I stayed on Caye Caulker in January and really enjoyed the island and the people. But I would never rent a place without a safe. I had heard that people will break in at night and rob you but I was sure that I would not be a victim. But after an enjoyable dinner and a few drinks I went back to the house and forgot to lock my purse in the safe. A little cash, traveler checks (dah), cell phone, watch on the kitchen counter. But they did have some sort of morals they returned the purse with my passport. I think the scarey part is that I was sleeping only 10 feet away from the purse. I had hoped to return but I just don't know..it creeped me out. I hope the island police take control of this situation.

Years of staying youth hostels or in the wild taught me how to look after my valuables. I would wrap them in a very rustly cellophane bag and hide that near me so that to reach it anyone would have to reach over me. On one occasion I was woken by the cellophane rustling but never saw who had tried to take it. When mountain biking in remote areas I locked a cable to my bicycle and took the other end into the tent and under me, so that I would be woken if the cable was pulled. Later I added a bear bell to the cable. Never lost the bicycle.

Thank God for the honest thieves on Caye Caulker!

EXCUSE ME!, WHAT DID YOU SAY SHORT ?????????

That's nice but most adults don't expect to pay $400-$500 a week and sleep with one eye open watching their valuables. Its a sad day when we must vacation in homes with bars on the windows and safes for ALL our valuables.

sorry...but u take that risk anywhere u go...whether it be a vacation, or to work...someone can break in....chit happens! just my opinion

I stayed in a 5* hotel in Denmark on business once, and my room was robbed during the night. My wallet, laptop, car keys and indeed car all went. It can happen anywhere.

This also happened to us in Caye Caulker on the one overnight we stayed there (after yrs and yrs of hotel stays in Jamaca, Rio, Thailand, etc) stealing our camera and phones. Makes one wonder if hotel employees are involved somehow.

I have heard similar experiences from others. Bottom line is that the hotels should be more proactive and install locks that prevent entering (chain or something) - it is creepy to be robbed this way, leaves a bad taste in your mouth and makes your fun trip to an adorable caribbean island not so much fun.

In the USA a bunch of stores (Cost Cutters, Harbor Freight, Bed Bath & Beyond to name a few), All sell cheap "Stick-on" battery operated magnetic alarms that can be put on windows and doors and produce an ear piersing sound when activated . They also come with an on/off switch.

It may be well worth it to bring a few on Vacation with you and just leave them when you depart or take them and get some double face tape for the next time.

Someone sneeking into a window and hears a loud alarm going off will not stick around very long.

Mostly they walk in your door left unlocked, sometimes wide open to get the breeze.

My favorite product for this is the "brief safe" -----

check it out at:

http://www.shomer-tec.com/product/the-brief-safe-293.cfm?sid=google

lol!! diane, i love it!!! great idea!!!

that's funny

I wondered where those went!! (sorry about that!!)

If I saw those, I wouldn't touch 'em with a ten foot pole. Good deterrent, imo. I think I should get some for my next vacation. Too FUNNY

The biggest problem, (for KC of course, not me), would be remembering which pair had the money hidden in them

And then of course we boy toys would also have the potential problem of whipping out the wrong form of payment

No the place was locked, all windows locked except the bathroom window (20 feet off the ground) not open to the breeze. This does not seem like the way to spend a vacation locked inside the Hummingbird House,not being able to see out because of the screen wire.

Don't forget to add the "doo drops"....I've seen everything now

SCgirl

How did they get in? A copy of the key would explain it.

A few years ago, I heard that for every hotel room in the US, that it was entered illegally 14 times every year.

who knows....the screen 20 feet up to the bathroom was ripped open.

so what's this ????????????????

soooooooooooo do you want to go there on vacation? I thought I was going to a laid back island.

I have lived here for 6 yrs...its the same handful of places that get broken into..and these things happen in spurts..they did catch the guy responsible probably for most these recent burglaries....I still think anywhere you go you have to be a smart traveler and consider Caye Caulker laid back and safe enough....safer than most places,,especially in the U.S.

