Looking for Cheap hotel- Belize
- Thread starter carterT
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Where in Belize do you wish to go? What sites do you wish to see? What do you consider "cheap"?
I was on Ambergris Caye, San Pedro at the Sunbreez hotel June 13-21. Room was nice and the dive package was good on price. Hotel stuck us for $25.00BZ ($12.50 US) for the cost of the Do Not Disturb/Maid Service sign that tore where it hooks over the door knob and we never used. For that reason I would NOT recommend them. Town is small and lots of places to go. Eat from the local carts on the side of the road. Cheap and good food. I loved my breakfast papaya, pineapple and cantaloupe after my omelet.
Diving: Local reef is 1 mile from the dock. Dive sites 3 to 7 minutes (once 15 minutes) away. Inside reef is 6 feet deep. Ocean side drops to 100+. Ocean side is open to unobstructed waves coming in from the East. Rainy season starts June 1. No big deal, rains for a few minutes and stops. Water temp 84F Air Temp 80-88F and humid. Swell day one was 8-10 feet! Swell gradual reduced to 3-4 feet on the last day of diving. Getting back on the boat was....interesting. Boat backs up to you and you take off your fins and try to time your dive into the white foamy water and hope you grab the ladder and don't crash into it or go under the heaving swim step. Captain tries to stop the prop when you are riding the wave in. Does an amazing job, but we all got scrapes and bruises. Coral Reef was largely destroyed and dead with few fish due to hurricane damage a few years ago. If you do go to Turneffe from here it is a long boat ride.
If you go I would say try further north at say Lighthouse Atoll, has an airstrip. The Blue Hole is located here (skip this tourist trap IMHO) as are the best dives of Belize. Turneffe Islands Atoll offers a circle of small islands so if the swells are up you might be able to dive on the lee side.
Belize Vacation Information and Travel Guide
Diving: Local reef is 1 mile from the dock. Dive sites 3 to 7 minutes (once 15 minutes) away. Inside reef is 6 feet deep. Ocean side drops to 100+. Ocean side is open to unobstructed waves coming in from the East. Rainy season starts June 1. No big deal, rains for a few minutes and stops. Water temp 84F Air Temp 80-88F and humid. Swell day one was 8-10 feet! Swell gradual reduced to 3-4 feet on the last day of diving. Getting back on the boat was....interesting. Boat backs up to you and you take off your fins and try to time your dive into the white foamy water and hope you grab the ladder and don't crash into it or go under the heaving swim step. Captain tries to stop the prop when you are riding the wave in. Does an amazing job, but we all got scrapes and bruises. Coral Reef was largely destroyed and dead with few fish due to hurricane damage a few years ago. If you do go to Turneffe from here it is a long boat ride.
If you go I would say try further north at say Lighthouse Atoll, has an airstrip. The Blue Hole is located here (skip this tourist trap IMHO) as are the best dives of Belize. Turneffe Islands Atoll offers a circle of small islands so if the swells are up you might be able to dive on the lee side.
Belize Vacation Information and Travel Guide
Yes, Melvin, while Sunbreeze is a well respected clean hotel, it isn't known for it's "cheap"ness. Has a great pool though.
I agree the OP should try Ambergris Caye or Placencia. But until I have a better idea of what cheap means . . .i dunno what else to tell him/her.
---------- Post added July 15th, 2014 at 03:40 PM ----------
Seeing the sites in Belize can mean an extraordinary number of things and/or places. Msny places within Belize are not that easy to get to from the Cayes. Does the OP want to see ruins or is going up and down the beach to a few beach bars and restaurants going to do it for them? What is cheap? Need a budget for activities, diving and accommodations. Then myself and others should be able to be more helpful.
I agree the OP should try Ambergris Caye or Placencia. But until I have a better idea of what cheap means . . .i dunno what else to tell him/her.
---------- Post added July 15th, 2014 at 03:40 PM ----------
Seeing the sites in Belize can mean an extraordinary number of things and/or places. Msny places within Belize are not that easy to get to from the Cayes. Does the OP want to see ruins or is going up and down the beach to a few beach bars and restaurants going to do it for them? What is cheap? Need a budget for activities, diving and accommodations. Then myself and others should be able to be more helpful.
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If you wind up in Placencia there's SeaSpray. Seaspray Hotel - Placencia Belize ~ Beachfront Hotel, Room with A/C
Splash Dive works with them on some package deals IIRC. Belize Scuba Diving Packages, Snorkeling & Whale sharks|Splash Dive Center|Placencia Belize Belize Scuba Diving Packages, Snorkeling & Whale sharks | Splash Dive Center Placencia Splash will pick you up at any of their afffiliated properties.
Splash also organizes the better inland tours thru their other company - Quest Tours. Belize Scuba Diving Packages, Snorkeling & Whale sharks|Splash Dive Center|Placencia Belize Quest Tours | Adventure travel & tours | Placencia Belize
Splash Dive works with them on some package deals IIRC. Belize Scuba Diving Packages, Snorkeling & Whale sharks|Splash Dive Center|Placencia Belize Belize Scuba Diving Packages, Snorkeling & Whale sharks | Splash Dive Center Placencia Splash will pick you up at any of their afffiliated properties.
Splash also organizes the better inland tours thru their other company - Quest Tours. Belize Scuba Diving Packages, Snorkeling & Whale sharks|Splash Dive Center|Placencia Belize Quest Tours | Adventure travel & tours | Placencia Belize
Sorry for my delayed response, but have been out of town.
Having never been to Belize before we have no idea were in Belize we are planning to go so any suggestion would be wonderful. As in "cheap" I guess we are looking for some place where we can get the best bang for the buck.
We are attending a wedding in Guatemala the 1st week of Feb 2015 so figured that while were down there we should experience the diving in Belize.
Having never been to Belize before we have no idea were in Belize we are planning to go so any suggestion would be wonderful. As in "cheap" I guess we are looking for some place where we can get the best bang for the buck.
We are attending a wedding in Guatemala the 1st week of Feb 2015 so figured that while were down there we should experience the diving in Belize.
Pyro_
Contributor
Take a look at what is available on caye caulker
How long do you have CarterT to experience diving in Belize? Still need your budget considerations. Local diving at Ambergris Caye (San Pedro town) is five to fifteen minutes from shore. You will be returned to shore for your surface intervals. Dives are for the most part on finger canyons (also called tongue and groove). Dives are called drift buddy vreally rare to feel any current. The dive boat follows your bubbles and picks you up at end of dive. You can also choose to take three tank day trips out to the Atolls. Much longer day but dive sites are fantastic. For these I recommend Amigos del Mar.
Placencia is a cool place to hang out and I recommend Splash Divers for your dive op. The reef is further from shore and therefore longer trips to dive sites but nice diving!
Placencia is a cool place to hang out and I recommend Splash Divers for your dive op. The reef is further from shore and therefore longer trips to dive sites but nice diving!
Scott from LongIsland
Contributor
i would skip San Pedro/Ambergris and go to Caye Caulker or Placencia. Caye Caulker offers the same diving/sites as Ambergris and IMO is a smaller/nicer island.
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