Everyone’s been talking about “revenge travel” these days. Now that almost all countries have lifted travel restrictions, coupled with the fact that a lot of people have saved so much money by just staying within their home countries for the past 2 years, this was the perfect recipe for a travel boom. And looking at how ridiculously expensive airfares are these days, it’s evident there’s a huge demand. On popular routes, even first class seats are taken. People are prepared to splurge. In my case I just missed how I used to travel. Traveling on a budget, DIY trips, meeting fellow travelers at hostels— I really really missed all that. So a couple of months back, I decided it was time to visit another country. One that I haven’t been to. Yup I’m still counting countries. Unbelizeable, I know.

Unbelizeable. lol. Cornball yet kinda clever at the same time. I’ve been hearing that a lot during my 2 weeks in Belize. Why Belize? Well for one thing I was sure my backpacking skills were pretty rusty. I wanted to go someplace close, some place that was easy to get to. I also wanted to go someplace where there’s a clear cut backpacking trail. I preferred to go to a place where there were no more restrictions whatsoever, and everything was almost back to normal. I’d prefer to visit a place where English was widely spoken. And of course it would be great if that place was cheap. Belize ticked off all the boxes— well except for that last one, which I’ll elaborate on further. After a week or so of haphazard planning with a friend, we made a decision. Our first backpacking trip post pandemic would be in Belize.

Basically, when it comes to backpacking, Belize is part of the Central American backpacking trail. You’d rarely see backpackers who only go to Belize, though you’d see loads of families and couples going there, majority from the USA. When you stay at hostels, you’d meet travelers who have been to or going to Guatemela, or those who have been to or going to Mexico. Belize is sandwiched between those two countries. Within Belize, from Guatemala the first stop is the town of San Ignacio. Then backpackers would head to Belize City to catch a ferry to Caye Caulker or San Pedro. From Caye Caulker or San Pedro/ Ambergris Caye, you can catch a ferry to Mexico. That’s the backpacking trail within Belize. This explains why you wouldn’t find any hostels in other places in the country. Just in San Ignacio, Belize City, Caye Caulker, and San Pedro.

My schedule didn’t quite jive with my friend’s, and since he didn’t want to check out the Mayan ruins, I decided to go to San Ignacio first. I arrived in Belize City from the States. This was last July so there was only one hostel open, The Red Hut Inn. Reviews were mixed, but what the heck. I only planned to stay for a night. Do not even think of spending more than one night in Belize City. There’s practically nothing to see or do here. If you arrive early I’d suggest heading straight to the bus station to catch a bus to San Ignacio, or to the ferry terminal to catch a fastboat to Caye Caulker or San Pedro. Heck if you’ve got money to burn, you can fly directly to those destinations for about 80-100 USD each way, domestic flights are right at the next terminal. It’s a very small airport.

First problem I encountered: how to get to the hostel from the airport. Apparently, there’s no public transportation from the airport to the city center aside from taxis. One can choose to walk for about 2 miles to the northern highway where the nearest bus stop is, but since I was sweating buckets the minute I got out of the airport, that was out of the question. I did some research, and it was cheaper to just book a shuttle service from the hostel (25 USD) instead of hailing a taxi, so that’s what I did.

A couple of basics about the country: Since I’ve already mentioned the cost of transportation, I might as well mention the exchange rate. 1 US dollar is equivalent to 2 Belizean dollars (BZD). The exchange rate is fixed so you don’t have to worry about currency fluctuations if you’re coming from the States. Also, it seems that every place accepts US dollars. From hostels, to buses, to small restaurants, to vendors on the streets— I haven’t encountered anyone who didn’t accept US dollars. Pretty convenient if you’re coming from the States, you don’t have to worry about exchanging currencies. They’d just give you change in BZD.

