Blogs from Placencia, Stann Creek District, Belize, Central America Caribbean

Travel from Chicago to Belize went well today. We didn't have any issues in Chicago and the airport did seem busy with spring break travelers. Our flight was on time and really no issues. We arrived in Belize and made our way into the beautiful sunshine and warmth of Belize. The disembarking of the plane was down the steps and a short walk across to the airport building. Before entering the building we were sent through a line with a short interview with the "health department". "What state did you originate from prior to boarding the plane in Chicago?" and "Have you traveled to any other countries in the last 30 days?". Without too much delay they shuffled us into the building. It seemed that they were doing more extensive interviews on some of the passengers. ... read more

It's been a busy couple of days! Tuesday we went on a dive trip (two tank) with Splash Dive Shop, and I cannot say enough good things about the dive operation. The boat was a 52' cabin cruiser set up for divers, with several crew members. We had about a 2:1 dive master to diver ratio which is unheard of! They did everything for us including setting up our BC's on our tanks, to helping put our fins on (nice but not necessary), assisted us in and out of the water, and took our fins off before we climbed back in the boat. We went to South Silk Caye which looked similar to something you would see on a postcard that says "Wish You Were Here". The entire island was maybe an acre with a few ... read more

We arrived in Placencia yesterday at 5:00 after a 2 hour wait on the tarmac in Houston, thank you United Airlines. It seems the oxygen bottle for the flight crew was empty, and we waited for maintenance to bring the new bottle for an hour and a half, and another half hour for them to install. United Airlines pilot repeatedly came on and apologized for this seemingly ridiculous oversight, with phrases such as "we are very sorry for the delay, and we are highly embarrassed", which did nothing for the mood of the passengers. Even worse was the announcement for "the flight attendants please take your seats" when after another 1/2 hour we still hadn't pulled away from the gate. When we arrived in Placencia, at 3:45 p.m. it was a totally different story. We were ... read more

Everyone is a little different in terms of their expectations for a vacation. We picked Belize to rest, relax and rejuvenate after a very busy year of work and here are our top picks about the place: At the top of the list is the two little Islands we visited by boat tour, Laughing Bird Caye and Ranguana Island. Both are nothing short of spectacular right from the time you approach them by boat, white sand beaches, palm trees waving in the wind, pelicans fishing, beautiful warm clear ocean water, great snorkelling - basically these were just post card perfect for a tropical vacation expectation and something not to be missed. In a close second is our accomodations. Without really knowing anything about the place, somehow we ended up in the nicest neighbourhood in Placencia. Sure ... read more

I always say it takes the first two weeks of any vacation to get things turned off and really figure out the new place you find yourself in. As far as this trip goes - we have fully accomplished both. It was a really busy year for our business back home, working steady right up until the day we left. But after a couple of weeks in Belize, I have never seen Ian more rested and relaxed, he's almost finished reading his fourth book. As for figuring things here out, we really know our way around now, see many of the same people every day. We've tried all the restaurants, like anywhere, some are very good while others aren't great but overall the food here is really good and we can drink the water right from ... read more