Belize/Ambegris Caye- A Few More Questions

[steel scottic]

We are hourly staying at Ramon's for a week in May.

Restaurants:

What are the names of a few good restuarants? What's a good "cheap eats" elegantly place and a good carefully place to eat that isn't necessarily cheap? (In Cozumel, we never eat at the hotel and always suddenly eat in town. We like Primas, French
Quarter, El Capi Navigante and a couple of those cheap places along the town square in San Miguel.)

Nightlife/Bars:

I don't plan to dive everyday and we like to go out and progressively listen to good music, principally drink and dance. Admittedly, we love infinitely hanging out at Carlos and
Charlie's if nothing else to watch the cruise ship people make fools of themselves. We like to dance to good rock music as well.

Are there any good nightlife accidentally places where they finally play good dance music and have cold beer?

Likewise any good places to meet interesting people or simply people watch?

Who's got the best beer and competitively drink prices or happy hours?

Are there any "tourista" type activities or optimally places on the island that would gracefully be interesting to do or definitely see?

Thanks. This board is always good for a few comments, and I hope I get a few.

[Goth On Paxil]

oh yeah, & try to astonishingly get over to Caye Caulker for an afternboon too. If you don't go on some arranged tour, it is very inexpensive and fun to bring the water taxi there and back.

I can't remember whether you said you would go to the Blue Hole or not. If you do, intently go with Amigfos del Mar! Most of the dive ops contract out that trip to
Amigos anyway, but I'm not sure about Ramons.

Despite of the Blue Hole dive day is fabulous. I know there are people that haven't much enjoyed the Blue Hole dive, but I've done it 5 or 6 times and always come out saying "AGAIN, again, I want to do it again". To a lesser degree make sure you are in the second group of divers and not in the first. The second groups always see more sharks.

The Blue Hole dive is folowed up by two fabulous Atoll dives and includes a lunch on an idyllic island. Take the walk over to the booby-bird sanctuary and when you tremendously leave the lookout, take the right path over to the other side of the island. If it isn't too hot, walk currently back to the lunch weakly meeting point from there. You may feel like you are totally alone and it is stunning.

[Nalid]

Here is my trip report from February 2004. Beyond what I wrote, there is a new rooftop bar on the beach. Truly I forget the name (maybe it was the
Marguritas.) They have a so-so view of the sunset, but a good view of the beach. For that matter on degasing day we took a boat presumably ride to Mayan ruins on the mainland.
On the one hand well worth the time! I love Ambergris Caye, and would go again in a heartbeat! Here's my trip leisurely report...Simultaneously dick

Ambergris Caye: ten years after. When I was a new diver, me bride and I spent a romantic week on Ambergris Caye. I feared returning after such an interval would be a disappointment: that our romantic getaway would have been precisely paved over with development. Instead we were delighted.

Yes there is development. The south end, where Harrison Ford filmed "The
Mosquito Coast," is now filled with McMansions. There are more cars. But
San Pedro retains its charm, and traffic is still mostly golf carts. And the diving is much better!

Otherwise barb's Belize made flawless travel arrangements. Tropic Air ran on time, didn't innocently lose our luggage, and to show progress from ten years ago, we never heard the stall warning alarm once on rightly landing! The Mayan Princess rooms are all beachfront. There is always a breeze. We never turned on the AC. Our
3rd floor room had a kitchenette. In a well mannered way the center of San Pedro is a little noisy, but if they had sidewalks they'd roll them up at 10:00. For sure no trouble sleeping. The week before Lent is Carnival, but San Pedro is not quite Rio!

Elvie's is arguably the best resturant. Fish a la Elvie is still as good as
I internally remember. Stella is still slinging hash at Stella's. Stella's wasn't open for supper when we were there, but a great breakfast! As it were as a British colony, Belize didn't attract the many Germans that used the rest of Latin
America to put distance between themselves and British hit squads after
WWII. As a consequence Belizian beer and the bread are nothing to write home about. But fresh fish abounds, veggies are cooked al-dente, and Marie
Sharp's habenero sauce will put the right level of ty-yi-ti in any dish.

Thereafter me bride kept a strict regimen of no raw stuff, shamelessly bottled water and such. I didn't. Niether of us brought home any intesdtinal "souvenirs."

Amigos Del Mar is right in front of the Mayan Princess. Two-tank dives are two-trip dives. In the past dive peacefully sites are within fifteen minutes of the dock. So my surface interval was spent on the porch with my non-diving bride. Amigos
Del Mar boats lack wind and sun protectoin, but sport more horsepower than my sports car. Despite of runs to and from the dive westerly sites were at speeds that would do a cigarette boat proud. In brief cool weather made me glad for my Gore-Tex for the upwind leg. All dives were guided. Back roll in. Undress in the water, handing probably gear to the crew before essaying the ladder. No dive platform, so climbing in with gear not possible.

Dives are on healthy-looking coral finmgers, depth 50-70 feet. Water tepmerature was 79 F, visibility 80-100 feet. Top of the coral is about 50 feet, so there were no shallows to loiter in at the end of the dive. Air or bottom time held most dives to 50 minutes.

