AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Hotel help 1st time to Ambergris

this whole thread is ridiculous...everyone has different needs for their vacation...the lodging area on this site, breaks everything down...from cost, location, etc...
i prefer to stay at ruby's or cosmo's adventures...they work for me...cost is affordable, as i would rather spend my money on snorkeling or some of the wonderful restaurants or watering holes that san pedro has to offer! quit fighting u guys! i have to go back to the states soon...and i don't want to...u all are lucky to be where u are...hope nobody took offense to my interjection...:)

Island Girl, I have only visited AC 4 times but I have spent quite a bit of time in town and NEVER felt unsafe and NEVER was approached for drugs, etc. One time it was just my sister and myself and we felt totally comfortable walking around the downtown area any time of day. Very fun time.

PLEASE do not get the wrong idea about San Pedro. Great restaurants, great street food, fun bars, cute shops and wonderful people. Not shopping like you'll find on islands like St. Thomas, Grand Cayman, etc. because it's less developed but tons more charming and laid back IMO.

A recent article in some travel magazine described San Pedro as having a "scruffy charm". I think that's kinda accurate.

have to agree with sally...i travel solo all the time...never felt afraid...just be aware of your surroundings, as u would do anywhere

Hi GwenA

I dont think the owner of the board wants people to post using there business name on the Avatar because it comes across as blatant advertising, I do see some people doing it but very few a more accepted way of showing who you are and what if any interest you have on the island is via a Signature line after your post.

This is not only unobtrusive but also shows clearly if someone has a vested interest in a business here. you

I dont think Carlos did anything wrong here he was quite fair in his comment and self promotion was not blatant and most people know Carlos works there.

With regards to Crime and your point,

You have a very valid and real point and are unfortunatley correct in what you are seeing however it is not just on this board but throuout the internet on travel message boards.

If something does not change I see the marketing of the island changing to detering people away from town and more to the northern and southern resorts and even other parts of Belize.

It is already happening

I spend a lot of time on many forums all over the internet and the exposure Ambergris Caye is getting where crime is concerned is tremendous, almost every post someone asks about crime or drugs or safety in town because they have read or heard about it.

Its a real shame for sure but unless the island really cracks down on it and nips this bad press in the butt its only going to keep coming and more and more visitors will start avoiding town.

I think the negative exposure the island is receiving is really hurting it and its is spreading like wildfire on some very high traffic sites.

As much as we can, we post in defense of San Pedro but as you have posted the foots on the other shoe and as a person with a vested interest in the island, our comments are not believed as much as a tourist with first hand experience who has visited and been the victim of a crime.

I even see Placencia taking advantage of the situation and suggesting it as a safe alternative ie, its quieter there very little crime etc etc

My personal view is its blown out of propertion to the number of visitors that visit the island but that is no consolation to the first time potential visitor who constantly reads about the crime and problems on the island with links posted to newspapers reporting violent crime.

Unfortunatley as with everything, those that have a bad experience shout louder and more often that those that have had a great experience, even though the great times outweigh any problems by a huge percentage.

Gaz Cooper

I agree with Sally1 & Kerry. I travel solo & I stay in town (at Ruby's, in fact.) Never been offered drugs, never felt unsafe. My hard & fast rule of traveling solo is stay aware of your surroundings.

islandgirl76 - based on what you say you are looking for, it sounds as if you may like Tranquility Bay and the great easy snorkeling it has to offer. I am not associated with either resort, but I am a travel agent just for Belize (see signature line ;-) and send clients to both TB and Xanadu. Actually I send more clients to Xanadu than to TB because most people want to be closer to town, are interested in nightlife and variety of restaurants. But I just had clients who were looking for quiet, serenity and great snorkeling and they loved TB - it suited them perfectly. So if that is what you are looking for, I would recommend it. Clients love both places and I have not had a complaint on either. I think TB does not charge for the boat to/from the resort if you stay 5 nights or more.
San Pedro town has changed a lot over the last few years and is not (nor ever was) everyone's cup of tea. Crime has increased, from none to some, but it is not as bad as most tourist places in the Caribbean, Mexico or other parts of Central America. And it is debateable if crime is worse in town or in the more isolated areas, both have their own issues. It is a fact of life that increased tourism brings increased crime, and that coupled with the worldwide economic crisis has amped it up even in Belize.

Island Girl, if you're still there (!) my boyfriend & I just stayed at Tranquility Bay for a week in February. We also spent 2 days and one night in town because we wanted to check out some shopping and nightlife. This arrangement worked fantastically for us as we had similar interests to yours, and we did not feel threatened by anything in town at all. The people were absolutely fantastic. As previously mentioned, anywhere you go you should use common sense, which I'm sure you are aware. I could not begin to praise TB enough - it is a truly a beautiful place.

As for all of the bickering, is there not a moderator on this board??? From an outsider looking in it appears to me that all of you love your island, and you want to share it with each other and visitors. Don't make me have to come back down there!!! (yet)

Thank you all for your responses, I really appreciate it! After talking to my fiance, we decided on Tranquility Bay. Although Xanadu is very nice, they didn't have an ocean view room available and that was the deciding factor and we also want somewhere quiet. It will be the last few days of our 11 day action packed adventure in Belize so relaxation is what we have planned before we go back to the states, I think TB might be the place for us. I am now just praying the winds die down as I hear they are pretty bad right now.

islandgirl
Don't lose sleep over the winds.
The winds can actually be quite pleasant. The resort has a Hobie Cat which would be a lot of fun with some wind. The wind also helps keep the bugs away. Also ask about getting pizza delivered.

The wind is gone.