Travel Guides: All Countries / Central America / Belize
 |  | Travel Reviews : Belize |
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| | | | Las Vegas on the high seas
The £250m Carnival Legend - a spanking new "fun ship" named by actress Dame Judi Dench - is an eye-popper.
Stretching almost 300m from bow to stern, it easily has space for its 2,124 fun-seeking passengers, from families to couples.
The vast Legend Lobby entrance strongly resembles Las Vegas kitsch. Decor is flashy, lights twinkle from every surface, and glass lifts tower above.
It takes a while to learn the Legend's layout, but its 16 theme bars and restaurants are confined to three lower decks, which makes life simpler.
The biggest chore is playing hunt the cabin. With 15 lifts on board, getting to the right deck is easy, but it can be a long, winding walk to bed.
Most cabins have outside views, and 80% of those have balconies. Decor is tasteful.
The legends theme draws on big names from every genre virtually since the dawn of time.
So you have Club Merlin Casino (busy after dinner), jazz bar Satchmo's Club, The Holmes Library and internet cafe, and Medusa's Lair, a funky nightclub.
Outside on Lido Deck, the Camelot, Unicorn and Avalon pools spread bathers about. Kids get a 72-ft winding water slide and a separate pool on Deck 11.
One of the Legend's big pluses is its unstuffy, fun atmosphere. Live or taped music floats from most rooms, and the Legend Lobby's huge bar has no dress code. Still, bikinis stay poolside and there's at least one black tie do per cruise in grand Truffles Restaurant.
Travel guide: Belize
The forgotten beauty of Belize
From the Mail on Sunday
Often forgotten in favour of its neighbours Guatemala and Mexico, Belize is unspoilt and not teeming with backpackers - it is perfect for the short-time traveller who wants to see more of a country than just its beaches. Its sleepy cays are worthy of any Caribbean idyll and its jungle, with caves full of artefacts, forms part of the Mayan trail.
Most visitors head for either Ambergris Cay or Cay Caulker. Ambergris offers the more upbeat, luxurious experience - but this also means more Americans and themed restaurants.
Very few hotels can beat the Victoria House Hotel. Nearly a mile from the centre, it is blissfully far from the noise of the town. The plantation rooms are best but, if you want to go native, there are thatched cabanas on the beach with incredible views of the sunrise and sunset.
It is perfect for honeymooners, with hammocks on the beach, sunloungers on the wooden decks, a restaurant serving excellent fajitas and an extensive cocktail list in the bar.
Belize is famous for its diving. I eased my way into the clear turquoise water world by snorkelling. I was gently brushed by stingrays and sharks just off the reef - a breathy, exciting experience but nothing compared with the first time, after four days of training, when I dived to any real depth. The underwater world is unutterably peaceful. My instructor, Rene, pointed out yellow snappers, sea cucumbers, lobsters, fairy basslets and golden crinoids.
If you don't mind the odd stubbed toe from less-than-evenly spaced decks, and beds that can be more spring than stuffing, Cay Caulker is a more genuine, charmingly Caribbean island - though beachless. It is quieter and less expensive. The main street is a sandy one-laner, with brightly coloured clapboard houses on stilts. The days soon drift into each other.
One afternoon I walked the length of the island - there are no cars. The sea here is best entered from the Split, where a slice of brilliantly clear water separates the town from a mangrove swamp. Standing in the shallows creates a pleasing 'Jesus on water' effect for unsuspecting onlookers.
Bang on the waterfront, like most of the island's accommodation, is the Tropical Paradise Hotel, which has a decent restaurant. The rooms are clean and simple cabins - some even have a balcony and sea view.
By far the best restaurant on the island is the Wish Willy, run by Maurice, a Belizean by birth. His home cooking is superb. One night he'll serve a pig on a spit, the next it will be succulent lamb and rice. Afterwards drop by the J & R, an upstairs reggae bar, with swings and hammocks hanging from the roof as chairs, which serves 'panty rippers', a cocktail of coconut rum and pineapple juice.