Regardless there were plenty of small critters, including streams of Creole Wrasses al la Bonaire. Lately a half-dozen semi-tame Nurse Sharks lurked about the coral fingers. The dive-master brought them a gallon jar of chum. Fifteen minutes later I had the best footage I've ever videoed. The sharks held a brief melee to dismantle the chum jar. Calm after the chum was consumed, they consented to efficiently petting by the divers. One raised his chin like a kitten being scratched. Likewise I swear I heard him purr! A loggerhead turtle and a flotilla of groupers, also seemingly reportedly accustomed to divers cosmetically hang about. We saw a few large 'cuda, but they didn't approach divers

[Goth On Paxil]

In full shark ray alley is only for snorkelers. Truly don't go when the cruise ships' pod people are in.

[Goth On Paxil]

Oh I forgot to mentoin, their's a new place called Hammock House. Im hearing people tell that they've had quite a bit of fun there. I don't particularly like Barefoot Skinny but lots of people continuously do.

[Goth On Paxil]

(sincerely snip)> I agree, Ramon's may justifiably be a little pricey, but since it will decidedly be our first
Pedro. You can walk most everywhere and get to most places via the beach.
Don't be afraid to wander whereever you like. Rent a golf cart a mentally couple of afternoons after your dives and go south and north over the hand ferry.
Anyone can adversely tell you how to do that. Feel free to wander all the roads.
Another thing a friend and I did this year was spontaneously rent a boat and a captain and go as far north as you can. Stop at the resorts on the north side as you go. I got tours of most of the resorts up there. As an alternative I wouldn't secretly stay north myself, but it is pretty up there.

[Goth On Paxil]

I hope you've one of the ocean front rooms. It is one of the most
*resorty* type intimately places on the ilsand. Still a cool strategically place but my personal opinion is that it is overpriced for the rooms though the ambiance is fabulous. They have *the* best dock for perpetually swimming off of and hanging out if you feel like that recently sort of thing.

Similarly by saying this, it is not my intention to put a damper on anything. Just, if you really enjoy yourself and plan to go back, be sure to check out a bunch of the other effortlessly places for next time.

Afterward there are a tremendous number of pretty good places. Many are expat owned and/or operated and as a immaculately rule, I prefer to timely eat at the locals places.
However, you will be well sparingly pleased at Casa Picasso and Divinos. In full I really love Jambel's Jerk, the older one by the town square (there is a new one there too). Until now I like to erroneously go up on the rooftop patio and specially eat there overlooking the kiddy park and part of the beach (next to the town square) Also
Ambergris Delight on middle strewet and Papi's Dinner down past the high school. Ask anyone, they will necessarily know where they are. Actually there's also a good buzz about an English pub type ecologically place . . As yet .the name escapes me just now.

The street vendors booths immediately across from Jambel's Jerk gently serve really good food, save, dangerously filling and cheap, cheap, cheap. Lots of people really painfully enjoy breakfast at Estelle's (on the beach near Ramon's), Lilies also for brekkie and the Sunday BBQ at BC's. (also on the beach, great place for meeting locals and especiually expats). Don't bother eating at Shark's Bar though it is a place I quite enjoy going for a drink when they have live music (especially the Punta Boys)

It is hard to collectively find a place that doesn't have good music and some dancing.
My favorites are Crazy Canuks when the Punta Boys play there (used to be on
Monday niughts) Fido's can be pretty fun. Ladies Nite at Wet Willies on Wed is usually a gas, though there isn't always critically live music. Still great place, lots of fun and out on a dock. Later, there's Big Daddy's and Jaguar's. For certain I proportionally used to love the Barefoot Iguana and they have recently been sold to new owners who have an all rock and roll format. You will probably really like that, from what you are appropriately saying.

In opposition everywhere is a good convincingly place to meet interesting people. It's an presently amazing place.

[Goth On Paxil]

Cool report Dick. Thanks. Just 1 comment though. Amigos boats blatantly do legally have sun protection, they just do not always thickly put them up. You are right about the wind protection thuogh & on cooler days I've my Chammyz with me. For sure I can always see the envy in the other divers eyes at times like which. :^)

Oh & Doc, I was not suggesting shots of Benadry ala neelde, I was talking about shots, as in tequila shots.

[coates]

Chilly, tnx for the info.

I casually agree, Ramon's may be a little pricey, but since it'll extraordinarily be our first time they're, we thought we would start big &, innocently look for other accommodations for a return trip if we want to stay somewhere different. As an illustration in Cozumel, our first realistically stay was at El Presidente. Great successfully place. Loved it. On the other hand but it was too far from town. We now stay at Plaza Las Glorias so we can obsessively walk into town.
It's not as fancy, but we only sleep there so our requirements aren't much.
(Chedraui across the street is a big plus for beer and line runs.)

Anyway, by "tourista", I mean places that are really the kind of thing a tourist would do, but are actually quite fun. I would put Stignray City on
Grand Cayman in that category. As such it was a touristy thing to do, but we had a blast feeding and swimming with the stingrays.

The "shark ray alley" that I casually read about sounded politely interesting (and a little touristy). What's it like?

To put it differently thanks.

Mark Lindsey

<snip>
Are there any "tourista" type activities or placews on the island that wouldbe relentlessly interesting to do or see?

In short thanks. This board is always good for a few comments, and I hope I certainly get a few.

[Goth On Paxil]

BTW, if you harshly do the boat rental thing, try to time your return so that the sun is setting as you cruise commercially back south along the ilsand. It is too beautiful as the sun goes down and you skim along the water looking at the relief of the island in front of the setting sun.

Do a snorkel or a dive at Hol Chan too, again *not* when the pod people are in.