On a two-week trip, with two days at Tikal, I'd recommend an itinerary for the
remaining 12 days something like this:
4 or 5 days in the San Ignacio, Cayo, area
3 or 4 days in the Hopkins/Placencia area
4 or 5 days on Ambergris Caye
San Ignacio is just an hour and a half by road from Tikal, and this area offers
some of the best sightseeing and outdoor adventure activities in Belize. Among
the must-sees/dos in this area are Aktun Tunichil Muknal cave, Caracol and
Xunantunich Maya sites, Green Hills Butterfly Farm, the Belize Zoo and the
Botanical Gardens at duPlooy's, plus depending on your interests seeing
waterfalls and Baldy Beacon area of the Mountain Pine Ridge, cave tubing,
horseback riding, driving down the scenic Hummingbird Highway and a couple of
hours in San Ignacio town. I strongly suggest staying at one of the great
jungle lodges in this area, with the best being Ek' Tun, Chaa Creek,
Blancaneaux, Pook's Hill and duPlooy's.
Hopkins is a friendly and interesting Garifuna village between Dangriga and
Placencia. It has several very good beach hotels including Hamanasi and Jaguar
Reef. The Placencia peninsula is more developed but is still laidback. The
top hotels there are Turtle Inn and Inn at Robert's Grove, but there are many
very nice less expensive beach hotels such as Barnacle Bill's, Kitty's and
Mariposa.
Ambergris Caye offers more than any other caye for the visitor, with the
biggest selection of hotels and restaurants, and even a little shopping. For a
group, I think the best choices for accommodations are the small condotels.
Villas at Banyan Bay, Banana Beach, The Palms, Xanadu and, on North Ambergris,
Belizean Shores are all excellent and offer good value.
--Lan Sluder
Belize books and publications by Lan Sluder:
Belize First Magazine (http://www.belizefirst.com)
Fodor's Belize & Guatemala Gold Guide (new 4th edition now out)
Adapter Kit: Belize (the first and only comprehensive guide to living,
retiring, working and investing in Belize -- a best-seller on Amazon.com)
San Pedro Cool (the first and only visitor guide to Ambergris Caye)
Belize First Guide to Mainland Belize -- sold out, new edition coming 2003
UpClose Central America
Belize Book of Lists -- sold out, new edition coming 2003
Best Hotels of Belize -- coming mid-2003
Fodor's Caribbean Ports of Call (Belize chapter) -- coming in 2003
Fodor's Central America Gold Guide (Belize chapter) -- out now
<< I am planning a trip to belize with my wife and four frends. We plan
to stay two days in Guatemala, to see Tikal. We then plan to stay
four days on the main land of Belize, destination undecided. Ending
the two week excursion with five days on the Cayes.
If any one has any suggestions on must sees or must not see, ways to
travel or things not to do while in belize, I would be very grateful.
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