Another thing that I should mention: Belize is not a cheap destination. Well yeah it seems like a cheap place to visit if you’re coming from rich countries. But the difference in the price of basic commodities is glaring when you compare the country to other countries in Latin America. Heck, I noticed when I was buying food in a grocery store, some items were just as expensive or even more expensive compared to the States! Even local food isn’t that cheap. I usually gauge how cheap it is to travel in a certain country by eating where locals eat. An average meal in a restaurant catering to locals costs about 10 BZD (5 USD). That doesn’t seem much but remember that the average person in Belize doesn’t earn much. In neighboring countries, you could buy a meal for 3-4 bucks. Heck in Southeast Asia you can buy a meal for 1-2 US dollars if you eat where the locals eat. One of my room mates who was just on a visa run kept saying he had to get out of the country ASAP because he had no idea how expensive it was. When I asked some locals about this, they said it’s because almost all commodities are imported from other countries.

So about the Red Hut Inn— it’s okay for a night. If you’d choose to stay in Belize City instead of going straight to your main destination as soon as you arrive, it’s not bad. It’s not at the city center, but it’s inside a quiet gated village. There are grocery stores within walking distance so food is not a problem, there’s also a mall about a 20 minute walk away— that’s where I bought a prepaid SIM card. For those on a very limited budget, I guess there’s no choice but to stay in the fan room. You should be aware though that this dorm room is in the attic and it gets incredibly hot and stuffy. None of us were able to sleep well that night since it was really hot and humid in that room. I guess they know about it because they offer an upgrade to the AC dorm room upon checking in. If you have money to spare and you’d want a good night’s sleep, I suggest you just take their offer. The owners were really nice. One thing I didn’t like: the fact that when you ask them how to get to the ferry or bus terminal, they’ll tell you that you can’t take public transportation. You’d either have to walk all the way, take a taxi, or they could take you there for a fee of course. This is 100% false. Just walk to the main road (the Northern Highway), cross the street, then hop on any bus heading East and say you’re heading to the bus terminal or the ferry terminal. It’s easy, everyone in Belize speaks English and it only costs 2 BZD for a one way fare. It just feels like they’re trying to scam you when they say you have no choice but to walk if you’re on a really tight budget.

After one night at the Red Hut Inn, I headed to the bus terminal with one of my room mates to catch a ride to San Ignacio. Take note that buses don’t say “San Ignacio“. Take a bus heading to “Benque“. If you can’t seem to find one, just say you want to go to San Ignacio. People speak English so this wouldn’t be a problem at all. Fares depend on which bus you take, whether it’s a regular one with lots of stops, or an express one that only stops at main destinations. Both types of buses would stop at San Ignacio. We paid 10 BZD each for a one way fare, and the trip lasts for about 2 1/2 hours. Take note though that this might not be a good option if you’re carrying a huge bag. The buses get really full, people are cramped while standing in the aisles, and all huge bags are placed at the back of the bus. Make sure to watch your stuff because some people get off at the back.

San Ignacio serves as the cultural and economic hub of the Cayo district, and this is the jump off point for most people who plan on exploring Western Belize. There are lots of things to do and see in the town itself and in nearby areas. It’s also a really chill place. The most popular hostels are the Old House Hostel and Bella’s Backpackers. Both are good options, simply because they’re right smack in the center of town where most of the shops are. Both are also very close to the bus stop. Take note that both hostels offer very basic accommodations. We chose to stay at Old House Hostel. There’s no AC, but surprisingly it was breezy at night and there were lots of fans in the dorm rooms so it wasn’t hard to sleep at night. Taking a nap during the daytime though is next to impossible. It’s very hot and humid in San Ignacio around July.

Many people head to San Ignacio to see Mayan ruins, and there’s one that’s only a 20 minute walk from the center of town. This one’s called Cahal Pech. It may not be that impressive compared to other Mayan ruins, but it serves as a good introduction to Mayan Culture. The fact that it’s within walking distance from anywhere in San Ignacio makes visiting this place a no brainer. Heck, it’s already there by the town, might as well check it out. Entrance costs 10 BZD.

