I was wondering if anyone has any insight on travelling to or living in Belize (specifically Belize City).
The company I work for might have an opportunity for me there and have already scheduled a meeting with me and the office there. I had expressed interest before like 9 months ago, but I didn't think anything would come from it. Now I am getting cold feet.
There are some other circumstances as me position here might be being eliminated, so the alternative might be looking for a new job soon.
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"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
I have been to Belize. It is a beautiful place but I was told never to leave the tourist area as it is a very dangerous country. Also there is a huge fine if you are caught giving money to the poor in Belize. Bogota Colombia is also known to be a dangerous place too but I felt much safer there than when I was in Belize.
I was wondering if anyone has any insight on travelling to or living in Belize (specifically Belize City).
The company I work for might have an opportunity for me there and have already scheduled a meeting with me and the office there. I had expressed interest before like 9 months ago, but I didn't think anything would come from it. Now I am getting cold feet.
There are some other circumstances as me position here might be being eliminated, so the alternative might be looking for a new job soon.
I know two things:
It was formerly called British Honduras
&
Only country in Central America where English is the official language
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
I have been 3 times and fairly familiar with the country. My best friend's family spends about 6 months a year down there. So here is some small insight.
Belize City is absolutely not a place I would want to be. Compared to the rest of the country, it has high crime, poor infrastructure and is generally recommended to get away from right away. Many people get the wrong impression of the country because of the city.
The rest of Belize varies. The islands like Caye Caulker and San Pedro are great spots, lots of tourists, but if you are a fan of things like scuba diving, would be paradise. The mainland has numerous towns along the coast like Dangriga, Hopkins and Placencia.
Belize is a fairly poor country by our standards, but the people are fantastic and very friendly (Outside of Belize City)
The roads are not great, but there are two small airlines that service the towns and range between 15min to 30 min flights (approx. 60-100 American)
From a lifestyle point of view, you can say bye to things like McDonalds, Starbucks etc. The only fast food place I recall was a subway. English is widely spoken and is still considered a British commonwealth. The prince was there a few years ago when I was down there. There are only a couple brands of beer that are available and most of the time it is either belkin or lighthouse. A bag of doritos will cost you 6-7 bucks American.
My guess is you may be in Banking? As CIBC and Scotiabank have branches in the towns. Banking for the most part is easy enough.
All in all, Belize is a poor country, and you will be giving up many of the luxuries of North American living. In exchange you will be in a country with a ton of culture, friendly people, beautiful weather and a easy-going lifestyle.
I know its a beer commercial but sums up the country well in my experience.
I liked the zoo in Belize city. You need a cab driver to give you the zoo tour though otherwise you won't see much. It's a natural habitat sort of zoo with only a few fences. Mostly the people are caged in. A tapir peed on me there. A giant bird stole my hat. I petted a jaguar. Lots of fun. I didn't feel too endangered in the rest of the city but I'm an idiot who pets jaguars so what do I know.
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I liked the zoo in Belize city. You need a cab driver to give you the zoo tour though otherwise you won't see much. It's a natural habitat sort of zoo with only a few fences. Mostly the people are caged in. A tapir peed on me there. A giant bird stole my hat. I petted a jaguar. Lots of fun. I didn't feel too endangered in the rest of the city but I'm an idiot who pets jaguars so what do I know.
I get the distinct impression that that may not have been a zoo. I mean...did you ever get out of the taxi? Because, he might have just been lost in the jungle.
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I looked into travelling to Belize and heard the same things. Belize City is not a place you want to stay, due to crime. Just a quick transit to get to the islands (I was looking at a trip to Caye Caulker at the time). Ended up not going on that trip, so didn't get to see for myself.
I've been there once and Belize City is dangerous. I would not want to live there. Elsewhere the country has very beautiful areas and some of the islands are amazing. There is wonderful diving and snorkeling as Belize has, I believe, the second largest barrier reef in the world, if I recall correctly.
Belize city is definitely dirty and scuzzy. I didn't feel it was all that dangerous though. I walked around at night mostly around the areas where the ferries leave from and didn't feel threatened. The murder rate is high, but if you aren't in the drug business its very unlikely to affect you. I bought a vehicle there and drove around all over the city. No problems with traffic, etc.
Keep in mind that even if you are working in Belize City you don't have to live in the city itself. There are only around 50,000 residents so you could live near the airport and commute into the city in under half an hour I imagine. If you bought a decent boat you could potentially live on Caye Caulker and boat into work. I think its a 30 minute boat ride.
I really liked Belize and I think it would be a decent place to live depending on your personality. Do you like the small town vibe? The entire country has around 300,000 people I believe, so everywhere has a very small town feel. I felt like the majority of people I met there were friendly, and strangers are more likely to randomly make a comment/greeting to you than in most other places.
Keep in mind that the number of services/activities is limited due to the small population. If you like hustle and bustle you may end up bored.
I may have been a little confused when I was there, but I think the locals really like Phil Collins in Belize. Like hardcore dancehall reggae versions of One More Night and Sussudio played everywhere I went. I still can't get that one out of my head.
Thanks for the input. Just reading around the net, it sounds like most people feel Belize City should be avoided, but there are are nice villages within commuting distance.
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"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
I have been to Belize. It is a beautiful place but I was told never to leave the tourist area as it is a very dangerous country. Also there is a huge fine if you are caught giving money to the poor in Belize. Bogota Colombia is also known to be a dangerous place too but I felt much safer there than when I was in Belize.
Maybe in the early 90's. Bogota has a lower murder rate than the majority of major US cities.
That's the way I see it. You either get murdered or you don't. Same thing if you are Chinese and you come to Canada. A "Luka Magnotta" either kills and eats you, or he doesn't.
Anyway, I just got an email from the office manager there and he is pushing for me to go down and check it out, so I might just do that.
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"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
So... a couple years later, I am going to Belize after all. Does anyone have suggestions aimed at tourists instead of living there?
I will be staying on Ambergris Caye and the transportation and hotel have already been arranged, so really looking for suggestions for activities and restaurants/bars.
Belize
I think its a 30 minute boat ride. 
