Hello, I just returned from Belize and stayed at the Blue Tang and dove with Chuck & Robbie. I'll write up a trip report later but want to answer your question. I told Blue Tang I wanted to reserve with Chuck & Robbie for six days. They said that was fine but for whatever reason when I arrived there was no record of my reservation. So, they called Chuck & Robbie's and asked if they had room which they did. Each day that I dove, I went to the receptionist at Blue Tang and they gave me a voucher for a 2-tank dive. I gave the voucher to the dive shop and the diving was charged to my room. In retrospect, I liked this because I wasn't locked into anything even though I might have received a discount for a multiday package. The other benefit of doing it one day at a time is that, given that it's slow right now, it's possible that a dive shop might not go out just for one diver. There was one day when I was the only diver and we agreed to do just one tank. The other advantage of going one day at a time is that if you decide you want to go to the Blue Hole, you have to use another shop since Chuck & Robbie's doesn't go there. Or, if you want to do a land tour you can have that flexibility as well. So, all in all, the daily voucher system works well. You may get a lower cost if you book directly with Chuck & Robbie but you will have to pay them directly rather than having it charged to your room. So, it comes down to cost & flexibility. I liked having everything billed to my room but that's just me. One other note, it is slow in Belize right now. You might want to e-mail Chuck & Robbie's directly to see if they are operating the week that you are there. It is the slow season and some shops (diving, restaurants, etc.) may shut down for a few weeks due to the low traffic. I hope you can dive with Chuck & Robbie's because they were GREAT!
Ambergris Trip Report - Blue Tang, Chuck & Robbie's, zoo & Lamanai
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Jeff88
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Great Trip Review...and very nice trip blog. My wife and I have been to Ambergris Caye 3 times so far....2 diving with Chuck and Robbie's. We are going back next month (Oct. 17-24th)..we haven't been since April of '07. Will be interesting to see how much more the island and San Padro has progressed. There were alot more vehicals on the island the last time we where there than our first in April '05. We are staying at Paradise Villas...close to wet willies. We usually go with a group of people an rent a house..but this trip is just us 2.
We alway try to bring enough cash and/or traveler's checks with us to pay for everything. We try not to use a credit card if possible. I can taste almost taste a cold belican now.
We alway try to bring enough cash and/or traveler's checks with us to pay for everything. We try not to use a credit card if possible. I can taste almost taste a cold belican now.
Great trip report, thanks! Any other tips regarding tipping, getting around, shopping opportunities?
I am not the original poster but I'll chime in. Hope that's ok.
I followed the 15% convention when I was there. I recommend bringing lots of $1 and $5 bills to make it easy when you are paying cash. If you are staying in central San Pedro (south of toll bridge and north of the airport) you can walk everywhere if you feel up to it. Golf carts and taxis are available but I did not use either so I can't tell you the costs. You can find more info on Belize Vacations, Tours, Resorts, News, Hotels, Travels, Flights, Weather, Maps, Real Estate. As far as shopping, there are lots of souvenir shops everywhere that sell the same stuff you can find all over the Caribbean. There are a couple of art galleries that sell work from Belizean artists. I also like B&B Jewelry on Pescador Drive. The owner makes jewelry and also customizes previously made pieces. There is a tobacco & liquor store on Pescador that sells rum-based liquors as well as Cuban (but you can't bring them back to the US) and Belizean cigars. There is also a store on Front Street (or whatever it's called now) that will make clothes for you in 24hours. You pick the style and fabric and return for the garment the next day. The Belize City Airport also has a few souvenir shops where you can pick up some t-shirts if you need a few extra gifts. When it comes to Belizean music and other products, you can actually buy some of them online in the US.
I followed the 15% convention when I was there. I recommend bringing lots of $1 and $5 bills to make it easy when you are paying cash. If you are staying in central San Pedro (south of toll bridge and north of the airport) you can walk everywhere if you feel up to it. Golf carts and taxis are available but I did not use either so I can't tell you the costs. You can find more info on Belize Vacations, Tours, Resorts, News, Hotels, Travels, Flights, Weather, Maps, Real Estate. As far as shopping, there are lots of souvenir shops everywhere that sell the same stuff you can find all over the Caribbean. There are a couple of art galleries that sell work from Belizean artists. I also like B&B Jewelry on Pescador Drive. The owner makes jewelry and also customizes previously made pieces. There is a tobacco & liquor store on Pescador that sells rum-based liquors as well as Cuban (but you can't bring them back to the US) and Belizean cigars. There is also a store on Front Street (or whatever it's called now) that will make clothes for you in 24hours. You pick the style and fabric and return for the garment the next day. The Belize City Airport also has a few souvenir shops where you can pick up some t-shirts if you need a few extra gifts. When it comes to Belizean music and other products, you can actually buy some of them online in the US.
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