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COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER
ParticipantSounds like a plan, Joe. No need to “toss ’em back”, as you say. My husband and I do not drink to excess, and yet we have a full social life. But it’s true that most get togethers on the island do involve liquor, whether in a bar/restaurant, or at a potluck get together. There are people here who are tea totalers and it is possible, just unusual.
You could overlap between the high and low season. April is lovely, and dry. May is considered the slow season. It’s quite hot then, but still nice, and the prices go down. Possibly you could come a week or two after Easter (it’s crazy busy then) and stay into May. That way you would experience both the intense tourism season and the heat of May. But it doesn’t yet rain much here in May, so the humidity isn’t extreme. August and September are the truly hot, humid months, with less breeze. I find them to be the most uncomfortable even though May is hot. We still have a nice breeze in May, which keeps you cooler.
ParticipantThanks, David, for adding this recent QRP update. I was traveling in Mexico during the last 10 days, so just caught this change today. But it’s a pretty nominal change that won’t really inconvenience us.
The change in the QRP renewal process that the BTB told me about recently is that QRPs will now supposedly have to copy all pages of their passport and bring them in with their renewal form. The QRP used to do the copying in their office. So this would be an extra step I have never had to do. Also, I was told that now the 30 days we are required to be in the country need to be 30 consecutive days, and that they will indeed be more serious about checking that.
The other serious change is that QRPs are now no longer allowed to own a business in Belize. Those that do already have a business in Belize will to be penalized. But new QRPs will not be allowed to open a business here, or to work. The government is working on a new residency program focused on expats who are interested in owning a business in Belize that will employ Belizeans. But there is no estimate to when this program will come into place.
I’m getting ready to renew my QRP status this month. So if anything else comes up that is a major change, I’ll report back on this forum.
ParticipantBob,
Most car rental companies in Mexico will not allow you to drive over the border and into Belize. I know that only one does. I think that is EuRopcar. And you would be required to get insurance for your trip into Belize. So be sure to check this before you rent. It may be easier for you to rent in Mexico, then take a bus to Chetumal, cross the border into Belize, then rent a car in Belize separately, as David mentioned. Note that there is a comfortable ADO bus that travels from Cancun all the way to Belize City. I don’t think that one way bus ticket would cost more than about $30 US.
The best car rentals in Belize can be found at the international airport or in Belize City. So if you take the ADO bus you can then rent a car in Belize City, where the ADO bus route ends.
As David mentions, you can also fly on Tropic Air from Cancun to Belize International airport. But that flight is quite expensive, when compared to the bus. The bus takes about 8 hours though. The Tropic Air flight from Cancun to Belize City International is currently priced at $200-$265 one way, depending on the day of the week. That seems very steep to me, but it’s because you have to fly between two international airports. So the taxes are steep on that ticket.
ParticipantJoe,
San Pedro is a good place for single expats. We have quite a few single friends who live here. There are more single women here than men, but you will find both here. Most singles are in their 60s, but some are in their 40s and 50s.
This is a very social island. It doesn’t really matter if you are part of a couple, or are single. We have single friends over for dinners, and they have us over. We all get together at Wine de Vine, and for potlucks at holidays. Some condo complexes have a lot of social activities. It really depends more on your personality and how social you are. As long as you are an outgoing, pleasant person, people go out of their way to help, and to include you.
The only negative is that most social activities do involve outings where everyone is imbibing. If you enjoy a cocktail or two, a beer, or a glass of wine, it will be easy to fit in. If you are a tea totaler, it is harder, although not impossible.
Placencia may also have a some singles, but I am not as sure about that area as it is much smaller and less populated I live in San Pedro, so am quite familiar with the social life here.
ParticipantTerry, Danielle,
As David discusses above, the issues you will encounter with your Great Danes are related to limitations in Belize, but rather with the airlines restrictions. So those are issues that you will encounter no matter where in the world you would consider moving. We have no dog quarantine here in Belize. I have friends who move their Rotweillers, and Sheppards back and forth yearly. But I haven’t seen a Great Dane on Ambergris Caye as of yet. I’ve seen many other types of dogs.
There are some “services” that will move your dog or cat for you to a new country outside of the USA. But they are not Belizean companies. So you might want to do some more general on-line research related to pet moving services who specialize in moving pets overseas, since you don’t want to drive, and flying may not work for such a large dog.
Good luck,
Ann Kuffner
Belize CorrespondentParticipantPeter,
Sorry for the delay in my response. I was vacationing with family in the Berkshires for over a week, trying to catch the change of colors. Haven’t seen that in many years.
I always quote in US dollars on this forum, and in any articles that I write. $30 US/meal is a fair cost to pay for a dinner on Ambergris Caye at a nice restaurant, assuming that you order a glass of wine or nice cocktail. The Cayes and Placencia are the higher cost areas in Belize, due to tourism. The price at a comparable restaurant in San Ignacio or Corozal would be about 2/3 as much.
ParticipantHarry,
I filmed the block party on June 25th.
I could not yet find the dates for the 2017 San Pedro Lobster Fest. But it typically is held the week after the season opens. Opening day of the season is June 15th. So aim to be here for the first full week after that. Be sure to come for the block part.
IF you google San Pedro Belize Lobster Fest 2017 in early 2017 the dates should be posted by then.
