AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Trip Reports Trip Report May 11 18, 2007

Auburn, certainly you do not blame US developers and tourists for your husband being out of work and being poor. What kind of work did he do 8-10 years ago before the huge building boom? Were you better off then?
There are plenty of successful Belizean business owners and also Local developers, no?

Biggest developer on the island is Cheffy Paz, a San Pedrano.

Most of the Belizeans I am acquainted with, employed at whatever, do not have a computer or internet access, unless it is at work. Might I assume hubby is unemployed because someone from the U.S. took his job? If it is for any other reason, you have my sympathy but no guilt.

I worked for several years at the BELIZE TOURISM BOARD. I always appreciated the fact that I had the opportunity to read travelers trip reports from this forum.

We did our best to survey visitors at the airport, as far as I know the board still does. We do care to know as much if a visitor had a great time, as we do, when they didn't. Travels reports are very important, as we use that information to alert Government and others entities of the impression that visitors have when they visit. From there we can access how we can improve. The main goal is to have visitors return and expend their currency here year after year.

As for this trip report, the traveler had an eye opening to our daily routine and we can derive how a first impression can make us or break us.

We often advertised San Pedro as a diverse, peaceful, democracy with the best diving in the world, with restaurants that serve great food. In recent years, the unspoiled and abundant fauna/flora of this tiny country on the crossroads between Latin America and the Caribbean has become a favorite eco-tourist destination. But we need to point out there is another San Pedro, marked by overdevelopment, with inadequate technology, health care and high unemployment.

Don't try to add comments to diminish the value of this traveler's trip report and let all get into positive cyber type mode. It will be better to add realistic information that could help pursue the first time visitors to become recurring visitors to the beautiful Belize. I had to admit that recurring visitors more often that none has a tendency to overlook what a new visitor is currently experiencing.

FYI-The Belize City Departure tax for USA is set $36.50 per person.

You have an extremely valid point. My first trip, first night impression of San Pedro was not particularly positive, but the next day opened the wonders of the place. Not any place is suitable for everyone. Some come and never come back. Some come and keep returning. Of the many Caribbean destinations I have visited, there is a set of tourists who would never even consider going anywhere else.

I am returning for trip 5 in a few weeks. There are things I hope to see, and things that are no longer that I will miss. To any traveler with an open mind, look for the beauty. A destination is, and also what you make it.

Were I to find a paradise where the water was beautiful, the trees and animals were unleashed, everybody wore shoes and ate in restaurants, I would rename it as something else.

There are big boat people, there are all-inclusive people, there are spring breakers, and there are visitors to AC. Just my opinion.

If everyone who visited kept coming back we'd all have to sleep standing up!

Yup. Our first trip, Paradise Villas, we met an elderly Russian couple who were leaving after 2 days because they found it, quote, "squalid and wretched", and commented they should have gone to central Mexico instead. Buh-bye.

Last post on this for me. Realize that the San Pedranos welcome us as visitors and guests, not just customers. That is part of the magic.

Bobber, I think a LOT of people feel the same way you do. Good posts.

Folks like Mildred can wank off to Bermuda, St. Bart's and Sin Maarten. I wish more people would feel the same way. It would slow the influx. In fact, a good ploy!

SIN