Questions..questions...please help

[vacation_junkie]

Here is our problem. I am trying to decided between the Eastern and western Caribbean Itinerary. We will be travelling with our 8 year old son. we are trying to make the right decision on which we choose.

He is occupied by shopping, loves little markets, seeing sights...but not just laying on the beach!

 

If we are not interested in doing any excursions when we come into Port what else is there to do?

Shopping?

Markets?

 

Thanks for your input, it will greatly help us make the wise choice:cool:

[EBallgrl]

There is shopping in the gated area of the port itself...i was not interested in it, mostly expensive jewelry stores and normal touristy stuff. So we walked out of the gates and to the left, i think, and there was a little open area market on the right (if i am remembering these directions correctly). They had all kinds of local crafts, bright colors, much more interesting than the stuff in the port. Many many people on these boards say that they would never go outside of the gates because it looks dangerous. My bf and I never once felt unsafe or uneasy. There were a couple guys that offered us drugs, we said no, and they left us alone. But this happened in every port that we went to, not just Belize. I really liked the shopping in this market, we got some great wooden sculptures and localy made jewelry. They would bargain a little bit...

 

That was our experience, I sure others will have different ones!

[capncarp]

There is shopping in the gated area of the port itself...i was not interested in it, mostly expensive jewelry stores and normal touristy stuff. So we walked out of the gates and to the left, i think, and there was a little open area market on the right (if i am remembering these directions correctly). They had all kinds of local crafts, bright colors, much more interesting than the stuff in the port. Many many people on these boards say that they would never go outside of the gates because it looks dangerous. My bf and I never once felt unsafe or uneasy. There were a couple guys that offered us drugs, we said no, and they left us alone. But this happened in every port that we went to, not just Belize. I really liked the shopping in this market, we got some great wooden sculptures and localy made jewelry. They would bargain a little bit...

 

That was our experience, I sure others will have different ones!

 

Eballgirl's memory matches mine, and behind/above the flea market is (was?--not sure if she's still there) a pirate museaum gift shop run by an American ex-pat who was providing free samples of liqueurs available for sale in her shop.

 

And the Italian Market in Philadelphia made me more nervous than the out-of-the-gate area behind the waterfront mall. And that's not nervous at _all_.:cool:

 

Go, wander, talk to the local folk, enjoy the local color/cuisine/hospitality, take a moderate amount of care, and HAVE A BLAST!:D

[clackey]

I can't help with an eastern trip but there is some great loafing and shopping ports on the western itineraries. My first pick for a "REAL" mexican town would be Progreso. You get to dock on one of the longest piers in the world (4 1/2 miles long). A bus ride takes you into town where you can shop until you drop, loaf on the Malecon (main street), eat at some great little places, take a resort tour if you like to loaf by a huge, gorgeous pool and visit some neat ruins. The mercado (market) is full of neat little cubbies and stores that sell nearly everything from peeled oranges to dresses, hammocks and eggs. They even have an egg truck that delivers eggs and are sold by weight. (I guess by the kilo).

 

The shopping in Belize is in the tenderdock compound. Few people venture outside the compound unless they are on a tour.

 

Roatan has some neat stores but I thought that there as better shopping in the other ports.

 

Cozumel has anything that you could possibly want but prices are a little higher.

 

I haven't been to Costa Maya since the hurricane but the main drag in town was wall to wall stores 3 years ago. There was a neat little T-shirt shop named WolMart. (No, I spelled it right).

 

These ports can be had from the gulf ports of Galveston, New Orleans, Mobile, and Tampa.