Trip Report to Ambergris Caye, Belize

[pilot fish]

Hi Pilot,
I was happy staying at the Banana Beach. The food was not the best, but we ate in town most of the time for dinner. It might not look as good as Ramone's but the rooms...at least ours was very clean and I had no complaints. They kept the pool and facilities nice and the staff was very helpful and friendly. Clutch, we took a golf cart down to Capt. Morgans and it is quite a ways down. Good thing you didn't stay all the way down there. If you were trying to drink your way down the beach to town I don't think you would have made it haha!

Food was not much better at Ramone's. It was Ok though. We ate dinner in town every night as well and that was better than it would have been at Ramone's. I think it was cheaper at Banana too? Ramones is not worth the extra dollars.

 

[likelite]

We went cave tubing with SeaRious Adventures, on Caves Branch River near Cayo.

Good times, good times. I need to go pick up my photos of the trip...I took a small waterproof camera instead of my 20-lb. Ikelite rig.

The only downside is the long travel time. You have to boat into Belize City, then take a bus up to Caves Branch. Probably 3 hours travel time one way for only two hours in the water, but what a two hours it is. Really fabulous and deep in the jungle.

1.) Bring your Deep Woods OFF at all costs. It's mosquito heaven.
2.) When they have you drop off your gear in the little shack near Jaguar Paw Jungle Resort, get ready...it's a long walk up to the dropoff point in the river.
3.) A mesh bag to carry your gear in the inner tube would be a good idea. Make sure you have a carabiner or some way to secure it to your actual person, if you're going to take any gear like sunglasses or an underwater camera.
4.) The river is probably ten feet deep in spots, but it's also only 1 foot in spots...might not be a bad idea to wear shorts in case your butt gets scraped.

It's another $150 trip at 6 AM, but we thought it was totally worth it.

 

[likelite]

Hey folks, I got a couple private messages about the cave tubing - here's the SeaRious Adventures webpage with all the scoop:

http://www.ambergriscaye.com/searious/caving.html

I would recommend the Lamanai trip, also. We did that one with Aqua Dives, and had a great time, but they use a smaller boat to get you to Belize City and it's a rough ride. Nice guys, though, and we really liked our guide, who doubled as the fellow who drove us up the New River to the Lamanai site. It's a small boat, and you're out in the wilderness...it was like something out of Apocalypse Now. I mean that in a good way.

SeaRious has a bigger boat with padded benches. Both outfits were fairly rustic once you hit the bus...but that added to it, IMO. I am not the type that likes the overly-sanitized, Disneyfied version of things, though I would think neither trip is probably suitable for small children or the elderly.

Also! Don't go in July, like we did...it was hotter than 7734 upside down in digital numbers! I mean, really, horribly, humid, miserably hot. Probably 115 heat index. If you do go in the summer, be sure to take a huge padded canteen. SeaRious had a cooler full of beer and soft drinks for us for the way back and everyone had plenty of cold water, but every little bit helps when it's that hot.

 

[pilot fish]

Hey folks, I got a couple private messages about the cave tubing - here's the SeaRious Adventures webpage with all the scoop:

http://www.ambergriscaye.com/searious/caving.html

I would recommend the Lamanai trip, also. We did that one with Aqua Dives, and had a great time, but they use a smaller boat to get you to Belize City and it's a rough ride. Nice guys, though, and we really liked our guide, who doubled as the fellow who drove us up the New River to the Lamanai site. It's a small boat, and you're out in the wilderness...it was like something out of Apocalypse Now. I mean that in a good way.

SeaRious has a bigger boat with padded benches. Both outfits were fairly rustic once you hit the bus...but that added to it, IMO. I am not the type that likes the overly-sanitized, Disneyfied version of things, though I would think neither trip is probably suitable for small children or the elderly.

Also! Don't go in July, like we did...it was hotter than 7734 upside down in digital numbers! I mean, really, horribly, humid, miserably hot. Probably 115 heat index. If you do go in the summer, be sure to take a huge padded canteen. SeaRious had a cooler full of beer and soft drinks for us for the way back and everyone had plenty of cold water, but every little bit helps when it's that hot.

Thanks. That's very helpful. I'm sure a lot of people will, and should, find interest in that. It looks like too much traveling for me. If I go away diving, that becmes my sole endeavor, especially on short vacations.

 

[dive1627]

We just got back from Ambergris Caye, Belize (July 23 -30, 2005) family of 3 divers.
Stayed at Banana Beach Resort and dove every day (that was the purpose for our trip).

Dive operators we used: Amigos del Mar ( http://www.amigosdive.com )
Protech (http://www.protechdive.com )
(both highly recommended on this board).
Amigos del Mar – very nice and well organized operation, friendly personnel, clean boats and nice fruits between dives, full service with equipment in and out of the water.
Protech – if you are planning to do Nitrox, any technical dives or advanced/ specialties certifications – this is your place.
Peter Jones (owner) is very knowledgeable and pleasant person and highly respected throughout diving community and this board. Protech produces and supply all Nitrox and special gas mixes on the island. We did Nitrox certification (including dives) with them.

