Travel to Belize on a Budget – Affordable Accommodations, Dinning and Experiences in Belize
If you are planning a trip to Belize there are many options available to combine airfare and hotel accommodations that will save you a lot of money. Most travel websites and agents can be very helpful with package deals. I want to draw your attention to specific hotels, restaurants and attractions in Belize that you can create your own travel package from and still have money. You will be amazed at how relatively inexpensive it is to stay, eat and enjoy all that Belize has to offer.
You can find great deals on hotels in Belize. Some of them do not have all the little extras that a luxury hotel may have but you are doing this on a budget so if housekeeping doesn’t fold your towel into a swan, just be happy the room is nice, clean and spacious.
One such find is The Red Hut Inn, located in Belize City only 6 miles from the airport. This is actually a nice hotel in a quiet residential area. It is only a few houses away from the beach. There is a large supermarket and restaurants within walking distance. The hotel has a large recreation area with BBQ for grilling if you decide to do it yourself one evening. Each room has AC, sofa, coffee table, cable TV and hot and cold showers. There is a kitchen on site for food storage if needed. There is a pick up and drop off laundry service available. You can get a standard room as described here for around $60.00 per night.
Another great find is located in Dangriga, Belize. The Spiritwind Reef Resort is alongside the river for an eco-adventure stay. The waterfront cabanas are only ½ mile from the beach. There is also a lot of action nearby with shopping, banks, markets, and the Caribbean Sea, there is sure to be plenty to see and do. The Cabanas are each professionally decorated with cultural themes and have a queen or double bed, private hot bath, ceiling fans, and a private waterfront veranda for star gazing at night. The hotel also has a fully screened hammock house shaded by massive mango trees. This is a terrific place to rest and unwind. There is a restaurant onsite, The Salty Dog Saloon offering authentic Caribbean food and tropical drinks and the most fun the law will allow. There rooms start as little as $45 per night.
Hotel De La Fuente has several options when it comes to accommodations. You can go with a basic room that has a single or double bed, coffee maker, refrigerator, wireless internet, cable TV, hot and cold shower and AC for as little as $25 – $35 per night. They also have deluxe rooms for $40 – $60 per night. In these rooms they are a bit more spacious and have either a toaster over or a microwave. The junior suites have a separate bedroom and living room with a full kitchen, including all utensils. There is a stove, microwave and a futon. These suites go for $60 – $70 per night. This hotel has many tour options for its guest. This makes seeing as much of Belize as possible easy and affordable for the guests. They have the Lamanai River Tour, The Cave Tubing tour; you can also visit the Belize zoo to see all the native animals. Each of these tour packages has different requirements and some take all day. Please check with the hotel or hotel website for specific details about each tour offered.
D Victoria Hotel is located on the main road in beautifully Orange Walk town. They have cozy rooms at very affordable prices. Each room is complete with AC, private bath, hot and cold water, ceiling fans, cable TV, coffee maker and refrigerator. This just happens to be the only hotel in Orange Walk with a swimming pool, which makes it even more of a draw for guests. They also have a gift shop for all the souvenirs you will want to take back home and a snack shop. They provide transportation to the airport also. There is daily maid service and all necessary amenities and toiletries are provided. This hotel also has tours available for guests that offer a unique and special experience of Belize. A Single room at this terrific hotel is between $22.50 – $37.50 per night; a double $30.00 – $42.50; and a triple $42.50 – $53.50.
When dining in Belize it is important to take in all the flavors and opportunities to try something you never have before. Be on the lookout for these special opportunities and open the door when they knock, you won’t regret it. Have the time of your life and try it all. Having said all that let me make some restaurant recommendations. Keep in mind that dining in Belize is always casual, even in the most upscale restaurants, casual is the way to go in Belize. You can find everything from seafood to pizza in Belize but you should save your dinning dollars for the best of the best.
Celi’s is a restaurant on the beach side of a hotel in Belize with indoor and outdoor dining so you can choose cozy and intimate or enjoy all the sights and sounds of the waves, water and people passing by. The food here is some of the best found on the island. For lunch you can enjoy conch chowder or a garden, Caesar or fajita salad. There is a wide selection of fajitas and you can get your beans and rice with anything from chicken to lobster. They also have burgers for the week at heart or homesick. Mexican platters and their daily specials are something you will want to take a look at maybe something new, maybe a great deal. Prices are reasonable and portions are generous. For dinner you can expect the same top notch service and you have a selection of lobster, shrimp, conch, and chicken but if all this authentic food is too much for you, they also offer the burgers and sandwiches for dinner.
The Blue Lotus is another must experience in Belize. This is a luxury restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere. After a short 4 minute boat ride you arrive at San Pedro’s and the only water top Indian restaurant in Belize. This is a dining experience like no other. It is a lovely place and you can choose to start with appetizers like coconut jumbo shrimp or vegetable pakora. For your entrée you can enjoy Rogan Josh, tender lamb with red wine and spices served over a bed of Himalayan Basmati rice, flavored with saffron. You could also select the Maharaja Feast. This is a tour of India in one sitting. Prices here are a bit higher but the quality; service and experience make it worth every dime.
Another great spot that serves local, Mexican and Caribbean cuisine is Cocina Caramba Restaurant. Located in San Pedro, Belize here you will find some of the best Mexican and Caribbean food around. Their goal is to pamper each guest. You have a choice of fresh lobster, shrimp, fish, crab, claws, chicken or pork in a variety of flavors and styles. With a friendly staff ready to please and reasonable prices, it’s a tourist hot spot for dinner.
While in Belize you will want to take full advantage of the opportunities to experience all the wonders of this amazing country. Belize is home to the world’s longest barrier reef. It covers 185 miles. This is a nearly continuous wall of coral which is amazing to see. Visit Ambergris Cay’s resort and get laid back in a beachside cabana at Caye Caulker. This is also a great place to dive and snorkel.
Visit Atun Ha, a major Mayan ceremonial and trading centre. You will want to see Lamanai the amazing Mayan citadel ruin sits in its own archaeological reserve. There is nothing like it. See the famous carved crystal skull. Perfectly craved and found in a temple vault on the Mayan site of Lubaantum.
And I would suggest you also see Caracol in the rainforest. There you will find the tallest man-made structure in Belize, Canaa. It stands some 140 feet high and is truly an amazing sight. Then, of course there is the famous blue whole, which use to be an opening to an underwater cave. It is popular for divers, but is awesome for everyone to see. Take a boat ride some 60 miles off shore or you can see it from your airplane window. It is one of a kind just like the terrific country of Belize. Now you have the information to take that trip you have always dreamed of but just didn’t think you could afford. With a little searching and planning you can have this trip paid for and you’ll never feel the financial effects. It’s that simple to travel to Belize cheaply.