ParticipantPierre,
If you are on the island on a Friday, my husband and I usually go to Wine de Vine for the wine tasting on Friday evening, between 6 to 8 PM. I often meet IL members there. It’s a nice spot to meet other expats who live on the island.
ParticipantPierre,
Golf cart rates vary by which company you rent from, and how long you rent for. There are over 50 golf cart rental companies on Ambergris Caye now. Many list their prices on line. On Google, if you type in “Ambergris Caye Golf Cart Rental Rates” a list of companies will pop up. I checked the first one that came up, Monchos’s, as they’ve been around a while. They charge $66/day for a 4 seater golf cart.
Cholo’s is another well known golf cart rental company that popped up during my search. They had their rate schedule posted on line, which made it easier to check out a variety of options. They will allow you to rent by the hour, or by the days. They charge $15/first your, up to $45/8 hours. Most visitors only need a golf cart for a day, to explore the island. Cholo’s charges $60/24 hours, but the rate per day drops as you commit to more days. For 5 days you would pay $220, which is $44/day.
Most of our friends who visit rent a golf cart for a day or two. Other times they take taxis, or ride bikes, and walk, as needed the rest of the time. But if you plan to stay far north, or south of town, you will need a golf cart the entire time you visit in order to be able to get back and forth to town.
ParticipantJulie,
I have some additional info provided by a realtor in Corozal about how vehicles coming into Belize are now being managed:
“If you wish to cross the border, whether as a QRP or Tourist seeking residency, driving your vehicle – you will need to provide your broker or real estate agent a scanned and emailed copy of your vehicle title at least 2 weeks prior to your arrival. Belize is now doing an Interpol verification that cars entering Belize have not been reported as being stolen. Your agent or broker will take it to customs officials at your border crossing and have your clearance secured before you cross. If this is not done, you will be unable to cross the border until the clearance is received, about 3 days and a storage fee of $20 BZD/day.”
So it is not only important to have a customs broker, but also to provide them with proof of your vehicle’s title a few weeks before you arrive at the border. This Interpol verification of vehicles coming into the country is a fairly new requirement.
ParticipantJulie,
This forum focuses on info related specifically to Belize. But if you join several other forums, such as the ones at http://www.ambergriscaye.com and http://www.belizeforum.com, that have a broader coverage, you will get more feedback from a larger group of people who live in Belize, or travel here. In the past I’ve seen a lot of info about what to expect when driving through Mexico to Belize, on a variety of forums and websites. Some people have done so with few problems. Others talk about the shakedowns they went through from police while traveling through Mexico.
You will definitely have to pay duty on your goods when you arrive in Belize. And, coming in at the Corozal border the customs people are not very pleasant. We’ve had difficulty there before, when coming back from a trip to Mexico. They are really sticklers at that border.
I think there’s also been a past discussion about this topic on the Expat Exchange Belize forum. Also, if you just Google this topic, I’ve seen this come up on TripAdvisor, and other blogs. It would be good to get a current answer, since things can change a lot, from year to year, driving through Mexico. You might try Googling the topic separately for the USA, then for Mexico, to make it easier.
ParticipantFedEx ships directly to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. We have a decent post office here. And there is a FedEx office at Tropic Air’s office. You don’t need a courier to ship from Belize City to San Pedro.That being said, I often order a prescription from Brodies, in Belize City, and have them send it on a Tropic Air flight to San Pedro. I have to pay the fee when I pick it up. But it costs only $3 for that type of courier package from Belize City if sent on Tropic Air. And you get it within a day.
You can also have things sent using the US Postal service directly to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. The Belize Post office tracks US packages and works with the US Postal Service. It’s pretty actually surprisingly efficient, I’m pleased to say.
ParticipantLinda,
Please forward your e-mail so that I can contact you in regards to our discussion on August 9th.
ParticipantHarry,
You can definitely bring your prescriptions with you when you travel to Belize. We do so regularly. We are currently in the USA and bought both vitamins and prescriptions to bring with us when we return.
Having anything sent via the mail is much more problematic, mainly due to the high cost of duty.
ParticipantJohn,
Fortunately, the barrier reef does protect us on the cayes from extreme surges and tsunamis, at least in hurricanes. And Belize is implementing a Climate Change/Global Warming program. Being at sea level, this country is well aware of the impact of a rising sea. We do see it in the erosion. But Belize is a very small country. We don’t make much of a carbon footprint in Belize. But the country will be impacted by what the world’s major countries do, or don’t do, to stave off climate change and the resultant rise in sea level.
I am an environmental engineer by training. I do have no doubt that climate change is already occurring. But no one really knows how fast the sea will rise. From my perspective I’d rather spend 5-10 wonderful years in paradise, on the Caribbean Sea, then skip this wonderful experience due to a sea that will rise, but who knows when? My environmentally trained friends did ask me this same question 10 years ago, when I decided to move to the island of Ambergris Caye.
That being said, personally, my husband and I prefer to live off the beach, for many reasons, aggressive beach erosion being one of them. Since you are worried about the longterm effects of the rise in sea level you may prefer to live inland, not right on the water. For instance, the 4 Mile Lagoon, west of Corozal, is really lovely, and not that far from the sea. You could live there, on an inland fresh water lagoon, but still be very near the Caribbean Sea and have access to it.
Also, since you are concerned about the rising sea level, it makes sense for you to only rent. These are all things to consider, based on your personal concerns and preferences.
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