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Started By
Message
tropical vacation suggestion
Posted on 12/9/16 at 3:32 pm
Posted on 12/9/16 at 3:32 pm
Planning on escaping the snow and going somewhere tropical for a week in February. I'll be going alone. Looking for suggestions on somewhere pretty remote, would prefer Carribean. Budget less than $6k ideally.
3
Posted on 12/9/16 at 3:59 pm to Parallax
6k? Why dont you go to Australia/NZ? Its summer over there
Posted on 12/9/16 at 4:02 pm to AmeriKop45
Rent a nice home in Ambergris Caye, Belize.
I have a detailed review posted in the sticky, go check it out it....
I have a detailed review posted in the sticky, go check it out it....
Posted on 12/9/16 at 4:08 pm to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
quote:
6k? Why dont you go to Australia/NZ? Its summer over there
Really don't want to spend that much of my trip traveling.
quote:
Rent a nice home in Ambergris Caye, Belize.
This looks to fit what I'm looking for pretty well. Thanks.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 4:13 pm to Parallax
Bitter End Yacht Club
Virgin Gorda, BVI
Virgin Gorda, BVI
Posted on 12/9/16 at 4:19 pm to Parallax
Ambergris Caye...
Bump for the folks asking in my other threads.
Slow your roll.
That phrase is something that anyone needs to fully embrace before visiting this island paradise. As relaxed as you may be, this island moves at a glacial pace. Appointments are simply suggested times and you should expect most things to run behind schedule. No need for fancy clothes or fancy shoes. Shorts, swimsuits, cover ups, flip flops, casual skirts and maybe a lightweight sweater are all you really need. Ambergris Caye is what Cancun or Costa Rica were like 20 years ago. You won't find crazy nightlife, paved roads, or restaurants open all night. Having said that, be warned that as the island is constantly improving, there are no paved roads on the north end and some areas of the beach that are privately owned are not well maintained so you may be walking along the beach one minute on pristine sand, and without warning you'll come across trash and debris piled up. Don't let that deter you from embracing the beauty of this tiny gem. They're working on resolving these issues but it won't happen overnight...
There are four primary ways to get around the island: by foot, by bike, by golf cart and by water taxi. There are taxi vans in San Pedro but once you get in town you don't need them as it is very small and easy to walk around. Many places are within walking distance or bike. You can rent a gas-powered golf cart for about $65/day. The water taxi is $5-$7 US per person, per trip. We didn't rent a bike so I'm not familiar with those prices but I would imagine they are fairly inexpensive. The exchange rate is $2 Belize to $1 USD. Everyone takes US currency but they may give you back change in Belize.
You should purchase alcohol at the airport in Belize City @ duty free, then bring it onto Ambergris Caye. The prices for buying bottles of wine and liquor on the island are astronomical compared to the mainland. On that note, I would strongly recommend you take the puddle jumper flight from Belize City over to AC, the view is amazing and the 15 minute flight beats the hell out of an long boat ride.
Lastly, the island is not known to be popular with the younger crowds. Caye Caulker is where the 20/30 somethings hang out.
Now onto the good stuff....
============== DINING ==============
Despite being small, Ambergris Caye has a shite ton of places to eat, from small hole-in-the-walls to nicer establishments. But one thing to note, pretty much all places will let you inside as long as you have a shirt on. Here are the places we ate:
El Fogon is a VERY authentic and local place to get your Belizean palate anointed. They use a huge pit to cook their meats and you can smell it down the street. We had the seafood creole with coconut rice, and the garlic lime shrimp with rice and beans. For the appetizer, we got the omnipresent conch fritters served with a spicy honey mustard sauce. The entrees were phenomenal and if you eat at one place on the island for authentic local food, this needs to be it.
Waruguma is a place that's cash only, that serves awesome lobster burritos. They are also known for their pupusas which are like mini calzones but with a Latin twist. We got a lobster burrito and split it (along with some pupusas just to say we did)...all the food was excellent. If my memory serves me well, the burrito was $14 USD and had loads of lobster meat, inside and out. I can only fathom this would cost $40+ in the US.
Hurricane's Ceviche Bar & Grill had some pretty good ceviche, something you will find on damn near every menu on the island. We got the standard fish ceviche along with a mango/conch bruschetta. Enjoyed both and would go back again.
