Days there: 23

Route:

Corozal – Orange Walk – Belize City – Caye Caulker – San Pedro – Belize City – Belmopan – San Ignacio – Placencia – Punta Gorda

Costs:

$860. $37.39 per day. Includes all transportation, accommodation, food and beverage, tours, and fun.

Overview:

-Belize is a fun, safe and easy country to travel through. English as the first language will give you a good chance to ease into Central America. You can pull up a bar stool with one of the many expats who thrive here, dive the amazing barrier reef (2nd largest in the world), trek the jungles, take in the amazing Mayan culture, or set your watch to island time off the coast where ‘go slow’ has taken on a whole new meaning.

Best Experience:

-Camping for free in the jungle at The Barton Creek Outpost, an amazing slice of paradise and off the severely beaten path.

Cultural Highlights:

-Be sure to check out Lamanai, and incredible Mayan ruin down river from Orange Walk. Stay at the Lamanai Riverside Retreat, a family owned and operated resort on the river which is the jumping off point to get to the ruins. Throw a tent up on the lawn for a discount but watch out for crocs! The hour and a half ride up river is an adventure in itself and your best chance to see the amazing wildlife, and even have some angry monkeys raid your boat for bananas. I was fortunate enough to share the whole Mayan experience with only 6 other people.

Party Spots:

Take in the island life on Caye Caulker and San Pedro.

Chill spots:

-Placencia, a very chilled out beach in the south of Belize. Don’t get too excited for the beach though. The reef running along the whole country makes for less than desirable beaching, but also gives you the opportunity to dive and snorkel some of the best spots in the world. Fair trade.
-Caye Caulker. GOOO SLOOOOW mon! Enough said.
-The Barton Creek Outpost. A must see. A jungle retreat an hour from anything, where your hosts, an American family raising their children in the jungle will show you a fabulous time.
-San Ignacio, middle of the jungle but a very chilled out spot nonetheless. Worth the bumpy bus ride.

Best Adventures:

-Diving/snorkeling the reef. Working up the nerve to pet the sharks and rays.
-The boat ride upriver to Lamanai from Orange Walk.
-Camping at the Barton Creek Outpost. Check out my random adventure here http://canucking-abroad.com/?p=1175
-Watching Caye Caulker play San Pedro in a very spirited basketball game. All I have to say is WOW.

Food:

-Not exactly the culinary capital of anything. Expect rice and beans. Good seafood on the coast.

What to Expect:

-It may be english speaking, but that doesn’t mean you will understand it.
-Only one brand of beer. Conveniently owned by the government.
-Expats.
-Bus delays so the driver can take a nap.
-A very diverse group of people, mainly creole, a proud mixed race.
-Punta rock
-Belize city is a little sketchy at best. More of a gateway to the islands.

Travel Tips:

-Lose the watch. It just doesn’t matter here.
-Horrible roads and very old school buses.
-Hitchhiking seems pretty safe, and definitely an adventure.
-Bring a tent and save on accommodation.

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post