AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker?

I'm new on this--are these message icons supposed to have significance, or only preference? First time visitor, November. Single female. Which island is the better to enjoy Caribbean and just be a beach bum for a few days, Am Caye or Caye Caulker? Transportation from BZE same to both? Any horseback riding on either island? Looking for reasonable hotel(Tropical Paridise, Tropical Star, Trends, Coconuts Caribbean???). Under 90 USD. Input appreciated. Must be on beach, do not like shoes. Live on beach in States.Anyone else out there free to travel other locations. Don't like paying single rate. Is clothing optional tolerated on any beaches on island(s)?

Kathryn,
If you're single and traveling alone, I think you might enjoy Ambergris a little more. There is more nightlife, ie: clubs, restuarants, discos,and casinos. Caye Caulker does have a few of these, but is MUCH more laid back. As for clothes, no, there are no nude beaches, and clothes must be worn. As for getting to Caye Caulker, I think tropic air goes there from Belize City as well, but you can also catch a boat there from San Pedro. It's a wonderful boat ride. If you're looking for a travel companion, post that on the board as well. You never know....... There are lots of hotels to choose from. Look at the top of this page and click on "Lodging". Lots of info there. Many on the board will be glad to answer questions about specific ones. I stayed at Paradise Villas, with kitchen etc. It might be more than what you want to pay, so I can't really help you there. Have a wonderful time.
Debbie

AC without a doubt. Being a married man I hardly noticed but there were a lot of topless
woman on the beach in front of Ramon's and it just happened to be the week that there
was that model shoot.Think I may have spent too much time on the beach that vacation
and missed seeing the Mayan ruins. I stayed with my son there then, I guess that is why I
made my reservations at Banana Beach on my next visit with my wife in two months.
Don't want her to think I was up to no good on my last visit. ;0)

Try the Conch Shell Hotel, under lodgings. Reasonable rates, all rooms on the beach in town. Wonderful people,the Gonzalez', safe and clean. Get a fridge in the room and save $ on beverages.
Belize it!

The only nude beach is on the other side of the airport run-way on the lagoon. I think the name is Laguna..oh yea, Laguna Punta. And if ya nice to dat Billizer (the boss), ya can even have access to da roof, but watch for the crocks. PS: "Hairy legs" need not apply.

<font face ="Impact" color ="blue" size ="8">
BILL!</font>

Hey there, being another single female traveller, I would have to say AC as well. You can certainly do nothing and be a beach bum, but there's trouble to get into if you want As for places to stay, check out the lodging page on //www.ambergriscaye.com but the ones I can think of off the top of my head are Ruby's and Sunbreeze. It's a pretty single-friendly place, you'll have no trouble meeting people and having a great time! I can hardly wait till I can go back, January just won't come soon enough!
...LOL @ Bill...

[This message has been edited by Jenn (edited 09-13-2000).]

Bill!!!

And you said "I" needed counseling????
Luring these poor defenseless ladies......

Funny, I would have thought that if they had showed up nude, in earnest, you, of all people, couldn't have cared less about their leg hair. Better find out if they're from Europe......

Well BigZeke, I rarely see anyone topless downtown, so the models that week must have been something a little bit different.

it ain't usually like that.

Kathryn,

Really think the choice between San Pedro and Caye Caulker is as much about the visitor as about the islands.

Ambergris Caye increasingly is for the tourist looking for a 1980s Caribbean island resort experience -- booze, sun and high times -- at moderate to high-moderate cost; Caye Caulker, while it's trying desperately to go upscale, is still mostly a 1970s budget island appealing to thrifty travelers (aka cheapskates). It's no longer strictly backpacker, but it's close.

Where there are three or four budget places on Ambergris, Ruby's being the best of the small bunch, there are 20 or 30 places similar to Ruby's on Caulker.

When you get off the airplane in San Pedro, the hotels nearby are a 60-room resort with rates up to US$250 or more, a motel with rates around US$100, and a couple of condotels. If instead you get off the water taxi, there are several three-story hotels and condotels. Almost everybody has air-conditioning, and many have pools.

By contrast, when you get off the water taxi on front Caulker, the first thing you see is a little pink and green hotel with rates around US$30 and a cabana colony with thatch cabanas at around US$50. Only a couple of hotels on Caulker have A/C, and there are as yet no pools.

Lots of other differences:

Caulker is only a small fraction of the size of Ambergris Caye, with Caulker being basically just a village and Ambergris having a town and satellite living areas and lots of space north and south of town ... the water on Caulker smells of sulfur and generally isn't potable ... the most expensive hotel on Caulker is around US$100 for a suite, the most expensive on Ambergris is around US$600 ... Ambergris is increasingly real-estate driven, with American babyboomer expats buying lots and dreaming of living on the seashore, where Caulker has very tight controls on land and most of the island is owned by Belizeans ... nightlife on Caulker is drinking and eating on the cheap, whereas nightlife on Ambergris is drinking and eating at moderate priced restaurants...Caye Caulker is reggae and rap, Ambergris is "Cheeseburger in Paradise," Jerry Jeff Walker and a quasi-punta ... Ambergris Caye is the Island Supermarket, modern and clean, whereas Caye Caulker is old groceries ... Caye Corker is young rastas, where San Pedro is old guys hustling drinks and carvings ... San Pedro is California and Ohio, where as Caye Caulker is New Jersey and Germany ... Ambergris Caye is golf carts and Toyota pick-ups; Caulker is golf carts... Ambergris Caye is sand streets and locals who want to pave them; Caulker is sand streets that probably won't be paved in the next 20 years ... Ambergris Caye is beaches that got sand from Mitch; Corker is a beach reclamation project ... Ambergris is 40-somethings and up; Caulker is 20-somethings.

Both are great ... just depends on where you're coming from and what you want.

--Lan Sluder