Getting around Belize is not the easiest of things, especially if this is the first time you have actually set foot here. I am a local and even I find it tedious to get to places. It is not because Belize is over populated or traffic is a major problem — it is just that access to things, in general, are so hard to get in some parts of Belize.

Unlike other countries, Belize has a town every couple miles and it not until you reach the other town that you have access to most commodities and services.

I can talk all day about the troubles you may face getting around Belize, but instead of wasting quality time on that, I will give you 8 tips that will help you to get around Belize easily and safely. This goes for both visitors and locals.

1. Follow road signs as much as possible: If you want to prevent getting lost on the road, you must follow the road signs as much as possible. And even that sometimes doesn't work because some signs are missing or destroyed — in some cases these are your only options.

2. Travel with printed maps: Even though these should be on a traveler's top list of things to travel with, many don't use them any more because digital maps on smart-phones have replaced these essential traveling tools. Let me tell you the sad news about this; In Belize, mobile internet service is the least thing to rely on. That being said, I would advice that you print out hard copies of updated maps before travelling around Belize. Belize is small so our maps shouldn't be that hard to read and follow.

3. Ask questions: If you are lost or trying to locate a specific place, don't hesitate to ask people that you may encounter in your way. Belizean people are all-around friendly and reliable and won't mind giving directions to those in need.

4. Avoid unknown jungle encounters: We don't regularly hear people getting lost in the jungles of Belize but you must be aware that we have some very huge jungles. Wondering in one of these unknown jungles can get you lost in a matter of minutes. So avoid going into unknown jungles and always try to locate your coordinates every now and then. A small compass could also help in case you get lost.

5. Bus rules and schedules: If you are going to be travelling around Belize in buses like I normally see a lot of travelers do, you should get familiar with some bus rules and schedules. The rules are basically the same for all bus services but the schedules are different. Like in many countries, each bus has a unique time that they travel to a certain destination in the country. Again, asking people around should help you enough to get around easily.

6. Taxis are reliable: If you want to get from one spot to another in any town in Belize, taxis are very reliable. Although we don't have a standard color for taxi vehicles like other countries, you can identify taxis by their green licence plate. As for the fee rates, they normally charge $BZ5 for every mile or so.

7. Eat and drink as much as possible: No one person can travel around on an empty stomach. This should be one of the most important tips on my list, but I will leave that up to you to decide. Food is easily accessible in Belize thanks to street vendors. It is strongly advisable to prepare your own food, but if the need arises, again, you can ask around for fast food street vendors. Look at it on the bright side — that is the only way you get to know what this country is all about. Food is basically the foundation of the country of Belize. 

8. Extra tires and other vehicle commodities: Weather you are going to ride on a rented vehicle or on your private vehicles it is strongly recommended that you carry along spare tires and other vehicle commodities like (water, battery, gasoline, jump-start cables, etc...). Our highways are very old and not in the best conditions — just so you know.

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