Belize: Final Thoughts

Final adventure: getting to the San Pedro flight -- another two passenger charter flight.

Can you see the twinkle of "scared we will die but yay isn't this exciting" in my eyes? Okay, maybe this is also me STILL not knowing where the camera is on the pixel phones. I am always staring off the side like an unhinged person.

Luckily, the plane trip was smooth and uneventful. We were at the airport, through check-in, customs/immigration, and to the gate within 15 minutes. 

Concluding thoughts/tips from this trip:

A/C in Belize is CRITICAL.  And Mosquitos are SERIOUS.

The jungle portion, while nice and unique and I'm glad we did it, is not something I would return to I think. Matachica, or San Pedro island generally I suppose, would be a place I'd consider returning to...though...I feel like there must be other places in Central America or the Caribbean that has better beaches and water/reefs that are just as clear for snorkeling.  Though I did like how Belize was not as "American-ized" as some of the Caribbean places we've visited on cruises. 

Thoughts on Matachica itself: I hear it's the only adults only resort in the island, which was a nice vibe for quiet pool time.  Things I would call out: the water from the sink and showers smells really really bad. Ian was convinced brushing his teeth gave him an upset stomach. I definitely had a little nauseated when brushing once or twice because of the awful stench. The shower also couldn't be anything but hot or very hot. Which is better than only being cold or very cold, but sometimes a refreshing not so hot shower would have been nice. On the plus side, Wi-Fi was decent, beds were comfortable, AC was powerful, pastries were really good, snorkeling and kayaks were very good. Guides and bartending staff were very good. I specify them because...the front desk gals and housekeeping service was a bit more mixed. Sheets and pillowcases were noticeably stained (to begin with, and because of that, I also noticed they were never changed in our 4 night stay), and the front desk gals didn't offer me Belizean chocolate bars when we departed, even though I saw they gave them to the other guests when they left. Did we not book enough excursions? Asked for the complimentary shuttles too much? Unclear, but I didn't like the disparate treatment! 

San Pedro: it is still a fairly poor/undeveloped country at large. The entire island is tourism driven -- even if you aren't in tourism yourself, you are indirectly supporting tourism. I can see why covid hit the island so hard.  It reminded me, with the litter, dusty-ness, construction everywhere, of China from when I was younger, so there was a slight feeling of nostalgia for me personally.  Belize is clearly working on modernizing as well -- bringing electricity and paved roads to more of the undeveloped rural regions, for example. If we came back, I'd probably check out the southern areas or maybe even Caye Caulker. Time it with the whale sharks and the manatees. 

I way overpacked for the jungle because of the fact that I ended up wearing the most light and yet still ankle-wrist-neck covered outfit I had every single day. I did make good use of almost all of my resort wear in Matachica though, as well as all four of the swimsuits. 

The July/August time frame was a good time to visit I thought, not that much rain really, but still in the "rainy" season so not very many people. Prices were also lower as a result. 

It was noticeable to me that in Costa Rica, we ran into a lot of families who came back year after year

..whereas almost everyone we ran into here said it was also their first time in Belize. Which I think is insightful -- again, it was a great trip and very enjoyable, but while I'm already planning our return to Costa Rica, I don't think I have the same urge for Belize. I guess more of a "once in a lifetime" place! 😉 

And with that, Ming and Ian out -- until our next travel adventure!