"big change in Belize"

[wadethegringo]

The cruise tourism season starts right after Thanksgiving in the United States and this year, there's going to be a big change in Belize. That's because the Belize tourism board is shaking things up outside the Fort Street Tourism Village - where for the first time in 11 years, they hope to institute an orderly system - turning the place that's been called a tourist trap into a properly managed tourism zone.

http://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/394231/The_New_Deal_In_Cruise_Tourism.html#Post394231

 

The new system will be tested on Wednesday, the first ship day for this week….

[MonkeyBiz]

i was there on wednesday. i didnt leave the gated area. all sorts of unsavory looking characters reaching in through the bars saying "hey lady, wanna get a taxi and go somewhere" no thanks.

 

we booked a tour through eco tours and it was really nice. im glad we did cuz there is nothing to see in the port. it seemed like the canal street (area in nyc where you buy all the knock offs) of belize. just a bunch of counterfeit stuff and little junky souvenirs. it looked kinda scary outside the gate. there were security guards there but i wasnt confident in them keeping me safe if i left.

 

i loved my snorkeling trip there. it was amazing, but i wouldnt ever come back to that area to just hang out and wander

[travelite]

i was there on wednesday. i didnt leave the gated area. all sorts of unsavory looking characters reaching in through the bars saying "hey lady, wanna get a taxi and go somewhere" no thanks.

 

we booked a tour through eco tours and it was really nice. im glad we did cuz there is nothing to see in the port. it seemed like the canal street (area in nyc where you buy all the knock offs) of belize. just a bunch of counterfeit stuff and little junky souvenirs. it looked kinda scary outside the gate. there were security guards there but i wasnt confident in them keeping me safe if i left.

 

i loved my snorkeling trip there. it was amazing, but i wouldnt ever come back to that area to just hang out and wander

 

Do you have the contact for eco tours? Is that their official name and is it necessary to pre-book for a snorkeling trip?

[MonkeyBiz]

here is their website. http://www.ecotoursbelize.com/

 

we did the snorkeling and bannister island excursion. the snorkeling was wonderful. we saw tons of fish. amazing!

[wadethegringo]

This is all over the news in Belize. The port knows the problems. Everyone is trying to make $$$. but they are scareing away potential customers. The are putting representatives of the independent tour guides, taxis and hair braiders inside the gate to help organize the mess.

Most of the people outside the gate are licenced at their specific business. They are just to aggressive for their own good.

I hope the port and the government as well as the vendors can work it out so cruise ship passengers wont feel intimidated.

[MonkeyBiz]

me too. cuz its a crappy little village. nothing but knock off and junky souvenirs. there were lots of people trying to get us to go on an excursion, but we already had one booked so we just ignored them. if i showed up there and had nothing planned, i'd be pretty disappointed, because i wouldnt feel comfortable leaving the gated area.

 

those tour people and taxi folks are reaching in through the gate, yelling, trying to get your attention. just just seemed unsavory.

[alexandra cruiser]

was SO glad I took ships tour,,,airboat and city tour,,,and that I stayed on bus during tour,,,wow,,,so sad to see such poverty,,,but DID NOT feel safe there....and the people were as down and out as the stray dogs,,,,felt sorry for ALL,,,but glad to get back on ship after,,and would NOT go back....really not very nice port to visit,,,due to above...sure hope it DOES improve for ALL...:(

[wadethegringo]

Today at work I spoke with a couple from the Magic. They flew over to San Pedro for the day. they said they had a great time...I saw them off at the airstrip and made sure SHE sat in the co-pilot seat for the trip back to the city. I did not get her C C name but she has been here. I hope she posts when they get home.

[setsail]

We were there last Wed. also. We just rode the tender in to look around and have a beer. It had been 6 years since we had been to Belize.

 

We had some extra time so decided to walk outside of the tourist zone (through the gates) and I was really surprised. Other than 2 or 3 hairbraiders, not 1 person botherd us-different than 6 years ago(even though we felt safe back then). We looked around, took some pictures and went back in. Now they have a scanner set up to walk through, take your ID and ships card to get back in.

