Belize in May: help me decide

I would suggest Ambergris. My husband and I loved it. San Pedro is a neat little town and easy to walk around to the restaurants, bars and shops. We took a boat to Caye Caulker one day and were thinking we would stay a night there but there really wasn't much to do there and we ended up walking around, had a few drinks and then went back to Ambergris on the next boat. I have not been to Placencia so I can't compare that area.

My comparison of Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker and Placencia, with pros and cons.

I've been traveling around Belize for 18 years.

--Lan Sluder
http://www.belizefirst.com

AMBERGRIS CAYE (often referred to as San Pedro):
* The biggest island in Belize (originally a peninsula jutting
down from the Yucatan) — northern Belize
* Settled by Mestizos from Mexico
* Most popular destination in Belize (for many good reasons)
* Tends to attract a crowd in their 30s and older, mostly couples
* Almost 20,000 people on the island
* # 1 area in Belize for foreign investment and expat living —
second homes, condos, retirement
* Mostly sand streets (though some of the town streets are now
paved with concrete cobblestones), formerly no building over
three stories (though some new developments have four stories)Cool by
• Significant new development taking place in the zone from
town to about 2 miles south of town, and also on North
Ambergris -- some 500 condo units are under construction on North
Ambergris
* By far Belize’s widest selection of restaurants and hotels
* Among the best top-end hotels: Victoria House, Azul Resort,
Seascape and
* Among the best condotels: Villas at Banyan Bay, Grand Colony,
Belizean Shores, The Palms, Xanadu
* Among the best mid-range lodging: Mayan Princess, Corona
del Mar, Banana Beach, The Tides
* Among the best budget lodging: Ruby’s, Sanpedrano, Pedro’s
Backpacker Inn
* Some shops, sizeable groceries, lots of bars and places to
hear live music
* Some excellent restaurants including
Very Expensive: Rojo Lounge, Capricorn, Blue Lotus
Expensive: Blue Water Grill, Rendezvous, Elvi’s
Moderate: Wild Mangos, Caramba, Caliente, El Fogon
* Very nice beaches though like all beaches inside the reef
somewhat narrow and with some goop bottoms and a good deal
of seagrass
* Beaches along most of the Caribbean side (20+ miles)
* Reef just a few hundred yards offshore, closest at the far
north
* Your first decision is to decide where to stay — in town, south
of town or on more remote North Ambergris
* Lots of snorkel tours and day trips to the mainland to visit
ruins
* Good recreational diving locally and excellent diving on day
trips to Turneffe or Lighthouse atolls
* Get there by flights from international (US$60) or municipal
airstrip (US$30) or by water taxi (US$1250)
* Friendly and safe though usual cautions are in order — burglaries
and thefts are fairly common, murders not unknown
* Transportation on the island — bikes, rental golf carts, cabs,
water taxis
* Traffic in town is starting to get really bad
* New bridge over Boca del Rio (carts, bikes and pedestriansdro Cool by
only) is helping open up North Ambergris, but cart path there is
still very rough
* Hotels from US$15 to $500+ a night
* Small condos and vacation rental houses available US$100 to
$500+ a night
* Golf available on nearby Caye Chapel (but expensive —
US$200 a day)
* Tennis available at sports club and at several hotels
* Water — safe to drink from municipal system or RO/wells
* Good fishing — tarpon, bonefish and other
* Little snorkeling from shore (best snorkeling requires a short
boat ride to Hol Chan Marine Reserve including Shark-Ray
Alley)
* About the same amount of rain as Atlanta, Ga

CAYE CAULKER:
* Still a charming, laidback small village atmosphere with a Caribbean resort vibe
* The main part of the island really is just one village of about 1500 people, and on the average day maybe 300 or 400 tourists
* The vibes are laidback, easy-going, calm
* This is Ambergris Caye's little sister -- smaller and a cheaper date
* Moving more upmarket, with several condos under development, but it is still mostly a budget and backpacker island Only three hotels on the island have a pool, for example
* Sand streets, few cars, you get around by shank's mare, bike or maybe a golf cart
* A mix of people on the island, Mestizos, some Creoles, a few gringos
* About 55 hotels and vacation rentals, mostly very small, with a total of around 900 rooms
* Beaches are not the island's strong point -- a little swimming from piers and one or two places south, but the Split is the main area where folks swim
* No municipal water or sewage system -- pipe water in many places smells strongly of sulphur
* Best hotel on the island costs only about US$140 a night
* Iguana Reef Inn and the rebuilt Seaside Cabanas are the most "upscale" choices for Caulker, and both have a pool
* Other good low-moderate choices -- Tree Tops, Trends Beachfront, Shirley's, Anchorage, Jaguar Morning Star, Lazy Iguana B&B, Auxillou Beach Suites, Caye Caulker Condos, De Real Macaw, Barefoot Beach, Maxhapan and others
* Good restaurants at the "top end" include Habaneros, Don Corleone's and good food, too, at Rainbow Grill, Sand Box, Syd’s, Jolly Roger, and others
* Two or three dive shops do dive trips -- snorkeling and diving here are a little cheaper than San Pedro and Placencia the reef is just a few hundred feet out
* For booze and what action there is, hit the Lazy Lizard and I&I
* Rastas occasionally bug you
* No golf or tennis (golf available on Caye Chapel)
* Getting there is easy -- it's a US$750 water taxi ride from Belize City or San Pedro; also, by air on Maya Island or Tropic Air, US$60 from international, US$30 from municipal

