Belize Newbs, March 2018, Options for 2 Divers, 2 Not?

[knucklebusted]

I just got back from Grand Cayman and dove the USS Kittiwake before it was toppled. Great experience. I like Cozumel but my wife is sick of the CZM despite the ease of access and inexpensive life there.

Now, my 26yr old diver-daughter, her 30yr old non-diving boyfriend and my non-diving wife all want to go to Belize for my wife's spring break from college (teacher/tutor) so it has apparently become my job to manage this excursion.

My wife had a coworker from Belize that put us in contact with some folks in Ambergris Caye that represent Sandy Point Resorts; Coco Beach, Belizean Shores, Belizean Coves, Costa Blu, X'tan Ha. All look decent, some way out of our price range for comfort.

I'm looking to spend around $5K US for 4 people for a week, including air fare for 2 from Nashville & 2 from Jacksonville. Weekend air fare is already all booked up on Southwest so looking at nearly $1,000/ person shoots my budget to hell! Two of us are divers, two not so I'm not sure how much diving we'll be able to do and insure domestic tranquility.

My daughter is adamant that we do the Blue Hole even though it not on my bucket list. I've seen a few mentions of not booking it ahead and negotiating at the dock when they need to fill a boat. Sounds like a plan!

Is there a nice, not extravagant, place this mixed group of newbs can do comfortably or am I going to have to sell a kidney or worse, one of my muscle cars, to make this happen? If the cost is that high, I'm going to make my daughter and her BF book their own air fare or burn their own FF miles.

 

[ReefHound]

We often fly midweek to midweek (i.e.Tues-Tues) to get cheaper airfare. It may involve burning one more vacation day. I get it that your wife may not have such flexibility. You're probably going to pay the "Spring Break Surcharge".

 

[knucklebusted]

Well, she can take any time she wants but she prefers to do spring break to keep from leaving her students with a sub or out that week. Maybe a Tue-Tue would work.

I've also been looking at private homes, AirBnB type stuff, on Caye Caulker for very reasonable. I suspect we'd have to have a car at that though.

 

[ReefHound]

Well, she can take any time she wants but she prefers to do spring break to keep from leaving her students with a sub or out that week. Maybe a Tue-Tue would work.

I've also been looking at private homes, AirBnB type stuff, on Caye Caulker for very reasonable. I suspect we'd have to have a car at that though.

I guarantee you won't have a car on Caye Caulker. No cars on the island. Only a handful of roads with hard-packed dirt and gravel. You get around by walking, biking, or golf cart taxi. Maybe you can rent a golf cart for the week.

 

[knucklebusted]

I guarantee you won't have a car on Caye Caulker. No cars on the island. Only a handful of roads with hard-packed dirt and gravel. You get around by walking, biking, or golf cart taxi. Maybe you can rent a golf cart for the week.

OK, good to know. Marked that down for future reference when looking at distance from boat terminal/dock.

 

[ReefHound]

Caye Caulker is less than a mile wide and 5 miles long, divided into a north and south by The Split. All the infrastructure is on the south side. Be sure your bnb is on the south side unless it comes with a private boat or you will be completely isolated and remote.

 

[knucklebusted]

Well, it looks like the air fare is way jacked up, even with Southwest now flying that route. Looks like April is a better flight value. Weather still good in April? Is Caye Culker a better choice than Ambergris Caye if the Great Blue Hole is a required dive trip?

 

[Ayisha]

April is great weather-wise. Between March to May and November to December would be the driest, least active weather.

July particularly and up to September/October as well as January/February are the rainier times in Belize/Roatan.

I haven't been to Caye Caulker so I can't speak to the comparison.

 

[Downing]

I've been going to Belize in the summer for years, usually June but as late as August, and only rarely has the weather interfered with diving. When it rains, it's almost always at night. Of greater concern is the wind's effect on the sea. Too much wind makes for choppy seas which can result in cancellations.

Of course, on those rare occasions when we can't dive due to the weather, we always just head inland where there's a ton of stuff to see and do. One big advantage to Placencia is that it's on the mainland so you can just hop in a car and go, but you can still get there from one of the cayes easily enough.

One big advantage to the summer is that it's the slow season, meaning smaller crowds, shorter lines and cheaper services.

 

[DeputyDan]

When we went to Ambergris Caye we stayed here.

I would stay there again. Nothing great - nothing bad.

Blue Tang Inn

We dove with (we did not have any interest in the blue hole and never inquired about it)

CHUCK & ROBBIE'S SCUBA DIVING+INSTRUCTION