A more impressive site is Xunantunich. You’ll see a lot of tours being offered to this place. If you’re traveling on a tight budget, you can easily ignore these tours— best to save your money for places that you can’t go on your own. Just head to the bus stop then hop on a bus heading to Benque. Tell the driver you’re heading to Xunantunich so that he’ll stop there, you’d only have to pay 2 BZD. It’s hard to miss, there’s a huge sign by the road that says Xunantunich. From here, the ruins are about a mile away. First you’d have to hop on a small movable bridge/ ferry to cross the river, then just walk on the main road. There are no forks in the road, it’s impossible to get lost. I’m not sure how much you’d pay for entrance here— we looked for the place where you’d have to pay, and we didn’t see anyone. Take note this was last July 2022. Maybe they haven’t been fully operational yet, I dunno. But we’ve been told the entrance also costs 10 BZD. I’m not sure if they’re still charging the same rate. Now this site was completely worth it. Make sure you climb up the tallest building (El Castillo) for breathtaking views. You could see Guatemala from here. Heading back is just as easy. Simply hop on a bus heading to Belize City on the other side of the road.

Now about those places that you can’t go on your own, on top of the list is the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave. Now this isn’t a cheap tour— the cheapest tour to this place that we found costs 100 USD per person, which was offered at our hostel. That’s pretty pricey if you’re traveling on a tight budget, but if you’re even remotely interested in Mayan culture, I’d say do it… unless you’re really unfit (this is a moderately difficult tour), or if you’re claustrophobic. Don’t worry if you can’t swim, life jackets are provided. It’s about a 45 minute drive to the parking spot to the site, then you’d have to hike for about 40 minutes, crossing three streams, before you reach the entrance to the cave. You’re going to get wet on this tour so dress appropriately. Once you reach the cave, the actual tour starts. For about 3 hours you’re gonna wade and swim through water, pass through narrow crevices, seeing artifacts along the way. Near the end of the tour you’ll see the skeletal remains of the “Crystal Maiden“, a young woman who was sacrificed. This is a really informative tour, too bad I have no pictures to share. Apparently a couple of years back, some tourist accidentally dropped a camera on the skull of a Mayan skeleton. Since then, any personal items aren’t allowed inside the cave. You leave all your stuff in the van. Lunch will be provided after the tour, so it’s best to leave all valuables behind. Just bring a change of clothes and just enough money for tips.

There are other things to do in San Ignacio. If you’re there on a weekend check out the local market to experience more of local culture. There’s cheap food here as well. There’s a chocolate making tour within the town and a place where you could check out Iguanas. We weren’t really interested in either one so I can’t say if these activities are worth doing. It depends on your interest I guess.

What I loved most about San Ignacio isn’t the sights. It’s the laidback vibe. There were days when we just stayed at the hostel doing absolutely nothing, and we were perfectly fine with it. But since it was summer, those days were better spent on the beach. After a week, it was time to meet up with my friend from the States, so it was time to say goodbye to my new friends— many of whom were crossing the border to Guatemela anyway. I’ve already been to Guatemala a couple of years ago. Though it was awesome, I do not intend to go back so soon. If you’re heading to Guatemala, there are lots of shuttle services/ colectivos in San Ignacio. It costs 20-40 BZD for a one way trip to Flores in Guatemala, the closest town from the border that’s part of the backpacking trail. You could take a public bus to the border, then transfer to another colectivo at the Guatemalan side, but I’d say save yourself the trouble and hop on a shuttle that would take you directly to Flores (this stops at the border for immigration purposes of course). This way, you won’t have to exchange money once you cross the border. I’ve heard the ATM machine close to the Guatemalan border is frequently broken, and the money changers don’t give a fair rate. Make sure you have enough cash with you. You’d have to pay a 20 USD/ 40 BZD exit fee before you exit Belize, and another 3 USD entry fee once you enter Guatemala.

That same morning that everyone hopped on their shuttle van to Flores, I headed back to the bus stop and hopped on a bus back to Belize City. From Belize City bus station, I headed straight to the ferry terminal to meet up with my friend at San Pedro.