. Placencia was easy we stayed at the Sea Spray last time, it was very reasonable & right on the ocean & we really liked it. It's steps away from our favorite place to eat the Barefoot Beach Bar.

The room has Refrigerator, microwave, safe, & air conditioning (which we don't use) this time in the busy season it's $57.50 including tax a night. It's also right on the sidewalk, which is the main drag in Placencia.

In Hopkins we found the Windschief. We have the small cabana right on the beach, it has a refrigerator & it's $30 tax included a night.

On caye caulker, we decided on De real Macaw. Pretty much everything on the caye is on the beach as it is an island. there are no cars, you get around by walking, bikes, or golf carts. This is a beach view room at $52.00 tax included a night. The time we are spending on  Cake Caukler is purely for fun. Since it is part of the Barrier reef, snorkeling is super cheap & 15 minute boat ride away. Fishing is great as well.

Once hotels are set, I booked our flight. We then contacted the rental car company AQ auto rentals. They didn't require any kind of deposit as we had used them before. They are by far the cheapest rental company & they give you a cell phone (you just have to buy minutes) & a cooler. You just have to request with your reservation. they will meet us at the air port. You don't need a car if you are staying in one place, you can take a bus or a small plane, but since we plan on driving around to look at property we are renting the car for the first 2 weeks. If you decide you want a car for a day or 2, most towns have car rental places. You can also rent golf carts & bikes. Be prepared that many places in Belize do not accept credit cards & if they do there is a fee for international charges. Make sure you check before you go. We usually just take cash & use the credit card for the car, but that's about it. Since we are trying to save money we have decided to use the local markets to buy fresh fruit & breads or fry jacks for breakfast rather than eating out.

Lunch will be fast food Belizean style

Everything is ready to go now it's just counting down the days & looking at things you might like to do while you are there. the Belize home site can give you tips as can the District sites & town sites.

there is something for everyone. The Belize Zoo is a definite do if you have time. Mayan ruins are everywhere. There are jungle excursions like cave tubing, zip lining, waterfall rapeling (we are doing this for sure). If you love the water, there is never a shortage of things to do, Belize is home to the second largest barrier reef in the world, so snorkeling & scuba dive are awesome. Many hotels have kayaks for you to use & of course fishing is great, some restaurants will cook your catch for you. Of course you can always just chill in a hammock on the beach if you choose. Just remember never sit or stand under a coconut tree!

We will be back in Belize in 10 days!