How Expensive Is Belize - Really

[scubajcf]

About a year and a alf ago, the Mrs and I went to Ambergris Caye / San Pedro

We stayed at Bananas Resort, Flew Coach from PHX.
Rented Golf Cart for the entire week.
Dove the Blue Hole ($200pp) - 3 Dives
Dove Turneffe Reef ($150pp) - 3 Dives
Did three tanks a day locally for three days (NITROX)
Food, Hotel, Flights and Diving ended up costing about 4K Total.

Not first class, but it wasn't camping either. Blue Hole and Turneffe were LONG days on the boat.


jcf



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[8thElementDiver]

About a year and a alf ago, the Mrs and I went to Ambergris Caye / San Pedro

We stayed at Bananas Resort, Flew Coach from PHX.
Rented Golf Cart for the entire week.
Dove the Blue Hole ($200pp) - 3 Dives
Dove Turneffe Reef ($150pp) - 3 Dives
Did three tanks a day locally for three days (NITROX)
Food, Hotel, Flights and Diving ended up costing about 4K Total.

Not first class, but it wasn't camping either. Blue Hole and Turneffe were LONG days on the boat.

Were the costs and time associated with diving the Blue Hole and Tourneffe Reef worth it?

 

[LWB]

I went to Belize this time last year and I'm headed to Roatan in less than a week. From what I can see, air fare is actually cheaper to Belize, but accomodations were more. We stayed on Ambergris Caye at the Belizian Shores Resort and Tuff E Nuff Tours was right at their dock. Seems to me that it was about $350 a day for the two of us to stay there and for a two tank boat dive. They did not have an all inclusive price that included food. So we probably spent about $50 a day at the pool bar and having lunch there. Then dinners were running close to $100 a night. I don't think we had any alcohol with those dinners either. We never did eat dinner at our resort. We went down the beach to Capt. Morgan's, up the beach to the Journey's End, and to San Pedro a couple of nights. So IMHO, food and drinks are expensive, lodging and diving was reasonable. Oh, and going to the grocery store didn't save much money ($18 for Boone's Farm, ouch!). The big one is just south of the Tropic Air terminal at the San Pedro airport. So if you want to buy some stuff, the time to go is when you arrive.

We liked staying up on the northside of the island. It was nice and quiet and we really didn't see very many kids. We missed the water taxi to town one night, so instead of waiting an hour, we just walked to town. I think it took about an hour to make the trip, so we didn't save any time, but at least we got some exercise. One of the nicest things about Ambergris Caye was that there was nobody on the street looking for handouts. We did see a few merchants along the boardwalk, but they were not high pressure.

If I had it to do again, I would stay at Captain Morgan's or the Journey's End and dive with Tuff E Nuff. It might be a little more expensive that way, but diving with Billy and Tuff E Nuff would be well worth a couple of extra bucks.

 

[ScubaDaveAZ]

I'm going to Belize in May for 7 days. It looks like it is about the same as Cozumel. Definitly more exspensive than Roatan, but about as half the cost of Tahiti. I paid about $18/dive in Roatan about 3 years ago and about $75/dive in Tahiti. My trip in may is going to be relativaly cheep...

Airfare from PHX: $18.00 (1st class/Bus class both ways, frequent flyer miles)
I night hotel in Mia $00.00 (Hilton Honnor Points)
5 nights in SP: $220 (sharing room with 2 other guys)
2 nights in AC: $80 (same)
Diving: $300
Food: $200

Total with airfare (est):$818

 

[AMSD]

Hi Hopefulist,

You helped me a few years ago when planning our trip to Belize (we did Isla Marisol as well as time in SP and Hopkins). While we'd love to go back, we're pinching pennies this time 'round (got slammed by the economy like most everyone else) and I definitely think Belize is not cheap - tourism and tons of expats and the fact that all items on the cayes need to be brought in keep in expensive, IMHO. So your comment on Utila peaked my interest as we're looking at going there (&/or poss. Roatan) - never been. Would you mind plz sharing your hotel and any other useful info once again? I'd appreciate it very much and you were right on the money with the Belize recommendations. One of these times I'm going to have to figure out how to repay the favor (e.g., go someplace before you get there and share my tips - but given your travels, this seems unlikely I suppose)!

Cheers!

 

[hopefulist]

Thanks, AMSD! We split about 3 weeks between Roatán and Utila in 2006 and the same between Guanaja and Utila last summer - all really great experiences. Here's the link to my photos on Flickr. Travelogues and the occasional blog are linked on the main page of each collection. The information about dive shops and lodging options is there, but let me know if you have other questions. Flight costs to Honduras are about half now what they were last summer - amazing. Keep me posted on your plans!

 

[AMSD]

excellent, thank you!!

 

[Thatch Caye Belize]

Belize is expensive but Thatch Caye is offering scuba specials for the summertime that are equal to or better than Roatan prices (make an enquiry). They can't beat Utila's $13 a dive numbers though. No one can and the only way they can do it is by having at least five boats per operation and sending each one out loaded to the hilt with divers five times a day and not going far and taking people to worn out dive spots that a seasoned diver would cry over. Utila is wholesale diving and if that is what you want, that is what you will get. Roatan is more upscale and Belize should be able to compete with their prices since wages are the same in both places and the cost of basic food items are somewhat similar. Belize is overpriced because there are lots of inefficeincies internally and that seems to add ten to twenty percent on to everything as well, but I lived in Roatan for six months and they have their own quirks, so Belize ought to be able to compete with them.

 

[hopefulist]

"Utila is wholesale diving and if that is what you want, that is what you will get."

I have to disagree with that statement, having spent a couple of weeks diving on Utila over the last few years. I agree that there are lots of dive shops there and some pack too many per boat. I dove with Alton's last summer - 2 boats/day, I dove in the morning and there were usually 2 groups of 2-4 plus a DM for each group on the boat, though at least once I had the DM (who was very good) to myself. One group would always be an OW group and the other my ADV group and we dove different profiles so it was unusual to see the rest before we were heading back to the boat. Typically only one boat is allowed per site.

I agree that the reefs get more pressure there. After a week or 2 diving Guanaja - just the owner and myself and no other dive boats in sight - I was afraid I'd be disappointed with our return trip to Utila. Guanaja's reefs get very little pressure and were very special. I wasn't disappointed at all, though. I was really impressed with the special sightings we had every dive: a row of squids hovering in the water, staring back at us for several minutes; a huge barracuda at a cleaning station - wrasse and shrimp crawling in and out its gills and mouth; an almost perfectly camouflaged scorpion fish, lots of juvenile spotted drums, and several free swimming morays - great memories There's a good wreck dive and lots of color plus a surprising variety from site to site.

Over the last few years (though I haven't checked since last summer) the dive prices have been almost identical between Utila and Roatán, though prices in general are higher on the latter. Dive packages brought the cost per dive to about $20 on both islands.

I am really looking forward to returning to Glover's this summer and checking out Caulker for the 1st time, so I'm not badmouthing Belize - just don't want what I consider to be inaccurate information about another destination I enjoy to be the last word.