Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BELIZEAN BLISS: WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS
The white-sand beaches. The tropical cocktails. The twin hammocks. It's no surprise that Belize
is
a popular destination for weddings and honeymoons
. Beach weddings in the cayes top
the list, but the inland also holds great appeal, with many plighting their troth atop Maya
temples and under the jungle canopy at a swank lodge. The easiest way to do the deed is at
one of the many resorts that host weddings - and leave the planning to them. These range
from the funky
Maruba Jungle Resort
(see p.63) in the Belize District to the elegant
Victoria
House
(see p.103) and
Las Terrazas
(see p.103) on Ambergris Caye. Alternatively, you can go the
independent route, by working directly with local purveyors (many hotels can direct you to
recommended photographers, hair stylists and so on). You'll find many Belize wedding and
honeymoon experts and planners online, including
W
romantictravelbelize.com.
The
legal requirements
are also surprisingly simple - both partners will need a valid
passport or proof of citizenship, and have to reside in Belize for at least three days prior to
submitting the licence application (via fax or in person) at the Registrar General's O
ce in
Belize City (Treasury Lane, at Regent St
T
227 7377,
F
822 3390,
W
belizejudiciary.org). For
more information, check with your embassy or consulate in Belize (see p.35).
national parks if you obtain special permission from
the Forest Department in Belmopan (see p.118)
Generally, a
tent
is useful if you plan to hike off
the beaten track, usually with a guide who will lead
you to places where you can set up camp. A few of
the rural resorts in Cayo and some villages (parti-
cularly Crooked Tree in northern Belize) have
camping areas
, but these are rare on the cayes.
with everything from eggs to beans, or topped with
cheese or butter. Also delicious are
fry-jacks
, fluffy,
fried dough sometimes eaten with sweet jam. Lunch,
which can be very affordable at local joints (generally
Bz$10-15), often comprises Creole variations on
rice
and beans
. The white rice and red beans are cooked
together in coconut oil and flavoured with
recado
(a
mild, ground red spice) - sometimes with a chunk of
salted pork thrown in for extra taste - and usually
served with fried fish or stewed chicken or beef. Note
that the other version you can order is rice and beans
served separately - that is,
the
beans are stewed,
sometimes with spices, and then ladled on top of
boiled white rice or on the side in a bowl. If you like
your flavours full on, there will always be a bottle of
hot sauce on the table for extra kick; a Belizean
favourite is
Marie Sharp's pepper sauce
, bottles of
which also make for popular souvenirs; you'll find it in
gift shops throughout the country.
Belize's claim to culinary fame is, of course, its
seafood
, which is excellent. Grouper and red
snapper are invariably fantastic, as is the lobster,
conch and shrimp. Throughout the cayes, you can
dine on
lobster
, when in season, served every
which way - grilled or barbecued, or in pasta,
scrambled eggs or omelettes and even in chow
mein or curry.
At the other end of the dietary spectrum,
vegetables
are scarce in Creole food, but you can
opt for larger portions of side dishes, such as potato
salad and fresh coleslaw along with a green salad,
fried plantain and flour tortillas.
Southern Belize is the best region for sampling
traditional
Garifuna cuisine
, which includes
cassava, similar to sweet potato, and used to make
crispy cassava bread; and
hudut
, green and ripe
Food and drink
Belizean food is a distinctive mix of Latin
American and Creole-style Caribbean,
with the ubiquitous rice and beans at
its heart. A defining characteristic of
Creole food is its blend of fresh seafood,
coconut - a favourite ingredient - and
lively spices. The range of international
cuisines on offer increases every year,
and you can find authentic delicacies
from as far afield as Lebanon and
Thailand.
The
lunch hour
(noon-1pm) is often the main
meal of the day and, though most places also serve
dinner,
dining late
is not a Belizean custom;
generally, planning to get to your table by 8pm will
give you a good range of options, and possibly
better service. Many places will be closed by nine or
earlier, even in tourist areas.
Traditional cuisine
A tasty Belizean
breakfast
treat is the dense flour
biscuits known as
johnny cakes
- the name a deriva-
tion of “journey cakes”, as they travel well - served
