Belize on a Budget

By Robert Downes

www.planetbackpacker.net

   Interested in visiting the islands and jungles of Belize, but put off by the sticker shock of flying there? Then consider taking the bus.

   Seriously.  Belize offers the paradox of being a relatively-cheap, English-speaking country while being a fairly expensive destination because it's not big on the package tour and charter flight circuit.  It can cost $800 or more to fly round-trip to Belize City from the northern United States during the winter vacation season.  But if you have a little extra time and an adventurous spirit, you can fly to Cancun in Mexico and take a first class bus 300 miles down the coast to Belize, saving hundreds of dollars.

   That's because Cancun's international airport caters to budget flights with round-trip deals for as little as $250.  For the average couple, the savings can be $1,000 or more traveling to Belize by way of Mexico's excellent bus system.

   That savings can buy you a lot of fun in Belize, a country about the same size as the state of Vermont, but packed with opportunities to go snorkeling, sailing, fishing, rain forest explorations, trips to Mayan ruins and good times on the beach.

   Many "snowbird" residents of Belize from Canada and the U.S. use this low-cost bus route to save on flights to their winter homes.  It's also a popular option with backpackers on a budget, and even inexperienced travelers should have no problem making the trip.

STEP-BY-STEP

   Although it's a 4-1/2 hour bus ride to the border, the bus route to Belize offers you a chance to see some of the countryside and its people.

   You'll want to spend your first night in Playa del Carmen, the queen city of the Mayan Riviera.  After clearing customs at Cancun Airport, proceed to Terminal 2 and look for the stop with the red and gray ADO buses, which will give you a lift into town for around $8.

   The central bus station in Playa del Carmen is right downtown, opening onto Quinta Avenida (5th Avenue), which is packed with shops, restaurants, and thousands of tourists promenading night and day along its pedestrians-only walkway.  There are numerous budget hotels on the side streets paralleling 5th Avenue (recommended: the charming Hotel Barrio Latino, $85-$100 per night), or you can stay in one of the huge tourist hotels on the beach.  Reservations are advised in either event.

   You'll need to catch your bus to the Belize border at the "new" bus station, which is located three blocks off 5th Avenue at 20th Avenue and Calle 12 (12th Street).  Buses leave every two hours for the Mexican border/port city of Chetumal.  Reserved tickets can be purchased the night before your departure and a first class ticket to the border costs about $20.

TIME CONSIDERATIONS

   Most visitors to Belize head first to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, a trip that requires catching a boat from either Chetumal in Mexico, Corozal, or Belize City in Belize.  To avoid getting stranded in one of these port cities after the last boat leaves, it's advised that you catch their earliest bus possible from Playa del Carmen, especially if you're aiming to ride all the way to Belize City.

   Despite what you've heard about careening buses and crazy drivers in Latin America, the bus drivers in Mexico are required to drive a maddeningly slow 55 mph, with a sensor ringing whenever the speed limit is exceeded.  Mexican highways also have frequent speed bumps to slow traffic.  Expect to be looking at your watch frequently, wondering when you're going to "get there."

   In any event, bring a good book and a warm jacket and/or blanket, since the air conditioner is likely to be cranked up high enough to chill meat.

   Unless you've purchased an express bus ticket all the way to Belize City, your bus will take you to the Mexican border town of Chetumal.  From there, you must take a taxi to the border (about $10) and catch another bus in Belize a few miles to the port of Corozal, or another hour south to Belize City.

   A better option is simply to catch the boat in Chetumal.  Boat tickets are sold at the Chetumal bus station, and you simply take a taxi to the dock (about $10) and clear customs while you wait.  It will cost you about $25 to take the 45-mile water taxi to San Pedro -- a two hour trip.

IN THE BAG

   The budget hotel options are right downtown on the beach in San Pedro, with the more expensive tourist palaces located to the south and north of town.  The budget hotels won't have pools, but they tend to have verandas and excellent views of the ocean. You may also hear a little bar chatter late into the evening from the venues next door, but chances are you'll be too zoned out on rum & punch by that time to care.  Check out the Conch Shell Inn at $90 per night.

   From there, your budget trip to Belize is in the bag.  This English-speaking country is well-serviced by old American school buses converted to passenger service, and fares are only a few dollars to take you anywhere in the country.  Also reasonable are water taxis to take you to island destinations such as Caye Caulker, a must-visit budget destination for backpackers.

   Additionally, you'll find many mini-van services in Belize that can take you to any major destination, including day trips to the Mayan ruins of Tikal and the island city of Flores in Guatemala.

   What's going to cost you is all of the "add ons" that give Belize its zest, such as snorkeling trips along the reef that parallels the length of the country (second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia), or rain forest excursions.  Fortunately, you'll have cash to spare by taking the budget option to Belize.