For breakfast, we ate at Estel's Dine by the Sea. We ordered pancakes and the classic Belizean breakfast, which is the equivalent of huevos rancheros. They do serve up "fry jacks", which looks like a puffy pastry. They open at 6:30AM for you earlybirds and their coffee is strong! The menu is on a chalkboard and the floors are sand. VERY COOL spot to eat breakfast, the view is great, too!
View from our table.
Another beachfront lunch/dinner spot (just down from Estel's) is called Lick's Beachside Cafe. The owner is Mario and is super friendly, he makes an effort to go by every table and chat for a few minutes. We sat on the top deck and enjoyed curried conch and baked scallops with lime butter.
The view
Aji Tapas Bar has OK food. Based on the inviting space, we had hoped for much more variety and more eclectic tastes, but felt this place came up short. The atmosphere, however, was the most romantic you will find in the island. Each table has its own "area" that's covered by handmade pergolas and lights, along with tiki torches. It may seem cheesy for some, but it was great for us. The bar area is raw but cozy. It rained like hell when we ate there, so we hung out with the new owner (Tony) and had drinks under the palapa.
ON Caye Caulker, we had lunch at a cuban place called Brisas Del Mar, and the food was quite good. Nothing stood out as being local, but it was a nice change from the seafood we had been gorging on for the past several days. Snag a table by the water and relax. CASH ONLY.
Bump for the folks asking in my other threads.
Slow your roll.
That phrase is something that anyone needs to fully embrace before visiting this island paradise. As relaxed as you may be, this island moves at a glacial pace. Appointments are simply suggested times and you should expect most things to run behind schedule. No need for fancy clothes or fancy shoes. Shorts, swimsuits, cover ups, flip flops, casual skirts and maybe a lightweight sweater are all you really need. Ambergris Caye is what Cancun or Costa Rica were like 20 years ago. You won't find crazy nightlife, paved roads, or restaurants open all night. Having said that, be warned that as the island is constantly improving, there are no paved roads on the north end and some areas of the beach that are privately owned are not well maintained so you may be walking along the beach one minute on pristine sand, and without warning you'll come across trash and debris piled up. Don't let that deter you from embracing the beauty of this tiny gem. They're working on resolving these issues but it won't happen overnight...
There are four primary ways to get around the island: by foot, by bike, by golf cart and by water taxi. There are taxi vans in San Pedro but once you get in town you don't need them as it is very small and easy to walk around. Many places are within walking distance or bike. You can rent a gas-powered golf cart for about $65/day. The water taxi is $5-$7 US per person, per trip. We didn't rent a bike so I'm not familiar with those prices but I would imagine they are fairly inexpensive. The exchange rate is $2 Belize to $1 USD. Everyone takes US currency but they may give you back change in Belize.
You should purchase alcohol at the airport in Belize City @ duty free, then bring it onto Ambergris Caye. The prices for buying bottles of wine and liquor on the island are astronomical compared to the mainland. On that note, I would strongly recommend you take the puddle jumper flight from Belize City over to AC, the view is amazing and the 15 minute flight beats the hell out of an long boat ride.
Lastly, the island is not known to be popular with the younger crowds. Caye Caulker is where the 20/30 somethings hang out.
Now onto the good stuff....
============== DINING ==============
Despite being small, Ambergris Caye has a shite ton of places to eat, from small hole-in-the-walls to nicer establishments. But one thing to note, pretty much all places will let you inside as long as you have a shirt on. Here are the places we ate:
El Fogon is a VERY authentic and local place to get your Belizean palate anointed. They use a huge pit to cook their meats and you can smell it down the street. We had the seafood creole with coconut rice, and the garlic lime shrimp with rice and beans. For the appetizer, we got the omnipresent conch fritters served with a spicy honey mustard sauce. The entrees were phenomenal and if you eat at one place on the island for authentic local food, this needs to be it.
Waruguma is a place that's cash only, that serves awesome lobster burritos. They are also known for their pupusas which are like mini calzones but with a Latin twist. We got a lobster burrito and split it (along with some pupusas just to say we did)...all the food was excellent. If my memory serves me well, the burrito was $14 USD and had loads of lobster meat, inside and out. I can only fathom this would cost $40+ in the US.
Hurricane's Ceviche Bar & Grill had some pretty good ceviche, something you will find on damn near every menu on the island. We got the standard fish ceviche along with a mango/conch bruschetta. Enjoyed both and would go back again.
