Belize-Guatemala Itinerary Recommendations

Wow - that is waaaay too much to try to cram into 2.5 weeks. It takes 2 nights to = 1 day to enjoy/explore an area. If you stay 2 nights in a spot that means you're diluting your enjoy/explore days by half - spending half your trip slogging from place to place and half doing all the things you want to do. You might have a single night here or there, but in general I'd plan to spend at least 3 nights per spot. That means something like 6 stops instead of the 14 or so you have listed. Some of your transition days will take more than a day.

I'd head straight to Caulker the 1st night and forget about staying on Ambergris or Turneffe, not enough time. I'd choose between Placencia and Punta Gorda and stay in 1 spot on the Rio Dulce, either Livingston or a jungly spot. Frankly, I'd head to Antigua instead of staying in Guatemala City, then spend some time on Atitlan (maybe visit Chichi between or as a day trip from the lake), then fly (or overnight bus) from GC to Flores and stay in Tikal a few nights, then head into western Belize for a few nights before catching your flight out (no time for Lamanai or the cayes again). That's still a really rushed trip imo but it's doable.

My first comment would be to avoid staying in Belize City, but if you must...

In Belize, there are no Youth Hostels that are affiliated with the International Youth Hostel Association or Hostel International. I think the only place that has dorm beds is the Seaside Guest House, 3 Prince Street, Belize City, but I can't recommend that place because I have no recent information about it -- it has gone through periods of being good & not so good.

I think the cheapest good rooms are still:
Freddie’s Guest House, 86 Eve Street, Belize City, private room, shared bath. Cost: about BZ$55. Three Sisters Guest House, Queen Street, Belize City. Very close to the water taxi terminals and the city center.
Smokin Balam Guesthouse, 59 North Front Street.

Also...
North Front Street Guest House, North Front Street, Belize City. I’ve seen some not so positive comments – bedbugs, noise, etc.

Here's a list of the hostels in Belize...
Backpackers Paradise, Bandera Road, Sarteneja (has a website)
Pedro’s Backpackers Inn, Seagrape Drive, San Pedro (has a website)
Yuma’s House, Caye Caulker (has a website), very popular and has some rules for security reasons. Always reserve in advance for Yuma's.
Bella’s Backpackers, Caye Caulker (has a website), more of a party hostel.
Hi-Et, San Ignacio, not sure if this place has dorm beds, but it's the popular choice for backpackers.
Bella's Backpackers in Cayo
J&R's backpackers, San Ignacio
Val’s Backpackers, Dangriga (has a website)
Funky Dodo, Hopkins (has a website)
Nature's Way, Punta Gorda, not sure about dorm beds.
Cuxlin Ha Youth Educational Center, Punta Gorda (has a website), I was told there are dorm beds.
I haven't added the websites so can't be accused of advertising!

Camping
P. A. W. Cat Sanctuary, Caye Caulker -- cheap camping (has a website).
Cosmos camping, Cayo.

For transportation, bus travel is the way to go on the mainland -- they're old school buses, but cheap, regular and fairly reliable.
Water taxis operate between the mainland and the cayes.
The BelizeBus site has all the information you need with links to schedules & fares -- the link is on my profile page.

Check the Ragamuffin sailing trip for travelling from Caye Caulker to Placencia (google Ragamuffin).

I agree with Hopefulist, you need to spend at least 2 nights in one place, 3 is better.

I loved Caye Caulker for relaxing, snorkeling, kayaking, etc. Abergis Caye is more developed and touristy, I'd stay away unless you prefer the resort area feel.

Turneffe is amazing but if you go you should go for the week. If you like solitude and feeling as if you have an island to yourself, I would recommend doing a research or snorkeling trip with the Oceanic Society at the Blackbird Caye Research Station on the Turneffe Atoll. They take you out everyday, twice a day, and they have experienced naturalist and scientists working. It's a very authentic experience.