PLACENCIA:
* 16-mile long peninsula in southern Belize (Stann Creek District) in the midst of a major cultural shift, from small, somewhat remote beach resort to a real-estate driven, development-oriented area, with some 1,500 new condos and houses either just built, under construction or approved, though here and there you can still find an oasis of quiet and charm
* Access from Belize City via road by rental car (3 1/2 hours, US$55-$90 a day), bus (6 hours, US$9), air (40 minutes, US$75 from international, US$60 from municipal)
* Placencia village is 25 miles from the Southern Highway on a mostly unpaved road, often in terrible condition; optional access is from Independence/Mango Creek on the Hokey Pokey across Placencia Lagoon; contract for paving of the Placencia road has been signed, but paving hasn’t begun yet
* Two villages on peninsula -- Placencia (Creole) and Seine Bight (Garifuna), plus Maya Beach and the northern peninsula
* Before driving, check status of Kendal Bridge on Southern Highway near Maya Centre – currently washed out again
* Peninsula population about 2,500 to 3,000
* Wide choice of hotels from budget hotels in Placencia village to upscale resorts farther north
* Hotels from around US$15 to $400+
* Growing number of condos and vacation rental houses, US$100 to $400+ a night
* Among the best to-end lodging: Inn at Robert's Grove, Turtle Inn
* Among the best mid-range lodging: Maya Beach Hotel, Barnacle Bill’s
* Among the best low-moderate lodging: Tradewinds, Westwind, Coconut Cottages, Seaspray, Manatee Inn
* Some restaurants in Placencia village and elsewhere, though some of the better restaurants are at hotels: in village among the good places to eat are Wendy’s (in new building), De Tatch, French Connection, Tutti Fruitti (amazing gelati), Yoli’s; north of the village Maya Beach Hotel Bistro and Inn at Robert’s Grove
* Transportation on peninsula -- taxis or your rental car (taxis are fairly expensive, especially if going way north -- BZ$40 one-way from Placencia village to Maya Beach)
* 15+ miles of very nice beaches along Caribbean side -- best beaches on mainland but not much different from those on Ambergris Caye
* Day trips to mainland to visit Cockscomb jaguar preserve and Mayflower and to Maya sites near Punta Gorda
* Day snorkel trips -- reef is 15 + miles out, though snorkeling is also available at islands and patch reefs closer in
* Little snorkeling from shore
* Few shops, only small groceries
* No golf; tennis for guests at Robert’s Grove
* Safe and friendly (though usual precautions are in order, especially regarding theft and burglaries)
* Water from municipal system safe to drink
* Good fishing for permit, bonefish, tarpon and other
* Access to small islands offshore for day or overnight visits
* Good to excellent diving on day trips
* Limited nightlife – mostly bars in Placencia village
* Usually more rain than the Northern Cayes (especially during rainy season June - November)
* Sandflies can be irksome

--Lan Sluder
http://wwwbelizefirstcom

To also respond to your question about Cayo, I would say you can hit the highlights in 4 or 5 days -- ATM, Caracol (both of these are full day trips), Xunantunich, Belize Botantic Gardens, the butterfly farms, downtown San Ignacio, canoeing, etc. -- though you could spend a little longer.

--Lan Sluder
http://www.belizefirst.com

After second post. What else can i tell you.
Everything,he said seem to be exact.
We went on Caye Caulker,who did answer better our need at the moment.
Caulker is a small island with out almost any cars,but with many golf cart bigfoot .
There is few nightlife places. But,at that time we were not searching for party,but for a nice and cheap place to stay and laid back.We had a great time and good snorkeling.
Ambregis is more a party place. Many call it Little Miami.
Ignacio also called Cayo is a good starting point for day trips.
Otherwise pretty boring.
Many americans around studying.
Xunantunich,is a great mayan site to start.
Very close of the cayo. You must cross a river on a raft.
Look for huge iguana on both river side
Enjoy

It all depends on the time you have. For the ruins, san Ignacio is the place. you can catch day trip to Tikal from the Guatemalen boarder. Also has the VACA caves, Xunantunich and canoeing the rivers, although they are somewhat polluted. You'll need at least 3 days. There are also nice caves to tube in with crystal clear water going to San Ignacio on the western highway. Jaguar paw comes to mind.

If you want to snorkel/dive, I say leave Placencia behind and do one of the cayes. They're MUCH better for this. I really likes Caulker, but I'm not into crowds. The Caye Caulker Condos were real nice and had a great palapa on the roof for sunrise/sunset. It was also just steps away from the split. I did swim all day at the Lazy Lizard at the split and fell in love with the bar!!!

I went for 2 full weeks and did 5 nites on Caulker, 4 nights in the jungle and 5 nites in Placencia, but I'm a beach bum at heart and have been going to Belize regularly since the 1990. I found it to be a good mix.
It's all in what you want to do and the time you have to do it. If the 1st to the 6th is the whole trip, that's only 4 days without travel. Not too much time!

Maybe consider Hamanasi Adventure and Dive resort (near Hopkins - cool little Garifuna fishing village). Not a great beach, but has the option of water and land based activities. 21 rooms, very friendly staff and great food. Just got back from my honeymoon, spent the last 4 days there, 4 before than on Ambergris Caye (agree with the comments above) and 4 before that inland at Hidden Valley Inn (not far from San Ignacio).

Thanks to everyone! I'm going to stick to my plan for Cayo. I'll ask the wife about the cayes, but I think it will be Ambergris~