Trip to Blue Hole – If you don’t do it – you don’t know what you missing. This is really unique place (unfortunately can’t spend a lot of time at the 130’ depts.). Price - $185 + $40 park fee p/p including 3 tank dives, breakfast, lunch and drinks on the way back.
(it’s about $80 p/p + park fee for the trip if you subtract what included)
We also did trip to the Turneffe Elbow – also very nice 3 tank dive trip to take.
($160 p/p no park fee)

Accommodation: Banana Beach Resort – clean, nice room, friendly personnel. Away from the crowd (about 2 miles from town – 25 minutes nice walk on the beach or US$5 each way taxi). Dive operators (at least the ones we used) will pick you up at the hotel’s dock and bring you back after the trip.

Bottom line: Great reef, big fish, friendly people (at least the one we meet), great diving. Did not have the best visibility (we assumed - hurricane season ). Did 15 dives (each of us) w/Night dive and Nitrox certification in a week. Day of arriving – rain all afternoon. Rest of the week – weather perfect (just a couple very short showers). Unfortunately – did not have time for any non diving trips, but we came to DIVE.

 

[leadweight]

dive1627,

I don't know how I missed you (or did I?) but I was at Banana Beach all last week & I only use Protech. Perhaps you were with them on the days I skipped. I am still on AC as this is being written, and have another 10 days to go. Water has been like glass for the last few days, mosquitos too active. Off to BC's now.

-Ron

 

[ScubaBabe22]

Hey Yall,

As this december will be my 5th trip to Belize and 4th to Ambergeis, I thought I would add my .02!

I'm not sure where we stayed our first time--cookie cutter place, but the Dive shop "Bottom Time" was where I got certified (Sylvian Forman, GREAT GUY)!
We've stayed at White Sands Cove-- North of the cut, ferry will stop there, altho my parents and i always get bikes from the place, and ride into town...just watch out for some really big fricking bugs in this one spot! We're just south of Captain Morgans, but we love going there for dinner! A walk on the beach is great!

We've done dives with Bottom Time, Amigos del Mar, and Under Da Sea diving... Alonzo flota does under da sea from his family's resort (wife owned, father manager, ect) and he does some really great dives to cypress and tres cocos...(not dos, unless one of the trees has fallen since then!!)

As for night life, the south beaches can get crazy, but I, with a group of kids my age from the resort on NYE there, did not feel unsafe AT ALL...maybe jsut my perception... I would recommend a little hole in the wall restaurant-- "The Reef"...its right across from another restaurant styled to look like a British pub.. it has sand floors, paper napkins, AMAZING SNACKS, DINNERS... The hole-in-the-walls are where you need to go!

 

[pilot fish]

Wrote a letter to the address on the comments and suggestion card they have at the front desk at Ramon's Village "Resort". That card was not big enough for what I needed to tell them. It was returned as - undeliveralble. Seems that is not a correct address. No wonder nothing is ever improved there.

Undaunted, I sent a copy of my letter to them vai email at their Webpage. No answer. That is over a week and a half now and no response. It appears that Ramon's Village does not care about unhappy guests that do not get what they pay for. AVOID THIS PLACE.

Folks, this place is in need of some drastic improvements. There are some nice places to stay on Ambergris Caye, some mentioned here in this thread, but this place, Ramon's, is not one of them. It is not worth the price they charge. Because it is so close to town it is not private, as they lead you to believe from their webpage and ads, too much town traffic on their beach and throughout the "resort", non guests and locals taking beach chairs, pier and gazebo crowded with town kids hanging out all day. The noise from the restaurant outside the "resort" is annoying, which blares late into the night, especially if you are a diver that goes to bed at 10 pm so you can dive in the early morning.

I will say that the dive op there was very good. My advice, use them, stay someplace else, someplace quiet and not as phrenetic.

 

[ScubaBabe22]

Wrote a letter to the address on the comments and suggestion card they have at the front desk at Ramon's Village "Resort". That card was not big enough for what I needed to tell them. It was returned as - undeliveralble. Seems that is not a correct address. No wonder nothing is ever improved there.

Undaunted, I sent a copy of my letter to them vai email at their Webpage. No answer. That is over a week and a half now and no response. It appears that Ramon's Village does not care about unhappy guests that do not get what they pay for. AVOID THIS PALCE.

Folks, this place is in need of some drastic improvements. There are some nice places to stay on Ambergris Caye, some mentioned here in this thread, but this place, Ramon's, is not one of them. It is not worth the price they charge. Because it is so close to town it is not private, as they lead you to believe from their webpage and ads, too much town traffic on their beach and throughout the "resort", non guests and locals taking beach chairs, pier and gazebo crowded with town kids hanging out all day. The noise from the restaurant outside the "resort" is annoying, which blares late into the night, especially if you are a diver that goes to bed at 10 pm so you can dive in the early morning.

I will say that the dive op there was very good. My advice, use them, stay someplace else, someplace quiet and not as phrenetic.

I'm sorry your stay was so miserable! Come back to Amerbgeis and enjoy the other resorts!

 

[pilot fish]

I'm sorry your stay was so miserable! Come back to Amerbgeis and enjoy the other resorts!

Thanks ScubBabe. I would go back to Ambergris but stay at a better place than Ramon's. My stay was not miserable, but not what it should have been, could have been. I was impressed with a great, and misleading, webpage. Now I know that I should listen to the recommendations of other divers and not webpages. duh.

Oh, did I mention the Ramon's Kennel? Yeah, all the town dogs and cats would roam the property, many under the breakfast and lunch tables, looking to be fed. Yes, everyone fed them. Dogs in the water at the beach and once in the pool. Too funny.