Another place to consider in Crooked Tree. It is very easy and fast to get to from Belize City and is awesome for birding. Crooked Tree Lodge is very nice and affordable. You could stay there instead of Belize City when you arrive, but you should stay for 2 nights. Many people who traveled to multiple destination have said it was their favourite. I loved it there, but I loved everywhere else in Belize also.

I understand you wanting to get to as many places as possible... I had the same feeling, but I narrowed it down to 4 places to visit in 3 weeks and I think that made the experience much better.

Good luck!

Tracy

Agree with above...you have far too many destinations,and are covering far too much ground for that time limit.

You will be spending more than half your trip in transit.....

Yeah, forget about those plans. No freakin way. Pick 5 or 6 locations. Try to make it to Caye Caulker the first night. Mister Bee is a wealth of information!

I completely agree with the previous posters, way too much planned to be able to fit it all in! Stay away from Belize City, if at all possible, and cut down your itinerary to about 5 places. Transportation is reliable but you have to be prepared for interruptions (accidents, broken down busses, blocked roadways, etc). I would recommend Caye Caulker for a few nights, head down south to wherever interests you, then make your way to Antigua. Guatemala City (Guate) can be pretty rough and doesn't really offer anything incredible. Antigua is about an hour away from Guate and is a very charming town with lots to do and small side trips (Pacaya is incredible!) Atitlan is super cool and you could do a day trip from there, but the lake and its' towns are more than entertaining for a few days. Atitlan to Tikal is a really long bus since you have to go back through Guate, so be prepared for more than one full day of travel for that. Tikal is pretty cool and (relatively) close to Belize City. Allow yourself more time than you think for travel between destinations as connections may not interact perfectly (they never do). Also, be prepared to change your itinerary on the fly as you may like/dislike a certain place more than you think. Have a great time and be sure to post how your trip went! Good luck!

Recommendations for Guatemala

I spent nine days in Guatemala (July 2013) and have the following recommendations:

In Antigua, my girlfriend and I stayed in a double room at El Carmen hotel for $55 per night, which was clean, spacious and had a great, friendly staff.
Tel: (502) 7832-3850
Email: recepcion@elcarmenhotel.com
www.elcarmenhotel.com

We booked an overnight (2 day) volcano ascent of Acatenango through O.X. Expeditions, which cost $89/person for the tour plus about $20 for backpacks and sleeping gear. However, due to an unexpected injury, we were not able to go. O.X. refused to refund us any percentage of the fees, which is understandable (they do mention a 48 hour policy on their site), however still deeply disappointing. We backpackers aren't rich, you know!

We booked a trip to Pacaya volcano through Alice Bernal Torres at New Destiny Travel Agency for $10 each, including transport and a guide. This did not include the 50 quetzales entrance fee. Our guide was a lovely fellow named Rodolfo Pineda, who speaks only minor English. Rodolfo is humorous, friendly and does great work in his community getting men off the booze and taking care of their kids, though such insight becomes available only if you speak Spanish. This was substantially cheaper than the Lonely Planet-recommended Old Town Outfitters, which asked for $125/person for the same trip!

New Destiny Travel Agency:
Alice Bernal Torres
Office: (502) 7832-5543
Cell (24 hrs): (502) 5896-1101
newdestinyg@hotmail.com

Pacaya tour guide
Rodolfopinedanoel@gmail.com
(502) 5328-7595
(502) 489502771

In Quetzaltenango (Xela), we stayed at Kiktem-Ja hotel, as recommended by Lonely Planet for $25/night for a double room. It was fine and the staff were very helpful.

We had a great time with Josh from Monteverde Tours. The prices listed on his website are subject to change based on the number of people on the trip, however it is negotiable. We gave them a price we were willing to pay and they were agreeable. Josh is an American who has lived in Guatemala since 1999 or so, and so knows a lot about the place. He speaks great Spanish, is extremely considerate, friendly and laid back, and can share lots of insights into the country's politics, history, culture, development, etc. He is highly recommended.