Pack at least two swimsuits. Pack very light and airy clothing. Avoid heavy cottons, though the trendy "performance" shirts ( like underarmour and the like) are usually polyester based and will stink by the end of the first day. For this reason I strongly suggest loose fitting tops and bottoms of lightweight cotton or other natural fibers. Preferably of light colors that stay cooler longer in the heat. I brought my UA fishing shirt and wished I had brought two! I also packed heavy cotton/denim cargo shorts and they were largely useless.
Pack lots of sunscreen and some bug repellant. If the wind dies down, especially at night, the bugs will eat you alive. This is a perk of traveling during the hurricane season as there is nearly permanent wind.
A downside to the wind is that the coastal waters are almost never clear but rather murky out to 20-odd feet deep.
Don't let people move your bags around, they expect to be paid and usually for nothing.
Culture shock is day one. Just stay hydrated at all costs and find one of the suggested dining locations that is nearby and eat there. It will not be cheap but it will be the price of convenience and hopefully your entrees will be savory and sound. Have a beer and relax. It gets dark early so don't stay out too late if you have a ways to hoof it back to your resort.
Speaking of hoofing it: take the complementary bicycles whenever
Possible. Your resort doesn't have these bicycles? You didn't do your homework! Everywhere I looked at booking offered bicycles and kayaks for free(some had more for free!) Which are free entertainment options. Especially if you stay in the south of amergris and can paddle around the Hol Chan Reserve for free.
Golf cart rentals are pretty convenient but not cheap. WSC offered hourly and half day(35usd) and full day(85usd) rentals. This is a good option if you want to adventure north, but expensive if you just want to run in to San Pedro Town.
Food is very expensive. Stop at a small local market in town and at least buy breakfast and lunch supplies. We had "the burrito guy" ($5bz for burritos or some days tamales) who sold breakfast burritos but that was it for local options. American breakfast is only served at about half the food places.
We befriended a couple from TX (Christian and Christine) and went adventuring with them one day. We took a golf cart north to "secret beach" which was an awesome beach since the water was clear and shallow but had almost no marine life aside from some small fry schooled under the docks and a few ribbon fish(maybe?).
We lunched at Portofino after we figured out how to get there. We met a general manager (Paul or Matt?) After lunch and he told us that the road we drove up on had only been built 5 months prior. That was a shocker! Getting to secret beach without the roads that are there today would definitely have been quite a journey! The concrete roadway only extends to about mile 4, then there is a bumpy narrow section of maybe half a mile, then back to a fairly serious road bed that extends up to about mile 8 or 9.
I cannot suggest riding a beach cruiser out to secret beach but on my mountain bike from home I wouldn't have thought twice about it. On our way back from the beach we did pass a pair of I trepid touristas on cruisers headed there. Bring lots of water if you go this route!!
Thursday we did the "Day Sail to Caye Caulker" courtesy of Searious Adventures.
They have a 30something foot McGregor catamaran with most of the trapeze replaced with decks. James Bond, Nick and Captain Junior were awesome! The most disappointing part of the trip was probably the snorkeling sessions. For these they just pull the boat up to the parking lot where everybody else is and you snorkel around this overcrowded tiny area for a bit. It was fun and there is lots of marine life but it would be way better if they just parked a bit away from everybody else and gave swimmers some room.
James and crew were great; they kept the alcohol flowing and when the rains came the second time they covered all the customers up while they roughed it out in the cold tropical deluge.
Rain rain rain
Drinks at the cococabana pool bar, then coffee at our bar after we got swamped on the way back. Then Palapa Bar for lunch where we met Kirk and his ladyfriend, from Edmonton Alberta. They gave us a beer for our information and gave us a ride home on their golf cart! Cheers!
Stormy day. Dinner at Portofino was pretty awesome. Only 3 parties at the restaurant and $100 for two plus a generous tip for Raphael the awesome waiter! Not an every day thing but very awesome date night. ...just wish it wasn't a storm the whole time!