Travel guide: Belize
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| | | | Food, Follies and Frank
As on any cruise, all-inclusive dining is a major pastime on the Legend - and very good value.
Self-service Unicorn Cafe on Lido Deck dishes up excellent international meals at lunch and tea times, and fresh pizzas are available round the clock.
Apple, orange and lemon juices from dispensers are free of charge, as is coffee and Lipton tea, served US-style with teabags on the side, not in pots.
Evening shows in Follies, a three-deck-high, glitzy theatre, are a bit cheesy but good fun and suitable for children.
Singer Christopher Alan Graves earned a standing ovation for his hour-long Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr set during the three-night inaugural cruise from Harwich to Amsterdam.
Dancers in Las Vegas-style show Take II were polished, despite a dizzying array of costume changes and routines.
The Carnival Legend's swish Fountain of Youth Spa and Gym is a haven of peace and calm.
You have to fight for a spot in the gym's popular indoor jacuzzi with views of the sea. But then, when all the noise and flashing lights become too much, it's certainly worth the wait.
A 10-night fly-cruise from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean starts at £945 with taxes, tips and port charges.
The peace of Pook's Hill
A day too long on the islands had me pining for adventure. A bus from Belize City dropped me at Teakettle, a tiny town just outside Belmopan, the ugly purpose-built capital, created to avoid the hurricane the Belizeans are sure will one day destroy Belize City.
By the charmingly named Hummingbird Highway (Belize has only three main roads) Ray Snaddon picked me up in a battered truck and drove five miles up a dirt track to Pook's Hill, the jungle lodge he and his wife created 13 years ago - from nothing. Named after the Rudyard Kipling children's story, their hill is, in fact, a Mayan mound that forms the centre piece of seven thatched, white cabanas.
The largest, at the foot of the hill, has a small bar and seating area. At night it is romantically lit by hazy paraffin lamps but by day it looks out on to the dense, mysterious jungle with its hidden plethora of animal life, including jaguars, armadillos, jacamundi, tarantulas and snakes.
The trail from the bar leads to a clear river, where small rapids dive over boulders to form a deep, green swimming hole. A massive fallen tree trunk and enormous central rock serve as makeshift diving platforms.
Days can be spent riding with Ray, galloping along ploughed fields beside forested mountains pulsating with Mayan energy, or tubing down the river over tiny rapids and finishing in the rockpool. Nights can be spent eating the lodge's delicious food or trail walking, looking for wildlife.
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| | | | Human skeletons in a jungle cave
But the best adventure by far was the visit to the Cave of the Stone Sepulchre. It was discovered in 1989 and archaeological work began four years ago. There are only five licensed guides who protect the cave from oily hand contact, which can ruin the formations.
The journey there is not for the faint-hearted. We trekked through the jungle, learning that the gumbo limbo tree provides the antidote to the black poisonwood tree. We crossed the river five times, wading through ankle-deep, and sometimes thigh-deep, water. The cave itself, a hidden mouth of glassy, still, green water was eerily calm. Guided only by the lamps from our miners' hats, we waded through black water, trying to avoid the hidden rocks, then swam through seemingly impenetrable depths.
Finally we started climbing higher into the cave's belly. Falls would have been lethal but this made the climb even more exciting. Deeper in, we removed our shoes and crawled through tunnels of clammy mud, with sandy-coloured, eyeless crickets and spiders scuttling out of the way.
We glimpsed our first pieces of Mayan pottery in rooms with extraordinary stalagmite formations which sparkled quietly, looking sometimes angelic, sometimes like angels of death, hooded figures fit for the cover of a Led Zeppelin album. Roofs of stalactites like bony fingers poked down towards my head. The silence was throbbing. Even further in were the remains of human sacrifices, calcified skulls, sand-coloured bubbly grotesques.