For breakfast, we ate at Estel's Dine by the Sea. We ordered pancakes and the classic Belizean breakfast, which is the equivalent of huevos rancheros. They do serve up "fry jacks", which looks like a puffy pastry. They open at 6:30AM for you earlybirds and their coffee is strong! The menu is on a chalkboard and the floors are sand. VERY COOL spot to eat breakfast, the view is great, too!
View from our table.
Another beachfront lunch/dinner spot (just down from Estel's) is called Lick's Beachside Cafe. The owner is Mario and is super friendly, he makes an effort to go by every table and chat for a few minutes. We sat on the top deck and enjoyed curried conch and baked scallops with lime butter.
The view
Aji Tapas Bar has OK food. Based on the inviting space, we had hoped for much more variety and more eclectic tastes, but felt this place came up short. The atmosphere, however, was the most romantic you will find in the island. Each table has its own "area" that's covered by handmade pergolas and lights, along with tiki torches. It may seem cheesy for some, but it was great for us. The bar area is raw but cozy. It rained like hell when we ate there, so we hung out with the new owner (Tony) and had drinks under the palapa.
ON Caye Caulker, we had lunch at a cuban place called Brisas Del Mar, and the food was quite good. Nothing stood out as being local, but it was a nice change from the seafood we had been gorging on for the past several days. Snag a table by the water and relax. CASH ONLY.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 4:21 pm to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
============= DAYTRIPS =============
There are cave tubing, zip line and Mayan ruin tours available on the mainland but we wanted to stay on the island this trip, so nothing to review for those trips. We are avid snorkelers for our own reasons, but if you are into diving this is your spot. The underwater life is astounding and the water is as clear as you'll ever see. We took 2 different personalized day trips, both with the same guy -- Clem Caliz. He is an awesome guy and knows all the hotspots for fishing and snorkeling. You will find a cheaper alternative with the catamarans, but everything is timed and much less personal.
Day 1 - picked up at hotel and taken to the north side of the island where we went to look for conch. We quickly pulled out about a dozen conch and they made fresh ceviche right there. We then (reef) fished for about 2 hours. Caught blue stripe grant, trunkfish, black snapper, yellowtail, and some others I can't recall the names of. We snorkeled in tranquility Bay while he and his mate cleaned and fish. We then went to a private lot where the "caretaker" cooked up the fish for us. Enjoyed the remote beach with some cold beers. After that, snorkeled in another spot until the sun began to set so we headed back to the hotel Awesome day! Pics below.
Day 2 - went to Caye Caulker first but not before indulging in more fresh conch ceviche. Had Cuban food as mentioned in the first review and slowy meandered down the lone street just looking at random shite. Made way down to "The Split" where everyone goes to hang out for the day. They have a DJ that spins tunes and everyone soaks up the sun. We didn't stay too long as we had plans to snorkel at Shark Ray Alley, Hol Chan Reserve and Coral Gardens. Spent the rest of the day at these places and headed back for supper. Clem's mate, Roni Duarte, took us out this trip.
The split from the air, flying back to the mainland the last day.
It was cloudy and around 4pm when we took these, so the water doesn't look that clear. But we could still see forever down there.
============= MISCELLANEOUS =============
Massages - $40 for 1 hour on top of the main dive shop (Amigos Del Mar) on Ambergris Caye. Nothing flashy, but it was a great massage. It was very windy when we went, so they had the sides closed. On a sunny day, all sides are open.
Liquor - if you have to buy on the island, buy at the Liquor Box (clever name). Was told by Clem this is as cheap as it gets.
Golf Carts - walk-up special for Carts Belize is $66 USD out the door for 1 day. Reserving online you will spent an extra $20 per day. You will need to fill up the tank before you return it; they are very efficient with gas mileage.
============= NIGHTLIFE =============
I will caveat this section by saying we are not party animals. So there may be other fun spots I didn't include, but at least you know the reason. I've also put this as the last section because people in Ambergris Caye don't visit or live there because it has a thriving nightlife.
Fido's is also a really cool place for people watching. There are two very nice shops located under the huge palapa inside Fidos. They also have live music almost every night. Food is good but not great. But the beer is ice cold!
