AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Budgeting for our trip

We are planning a 10 day trip to Belize. Thinking 5 days AC & 5 day CC. We are on a pretty tight budget. What should we expect to spend per person for food/drink a day? We will probably have a few beers a day, and I assume soda's or bottled water? We will be eating 30 meals in 10 days so if we can get by on $5/meal pp average, we can do more snorkel trips and other things we might enjoy. We might go out to eat at a nicer restaurant once or twice but prefer to spend our dollars on activities rather than food.

Generally, How much cheaper is Caye Caulkner than Ambergris Caye? We are considering spending all 10 days there if there really is a pretty big difference in hotel/food.

if you eat all your meals at the food vendors in Central Park, you MIGHT along just fine on those #'s. But, IMHO, that budget is just way too low. Double it and you''ll still have trouble.

We arrive AC Saturday for our first trip. And don't know a whole lot about anything...any suggestions welcome..best food, not so pricey trips for snorkeling and seeing things, best places to just go and have some drinks, anything at all welcome!

Save money by keeping beverages and snacks in your room. We got by on peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, popcorn, whatever.
Of course, Beliken from the distributor - water too if you want. Also there used to be a very cheap fried chicken joint across from the post office...
We ate big breakfasts, our own lunches and loved hanging on our porch with the cold beverages!
Also those other activities - like going to the mainland are really expensive - that's where alot of money goes! Of course local bar-b-ques can be delicious, fun & cheap.
Always Try Estel's Dine by the Sea - sit outside and see the blues, the people and the action on the dock. (The San Pedrano store & other small stores often have better prices than the modern super market).
Belize it!

If you stay at Pedro's Inn you'll be close to the distributor for water, beer and soda by the case at wholesale prices.

2 meat pies and a coke (I know...disgusting) is $4BZ at Ruby's or a chicken Johnnycake and a coke is $5.

Beef Burrito is $3 at the park, rice and beans and chicken $6 or $7.

Fantasy on Middle and Master Lee's on Front offer big meals for small prices. Waragumma (sp?) is also a good bet.

Los Coco's Chicken Rice and Beans is $7 for lunch, you'll have half the rice left unless you have a huge appetite.

Side street vendors sell tacos at 3 for a dollar.

BC's beers are cheap and the company is good as is Cholo's and Riverside and I'm betting on Dreadies new bar to be great spot when it opens. Not sure what the name will be. Just wait until the list of others come in from the rest of the crew.

Can't miss Hammock House and BC's on Sunday for the social highlights of the day.

Make friends everywhere and you'll have a great time even without a load of cash.

You can have a great time on a serious budget here, enjoy yourselves.

S�

Dreadie is opening his own bar???
Where? He has been at Cholo's for at least 13 years!!

$15 a day to eat in San Pedro? It can be done but you will be missing out on so many wonderful restaurants. My advice would be to skip breakfast and lunch....have a great dinner with one drink. Don't forget to tip!

Yep, he's left Cholo's along with Smurf and Spraga to start their own bar kiddy corner to Oscar's Gym up by the cut. Construction is well under way and should be complete in a few weeks.

They'll have a coin pool table along with a real pool table and plans are in for a horseshoe pit and other activities.

Thanks for the advice. We were hoping for $3-$4 breakfast $4-$5 lunch and $7-$8 dinner give or take a little on most days. Plus drinks and of course tips-we won't forget <grin> We do want to go out to eat at nicer places a couple of times, but that is not our goal on vacation.

We will probably bring along about $50-$60 per person per day for food and activities and have our Credit Cards handy if we start to go over.

We don't have tons of money for vacations unfortunately but try to go somewhere every year. We did 10 days in Turks & Caicos last year on a budget similiar to this even though it is crazy-priced!! We just cut corners where we could and still had a great time.

Any advice about $$$ difference Ambergris Caye vs Caye Caulker?

Lodgings are much cheaper on CC, food and drink will be about the same.