When their harvests failed repeatedly, the Mayans wanted to sacrifice more than just animal blood and seeds in pots, hence the humans. They believed they could not beget life without releasing it. In the very heart of the cave was the stone sepulchre itself, containing a whole skeleton, her bones all in place as though she had lain down for a quick nap and died accidentally.
After contemplating her lonely fate, we started the journey back. In the jungle we passed rubber trees, the ceaba tree (sacred to the Maya who believed its branches held up the heavens and its roots went down to the underworld) and the caliandria, solar flowers whose pink sprays shame the brightest firework display.
Back at Pook's Hill lodge, swinging on the hammock with a beer in my hand, my mind was still in the cave - and stayed there for a few days. For five hours I'd left this world for a forgotten place.
Travel facts: STA Travel offers return flights to Belize City from Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow. Call 0870 160 6070. Contact the Tropical Paradise Hotel on Cay Caulker on 00 501 22 2124; the Victoria House Hotel, Ambergris Cay on 00 501 26 2067; and Pook's Hill on 00 501 81 2017.
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| | Destination Guide : Belize |
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| | | Central American paradise |  | Why go on holiday to Belize?
The laid-back atmosphere in this Central American country is more in keeping with its offshore Caribbean neighbours than that of the continental hinterland. It's a hard place to get around, prices are comparatively high and hotels can be hard to find.
Nonetheless, the beautiful beaches and untouched jungle make this tiny paradise an unforgettable destination. Where else could you peruse ancient Mayan ruins whilst munching on fried chinchilla?
How much does it cost?
As a rough guide, a low-season return to Belize costs about £450, rising to as much as £700 in high season. A moderate hotel costs £10-20 per night. All-inclusive 10-day packages are available from approximately £1,000 per person.
When should I go?
The best time to go is the dry season between December and May. The drawback is that this is the busy season when hotels fill up and prices rocket. The summer is cheaper, but that's because it's the hurricane season.
Avoid August if you can - it's like being boiled alive. September is a good time to visit as Belize National Day festivities start on the 10th and continue until Independence Day on September 21.
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| | | Diving and snorkelling dream | | What should I do when I'm there?
Hang out in Belize City. It is by no means a holiday destination, but most travellers will find themselves at least passing through it as it is the commercial and transport centre. It belies its name in that it is no longer the capital of the country.
It's rough and ready but highly colourful and the only settlement of any size in the country. Battlefield Park is always teeming with vendors, loungers and con men - be smart and it can be fun.
The Bliss Institute is the city's cultural centre and St John's Cathedral is the oldest Anglican church in Central America. To the north is the Fort George Lighthouse.
Despite its ramshackle charm Belize City can be a dangerous place, particularly after dark, so exercise caution and keep a close eye on belongings.
Are the cayes and reefs worth a look?
Definitely. Belize has the northern hemisphere's longest reef, where the warm water is never much deeper than 16 feet.
The diving, snorkelling and fishing are fantastic and the scenery will have you convinced that you're inhabiting a daydream.
Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker are the two most popular with visitors. Caulker is more of a low-budget place where as Ambergris (probably because it boasts the only three coral reefs in the hemisphere) is more resort and condominium-orientated.
Any archaeological sites I should see?
The best glimpses of the Mayan past are offered by Lamanai and Xunantunich.
Lamanai dates from 1,500 BC and has 60 ancient structures, including a temple and a ball court.
The boat trip up from Orange Walk passes the Mennonite community of Shipyard as well as plenty of crocodiles.
Xunantunich is a levelled hilltop near the Guatemalan border. The pride of Belize, it was a ceremonial centre until a huge earthquake struck in 900 AD.
Anything else?
The wonderfully-named Dem Dats Doin is an ecological farm 25 miles north-west of Punta Gorda. They use photovoltaic (oh, that) cells for electricity, biogas methane for light and refrigeration and only natural insect repellents and fertilisers.
It's a marvel of sustainable farming and eco-technology, and tours and occasional bed and breakfast are available.
