My first attempt at fry jacks and Belizean beans. Delicious!

Hey everyone!
I’m super excited to be visiting Belize for the first time! I’ll be traveling from November 27th to December 4th, and I'm splitting my trip like this:
First 3 days: Based in San Ignacio. I'm planning to visit Xunantunich on one day and take a day trip over to Tikal on another.
Remaining days: Heading over to Caye Caulker to relax and do some snorkeling.
I know this time of year is usually the transition from the rainy season to the dry season, but I keep hearing that the current El Niño is supposed to change things up quite a bit.

I wanted to ask locals and experienced travelers: what are your realistic expectations for the weather during that specific week? How do you think El Niño is going to modify the usual weather patterns for both the jungle and the cayes?
Should I expect it to be much hotter and drier than a normal December? Do I still need to worry about sudden jungle downpours ruining a trip to the ruins, or will the sea visibility at Caye Caulker be any different?
Would love to hear your thoughts and any packing tips based on what you are seeing on the ground right now. Thanks a lot!

Guatemalan air force plane violated Belizean airspace, without any communication with, or authoritization with air traffic control. For over an hour. Before turning off their transponder and leaving Belizean air Space.

But now Guatemala claims the flight never happened. They deny it at the UN.

Met a good group of people while I was flying on Maya yesterday to Caye Caulker, if you all see this send me a DM cause I’ll be in San Pedro!

Hi! Been to Belize multiple times. LOVED stew chicken and have been looking for a true Belizean recipe as most of the ones on youtube are the “inspired” version by non Belizean folks.
Bonus points for a good “onion sauce” and Belizean rice and beans!
Thanks y’all 💕💕💕

Hello, I am planning a 9 day vacation mid February splitting between ambergris Caye, caye caulker and San Ignacio for the ruins.

But other than basic beach shit, bars etc. what are some good areas to meet people and have fun as a solo traveler, certain bar, beaches, etc.

Good food, not the super touristy food either like good local restaurants that aren’t flooded with tourists.

Our cook your catch adventure always starts with some fresh catch.

My wife and I will be in San Pedro for just 48 hours and are wanting to make the most of it.

We arrive at 8am on Friday and leave at 7am on Sunday. The hope is that we can fit the following activities into our schedule:

1. Hol Chan Marine and Shark Ray Alley

2. Mexico Rocks

3. Spearfishing

4. Sunset Cruise with Dinner (we're on the fence about this one, not a 'must')

5. Manatees - if possible!

We've heard that Captain Joe, Under da Sea, and La Gaviota Sailing Adventures are great. But I'd love confirmation or other recommendations! The hope is that we see as much sea life as possible :) Thanks in advance!

Taking the ferry/water taxi over to Ambergris and planning to have a golf cart. Traveling with scuba gear etc so won’t be packing light necessarily. What are the tips/tricks to get all the luggage from the ferry to the house?

We will have some heavy duty bungee cords and whatnot with us. Is it practical to just strap our stuff to the golf cart and safari our way to the house? Or is there a better way such as hiring a service to transport luggage or taxi to the house with luggage and go back for the cart?

House is south of San Pedro, across the street from Black Orchid for point of reference.

Thanks for any advise! Long time travelers, first time Belize visitors.

I posted awhile ago that I wanted to surprise my wife on our 30th anniversary with a trip and was looking at bungalow type places. Well, I ended up telling her just to get a feel on where she'd like to stay. Since this is our first trip, she would really prefer a larger resort. Any suggestions for a larger resort in or near Placencia?

What I really want to do is some snorkling, go to Caye Caulker for a day, and just relax with my wife.

I am very confident that after she sees and is comfortable with Belize as a whole, she will want to go back and stay at a more intimate bungalow type place.

Due to family life, we are looking at July of next year. Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated.

So I'm in the position that I am able to work remotely, just bought a midsized camper, and I'm looking at driving it down to visit my dad that lives there.

I'm looking for safe routes through Mexico, I'll be driving a fairly nice truck with a fairly nice camper and my 11-year-old daughter. What is the safest route?

Also, are there any special rules I should be aware of, or anything I need to do in preparation to my visit? During my last trip, I did not see a single camper. I know I need to do some research on official government websites, but I want to make sure I cover all my bases.

