Help with Family Trip to Belize!

[SMVORCA]

Would love to know what dive operations you wouldn't dive with - I'm headed there in March and plan to do about 10 dives and the Blue Hole.

 

[Yobubba]

I agree with SMVORCA that It seems a group of posters on scubaboard marketing Placencia are distorting the view of Belize.
I called shops in Placencia to check prices and compare with the Ambergris Caye prices and noticed the phrase 'Includes Lunch' on a lot of the prices and realized that the distance to the dive sites make that necessary.
Ambergris Caye is on the Barrier reef and sites are 5 to 10 minutes away. We're back from a Two-Tank trip for lunch and go again after lunch.
We don't have a Cruse Ship terminal and don't have crowds from cruse ships. No offence to Cruse Ship Tourist...no wait that's not honest they can be offended, we're very happy and proud that they don't crowd our sites or town.
Placencia is on the Southern tip of Belize and Ambergris Caye is on the Northern. Very different places in the same country.

 

[diving4ever]

My brother lived and worked in Belize for several years (Dangriga) so I visited quite frequently up until about 20 years ago. Since then I've only been twice. You will have a great time at Ambergis, Caulker, or Placencia....it's just different. Ambergis is easiest and the diving is as good. The two things Placencia has over the Caye's are better beaches and access to Garifuna culture (Seine Bight). So if lazing on a nicer beach or learning about local culture is something that matters to the family, I'd definitely consider Placencia.

Have a great time!

 

[katzgar]

Ambergris Caye has stuff Placencia doesnt so consider splitting your trip and get both worlds. The blue hole is an advanced dive, not for newbies. spend time looking at it on youtube, some think it isnt worth it.

 

[Downing]

I'm starting to get a little lost here, but if we're still talking about the person who was only going to be in Belize for 8 days then splitting up the trip, imho, isn't a great option. Just not enough time.

In terms of marketing Placencia, I like the place, in fact like it a lot, but I don't actually own anything there, lol. I've always thought Ambergris Caye dominated this board, which is understandable since it has more of everything and is where 95% (?) of the divers and tourists seem to go, so much so that when people say "Belize" they're almost always talking about AC. If all you want to do is dive, then AC is an obvious choice, although a live aboard or the atolls would make pretty good choices, too, and Placencia would certainly do. But if you want to both dive and see Belize, then Placencia or Hopkins is the better choice, imho.

 

[large_diver]

Just came back from Belize on Jan. 10 - our second trip. As I mentioned a few posts above, we were out on Long Caye (part of Glover's Reef atoll)...located about 35 miles off the coast. We've been to a lot of places as a family....Europe, Africa, Middle East, Caribbean, Central America, Pacific....all of us said this was definitely the best family vacation we've taken. Our kids are are a little older at 19 and 21. The advantage of the Slickrock "island adventure" is that everything you could want regarding watersports is built in. No long van or boat rides, no planning activities or where you going to eat in advance, no haggling with vendors, no worries about changing your mind on what you want to do that day at the last minute, no problem trying multiple things each day...and no problem meeting the varying needs of family members that want to do different things. Kayaking, windsurfing, snorkeling, kiteboarding, diving, stand up paddling, a wave break on one end of the island for surf kayaking...it's all right there. Need help learning or getting comfortable with a new skill/activity - SR's guides will assist. Want to go off on your own with your buddy or family since you are comfortable already....no problem. Want to lay in a hammock all day and read or just watch the beautiful ocean...definitely encouraged. Worried about diving taking away from family time - dive sites are 3-5 minutes away from the dock. The Slickrock operation is an eco-resort - no internet, no in room plumbing, composting toilets located 50 yards from your room, showers that can be sometimes on the cooler side, rooms with no screens/AC/Fans (very comfortable with just sea breeze). But if you want an absolutely gorgeous island setting, no crowds whatsoever, an unique active vacation, truly feeling like you are getting away from it all, a setting in which you will meet, bond and have fun with other guests since you guys are often doing the same activities together each day and playing games and sharing beers/drinks together at night...Slickrock is worth a look. For their island trips, they have 1 week trips and half week trips (boats run out there Wed and Sat) and also organize jungle excursions in combo with island stays. There is a 3 hour boat ride from Belize City to get out there, but we found it passed very quickly.

This is not the place to go if you are trying to maximize the number of dives you want to get in during a week. Part of the island is taken up by Off the Wall dive resort - very small, I think they have a max of 10 guests. The diving out there is arranged through them. They have a very mellow diving pace out there....you might get 2 dives in per day...perhaps 3 if they are offering a night dive. That said, the diving operation is well run and fun. My daughter and I did 8 dives during the week we were there. Very healthy reefs and walls, with the usual suspects - turtles, nurse sharks, morays, a small pod of dolphins along the wall, . Diving was fine for beginners and they have a skilled DM and instructor for newer divers. The walls out there start around 40+ feet (similar to Ambergris), but there are shallower sandy areas where they will help newer divers get comfortable before exploring the walls. We dove for much of the week with another guest who was a brand new diver...the DM did a nice job getting her comfortable but yet letting us explore the reef nearby. The snorkeling was actually quite good as well - including a night snorkel one night with octopus, squid, morays all in 4-8 feet of water.

Would younger kids enjoy it out there? Depends on the kids of course. But if they love the water and are up for a little adventure, the SR experience is hard to beat. Not the cheapest holiday...at the same time all of your food, boat trip to the island and most activities are built into the price.

http://www.slickrock.com/adventureisland.html