Belize - Ambergris? where to stay

[Chocoholic]

We will be going to Ambergris Caye this February 08. We may go to Caye Chapel first and then AC. Where are some good places to stay in AC? Are there lots of things for a non-diver to do?
Thanks

[MonkeysInk]

My boyfriend and I just booked a trip to stay at the Adventure Lodge - it got pretty good reviews in Scuba Diving magazine, so I'll let you know how it went when we get back - we're going next week. Wonder what's for Thanksgiving Dinner in Belize?

[Doug B]

Ramones on Ambergris Cay.

Feels like Gilligan's island. Nice beach area for the family.

Morning boat dive, come back, eat lunch, play around with the kids on the beach, go back out for afternoon boat dive.

Belize is awesome. I want to go back. So much to do, lots of fun.

Be sure to do the day trip with the company that has the purple colored boats (I cant remember thier company name). Do the day trip where you go to Caulker Cay, see Sea Horses, Sea Cows, shark ray alley, and have lunch/snorkel on the very tiny island. Very fun trip for the whole family.

[FOUNDATIONER]

Hi Choco!

Ambergris and San Pedro town are an absolutely fun place!
When the boss and I go we stay at Steve and Becky's which
is a subdivision of Ramon's Village. Little cottages right across
the road (I use the term loosely) from the main resort.
You get the little house and breakfast everyday for a very
reasonable price. For lunch we generally get groceries for the week from the local grocer. (you can rent a mini fridge for like 5 bucks a day). The grocery store is a short walk or shorter golf cart trip down the street. You can hunt your dinner in town every night and its a blast! Great food everywhere, the people are very nice, and the whole town is pretty much walking distance. Last year we brought my mom along (70 years old) and she felt so safe she often walked the town unacompanied for her daily excercise. We rent electric golf carts or scooters from time to time. Ramon's runs a pretty good dive op. I always buy my dives alacarte but they also sell a package. We will be leaving the caye the day after you arrive,maybe we'll run into each other!
The Lamanai ruins are not to be missed, as much for the pyramids
as the trip there and back. Hope this helps and have a great trip!

[dannybot]

Town looks nice, lots of shopa and restaurants. Prices are cheap. Everybody drinks bottled water, keep that in mind. I do not recommend Journey's End Resort. It is a $7 US boat ride to and from town, and the dive operator was at best scary on site, but the other operators would pick up. Recommend Ecologic Divers, good people, new shop all new boats and equipment.

[LRDWILDER]

I too would definately not recomend Journey's end...My wife and I stayed there for about 5 days, the dive operation on site is at best a joke, and they are borderline dangerous! Stay closer or in San Pedro....AND DO NOT drink the water!

[Doug B]

oh yeah....
Drink only bottled water and other drinks. You'll see Belican and Fanta everywhere.

Don't eat fruit if it's been cut up in a fruit salad - most likely washed in tap water.

Basically.... don't drink the tap water. I even stayed away from ice in my drinks.... My wife and kids had ice in thier cokes at one meal... with no problems, but they also took some drugs recommended by the CDC.

Not trying to scare you.... but I'd recommend only drinking stuff that comes bottled.

[LRDWILDER]

Belikan beer!!!! I miss it! Its so good....the funny thing is that it is that their are only 3 beers in belize, beliken, beliken light and guinness (which is made by beliken at their belize factory)

[moodymermaid]

Have only rented condos on Ambergris (I think this is the way to go, but it's getting pretty pricey around there), but I'd say staying down toward Ramon's is the way to go. Ramon's, in fact, is a nice place itself, though I've never been in the cabanas.

The big plus, though, is that you are really, really close to restaurants, etc but you don't have the noise of the golf carts that you get if you are right in the center of town.

Also, there's a great dock.

And while they claim there's not good snorkeling off the beach, under that dock I've seen some great critters. It's the biggest thing around, so it's a sort of gathering place for fish, lobster, etc... I've even seen seahorses clinging in the weeds.

[Doug B]

Originally Posted by LRDWILDER

Belikan beer!!!! I miss it! Its so good....the funny thing is that it is that their are only 3 beers in belize, beliken, beliken light and guinness (which is made by beliken at their belize factory)

I saw one other brand.... can't remember what it was.... Amstel?? Maybe??
I never saw Guinness though.

Difficult to get a real Coke. Everyone had Fanta.... orange, purple, and red.