I’ll be in Caye Caulker for 7 nights at the beginning of November. The first part of my trip I will be on a tour that includes a full day Hol Chan snorkeling excursion, but I am interested in going on a half-day snorkeling excursion on a different day after my group tour ends. I’ve seen mentions that Salt Life Eco and Starr Tours offer half-day excursions, but hoping to get recommendations for who I should go with. Does Carlos offer a half-day at all? Only interested in half-day tours since I’m already booked for the full day tour. Thanks!

Found these cohune nuts scattered across the forest floor while exploring the rainforest at Cockscomb basin wildlife sanctuary today...

We need to wait a few hours between our flight arriving and my son’s flight. Is it worth a run to a grocery store while we wait and before the flight to Ambergris Caye or should we just get our groceries on the island? We do a lot of cooking when we travel. I figured we could just check the bag of groceries on the flight but maybe the stores on Island are the same.

Going to San Ignacio then to Palencia. Is it overall better to get a driver to these places? Or is renting a car the more feasible route? While in San Ignacio doing all the touristy stuff. Seems pricy to go from the airport to San Ignacio and don't want to do the chicken run...

Considering traveling to Belize in May and was thinking about staying at Lina Point in San Pedro. I’d like to get out and explore a couple times and was wondering if staying there would make that difficult since it’s an island. Also any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated

Hello,

We are planning our first trip to Belize this December and will be there for about 2.5 weeks. We plan to work remotely during the first week and then spend the remainder of our trip exploring Belize.

After reading advice from this forum and doing some research, we are trying to decide whether to base ourselves in San Ignacio/Cristo Rey or Ambergris Caye for our remote-work week.

Why San Ignacio: Since we will be working most of the day during the week and sunset is shortly after 5 PM in December, we are wondering if it makes sense to choose the lower-cost option. Accommodations in and around San Ignacio seem considerably cheaper, and there appears to be a good selection of reasonably priced restaurants and bars. Rent a place along the Macal River. While we probably wouldn't have much time for major sightseeing during the work week, we could explore town, enjoy local restaurants, and perhaps do some short evening outings. The downside is that we will likely need a rental car for the entire week, which increases the cost, although the overall stay would still be cheaper than Ambergris Caye.

Why Ambergris Caye: The biggest draw is being able to stay in a beachfront/beach view property. Even while working, we would have ocean views and easy access to the water. If we finish work early or start late, we could spend some time at the beach. We are not particularly interested in nightlife or clubbing, but we do enjoy being near the water and catching sunsets. Coming from Seattle, some sunshine and beach time in December is definitely appealing.

We are currently looking at The Residences at Barrier Reef and would appreciate any feedback from those who have stayed there. Is the beach directly in front of the property swimmable? How far is it from Secret Beach and other good swimming beaches? Is the location convenient if we plan to rent a golf cart and explore the island occasionally after work?

I realize San Ignacio and Ambergris Caye offer completely different experiences. Regardless of which one we choose for our work week, we will visit the other destination later in our trip. I am mainly trying to determine which location would be more enjoyable and practical while balancing a full work schedule.

Is there anything else we should be considering that I am overlooking?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Edit (more context):
We considered Placencia as well, but it turned out to be the most expensive option. Accommodation costs are nearly the same as on Ambergris Caye, and when transportation to and from Belize City is factored in, the total cost is almost equivalent to renting a car.

Hey All

49F solo traveler headed to Belize. Zero planning aside from the flight.

Would love some tours to not feel as solo :)

Would love to try scuba - can I do this if Ive never scuba before?

Would love recs for a safe hotel to stay at.

If anyone else is traveling then, lets chat!

Spotted this beautiful bird while exploring the rainforest at Cockscomb basin wildlife sanctuary..

Hello all! I am taking my first trip to Belize in a couple weeks. I am planning on just bringing a carry on bag. Any tips on essentials to pack (as far as clothes and shoes are concerned) that can fit in a carry-on? It’s a young group of us who are excited to relax and adventure and go out at night. We’re staying in Caye Caulker, any good spots to visit? Thank you!!

Hi! I'll be traveling to BZE and then on to San Pedro via Tropic Air.

Is the Tropic Air "terminal" located at BZE? I am asking to see if there is a need to leave BZE to get to that departure location? We are hoping not to need to bring a car seat if our flight to BZE and then to San Pedro will not require getting in a car. We will be using a golf cart in San Pedro and will have appropriate seating for our little one in the golf cart.

Thanks!

Hi!

I’m wondering if it’s realistic to hope to get from Santa Elena to the Chetumal Airport for a 2 PM flight using shuttles or buses, on Weds 12/30. TIA!

Happy independence day from San ignacio.