AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Where are all the tourists?

I'm bringing 130 people in February! Come on down!!!

March is a high period. Besides summers it's the only time families really have a chance to vacation together.

Belize is on the high side. Just rented a house in March, outside Cabo for half what the same size house would cost me in AC.

The prices in sanpedro are about state side prices for food ,in a nice place But if you eat stew chiken and rice and beans it is cheap food from the vendors .or Chinise places are also cheap food again fried chicken and fried rice .. Not me but good for some ..Now hotels are in line I think very good prices for a week stay at this time ..the fishing prices are $200 for half a day more than half off the state side prices ,A half day in the keys is $425 and up .Diving prices I have no idea.???.Again you must compare apples to apples .Overall I think a savy travler has some very good value here...

Reaper, I believe you!
Shot in the arm for the local economy.
thanks!

I caught my own dinner several times in October at the cut and off the pier and found it to be delicious and economical....lol... My only concern is I still look like a moron tossing my line in the water. Haven't quite got the direct-from-the-reel-toss down to a science. Thank goodness I had a rod and reel along Snapper and fried rice are awesome and pupusas can't be beat either. AC is just like it is everywhere, you just have to be creative, shop around and always bring your own peanut butter. A jar of Jiffy should be treated like currency.

I will concur that I have not witnessed March here yet, and do realise that the Easter break is the first real family vacation following Christmas.

I have found some good value in AC, and buying fresh chicken, shrimp and fresh produce, and cooking myself.....and this is terrific value!

This island is SOO beautiful (in most parts) and I just find it quite sad that it could lose it's unique paradise appeal if getting here, and truly spending time here, becomes too expensive for most (in the current economic climate).

I personally think that the government of Belize should be doing more. Everything seems to be taxed here! A legacy of British rule I suppose......and I say that being British ;-p

Adding to that...I commented about it being "over-priced" in relation to MY experiences. I am from the UK (another expensive place!) but have been traveling North America for the last 8 months. I found the US extremely competitively-priced, if not cheap, in most areas. I found Canada more like the UK...over-taxed on many commodities. Mexico, again proved extremely good value for money.

I guess the monopolies in some industries here do not foster competition, and this is NOT helping the Belizian economy. For example:

Airfares - the taxes at Belize Int Aiport means that US airlines are so costly to fly to Belize. I flew from Seattle to New York for $122 and then from Philadelphia to Cancun for $132. A flight to Belize from either destination was at least $700.

Internet - My 'reliable' BT 1 meg broadband in the UK cost me £20 per month. BTL = $330 [equates to approx £100]....5 x the UK equivalent!!!!! And it worked :-)

Beer - I bought my first bottle of Belikin, savoured it, and thought wow BZ$3 [£1].....good value! That was until I realised there is more bottle than beer!! A crate at BZ$60 [£20] works out at approx 5 pints. So that makes it around £4 a pint! Now that is not what I call value for money.

But I guess there is always a 'silver-lining'.......brown cane sugar is darn cheap, as is pot!!!

I like that: "Belikin, where there's more bottle than beer"

when we flew down on Dec 20 and back on Dec 26, both planes were only 1/3 full- could stretch out and sleep.

Bing, I consider AC a "good value" for one's dollar, not "cheap". That value includes the fact that English is widely spoken, the diving is equal or better than anywhere in the world, the people are friendly hard working folks, US dollars are excepted everywhere, beaches are never crowded like here in the US, travel time for us is only around 6 hrs total time to get there from here........I could go on and on but I think you get my point.

In response to your question, I have traveled a fair amount but I certainly don't consider myself a "world traveler". I wish I were, but I must (or I choose) to work too much. I've traveled to more than enough beach and Caribbean locations to feel comfortable saying that AC is one of the best tropical places to visit or live in this hemisphere.

Belize-N-Us,
I certainly understand your point, and to some measure I concur. However that said, in comparison to some places the bang for the buck factor of Belize has dropped considerably the past 4 to 6 years. Lastly even though I do not believe it is any great bargain these days I still love the place and will be returning again next month but I can tell you the $700.00+ flight does not excite me.