Belize Holidays, Flights & Travel Guide
The complete Belize travel guide - Belize
holidays & Belize flights.
Top destination guides for Belize
holidays;
Belize Holidays
and Travel Overview
About the same size as Wales, Belize
rests on the Caribbean coast between Mexico and Guatemala: an
exotic, English-speaking, adventurer's paradise, just a couple of
hours away from three major United States cities. Almost half the
country has been preserved as nature parks and reserves, including
tropical forests teeming with wildlife and hiding mysterious Mayan
ruins, and 174 miles (280km) of coastline featuring the longest
barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. The reef
and the country's numerous offshore cayes, or atolls, have made
this one of the world's most desirable destinations for scuba
divers and marine researchers. They come to explore unique features
like the famous 'Blue Hole', a collapsed submerged cave 1,000 feet
(305m) in diameter and 412 feet (126m) deep.
Archaeologically Belize is fascinating too, having been
the site of mighty Mayan cities from around 1,000 BC until the
inexplicable disintegration of that great civilisation around 900
AD. There are believed to be thousands of Mayan ruins in Belize, of
which about 600 have been discovered and excavated, many now open
to tourists. Like most Caribbean countries
Belize was occupied by British and Spanish colonialists over the
centuries before gaining independence (only lately recognised by
neighbouring Guatemala which laid claim to the territory) in 1981.
Today it is a happy-go-lucky multi-ethnic nation of warm, friendly
people, very welcoming of the tourists on whom the country's
economy relies heavily. The main urban city
(although not the capital) is Belize City, which offers some
attractions like a world-class zoo, a new museum, historic
buildings and the Maya site of Altun Ha. Basically, though, Belize
is a destination for the outdoor enthusiast and adventure
traveller. There are not many nightclubs, expensive shopping venues
or fancy restaurants, but there is plenty of scope for diving,
snorkelling, fishing, hiking, birdwatching, kayaking and
exploring.
Tourist Offices - Belize Tourism Board, Belize City:
+501 223 1913 or www.travelbelize.org
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Entry Requirements
for Belize Holidays & Belize Travel
All visitors to Belize (except cruise ship
passengers) must produce a passport valid for at least the period
of their intended stay. All visitors should also have return
tickets or documents for onward travel, and funds amounting to
US$50 per person per day.
- For Australians -
Australians not require a visa for a stay of up to one
month. A valid passport is required.
- New Zealanders do not require a visa for a stay of up
to one month. A valid passport is required.
- United States citizens do not require a visa for a
stay of up to one month. A valid passport is
required.
- United States citizens do not require a visa for a
stay of up to one month. A valid passport is
required.
- British citizens do not require a visa for a stay of
up to one month. A valid passport is required.
Currency of Belize
The unit of currency is the Belize Dollar (BZD),
which is fixed against the US$ as BZ$2 = US$1. Most tourist
resorts, hotels, restaurants and tour operators accept US currency
and travellers cheques. Credit cards are also accepted, and most
banks in Belize City and Belmopan will advance cash against Visa or
MasterCard. When using credit cards most establishments will add a
5% service charge to the bill. First Caribbean International Bank
has several ATMs in Belize City. Always make sure you understand
which dollar rate is being quoted, that is, is it Belize Dollars or
US Dollars?
Belize
Telephone Access Codes and Communications
The international dialling code for Belize
is +501. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country
code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). The area code for Belize
City is (0)2. International Direct Dialling is available. Mobile
telephone coverage is available throughout most of the country with
the Belize Telecommunications Ltd GSM 1900 network, and cellphone
rental is available. There are two Internet service providers in
Belize, with Internet cafes in urban centres and tourist areas, and
an email centre at the BTL office in Belize City. Postal services
are reliable with mail taking up to five days to reach
Europe.
Belize
Duty Free Allowances & Restrictions
Duty free items that travellers may take into
Belize from travellers from non-EU countries include 200
cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250g tobacco; 1 litre
spirits over 22% in alchohol or 2 litres of dessert wine up to 22%
in alcohol and sparkling wine, and 2 litres wine; 60cc perfume and
250ml eau de toilette, as well as other goods such as souvenirs up
to a value of £145. Restricted items include plants, meat and meat
products, live animals and processed food
items.
Belize
Holidays - Tipping Information
A service charge of 10% is almost always added to
hotel and restaurant bills, so tipping is unnecessary. If a service
charge has not been added tipping is voluntary. Taxi drivers are
not usually tipped.
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