Finally! And just in time…who knew that a “Best Of” would turn into five different parts. ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR…let’s wrap this up. I mean SERIOUSLY. Who does this person think she is? Just back from Roatan and Punta Gorda (and their beautiful Mayan culture and the MayaBags…) After a few days in San PedroKeep reading »
Travel in Belize
San Pedro Scoop: My Best of 2013 – Part Four & A Bit of Christmas
I’m no longer going to apologize for the endless quality this series is taking on. I’m just going to dive back into it. I hope everyone had a very very Merry Christmas. Mine took place at a beautiful beach front condo south of town… Sun, lobster & steak, really great friends that I’m lucky toKeep reading »
San Pedro Scoop: My Best of 2013 – Part Two
Yesterday I meant to do a recap of my year (Part ONE) and going through pictures, I made it through 2 months only. I guess I was busier than I thought in 2013. Not a bad thing…not a bad thing at all… SAP ALERT! Belize is really the coolest country ever. I spent about 5Keep reading »
Good Eats: A Guide to the Restaurants and Snacks of Orange Walk, Belize
Orange Walk District in the North West of Belize is known for its sugar and rum production, the amazing Maya Ruins of Lamanai and tacos, tacos, tacos. Visitors are generally a bit surprised by the local tacos – they aren’t the cheese and sour cream stuffed fold overs that we are used to in theKeep reading »
After Orange Walk, An Unexpected Night in Belize City
I am here in rainy Belize City. My fault really. Yesterday I visited the amazing Lamanai Mayan Ruins (SO green after all of this rain), hopped on a 3:30pm bus from Orange Walk town (aka Suga City) to Belize City and missed the last boat, the 5:30pm, to Ambergris. Here’s the Old Masters’ Rum headquarters inKeep reading »
Tropic Air Now Flies From Belize to Roatan, Honduras: The First Flight!
Roatan (and the other bay islands of Honduras) have quite a bit in common with Belize. They were heavily influenced by their British colonists and most people speak English or Kriol. They are surrounded by a gorgeous barrier reef and famous for snorkeling and diving. There is a small Garifuna popluation on the EastKeep reading »
Lola’s Art & Vern’s Restaurant in Seine Bight Village: Put Both on Your List!
On August 31st, I wrote about the small Garifuna village of Seine Bight. The town that is just north of Placencia and so different from that lovely beach spot…and very interesting in its own way. After staying in Placencia for two nights, I moved up to Robert’s Grove (WOW…AND another place I STILL need toKeep reading »
Jet’s Bar, One of the 10 Best Airport Bars in the World, Re-Opens After Terrible Fire
A few years ago, AOL Travel named Jet’s Bar at Belize City’s international airport one of the 10 best airport bar’s in the world. On the same list with a wine bar in Rome’s and Public House in Oregon’s airports, JET’S! It definitely stood out in the article and surprised many of us in Belize becauseKeep reading »
ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal) Cave: Into Xibalba and back again
Hello again- this is Meg, with the second of my guest scoops. You may remember me (or not- I’m not proud!) from my previous scoop about Caracol. This time, I’ll sum up our trip to Actun Tunichil Muknal- the Cave of the Stone Sepulcher. But first, a couple program notes: 1) No photos in thisKeep reading »
Our Journey To Caracol: A Bumpy Road Back in Time
Here is a post to prove that Scoop readers are the very coolest, smartest, most talented and best looking in the world. Thanks SO much Meg. I’ve never been to Caracol and NOW I need to go. Take it away… Before we get started, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Meg, and I traveled toKeep reading »
Seine Bight, Placencia Peninsula: Food, People and Lola’s Art
On the same peninsula and only about 5 miles north from Placencia is the village of Seine Bight (pronounced Sane Bite). So close by, yet so so different, Bight is a Garifuna village to Placencia’s tiny Creole and Gringo population. (Like how I use “Gringo” as a ethnic term for my people?) At myKeep reading »
Three Pictures That Sum Up My Day – Maya Beach, Placencia Peninsula to Ambergris Caye
Here are the three pictures that sum up my day of travel from Placencia, Belize back to San Pedro. The route? Maya Beach to Dangriga to Belmopan to Belize City on the bus (4 hours) and water taxi to the caye. (1.5 hours) Waiting for the 6:30am Express bus to take me from Maya BeachKeep reading »
Placencia, Belize: Lovely, Charming Beach Village with PLENTY Going ON
Why oh why did it take me over 6 years to visit Placencia? It is SO easy to see in only a few days why so many people are in love with this area. Tiny, friendly, great food, fanatastic bars, amazing wildlife, an endless beach, a real feel of community and a real love ofKeep reading »
Norwegian Cruise Lines Buys Harvest Caye in Belize: Is it the End of Placencia As We Know It?
First time visitors to any place in Belize often hear the phrase “oh…you should have seen (insert: Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye or Placencia) 5 years ago or 10 years ago…” before San Pedro got rid of the hand ferry and built the Barry Bowen Bridge to access the north end of the island (2006)Keep reading »
The Maya Ruins of Cahal Pech: Practically IN Downtown San Ignacio, Belize
The Maya get a point for bluntness. Or perhaps the people that lived in and named the hilltop residence Cahal Pech – translated “Place of Ticks” and pronounced “pesh” not “peck” – were not looking for visitors. But this beautiful site is so easy to get to and quite impressive, you will want to see it.Keep reading »
The Lodge at Chaa Creek: My Personal Paradise Found – Part Two
Earlier in the week, I posted about my amazing two night stay at The Lodge at Chaa Creek in Belize’s Cayo District. I gushed about the grounds, the pool, the cottage, their philosophy and the staff. THE STAFF. Best staff I’ve ever encountered. We packed a ton of activities and relaxation and delicious food intoKeep reading »
The Lodge at Chaa Creek: My Personal Paradise Found…Part One
The way the crow flies, The Lodge at Chaa Creek in the Cayo District of Belize is less than 100 miles away from the beaches of Ambergris Caye. Less than 100 miles! From the turquoise Carribbean and coral reef to the lush green jungle and impressive Mayan ruins, this district is a totally different worldKeep reading »
Saturday is Market Day in San Ignacio, Belize
San Ignacio is a very pretty town located on the Macal River in Central Belize. The coral reef and sandy beaches seem thousands of miles away (rather than just about a hundred)…the area is lush, green and peaceful. Every Saturday is market day and people from all over Cayo come to town to sell andKeep reading »
Getting to San Ignacio, Cayo from San Pedro & Some New Restaurants in Town
Since I am firmly in the budget traveller bracket, best to head out west as cheaply as possible. I’m not great at it but I think that is how budgeting works. And the most economical way to do the 155 mile trip, aside from hitch hiking or the becoming a stowaway, is:
A Quick Look Around San Ignacio, Belize – Mr. Greedy’s, The New Visitors Center and More
San Ignacio is the second largest city in the county of Belize…which really just means that its population hovers around 20,000. Belize is a small country. Very small. Population about 325,000, land mass the size of the state of Massachusetts. Look at the scale on the map! But…even though it’s just a few hours fromKeep reading »