12.13.07
Living It Up In Belize
Fun Without The Danger
Belize has an amazing amount of variety and natural things to explore. If you are used to taking a vacation and then walking around in store after store not really trying anything new then I would definitely recommend you give Belize a try. The country of Belize is a British Colony but has since been made independent. They still have the queen on their currency and pride themselves on being America’s friends. This means safety for you and your family. The country is very compatible for families who need an exotic location to go for vacation without all the danger.
Where To Go In Belize
If you want an idea of where to stop off to begin with I would go to Belize City and take a ferry over to San Pedro island. Keep in mind that you will hear from people that San Pedro is the expensive island. When tourists and the locals say this they are meaning the accommodations are expensive. One thing you can do to offset the expense of a hotel room is to stay about 5 minutes (walking distance) offshore by walking over to Pedro’s Inn. You can sleep there and then in the morning walk right up to one of the best spots on the beach everyday and it only takes about 5 minutes. The stroll to the beach is quite nice and you will pass several shops and delicatessens on the way to your swim in the crystal blue water. When you jump into the ocean don’t be surprised to see all kinds of marine life swimming around you. Don’t worry as there is nothing dangerous, you will just see a variety of beautiful colored fish.
While you stay on San Pedro I would recommend taking some snorkeling tours a couple times. You will have so much fun and see a variety of water life and coral reefs. Belize has the 2nd largest coral reef in the world so you will not be disappointed. If you can find a kayak rental you can canoe yourself right on out to the reef and anchor it. You can then get out and swim at your leisure while you come back for a packed lunch when you get tired enough for a snack.
This is only the beginning to a fun vacation in Belize as you will have other opportunities as well. You can go caving and look at ancient Mayan ruins and skulls, or you could go check out the Mayan pyramids in the jungles of Belize. Stop by a tour guide shop and you will see enough expeditions to last you a few months. Pick a couple of the popular ones by asking several tourists as well as locals which ones they prefer. There is nothing better then getting the advice from someone who has actually done what is being advertised. My wife would recommend the butterfly garden in San Ignacio. If you are a fan of butterflies then you will not want to miss this place. They have a museum of the Mayan culture and history as well as an outdoor room full of butterflies.
If you happen to stay at Pedro’s Inn in San Pedro Belize let Peter know Donny sent you. It is the best Belize Hostel by far and I’m talking from 3 weeks experience staying there in my cool air conditioned room drinking bananna shakes and eating my Pedro’s Inn pizza’s from their delicous pizzeria. Their Pizza is amazing, at least stop by and give it a try and come back here and comment on how you liked it.
