Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
schedules, lists of recommended hotels and more.
There are Belize Tourism o
ces in main towns around
the country, including in Placencia and San Pedro.
The
Belize Tourism Industry Association
(BTIA;
W
btia.org) represents most of the tourism businesses
in the country and produces the annual
Destination
Belize
magazine (free from tourist o
ces and many
hotels;
W
destinationbelize.com), which is filled with
helpful information. The BTIA has local representatives
in many resort areas. Note also that a variety of towns
and regions in Belize have developed their own
tourism-friendly websites (listed in the individual
chapters), which are worth checking out for current
news and information - good examples include
W
ambergriscaye.com and
W
corozal.com.
few steps somewhere. It's imperative to ask about a
hotel's accessibility when you call to book; note that
the newer and higher-end resorts, particularly in
well-touristed areas like Ambergris Caye, are more
likely to have disability-friendly facilities. One
Belizean organization that has been at the forefront
in increasing the country's awareness of people
with disabilities is the nonprofit Belize Council for
the Visually Impaired (BCVI;
T
223 2636,
W
bcvi.org).
BCVI made international headlines in 2013, when
the Belizean teen Rowan Garel became the first
blind person to dive the Blue Hole, raising funds for
the organization by doing so.
INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES
Disability Rights
UK
T
020 7250 3222,
W
disabilityrightsuk.org.
A good source of advice on UK disability organizations and travel abroad.
Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH)
US
T
212
447 7284,
W
sath.org. Nonprofit disability information service with
links, resources, current news and more.
USEFUL WEBSITES
Several excellent websites are dedicated to Belize, and these are a good
place to start and refine your search for facts and practical details.
W
belizeaudubon.org
Website of the Belize Audubon Society
(BAS), useful for the latest info on the growing number of reserves
and national parks and their associated visitor centres. There's more
on the BAS in Contexts (see p.250).
W
belizefirst.com
An online resource centre and magazine on
Belize, featuring reviews and articles about hotels, restaurants,
destinations, current events and more.
W
belize.gov.bz
The government's own website is worth a look
for an overview on current politics and tourism trends.
W
belize.net
A good place to search for links to Belize websites.
W
belizenet.com
A decent tourism-related site, with a range of
accurate listings and links; also see
W
belize.com, run by the same
company.
W
channel5belize.com
Daily coverage on Belize news and
headlines via TV broadcasts, articles, opinion pieces and more.
W
lanic.utexas.edu
The homepage of the Latin American
Information Center (LANIC) leads to a series of great links on Belize,
which cover everything from native birds to current archeological
projects.
W
mesoweb.com
Fascinating articles and links, often written by
archeologists, on the latest findings in Maya research.
Travelling with children
Belize is a very child-friendly destination, and there is
plenty to keep kids occupied. In particular, Belize is a
wonderful destination to introduce children to the
richness of the animal kingdom - and the impor-
tance of protecting and sustaining it - with
numerous opportunities for wildlife spotting, from
howler monkeys to manatees. Top sights and activi-
ties that are often popular with the younger set
include the Belize Zoo (p.59), the Community
Baboon Sanctuary (p.61) and splashing around in
the hotel pools or sparkling Caribbean waters on
the cayes. Older kids and teens enjoy zip-lining and
river tubing in Cayo (p.125), snorkelling in the cayes
(p.96) and Garifuna drumming in the south (p.189).
As for facilities and amenities, most community
stores carry supplies of baby formula and nappies
(diapers), and many restaurants have high chairs.
The dearth of public toilets means
changing facili-
ties
are rare. Larger resorts may have them, but for
the most part babies are changed where necessary,
in public or otherwise.
Few hotels and resorts prohibit children, though
it's worth asking before you book.
Childcare facili-
ties
readily exist in the larger resorts, and the
concierge or hotel staff can usually help you find
recommended local babysitters. Also, increasingly,
condo-style hotels and resorts are opening up in
the cayes and other tourist centres. These are often
equipped with kitchenettes or a full kitchen, which
can make all the difference in the world when
travelling with snack-clamouring kids.
Travellers with disabilities
Travelling with a disability in Belize can be challenging,
but resources are increasing, and many tour
companies now offer specially customized packages.
Travelling by
public bus
is very di
cult, as these
have no accessibility features and tend to get
crowded. However, minibus
taxis
are plentiful and
drivers will assist you when asked. Streets in many
areas can be tricky to negotiate, as they are mostly
unpaved and pavements are rare.
Most
hotels
in Belize don't have rooms on the
ground floor, and even those that do often have a
