Goin' back to Belize

[txg8r]

I am planning an early July trip to Belize. I already know the dive op I'll be going with, but need a little help on Ambergris Caye accommodations.

Last year I got lucky and got a deal at Victoria House. Can't get the deal again, so now I am on the hunt.

Preferences:

beachfront
south of San Pedro
dock for boat pick up
quiet

Any recommendations out there?

Thank you in advance!

 

[TTA]

Hi! Sorry I can't help with the accomodation (I'm going in early August and am going to stay at Victoria House - hope you liked it!), but would like to ask you which dive op you are going to go with? I posted a message a while back, but didn't get any replies and am looking for a small friendly operatin where there's lots of personal service (my BF is recently qualified and quite nervous about diving)....so would be curious to know if who are are diving with. Did you try out Fantasea Divers when you were staying at Victoria House and were they any good?

Hope you find somewhere nice to stay!

Best wishes....

 

[fritzer]

Hi:

I've also been posting a few messages trying to get info on dive ops in Ambergris Caye. I didn't really get many replies either so I'm going to wing it based on the info I did manage to collect from some friendly board-posters. I'm staying at a place in two weeks called Belizean Shores, which is actually north of San Pedro and plan to dive with Amigos Del Mar, which has one of the better reps in that area (fyi...Aqua Divers has one of the "not better" reps). I may try others unless this dive op is so great that I want to stick with them. I also wrote to Gaz Cooper who owns a dive op that personalizes his services to the "resort" he owns called Playa Blanca Beach Club. Unfortunately he said he didn't accommodate divers other than the people who stay at his place. He seems to get good reviews though. Since there's not much info on the board about the dive ops around Ambergris Caye, I'll probably post something when I get back for anyone interested so check back around the last week in May if you're still looking for info. Good luck!

 

[txg8r]

I LOVED Victoria House. In fact, I'm still trying to figure out if I can find a deal on it so I can go back! Beautiful accommodations, very friendly staff, so-so restaurant, free bikes for the day, just far enough away from town... I could go on...

On the website it looks like Fanta seas is a dive op. When I arrived, I realized it was a staff emmber who books you with dive ops who will come get you. That was okay by me - they were extremely helpful. In fact, most any dive op you go with will come get you at the VH dock - no schlepping gear very far.

I dove with Ramons Village for a morning. They seemed nice and competent. I really liked Amigos Del Mar. I dove the Blue Hole with them. Great boats, great staff. Very safe yet accomodating to dive profile.

If your bf is a real newbie, you might not be able to do the Blue Hole but that isn't such a big deal (at least to me). It is a big blue hole with stalagtites (sp?) and not much else to see in this 20 minute/7 mintue bottom time dive. Do a Turneffe trip instead.

I've seen good things posted about Pro Tech and not so very good things about Aqua Dives, but I did not dive with either op.

Hope this helped. Have a blast in Belize!

 

[cxg31s]

Hi there! I went to AC last summer and stayed at Mata Rocks. It's a very small place--only about 15 rooms--but very quiet and cute and the staff is wonderful. They recently re-modeled all the rooms and added a small pool, and the Squirrel's Nest beach bar is the hoppinest place on the far south end of the isle--even the people from Banana Beach resort next door came over to hang out there! So check that out at matarocks.com.

Or if you want a bigger hotel, Banana Beach resort and Sunbreeze are both very nice and are south of town. Banana Beach is right next door to Mata Rocks and they have kitchens in some of their rooms. Don't know about the rooms at Sunbreeze but have heard only good reports about it. We ate at their restaurant and it was wonderful and the hotel grounds were very well kept.

OH and about the diving--I think you'll be quite satisfied with Amigos del Mar. They aim to please--just tell them what you want and they'll do it and the DM's we had were good at pointing out interesting stuff. Also, if you stay at Mata Rocks, you get a discount on their diving--Anna the hotel manager will set everything up for you. No I don't work for them but really enjoyed my stay there and never hesitate to plug a place I liked! Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[coreyh]

We went to Belize last July and stayed/dove with Gaz. (http://www.divebelize.com). It was amazing, the dives were well briefed and had a lot of variety. There were never more than 8 divers and a divemaster on the trips. I was with two freshly certified divers, and my husband and I were experienced but had a couple of years since our last dives. The only caveats: Gaz's is not formal, look someplace else if you want to dress up for dinner. Personally, I liked not having to ever wear shoes. Also, this is probably not the place for you if you have non-divers in the group. It is pretty dive oriented and doesn't offer much beyond a hammock on shore. I would go back tomorrow if given the opportunity.

 

[South4Scuba]

Try Blue Tang Inn www.bluetanginn.com

Nice, friendly, boat dock, on the beach, pool, kitchens in the rooms, grocery near by. Nice bar on pier within 100 yards.

:tree:

 

[leadweight]

staying at Corona Del Mar and dive with Pro Tech Belize (just up the way at the Belize Yacht Club) All south of town. While there listen to Pineapple Willie. They play at Crazy Cannuk's and the Hideaway, both nearby.

I will be there in July.

 

[Zagnut]

Fritzer once bubbled...

I've also been posting a few messages trying to get info on dive ops in Ambergris Caye. I didn't really get many replies either so I'm going to wing it based on the info I did manage to collect from some friendly board-posters.

Hey Fritzer, I posted a response in your thread about Belize Ocean Divers, but nobody posted after me, so I assumed you gave up waiting on any advice. It has moved down the list. I found the thread a little late, I guess I should have PM'd you when I noticed that you didn't notice my reply...Sorry. Anyhows, sounds like you've already made plans. Have a great time!.... and now I return you all to the thread in progress.