I stumbled quite accidentally upon Belize, when a long-planned trip to Costa Rica went awry. There were no seats available on any flights for almost a week, and my friends and I had to run down the airport concourse to find an alternate destination. We chose Belize because the flight was about to leave, and it had empty seats. And boy, were we surprised! I had read a few books on Belize. Heard a few stories. Something about inner-tubing in caves, some dry jungle, and a few overcrowded islands out on the reef.

Belize turned out to be the most impressive little destination I've stumbled across in the past decade of travel! It's a peaceful, English-speaking country with the flavor of both Latin America and the Caribbean. It's small enough to get around easily and quickly. The scenery varies from staggering, pine-topped mountain ridges to mysterious, steaming rainforest, to picture-perfect palm-fringed beach. Each within an hour of the other!

The currency is a breeze for Americans. $1US will always be $2BZ. And while Belize is expensive compared to travel in Mexico or Guatemala, it's still a bargain compared to ruinously pricey places like Europe and the Caribbean. Decent guesthouses or hotels won't ever cost you more than $30US for a night, and you can get by comfortably on MUCH less.

You can easily see the highlights of the entire country in a week, which is rare, at least in my book. In seven days you can visit Mayan ruins (even the spectacular Tikal in Guatemala), go cave rafting or canoeing, whizz along zip lines in a canopy tour (for half the cost of those in Costa Rica!), camp in a jaguar reserve in search of the elusive tiger, stay in a self-sufficient rainforest lodge, and go snorkeling or diving on the world's second largest barrier reef. Where else in the world can you have a vacation this varied, for this price?

The answer is...nowhere.

Visit Belize in the off season. This is my catchphrase to all travelers. There is never any excuse for visiting a destination during the peak season, unless you specifically are going for a special event (like Mardi Gras, Oktoberfest, Carnival, etc.)

In Belize, the off season is the wet season (or Green Season), which is May-November. Unlike Costa Rica, where high mountain ranges bring monsoon rains almost every day in the Green Season, wet season in Belize is simply the hurricane season. So it's entirely possible for you to visit an entire week during October and not get a single drop. Still, most travelers to Belize come December-April, with a second rush from May-August. This means your target time should be September and October.

Many guidebooks state that American credit cards cannot be used in Belize ATMs and to take lots of cash. And while cash certainly is more convenient than cards (most establishments charge up to 10% extra when -and if- they take cards) there are now ATMs in San Ignacio, Belize City, and San Pedro that accept US credit cards. Take several hundred cash with you, and use ATMs for the rest.

As a budget traveler, it's hard for me to recommend car rental to anyone. In Belize, there are only a handful of roads, and most are serviced by regular buses. So it's entirely possible to get around on buses, and to get to more remote destinations on guided tours. (Many destinations in Belize are ONLY available with a guide, like the caves.)

However, you will get to experience much more in a short time if you have your own vehicle. You can rent a 4WD that will seat 4 adults for around $350 a week in the wet season, not including insurance. That's not bad if you have 4 people to split the bill. But if it's just two of you...or even worse, just one...you'll likely end up busing.

Not to worry. When it comes down to it, you'll either be sleeping in San Ignacio or on the Cayes for most nights, and it's quite simple and cheap to get there without a rental car. See the TRANSPORTATION section for more information.