Trip report.. the good & not so good
#40958
06/18/01 07:28 PM
06/18/01 07:28 PM
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 11
kong
OP
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OP
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I was in Ambergris Caye from 6/1->6/10 and stayed at Ramon's Village.
First off, all the people I met there were very nice and friendly. This is the biggest "plus" about going here. The people were just wonderful. Ramon's is a great property and if you can, get one of the beachfront mini-suites which are on the 2nd floor with a great view and nice breezes. They are air conditioned as well. We loved our room(#27). We always heard on here and from others that the water is fantastic and beautiful. So, we wrongfully assumed the beaches would be like the real carribean, no seaweed and you could just walk right in. This is not the case on AC. There is considerable seaweed where you wouldn't really think the beach into the water is nice at all. If you walk out a pier and then drop in to snorkel, the water is great. But, the beach area isn't. This is not just at Ramon's, we walked from the cut all the way to Victoria House.
I had always heard about how fantastic the scuba diving was on the reefs around AC. I've been in Roatan/Guanaja and expected AC to be comparable. It was no where close. Unless someone is going on their first scuba trip, they won't be impressed with the reefs right around AC. Having said that, the atolls do have world-class reefs and fantastic diving. But, from AC each trip out there is over $100. If you're a diver, stay out on the atoll somewhere or I imagine you'll be as un-impressed as I was. If you're someone who dives a bit, but likes to hang out on the beach and then hit the local beach bars, then this is the place for you. All of the beach bars we went to were really interesting and fun.
Mainland/Ecological points. In all the advertisements, Belize seems to make it look like it is a good a mainland/ecological destination as Costa Rica. Again, it is no where close. There are some great things, such as the cave tubing. Maybe in another 10 years, the ruins will be worth visiting, and they'll get some kind of rain forest tour/trip that has any value other than the cave tubing, but it's not there yet. If you want rain forests/volcanos/beaches/whitewater rafting/canopy tours/many animals, go to Costa Rica. They've got their act together with this kind of attraction.
I'm very glad we went, it was a good trip, but it was nothing like we were really expecting. I expected mainland based operations comparable to Costa Rica, and scuba diving comparable to Roatan. No where close.
I talked to many other tourists down there who felt the same way. They were having a good time and loved the people, but it was not at all what they expected.
Just my humble opinions. Don't go there expecting something it is not. Go there knowing what it really is and you won't be sorry. It's a good time.
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Re: Trip report.. the good & not so good
#40960
06/18/01 11:19 PM
06/18/01 11:19 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,080 Eugene, OR, USA
KC
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Thanks for your report. I'm sorry you expected nice beaches. It has been said on this forum over and over how the beaches are not awesome, and the sea grass has been extensively discussed. ![[Linked Image]](//ambergriscaye.com/message/smile.gif) Sorry you missed those. I think you are exactly right in knowing what to expect -- then you won't be disappointed. Here's another example of "to each his own" -- My husband went to Costa Rica and hated, and I mean *hated* it. He couldn't wait to get on an airplane out of there. There again, it wasn't what he expected. I don't dive, so that is not a problem to me. I mainly just "love the life" on AC... laid back and simple. Kathy
"You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
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Re: Trip report.. the good & not so good
#40964
06/19/01 09:28 AM
06/19/01 09:28 AM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
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the thing about belize, is, (in my humble opinion), that there is a little bit of all those things. if you want to snorkel, forget costa rica. if you want the mellow days, forget mexico. you want solitude, forget usvi, and so on.
but if you want to snorkel a bit, dive a bit, chat with locals a bit, beach it a bit, see a ruin or two, catch some nature, all in a brief period, bz is the place. i loved the snorkeling, i loved sitting on a gorgeous beach ALL ALONE, i loved the rum, i loved climbing xunantunich, i loved the food, i loved the 1000 ft falls, and in '93, a pet spider monkey at a resort climbed all over me for 30 minutes. it was enuff for me.
folks, leave your big expectations at home, and you will have a great time. look for too much, and you'll be disappointed. it is what it is. and i love it.
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