 

I have to say that the tour venders INSIDE the tourist area were a lot more aggresive this time. No one tried to sell us a tour outside the gate and all seemed friendly.

[MonkeyBiz]

they fact that their's a gate there in the first place just makes it seem shady. like what are they protecting us from? there is no gate in cozumel....i just dont really get what they are trying to accomplish with the gate anyway if things are so safe.

[mdrobtx]

Today at work I spoke with a couple from the Magic. They flew over to San Pedro for the day. they said they had a great time...I saw them off at the airstrip and made sure SHE sat in the co-pilot seat for the trip back to the city. I did not get her C C name but she has been here. I hope she posts when they get home.

 

Being extremely experienced Carbbean travelers, we weren't afraid to walk outside the gated port area. But we can definitely see why others don't won't to deal with it.

We will continue to hop over to the municipal airport and fly over to San Pedro for our shore excursion.;)

[wadethegringo]

they fact that their's a gate there in the first place just makes it seem shady. like what are they protecting us from? there is no gate in cozumel....i just dont really get what they are trying to accomplish with the gate anyway if things are so safe.

 

It is to protect the tour companies and other business inside that have paid rent and fees from outside competition. Also from unlicensed vendors.

[katiecat]

wadethegringo- I see your from Belize, can you help me find a way to Bannister island? I have a group of 16 people wanting to visit Bannister for the day and they won't let Eco -tours takes us there anymore. Are there water taxi's going there right from the pier and we can pay a entrance fee on the island?

Thanks for any help getting there!

[Irishlinny]

Wade, thanks for posting this...I hope the new system works and helps the locals make some money. I am all for giving locals my business, but when I walked outside the gates a couple of years ago, I was overwhelmed by the aggressive way we were followed around...I hated it. So much so, that when we were back there last month, and our tour had fallen through, we didn't even leave the port area. And since I'm not fond of the port area, we didn't stay long. I thought about taking the water taxi to Caye Caulker but then realized I would have to leave the gates, so I scratched that idea.

Katie, there is something (political, I believe) going on between Bannister Island and Carnival. I've read all kinds of things about Bannister not being open when Carnival is the only ship in port. We'll see if Wade knows more. But Carnival passengers are not successful in getting to Bannister these days from what I've heard. We weren't able to go...Ecotours changed our tour to snorkel and Goff's Caye. Goff's was just too small and had no real facilities, so we cancelled. Supposedly it was due to the damage suffered in the hurricane. However, when we returned we found that cruise passengers had returned there...just not Carnival pax:rolleyes: Carnival used to have their own excursion there, but that got cancelled several months ago. So you may want to look into other options...I'm not aware that the water taxi goes there...it goes to Caye Caulker.

[ShellyV]

so is it safe to assume we can still expect to hire a personal driver to take us to Altun Ha? We didn't want to the whole big package that many other places offered - just the ruins. But these posts have me worried that we might be taking a big chance?

[wadethegringo]

wadethegringo- I see your from Belize, can you help me find a way to Bannister island? I have a group of 16 people wanting to visit Bannister for the day and they won't let Eco -tours takes us there anymore. Are there water taxi's going there right from the pier and we can pay a entrance fee on the island?

Thanks for any help getting there!

Bannister island is a Private island for the cruise ships.No one lives there. There is no way that I know of to get there without arrangements thru a tour.

I will do some checking for you guys..

[Trnkk]

Hi Wade,

 

Have you heard of "Carniva************dotcom"? Are they reliable? Their website is hard to get on.

 

Thanks,

[madsbrittsmom]

we booked a private charter with Ivar Marchand, a local. We had a group of 18. We had an awesome day. He took us to Bannister and then snorkeling, and then we toured the coast a bit. Search his name on the boards you will see. I suppose if you email me I can email you his email I still have it. He alsways answered my emails right away. Lauren

[martinchem]

Being extremely experienced Carbbean travelers, my wife was scared crapless when we walked out the doors into their city, she turned backed within seconds, they made Jamaica look like kittens she said. We grabbed a tour from the inside to the ruins and they were awsome and will do cavetubing in february if it doesn't get canceled like last time cause of heavy rains and swift moving water.

