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ViewsBelizeFrom eTripTips Wiki
Belize, [1] formerly the colony of British Honduras, is the only country in Central America without a coastline on the Pacific Ocean (only the Caribbean Sea to its east), and the only one in "Latin America" with English as its official language. The country is located between Guatemala to the west and south and Mexico to the north. Along the Caribbean it is culturally similar to many of Britain's former island colonies. Inland are native Maya people, and especially in the north and northwest of the country Spanish is often spoken. Many refugees from the Caste War of Yucatan settled here. In the south east is the Garifuna culture. Attractions include jungle with exotic plants and animals, fishing, swimming, and diving in the sea with attractive reefs, and visiting Mayan ruins.
[edit] Regions
[edit] Cities Map of Belize
[edit] Other destinations[edit] Maya ruins[edit] Understand [edit] ClimateTropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May). Hurricanes season (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south). [edit] TerrainFlat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south. Highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m [edit] HistoryTerritorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize (formerly British Honduras) until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1991. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy as the old agricultural products -- sugar, banana, and oranges -- have lost ground. The country remains plagued by high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increased urban crime. In 2006 commerical quantity oil was discovered in the Spanish Lookout area. [edit] Get inUS, Canadian, Australian, and EU passport holders do not need a visa, but they will need a valid passport. Cruise ship visitors do not even need a passport. The Belize Tourism Board [2] maintains up-to-date information. [edit] By planeThe international airport is in Ladyville, to the northwest of Belize City where it receives flights from Atlanta, Newark, Miami, Dallas, and Houston. It also has flights coming in from Guatemala City, San Salvador, Roatan and San Pedro Sula. [edit] By carFrom Mexico via Chetumal, in the north, or on a much rougher road from Guatemala via Tikal. [edit] By busBuslines from Guatemala City and Belmopan operate to Flores in Guatemala, and to Chetumal in Mexico. [edit] By boatSeveral cruise lines call on Belize City, which is the largest city in Belize. Unfortunately they usually stay only one day, which doesn't give one the opportunity to really see Belize. You can visit one of the Maya ruins, ride an airboat in the salt marshes just outside the city, shop go to the museum, go to the zoo or take either a short cave rafting trip or snorkeling but that's about it. That means about 70% of the things most tourist would like aren't available, not mention the eco-tourism points of interest. To Puerto Cortés, Honduras, the Gulf Cruza, a small rickety speed boat (20 people) leaves Placencia each Friday at around 9:30AM (4h US$50), going first to Big Creek. It returns to Placencia on Monday. Tickets are sold in the tourist office next to the gas station. Stop by immigration first. Small speedboats operate on a daily basis between Puerto Barrios in Guatemala to Punta Gorda. On Tuesday and Fridays, boats operate from Livingston in Guatemala to Punta Gorda. The ride takes around two hours. [edit] Get aroundSeveral competing buslines operate on the main road in the north-south direction from Punta Gorda to Belmopan and Belize City. Two airlines, Tropic Air and Maya Island Air, serve most towns on a daily basis and if you are trying to get to ambergris Caye where San Pedro is there is water taxis ant the boat terminal in Belize city also tropic air and Maya air which leave Belize city municipal airport and Phillip Goldson int airport as well as other airports in Belize. [edit] TalkAs a former British colony (not Spanish or Portuguese, like most of its neighbors), the official language of Belize is English. Spanish, Maya, Garifuna (Carib), and Belizean Creole are also widely spoken in various parts of the country. Especially in Belize City, locals speak Belizean Creole among themselves, but English to tourists. [edit] BuyThe Belize dollar (BZD, usually symbolized with a "$") is officially worth exactly 1/2 of a U.S. dollar. Because of this simple and consistent exchange rate, U.S. dollars are widely accepted, but this means you should be careful to clarify which "dollars" you're talking about when negotiating prices. It's often better to assume Belize dollars because many merchants will jump on your uncertainty and attempt to double their price by saying "No, in US Dollars". Belize dollars come in denominations of $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100; $1 and smaller amounts are coins. The 25-cent coin is often called a "shilling". [edit] EatThe primary meal found virtually everywhere is red beans,clean rice, and chicken. Most chicken in the country is prepared and served on the bone. [edit] DrinkBelikin is the national beer and comes in four varieties: Belikin Premium, Belikin Beer, Belikin Stout, and Lighthouse Lager. One Barrel Rum is the locally-distilled molasses-tasting rum. Both are widely available around the country.But if you also like wine there is cashew wine which is very popular in Belize ginger wine ,sorrel wine and blackberry wine. [edit] LearnThere are great opportunities for scuba diving off of Belize atolls. Check out reefci.com for some very interesting 1 week adventures that are both informative conservation education as well as great scuba diving.If you want to learn about belize's history I recommend the museum of Belize,house of culture and of course traveling and discovering. [edit] Work[edit] Stay safeBelize City is one of the most dangerous cities in Belize although it's very easy to be safe there. It's highly recommended that you remain in the tourist zone that runs just north of the marina to the southern extension to the east of the main canal. There are plenty of khaki tourist police monitoring the area, and should you have a problem, feel free to approach them.Be sure to know the police officer.Belize city is known for corrupted police officers. Just exercise common sense and do not go wandering around all alone after dark. Stay near tourist areas or other commercial zones. Other areas of Belize are generally safe as well, but like any other place in the world, one should always have some skepticism when dealing with strangers. Most are genuinely helpful, but it never hurts to be cautious.Belize city south side is beautiful as well dangerous.Other than that Belize city is a great place to go if you want to eat learn or shop. [edit] Stay healthyBelize is relatively great in health. [edit] RespectBelizeans are some of the most socially relaxed people in the world, especially if you venture inland away from the tourist islands of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. The pace of life is generally slower in Belize, so it's good practice to begin any social interaction, even to ask a quick question, with eye contact and a genuinely pleasant greeting. Most rural Belizeans enjoy casual conversation and you could easily find yourself chatting it up for a few hours. Hey, it's part of the charm! The Maya communities can be a little more reserved at times. As always, a little respect and politeness will carry you through. [edit] ContactThe main communication around Belize is by telephones and computers. But Belize also has other communications such as postal.
WikiPedia:Belize Dmoz:Central America/Belize/ World66:centralamericathecaribbean/belize |
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