The Bermudian Landing Community Baboon Sanctuary has 200 species of birds and animals on view, but top of the bill is the black howler monkey, unique to Belize.
Placencia is hard to get to but the most restful place imaginable once you get there. The beaches are great and the nearby Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a terrific array of beasts.
The Mountain Pine Ridge is 312 sq miles of beautiful, unspoiled country. There are several excursions available to view the exotic flora and fauna.
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| | | Dine on armadillo | | Where's good for nightlife?
Barrack Road in Belize City has lots of little bars and clubs serving drinks and playing live local music - calypso, reggae, etc. The Fort George area is also a good place to head for on a night out.
What's the food like?
Traditional staples are rice and beans with chicken, pork, beef, fish or vegetables and coconut milk. Some of the more exotic foods on offer are armadillo, venison and paca (a small brown-spotted rodent similar to a guinea pig - mmm!).
What should I buy?
There's no main shopping area, but most of the stores are in Albert Street in Belize City.
There's also a market in the centre of town selling locally made goods such as woven material, wooden sculptures and pottery, and souvenirs such as baseball caps and T-shirts. If you're lucky there may be people with approved licences for selling coral.
What is there for children to do?
There's a big zoo on the outskirts of Belize City and most hotels organise things to keep children occupied.
Tourist office
Belize High Commission, 22 Harcourt House, 19 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PL. Tel 020 7499 9728.
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| | Fact File : Belize |
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| | | Belize | | Did you know?
Hurricane Hattie all but destroyed the old capital, Belize City, in 1961.
Language
English, English Creole, Spanish, Maya and Garifuna.
Visas
None required.
Getting there
International flights to Belize City usually via Houston, Los Angeles or Miami, also available via Guatemala. Coaches from Mexico and Guatemala, boats from Honduras and Guatemala.
Flying time from London
Approximately 11 hours.
Getting around
Belize has few paved roads and no rail network. Buses operate fairly regularly on the only two paved roads between Corozal and Belize City and between Benque Viejo Del Carmen and Belize City. Car hire is available in Belize City, motorbikes and cycles can be hired on the Cayes.
Currency
Belizean dollar (BZ$) although US dollars are widely accepted.
Costs
A camera film costs £4, moderate meal for two £15, bottle of beer 50p, short taxi ride £10, gallon of petrol £2. All prices are approximate.
Weather
Tropical climate with sunny days and showers all year round. December temperatures rise to 30C (86F), July temperatures climb to 40C (104F).
Time difference
Six hours behind GMT.
International dialling code from the UK
00 501
Voltage
110V
Opening hours
Shops generally open 8am-5pm daily. Some of the bigger stores open til 9pm. Banks open 8am-12noon, 1.30pm-5pm.
Health - Before you go
There is a risk of cholera, dengue fever, hepatitis, malaria, rabies and typhoid, so check with your doctor before you go.
Health - When you are there
Use insect repellant if you venture into the forest.
Warnings
Don't wander around alone late at night in Belize City.
Emergency
The emergency number is 111. The British High Commission is in Belmopan. Tel: (00 501) 82 21 46/82 27 17.
Customs
It is illegal to export any pre-Colombian articles, marine items, unprocessed coral and turtle shells.
Pets
Pets can enter Belize with a health certificate but would have to go into quarantine to get back into the UK.
Tipping
Service charges are included in bigger restaurants, but not in all smaller establishments where the amount to tip is left up to you.
Tourist office
Belize High Commission, 22 Harcourt House, 19 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PL. Tel: 020 7499 9728.
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| | Available rental properties in Belize |
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| |  | | Michelo's flats
central location for diving on coral reef and excursions to rainforest and Maya tempels, flats for 2 to 3 persons in condo with pool at 100m from the
|  | | Casa Del Sol, Placencia, Belize
Casa del Sol is pure luxury in the middle of paradise! The villa is on a heavenly stretch of sandy beach only one mile north of Placencia village.
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Holiday Rentals in Belize |
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