The Palapa Bar and Grill is probably the most well-known and visited bar on the island. It's a quick cart ride from town. We met several people here and have some really good drinks, but don't get too excited about the food. It was OK, but nothing compared to what's further down in this review. Jump into the tubes outside and relax in the warm water; also helps reduce trips to the bathroom.
Wet Willy's is a place that's similar to the Palapa bar but it's right in town. Wednesday nights are ladies night and the place can get packed with travelers and locals. They have a nice outside dock with bright halogen lights that shine into the water at night time. We saw a tarpon, a few stingrays and several other fish while having some beers....it was pretty cool thing to see for our first night there. We went on a Tuesday night and it was slow, which we preferred. We went again on Thursday night because it was easy to get to and the beers were cheap.
Wahoo's Lounge hosts the Chicken Drop every Thursday night. Each square is $1 USD that you can buy in hopes of winning the entire $100 pot. They place the chicken on the squares and wherever he poops, that square wins. I would get there around 5:30PM to buy your tickets/squares then go next door and have dinner at Caliente to wait until the big event. FYI -- sometimes they make you clean up the poop before they will give you the $100, so don't be surprised if that happens.
There are cave tubing, zip line and Mayan ruin tours available on the mainland but we wanted to stay on the island this trip, so nothing to review for those trips. We are avid snorkelers for our own reasons, but if you are into diving this is your spot. The underwater life is astounding and the water is as clear as you'll ever see. We took 2 different personalized day trips, both with the same guy -- Clem Caliz. He is an awesome guy and knows all the hotspots for fishing and snorkeling. You will find a cheaper alternative with the catamarans, but everything is timed and much less personal.
Day 1 - picked up at hotel and taken to the north side of the island where we went to look for conch. We quickly pulled out about a dozen conch and they made fresh ceviche right there. We then (reef) fished for about 2 hours. Caught blue stripe grant, trunkfish, black snapper, yellowtail, and some others I can't recall the names of. We snorkeled in tranquility Bay while he and his mate cleaned and fish. We then went to a private lot where the "caretaker" cooked up the fish for us. Enjoyed the remote beach with some cold beers. After that, snorkeled in another spot until the sun began to set so we headed back to the hotel Awesome day! Pics below.
Day 2 - went to Caye Caulker first but not before indulging in more fresh conch ceviche. Had Cuban food as mentioned in the first review and slowy meandered down the lone street just looking at random shite. Made way down to "The Split" where everyone goes to hang out for the day. They have a DJ that spins tunes and everyone soaks up the sun. We didn't stay too long as we had plans to snorkel at Shark Ray Alley, Hol Chan Reserve and Coral Gardens. Spent the rest of the day at these places and headed back for supper. Clem's mate, Roni Duarte, took us out this trip.
The split from the air, flying back to the mainland the last day.
It was cloudy and around 4pm when we took these, so the water doesn't look that clear. But we could still see forever down there.
============= MISCELLANEOUS =============
Massages - $40 for 1 hour on top of the main dive shop (Amigos Del Mar) on Ambergris Caye. Nothing flashy, but it was a great massage. It was very windy when we went, so they had the sides closed. On a sunny day, all sides are open.
Liquor - if you have to buy on the island, buy at the Liquor Box (clever name). Was told by Clem this is as cheap as it gets.
Golf Carts - walk-up special for Carts Belize is $66 USD out the door for 1 day. Reserving online you will spent an extra $20 per day. You will need to fill up the tank before you return it; they are very efficient with gas mileage.
============= NIGHTLIFE =============
I will caveat this section by saying we are not party animals. So there may be other fun spots I didn't include, but at least you know the reason. I've also put this as the last section because people in Ambergris Caye don't visit or live there because it has a thriving nightlife.
Fido's is also a really cool place for people watching. There are two very nice shops located under the huge palapa inside Fidos. They also have live music almost every night. Food is good but not great. But the beer is ice cold!
The Palapa Bar and Grill is probably the most well-known and visited bar on the island. It's a quick cart ride from town. We met several people here and have some really good drinks, but don't get too excited about the food. It was OK, but nothing compared to what's further down in this review. Jump into the tubes outside and relax in the warm water; also helps reduce trips to the bathroom.
Wet Willy's is a place that's similar to the Palapa bar but it's right in town. Wednesday nights are ladies night and the place can get packed with travelers and locals. They have a nice outside dock with bright halogen lights that shine into the water at night time. We saw a tarpon, a few stingrays and several other fish while having some beers....it was pretty cool thing to see for our first night there. We went on a Tuesday night and it was slow, which we preferred. We went again on Thursday night because it was easy to get to and the beers were cheap.
