Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Slate carvers
, also common at Maya sites, create
high-quality reproductions of gods, glyphs and
stelae. In the Maya villages in southern Belize, you'll
also come across beautiful
embroidery
, though
the quality of both the cloth and the work is better
in Guatemala. Maya, Garifuna and Creole villages
produce superb drums and good basketware,
including small, tightly woven “jippy jappa” baskets.
Dangriga, Hopkins, Gales Point and the Toledo
villages are the best places to shop for these.
One tasty souvenir is a bottle (or five) of Marie
Sharp's Pepper Sauce, made from Belizean
habañero
peppers in strengths ranging from “mild” to “fiery
hot”. This spicy accompaniment to rice and beans
graces every restaurant table in the country, and
visits to the factory near Dangriga (see p.180) can
be arranged.
and around Easter, tend to push hotel prices up,
and certain tourist centres - notably San Pedro -
are more expensive than others.
As a general rule, a
budget traveller
who is
being very frugal can get by with spending about
US$45-50/Bz$90-100 per day
on basics (accommo-
dation, food and transport); trips such as snorkelling
or canoeing will add to this. Travelling in a couple
will reduce per-person costs slightly, but to enjoy a
reasonable level of comfort and the best of Belize's
natural attractions, you should allow at least US$60/
Bz$120 per day per person.
Taxes
Hotel rooms in Belize are subject to a nine percent
tax, usually included in the quoted price, and
separate from the five to ten percent service charge
that some higher-end places impose. A 12.5
percent
general sales tax (GST)
applies to most
goods and services (including meals in restaurants,
though not drinks). This sales tax does not currently
apply to hotel rooms, though there has been talk in
recent years of applying it in place of the existing
nine percent hotel tax.
Land borders levy a
border tax
of around
Bz$37.50, payable in either Belize or US currency. If
you'll be returning to Belize within thirty days,
hold onto your receipt to get a discount on the
next exit tax. You used to have to pay an exit tax at
the airport when leaving Belize by air, but that is
now almost always incorporated into your airline
ticket price.
Travel essentials
Costs
Though Belize may be one of the cheaper countries
in the Caribbean, it has the fully deserved reputa-
tion of being the
most expensive
country in
Central America; if you've been travelling cheaply
through the region to get here, many prices are
going to come as a surprise. Even on a tight
budget, you'll spend at least thirty percent more
than you would in, say, Guatemala. Aside from
some park and reserve entry fees (and occasional
taxis in Belize City), however, you'll be paying the
same prices as locals.
Prices in Belize are generally lower than in North
America and Europe, though not by much. What
you will spend depends on when, where and how
you travel.
Peak tourist seasons
, such as Christmas
Crime and personal safety
While Belize has a relatively high
crime
rate, it has a
great safety record for tourists, and, despite the
sometimes intimidating characters of Belize City,
ILLEGAL DRUGS
Belize has long been an important link in the chain of supply between producers in South and
Central America and users in North America, with minor players often being paid in product,
creating a stream of illegal drugs in the country. Marijuana, cocaine and crack are all readily
available in Belize, and whether you like it or not you may receive offers, particularly in San
Pedro, Caye Caulker and Placencia. All such substances are
illegal
, and despite the fact that
dope is sometimes smoked openly in the streets, the police do arrest people for possession of
marijuana; they particularly enjoy catching tourists. If you're caught you'll probably end up
spending a couple days in jail and paying a
fine
of several hundred US dollars. Practically every
year foreigners are incarcerated for drug offences - the pusher may have a sideline reporting
clients to the police, and catching “international drug smugglers” gives the country brownie
points with the US Drug Enforcement Agency. Expect little sympathy from your embassy
- they'll probably send someone to visit you, and maybe find an English-speaking lawyer, but
certainly won't break you out of jail.