[katiecat]

we booked a private charter with Ivar Marchand, a local. We had a group of 18. We had an awesome day. He took us to Bannister and then snorkeling, and then we toured the coast a bit. Search his name on the boards you will see. I suppose if you email me I can email you his email I still have it. He alsways answered my emails right away. Lauren

 

Lauren would you be so kind to email me this persons contact.

lisa-act@hotmail.com thank you!

[mdrobtx]

Being extremely experienced Carbbean travelers, my wife was scared crapless when we walked out the doors into their city, she turned backed within seconds, they made Jamaica look like kittens she said. We grabbed a tour from the inside to the ruins and they were awsome and will do cavetubing in february if it doesn't get canceled like last time cause of heavy rains and swift moving water.

 

We do OI (on island) trips. That little group of Belizeans outside the gates are nothing. Believe me. We caught a cab to the airport and bought a couple of beers from one of the vendors.

 

We've stumbled or drove into "the hood" on a few islands. You don't see nothing just getting off a cruise ship walking around outside the port area. Staying on an island for a week or so and accidently getting lost in areas you obviously shouldn't be can be a scary ordeal.

 

My wife and I have a story we share where we drove into an area on St Lucia where we shouldn't have been. I was trying to get the heck out of there quickly. But to distract my wife I said "Hey, look at those banana trees". She looked at me and screamed, "F**K the banana trees, get us the hell out of here". We laugh about it now.

Also, don't want to discourage anyone from going to St Lucia. Very nice people.

[MonkeyBiz]

so all the folks in that caged in area pay rent and fees to be there?

[setsail]

Since cruise passergers hold the $$'s the gates/fence hold the cruise passengers hostage and funnel the $$'s to those vendors inside (kickbacks to cruise lines). Don't go past the fence, its bad,terrible,etc.. Yea right, wonder why all the CL's offer walking tours of downtown Belize, maybe the national guard escorts them,LOL..

 

http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=10662

[drafterdw]

Wade, thanks for posting this...I hope the new system works and helps the locals make some money. I am all for giving locals my business, but when I walked outside the gates a couple of years ago, I was overwhelmed by the aggressive way we were followed around...I hated it. So much so, that when we were back there last month, and our tour had fallen through, we didn't even leave the port area. And since I'm not fond of the port area, we didn't stay long. I thought about taking the water taxi to Caye Caulker but then realized I would have to leave the gates, so I scratched that idea.

 

Katie, there is something (political, I believe) going on between Bannister Island and Carnival. I've read all kinds of things about Bannister not being open when Carnival is the only ship in port. We'll see if Wade knows more. But Carnival passengers are not successful in getting to Bannister these days from what I've heard. We weren't able to go...Ecotours changed our tour to snorkel and Goff's Caye. Goff's was just too small and had no real facilities, so we cancelled. Supposedly it was due to the damage suffered in the hurricane. However, when we returned we found that cruise passengers had returned there...just not Carnival pax:rolleyes: Carnival used to have their own excursion there, but that got cancelled several months ago. So you may want to look into other options...I'm not aware that the water taxi goes there...it goes to Caye Caulker.

I'm confused....Canival does not go there? It is still on their excursion list and it is on my short list of things to do there. Does anyone know if this excursion is still going on and also is it worth the money? Our only other thought is Bacab Eco Park Jungle Bike Adventure.....truely neither appeals to me but we are traveling and with others - also never gotten off the ship in Belize before.

[HAULNTA]

Being extremely experienced Carbbean travelers, we weren't afraid to walk outside the gated port area. But we can definitely see why others don't won't to deal with it.

We will continue to hop over to the municipal airport and fly over to San Pedro for our shore excursion.;)

Tell me more about what you do in San Pedro and how to get there.