Can I do a Do-it-Yourself-Tour in Belize?

[cruisingadoptionworker]

Has anyone done a do it yourself tour in Belize? I was recently quoted 75$ for a tour of Altun Ha and the Baboon Sanctuary. There is 5 of us going so that is like 375 dollars. However, when I checked the sites, enterance to Altun Ha is like 5 dollars- and you can hire a local guide for 20 bucks to give you a tour. Likewise, the monkey place is 5 dollars to get in. That only leaves the price of the cab rides. Has anyone ever done there own cab ride tours? How safe is it? I have kids, am I crazy for even entertaining this idea? Would love to have some feedback.

thanks!

[LHT28]

We did a tour with another couple of Belize city ...we just got a local guide ...he took us on a tour for about 1 hr for $10. pp

Just check out his price first & the vehicle...some don't look too good.

You can also get a tour right at the docks (inside the compound) for a reasonable price.

[chris2597]

Be sure to check out the US state dept warnings for Belize. I would check into taking a tour with a well known tour company. Several posts give great reviews on some of the local companies. Yhonny is one that I have read several good posts about. Keep in mind that Belize is a country with a lot of poverty and crime.

[LHP]

First I would strongly recommend that you do a licensed tour. You want to get back on the ship in time.

 

However, if I were you, I would email Gilly Young gillytours@yahoo.com and just be blunt with him about what you want to do and how much it would cost.

 

He is located inside the fence at the Wet Lizard. As you get off the tender, just turn right and you will see the restaurant. He is on the ground floor and the restautant is upstairs.

 

If you don't want to plan ahead, you can always pick up one of his tours the day you arrive. Again, just go to his "kiosk" (stand) at the Wet Lizard and he will take it from there. He and I talked for quite awhile when we were there on the 12th. Belize is the only English speaking country in Central America and it is beautiful. Sadly (however) it is very poor and that poverty makes the general population more aggressive to make that dollar when the ships come in...hence why they had to put up a fence to keep the port secure.

 

There are not a lot of tour operators that are allowed inside the fence and Gilly is one of them. When he and I were talking, the two things I stressed wtih him is that tourist want to know they are safe...and that they will make it back to the ship on time!

 

So just email him and he will get back with you ...tell him Linda said to take good care of you.

 

If you do use him, please email me at my profile address and let me know how he did. I told him that I would only recommend him as long as he continued to do a good job. As harsh as it sounds, a tour operator is only as good as his last tour. Yhonney has built a great reputation for cave-tubing one customer at a time...and that is that is the example that the rest of Belize is going to have to follow if they want the commercial success that Cozumel has.

[Zeno]

EXCEPT for using guides recommended on this board, I would not even consider doing a tour by just selecting any taxi driver at the gate. Belize is a port where I would advise either taking an organized tour OR going with a recommended guide.

[cruisingadoptionworker]

Thank you all for reminding me that safety is worth the extra money. I won't consider the do-it yourself route. And I will check into that gilly guy.

[LHP]

Thank you all for reminding me that safety is worth the extra money. I won't consider the do-it yourself route. And I will check into that gilly guy.

 

 

Using a organized tour at this port is wise. We are very "grab a taxi" and run all over the place kinda people (even when we don't speak the lanuage) and we would not even attempt to do that here.

 

The people are not "bad" people. They are simply in a desperate situation since they are so poor that of makes them do stupid things. Plus they do have a lot of "illegals" from Guat. that cause problems in crime.

 

Hopefully, this port will evolve, because it is a beautiful country...they have a lot to offer AND they speak English ...so lanuage is not a factor. But (as I told Gilly) until tourist feel comfortable...they will not venture out and spend as much money. And that comfort level will take time and "a good word" to develop.