Belize

[Leothebear]

Anyone been? Seems to be a paradise. Love to hear of anyones experiences.

Leo

[Tedx]

Only English speaking country in South America.

I'm pretty sure my old man went there on military training when it was part of the Empire

Ed March 'C90 Adventures' (a C90 is a Honda moped) went there on his Alaska to South America trip.

[Lootman]

My youngest son went there. He reported that it was "like Costa Rica but english speaking.

He did mention that there are some areas with high crime rates, but then you can probably say that about any south or central American country.

[Tedx]

Sorry, I meant to add a Belize link to C90 adventures in my post

https://youtu.be/3th8GW91uHo?si=PXVW0iaIEungNneq

[Hallucigenia]

Only English speaking country in South America.

I'm pretty sure my old man went there on military training when it was part of the Empire

You're thinking of Guyana, Belize is in Central America.

British Army still do jungle training there, as well as being a convenient base to keep an eye on what's going on around there...

I went there ages ago - offshore is great, perfectly safe and lots of great diving - second-biggest barrier reef in the world and all that. But there's not a lot else so depends what you are looking for. The coastal strip including Belize City is not so great, even then you had that uncomfortable mix of poverty and drugs money and AIUI the drugs situation got a lot worse after I was there, I've not followed it recently.

If you're in the vicinity, Guatemala is really special - Tikal is arguably the most charismatic tourist site in the Americas, sitting on a Mayan pyramid watching toucans come in to roost in the jungle trees is one of my lifetime magical memories. And the volcanic landscape and lakes of the main bit are pretty spectacular too. Again I don't know what the security situation is like these days but with that caveat, I can highly recommend Guatemala plus the Belize barrier reef.

[terminal7]

Try Lord Ashcroft - good place for offshore banking apparently.

T7

[Gerry557]

Like most places it has good and bad bits. Belize city is the main area not great and I wouldn't flaunt anything of value.

Off the coast is much better the cayes are nice. San Pedro is more like a holiday destination. It depends on what you want to do. Sailing or diving are popular but going inland it's more remote but you can ride horses in the jungle or do caving.

There is lots to do around the area. The Mayan ruins are popular and Cancun is a short flight if you want to get away from the downtrodden bits in Belize.

Watch out in hurricane season.

[didds]

Only English speaking country in South America.

Belize is in North aka central america - adjacent to Mexico and Honduras

[didds]

Anyone been? Seems to be a paradise. Love to hear of anyones experiences.

Leo

I visited in 1987 - but I wouldn't claim that 4 day visit is at all meaningful to it now in 2023

[Hallucigenia]

Only English speaking country in South America.

Belize is in North aka central america - adjacent to Mexico and Honduras

Err - Belize borders Guatemala, not Honduras.....

[TaurusTheBull]

Hi,

I spent ten days in Belize in 2010. Found it the most expensive country in Central America, alongside Costa Rica.

Belize City is dodgy, small place but lots of crime. The capital is actually Belmopan, inland.

Stayed on Cay Caulker, one of the cheaper islands, but a bit tacky and littered.

Didn't visit the south, and in fact Belize may be quite interesting in respect of it's relative lack of onshore vistors, but I found Guatemala (not to mention Panama) cheaper, more 'ethnic' and certainly more colourful.

Taurus

[77ss]

Well, I loved it!

Went there a number of years ago on a 6 week tour of Central America and it certainly held its own - with formidable competition.

Depends to some extent on what your tastes are of course, and I barely scratched the surface.

Very fine Mayan sites (Xunantunich, Caracol), a good museum in Beiize City with a few outstanding exhibits and pleasant offshore islands (Caye Caulker).

Friendly locals too - not that that differs too much from other countries in the region.

[Lootman]

Well, I loved it!

Went there a number of years ago on a 6 week tour of Central America and it certainly held its own - with formidable competition.

Depends to some extent on what your tastes are of course, and I barely scratched the surface.

Very fine Mayan sites (Xunantunich, Caracol), a good museum in Beiize City with a few outstanding exhibits and pleasant offshore islands (Caye Caulker).

Friendly locals too - not that that differs too much from other countries in the region.

A lot of people think that central America is sketchy or even unsafe but I never met anyone who went there and did not love it. Both my sons have travelled around that area and had a great time, particularly Belize, Costa Rica and Guatemala. I fancy Panama myself. One day.

[TaurusTheBull]

Hi,

I agree with Lootman's sons, I really enjoyed Central America.

My favourite countries included Guatemala (great market at Chichcastenango), though be careful to avoid Lake Atitlan around American Spring Break time. Apparently not so cheap these days, but most countries are cheap compared to UK.

Another favourite was Nicaragua, great for volcanoes, armchairs, beer and beaches. I avoided Managua, but visited the nearby steaming volcano of Masaya, easily accessible from the local town. Ometepe Lake is worth a trip, across to the islands. San Juan Del Sur has decent waves for surfing, and off the east coast are the lovely (as of 2010) Corn Islands, worth the trip, though be careful in Bluefields, from where the ferry leaves.

Panama was also enjoyable, but I was short of time and would ideally have liked to get to the San Blas islands.

The disappointment for me was Costa Rica. Despite the spectacular scenery, we found many people, from the rude border immigration officer to San Jose street scammers, to be most un-welcoming. Maybe a result of year-round tourism from the giant to the north.

Taurus

[didds]

I totally agree about Central America being a great place to travel.

I backpacked there in summer 1987 - during The Sandinistas etc and as we arrived in Panama the student riots, during Noriega's "reign"

In Nicaragua we could traverse the country north to south, but not head into the eastern areas in particular as that was were the contras were fighting. Managua was still fundamentally a empty centre of rubble after the earthquake in 1972. Spent an excellent weekend in Ometepe where we (travelling with a chum_) chanced on a local festival with an brass band playing randomly the other side of our wooden hotel wall where the street was throughout the night!

the Honduran-Nicaragua border required being delivered to the Honduran side by bus, then walking a couple of miles through a sort of no-mans land to the Nicaraguan border. Occasionally one could see a soldier (presumably?) with a rifle watching you from a hillside etc. Then a bus eventually arrived to take one to the first town - the shop there sold local fizzy drinks in plastic bags with a straw, as glass bottles were too precious to be allowed "out" lest they got broken/not retuned. Reagans sanctions were in place.

Another bus was an a very ex US school bus with no glass in the windows. Goodness knows what the "safe levels" of passengers were meant to be that that was easily passed as the conductor with a stick basically prodded people until they squeezed up as much as possible, sometimes four to a bench seat we would view as a two seater
A Chinese restaurant we got excited about as something different from chicken and potatoes/plantain, with an extensive menu which of course had everything "off" - except chicken and plantain...

the Nicaragua - Costa Rican border was closed for lunch just before the bus was due to arrive (!) for two hours.

Costa Rica was neat - black sand beaches on the Caribbean coast, and San Jose had something other to eat than chicken and plantain

great travels.