A Great Itinerary:

  • Practically everyone who goes to Belize visits San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, including the likes of Madonna ("Last night I dreampt of San Pedro…").  If you like a lot of high-rolling glitz and glamour, prepare to be underwhelmed.  This is a laid-back place where the emphasis is on snorkeling tours to Stingray Alley, possibly to wrestle with a nurse shark. Another fun outing is renting bikes and riding north along the beach, which also hosts a lively dinner scene each night at many seaside restaurants.

   •  Raggamuffin Tours on Caye Caulker offers a three-day, two-night sail down the coast of Belize to Placencia on a fleet of three elderly wooden craft for $300, with food, drink, snorkeling gear and tents and bedrolls included.  If you're into atmosphere and adventure, this is the way to go, with a rasta crew who look like extras from "Pirates of the Caribbean" and backpackers from all over the world trading stories, among other things.  Camping is in tents on small, wind-swept islands dotted with a few palm trees and dinner is whatever you catch on a line dangling off the back of the boat each day.  Plus, you can't beat the party scene at night under the stars: the crew dumps five bottles of rum into a five-gallon tub of punch… just be careful you don't stroll off the dock in the dark.

   • Placencia:  Even if you don't take the Raggamuffin cruise to Placencia, where pods of dolphins await your arrival in the harbor, you'll want to visit this idyllic beach town in the southern part of the country which is renowned for having a simple footpath as its main street.  Placencia offers the finest sandy beach in Belize and is laid back to the point of being snoozy, albeit with a fair number of restaurants, bars and trinket shops to peruse.  Look across the bay at night and you'll see Francis Ford Coppola's sprawling Turtle Inn resort twinkling on the opposite shore.  Who knows? You may find yourself dining next to a movie star at one of the funky restaurants in town.

  • San Ignacio:  From Placencia it's an easy matter to catch the bus at the town's sole gas station early in morning and hopscotch your way to Dangriga and then up the scenic Hummingbird Highway to Belmopan City where you push on to the rain forests of San Ignacio/San Elena in the Cayo District.

   San Ignacio is surrounded by various jungle lodges offering horseback riding, bird watching, river trips and visits to Mayan ruins. Despite the guidebook gush, the shopping/dining scene in San Ignacio is rather shabby, but there is an intriguing Sri Lankan restaurant in the middle of town worth checking out.

  • Tikal & Flores:   San Ignacio is the jump-off point for a variety of day trips to the Mayan ruins at Tikal and/or the island city of Flores in Guatemala.  These include round-trip transportation by mini van and assistance crossing the border.

   A great trip is taking a van to Tikal and staying overnight in one of the park's three jungle lodges.  It takes a full day to explore the miles of ruins in the park and enjoy the views from the top of its pyramids.

   The next day, take the "chicken bus" (actually, a collectivo van) to the bustling bus station opposite the isle of Flores and catch a tri-wheel taxi into town.  Flores is an island occupied as a fortress first by the Mayans and then by the Spanish.  It's only a mile or two around the island, so a single day will do you fine.  Check out Picasso's Pizza for good eats and the rare bottle of wine in Central America.

   Getting back to Belize is easy: as in San Ignacio, there are numerous tour operators who will get you a  van all the way to the dock at Belize City where you can make your connections back home.

   • Heading home, don't miss a night or two in the Mexican coastal town of Tulum, which has the finest beach on the Mayan Riviera, along with the famed sea fortress ruins.  It's a lively beach town that's packed with budget hotels, beach cabanas, and hostels, such as The Weary Traveler, where you cook your own banana pancakes and eggs in the courtyard on a communal grill each morning.

  • Web support:  There are numerous sites available to help you navigate Mexico's bus network. For the complete scoop and a good site on the Yucatan in general, check out http://www.travelyucatan.com . 

  • Cautions, warnings, danger, crime, etc.  We found Belize to be quite safe to navigate on local buses.  There are ample warnings to beware in Belize City, but most tourists stick to the waterfront area and there's not much reason to wander into town. A  seasoned Latin America traveler friend reported that he spent some time wandering around the back streets of BC and found it to be one of the scariest places he'd ever been South of the Border, encountering hassles with the locals and druggy-looking street people.

   Northern Guatemala has the feel of the Wild West, and although i've had plenty of friends who've traveled all over the country without problems, the region gave me plenty of 'watch your back' feelings, what with military police patrolling Flores with submachine guns.  Tourists have reportedly been attacked in Tikal National Park, and the region as a whole is considered a lawless staging area for drug families.

   With that said, however, we had no problems traveling with a company specializing in mini-van trips from Belize to Guatemala.  The biggest rip-off was at the border having to pay the various exit taxes.