So thought maybe its best if I could find something within an hour (by bus) maybe upto 1.5 hours of Belize international airport to stay for two nights. I am open to either north of belize city or south. Just someplace I can get my fins wet and do a 2-3 tank dive someplace close...
a list of dive resorts on the mainland around 1.5 hours of belize city to start my research would be awesome. Personal exp. a plus. Please advise!
I think we're talking about the mainland, right? If so, does it have to be by bus? Belize has two small airlines, Maya and Tropic, and they fly to all the major villages. There is no place north of Belize City for diving, so scratch that off the list. You can go south to either Hopkins or Placencia, but both are further than 1.5 hours by bus, especially when you add in the time it will take to go from the airport to the bus station in BZ City.
I think you would find taking a bus to be more trouble and time-consuming than it's worth.
Hopkins is a 25 minute flight. I'd recommend Hamanasi, a dive resort. Pricey but very nice.
Placencia is a 30 minute flight and may in fact stop first in Hopkins. All manner of hotels to fit any budget. I'd recommend my good friends at Splash, an excellent dive op, and they in turn can help book a hotel based on your needs/budget. I dive with them every year I go.
Not that I want to get into the middle of this, but cayes, pronounced "keys" as in Key West, is Spanish (or so I've been told) for small island. Or, assuming that's correct, as the Spanish would say, island is English for caye. The title for the islands always includes Caye, as in Ambergris Caye, Hatchet Caye, the Silk Cayes. When I talk about Belize with friends here, I tell them the coast is dotted with small islands, which they call cayes as in Key West but spell differently.
Oh, I forgot. There is a dive op in Belize City, Sea Sports, but I think they cater to the cruise ship crowd. You probably don't want to stay in Belize City for two nights. I've done it before and may end up doing it again someday, but it's not for the faint of heart or first time traveller unless you like to add in some significant risk on your vacation, lol.