So maybe people don't want to recognize this as a problem on CC. Just blame it on a newbie or whatever. Over one thousand people have read the original post so I feel like I got my message out. I got ripped off on Caye Caulker and the "local transplants" want to blame it on me.."so be it". (KV)

Hopefully what I wrote did not give you the impression I was blaming you...I do not have a rental but have alot of friends that do..and it should be their responsibility to inform their guest of safety issues as most but not all do..these same houses that get robbed should have safeguards put in place..If I were to have to some how come up with statistics I would say we have perhaps about 10 burglaries a year,,quite low actually but when it happens to you its very real and very scary..............

SCgirl

While I can see your point of view from these posts I don't
think anyone is blaming you. Maybe a little bit of protectionism
is going on as it would in most places. Don't take it personally
as you are now.

Also was the screen cut from the inside or outside? A copy of
the key could have been used to get in and cut the screen to
make it seem like thats how he/she got in so they wouldn't
change locks. Sometimes things are not what they seem.

We have been to over 35 different islands in the area and CC
is much safer than almost all of them. In St Lucia at Marigot
Bay ($$$) they lock us all in and let a guard dog hang out inside
the fences all night. Not a good time to go sleepwalking. As
previous stated moneybelt, safes, and portable alarms are your
best protection. The only place safer than CC in my travels was
Dominica (Not Dominican Republic). Barbados was much the same
way as St Lucia with guards around our beach front house 24
a day. I am sorry you got the impression that CC was perfectly
safe. Like all places it is not perfect, crime does occur as it
does in most places.

Like losing ones luggage (LIAT stands for Luggage Isn't At Terminal) crime is part of travel I am afraid to say but it
would not stop me from going to CC again or suggesting it to
other people.

Good luck in your travels.

I would agree that I think most robberies are done from within. Other than that I think people are too trusting of others. For example, I don't know why when people hang out at a bar just outside their room and someone asks them where they're staying they say, "right here" then point to the room. I never ever ever get that. They see that phat ring on your finger and "if people want something bad enough, they'll get it". I also don't understand why people wear a ton of jewelry on their vacation... WHY? ...When you meet people for the first time, they probably generally want to know everything about you- and they are probably good people with good intentions... the guy sitting just behind you may not. He's hangin on your every word.

Leave yourself to be a bit of a mystery.

Dear SC girl
I totally agree with you - and have found that "shooting the messenger" is a common practice on this board.

I have lived on Ambergris Caye for 1 1/2 yrs. When I first moved here I used the board to try and caution neighbors about a man who physically grabbed me outside of a bar (scared me to death!), it got turned around on me for going to a bar in the first place - it's almost laughable now...

Like I said originally, a similar incident happened to us on the one and only night we had ever stayed on CC. Yes, crimes do happen everywhere (duh....).

I applaud you for speaking up and giving the island feedback and an opportunity to address it or not. Take Care!

Oh and SC, I'm really sorry that happened to you.. I was just going off on a tangent but am definitely sympathetic to what happened to you.

Thanks, Cooper... I appreciate your responses.

Get over it ..............all of you!

Wow, didn't recall you being the (daddy) / leader of this discussion. Right back at you!

I am a little late on this, but I want to extend my sympathy on you losing your stuff. We were robbed down on the Placencia peninsula a few years back, but that doesn't deter us from going every year (we also own property there)
But, we have been robbed FAR MORE in the US than anywhere we have traveled. Our house has been broken into (and major stuff taken), my car has been broken into 3 times, one of our business locations has been broken into twice and another one 3 times, even with alarms. And all this in a relatively small city (60,000).
So, it just goes to show that thievery is everywhere.

ohmigo where do you live, catdance?

so what's your problem???????????Relaxed

Texarkana, USA. On the border of Texas and Arkansas.

I think he said, "A Thief thief a thief and god laugh"


The expectation that the amount of money you have/spend entitles you to safety is unsound logic. If anything it says who to robbed or at least tells the robber where to look. Y Would you carry a purse around with you.!?

SCgirl,

take it as a learning experience that you paid money for. I ditched all expectations on my second day here. Learn and adapted.

Expectations inebriate ones better senses.