Wahoo's Lounge hosts the Chicken Drop every Thursday night. Each square is $1 USD that you can buy in hopes of winning the entire $100 pot. They place the chicken on the squares and wherever he poops, that square wins. I would get there around 5:30PM to buy your tickets/squares then go next door and have dinner at Caliente to wait until the big event. FYI -- sometimes they make you clean up the poop before they will give you the $100, so don't be surprised if that happens.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 4:42 pm to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
And the king of way too many huge pictures strikes again.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 4:45 pm to Parallax
Tons of choices. Do you dive? Ambergris Cay or Roatan would be good choices.
If you want remote you might want to do Costa Rica. You can do jungles and surf on the Pacific side.
Exactly what do you mean by remote? Do you want to be off the grid or do you want some night life if the mood hits you?
If you want remote you might want to do Costa Rica. You can do jungles and surf on the Pacific side.
Exactly what do you mean by remote? Do you want to be off the grid or do you want some night life if the mood hits you?
Posted on 12/9/16 at 4:54 pm to VABuckeye
Why is that a problem
Posted on 12/9/16 at 5:05 pm to VABuckeye
Not really a diver but would be open to it.
Not really interested in nightlife for the trip. It'll be to decompress. Ambergris Cay is probably at the high end for civilization for what I want.
Not really interested in nightlife for the trip. It'll be to decompress. Ambergris Cay is probably at the high end for civilization for what I want.
Posted on 12/9/16 at 5:28 pm to Parallax
With 6k by yourself you could have a really nice trip to Costa Rica and just explore all over.
Go ziplining in the rainforests. Hike near volcanos. Go white water rafting the Pacuare River Chill by the beach.
6k would go really far there. Pack light and you could hop on small planes (like $100) and go all over the country there.
This is where we stayed in CR in Manual Antonio...
Costa Verde
LINK
If you wanna be an OT baller...stay in the airplane cabin
>
(actually not priced as crazy as you would think...I think like $500/night)
Go ziplining in the rainforests. Hike near volcanos. Go white water rafting the Pacuare River Chill by the beach.
6k would go really far there. Pack light and you could hop on small planes (like $100) and go all over the country there.
This is where we stayed in CR in Manual Antonio...
Costa Verde
LINK
If you wanna be an OT baller...stay in the airplane cabin
>
(actually not priced as crazy as you would think...I think like $500/night)
Posted on 12/9/16 at 6:30 pm to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
It isn't necessary. Just set them to large thumbnails. On my 4K monitor it takes a while to scroll past them.
ETA: On a device like an iPad the photos are fine. On a big high res monitor every image takes up the whole screen. Now imagine scrolling past that. It takes several seconds to scroll past one post.
ETA: On a device like an iPad the photos are fine. On a big high res monitor every image takes up the whole screen. Now imagine scrolling past that. It takes several seconds to scroll past one post.
This post was edited on 12/9/16 at 7:40 pm
Posted on 12/9/16 at 6:39 pm to Parallax
Do the east end of Roatan. It makes Ambergris Cay look like downtown. There's an incredible little bar at the east end of Roatan.
Posted on 12/10/16 at 8:27 am to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
If I was going to Belize by myself I'd probably go to Caye Caulker.
Posted on 12/10/16 at 11:16 am to VABuckeye
quote:
on my 4K monitor it takes a while to scroll past them.
Ok now we know. This is all about you now.
Posted on 12/10/16 at 11:20 am to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
No. It isn't about me. It's just annoying when it takes 10 seconds to scroll past one post. Honestly, there's really no need to submit images that large. It's obnoxious and I know you're a good guy. 
Posted on 12/10/16 at 11:44 am to VABuckeye
quote:
its just Annoying
quote:
It's obnoxious
quote:
Takes 10 seconds to scroll
You are one very impatient and crabby dude.
This post was edited on 12/10/16 at 11:46 am
Posted on 12/11/16 at 1:43 pm to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
And you're being obnoxious. Why not just link to your review of the island instead of re-posting in every "what island should I go to" thread with high res photos? Is that a fair compromise?
We are both here to help btw.
We are both here to help btw.
This post was edited on 12/11/16 at 2:40 pm
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