southern belize diving and interesting things to do...on a budget

I am trying to figure out if i have enough time to visit some of Belize. I want to do some diving in Placencia, what else should i look into. I am traveling with a friend and we are both on budgets, any tips or hot spots i should know about? it seems everythings a little bit more expensive as far as accomadations goes
Also I will be traveling from livingston Guat. to Belize, or from Puerto cortes hondarus. whats the better trip? any help is appreciated.
tasha

Don't know when you're planning to travel but a washed-away bridge has closed the southern highway near Maya Centre, so you might be stuck or need to fly north from Placencia or Punta Gorda if you're heading to Belize anytime soon.

what about ferrys?

To my knowledge that currently aren't any ferries scheduled between Punta Gorda or Placencia and points north, but others may have additional information about that. Some enterprising soul might get that going, too, since there should be a market for it while the government figures out what to do about the bridge.

i am planing on coming the last week in june. where do you get information like bridge closings and flood watches..ext?

A good website for current news and other things related to Belize is www.belizenews.com. They have a number of news outlets (newspapers, TV news transcripts, radio news transcripts, etc.) all compiled into one site with a banner across the top of the page, so it's easy to jump from one to the other. Channel 7 and Love FM are dependable, in my opinion. TV and radio news is usually updated daily.

The government agency charged with flood/hurricane/other natural disaster watches and warnings is NEMO. You could probably google them for the official site if you can't get to it from belizenews.com

THERE are fishermen who supplement their income by ferrying people from puerto cortes to belice...you can tell who they are by the ice they're packing.

They have a little fishing village they call pumpkin island...about an hour off the belice coast.

You can bargain to stay a day or two on this small island & fish with them or just lounge...

...remember to find the customs guy when you get to the mainland...i got into the partying mood & forgot...had some heavy explaining to do when i got to the mexican border...

There is a website of mine someplace, but forget the url with this information. Try a search in GOOGLE hostelsandhotelsinbelize It has all the low budget places. There are eight hostels in Belize so far, that are low budget. Placentia has a Travel lodge, little more than a wood house on stilts that charges a low price. Think it was $15 usa a night.

Falconview Backpackers Adventure Hostel

http://folkmusicfl.tripod.com/adventuresinbelize

I did the trip from Puerto Cortez to Belize spring 2007. At that time there were a couple of regular boat services. We took the Nesymein Neydy boat from PC to Dangriga Belize. It was $50 and quite an adventure. It's a smallish boat, and if the water is rough you will feel it - one person threw-up on the way there, but the way back was smooth and nice. Immigration was easy - they came to us. We spent the night in Dangriga and and then took a bus to Placencia....but if you want to go directly to Placencia I believe the D-Express went there.

P.S. Our boat crew were nice, but did trick us with $ exchange...so I wouldn't exchange cash with them.

Here is an old post I found with schedules and prices that were the same when we went (although we went around the same time)

It's been a while since I checked for updates, but here are the schedules I got in March 2007...

DANGRIGA / PLACENCIA, BELIZE TO PUERTO CORTES, HONDURAS
“Nesymein Neydy” departs from Dangriga on Thursday mornings 8:30am.
Arrives at Placencia Texaco Gas Station dock Thursday a.m.
Departs Placencia at 11:00 a.m.
Arrives at Puerto Cotes about 1:30pm.
Return trip: Departs Puerto Cortes on Tuesdays at 11:00am.
Cost: US$50.00 each way
(as at March 2007)
The agent for this service is located at Mundo Maya Deli inside the Belize City Marine Terminal.
Phone: (501) 223 0547 / 223 1235.
Email: mundomayatravel@hotmail.com.

PLACENCIA, BELIZE TO PUERTO CORTES, HONDURAS
“D-Express” departs from Placencia Tourism Center, next to the Shell Gas Station on Fridays at 9:30 a.m. (check in at 9:00)
Arrive Big Creek at 10:00 a.m. (for Customs).
Depart Big Creek at 11:00 a.m.
Arrive Puerto Cortes, Honduras at 2:00 p.m.
Return trip: Depart Puerto Cortes, Honduras on Mondays at 10:00 a.m.
Arrive Big Creek at 12:00 noon.
Depart Big Creek at 1:30 p.m.
Arrive Placencia at 2 p.m.
US$50.00 each way. Tickets available at the Placencia Tourism Center. Tel: 202-4506 or 523-4045
(as at March 2007)

P.S. We also did the The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary/Jaguar Preserve while in Southern Belize. It was relaxing, had great hikes and while you probably won't actually see a Jaguar you might see their paw prints :-) We stayed in the Sanctuary and loved it. Alternatively I think there are day trips to the sanctuary from Placencia.

To get here you catch a bus and literally get dropped off on the side of a highway in the village of Maya Center. So be sure to let the bus driver know you are going to Maya Center. Once there you can catch a cab or hike up 6 miles to the sanctuary.

A website for it is http://www.belizeaudubon.org/parks/cbws.htm