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Visiting the beautiful country of Belize has been on the bucket list for many people. I can totally relate, because I have lived here my entire life and I am still awe-inspired by the wonders that my country holds.
1. The Low Crime Rate in Belize
One of the first things I consider when planning a vacation, is the crime rate in the area. I like knowing that the chances of me getting robbed, or harmed is little to none. This is one of the reasons why I love Belize. It is also why many people feel so comfortable coming to Belize. We have a low crime rate, which means that it is highly unlikely that you will be the victim of a crime when you decide to visit.
The Belize City District has a bad reputation, among locals, for being a little dangerous. This is due to the gang activity that occurs there. However, the good news is that Belize City is not a very popular tourist destination, given that there is not much to do and see there. Tourists, and even locals, prefer to visit Caye Caulker, San Pedro, Placencia, and San Ignacio. These are the more popular places to visit because they have a lot of different activities, tours, and amazing resorts, lodges, and restaurants.
So, feel free to walk the streets in Belize without worrying about being robbed or harmed. Of course, a general rule of thumb is to avoid dark alleyways, or spots that aren’t very crowded. It is also a good practice to never walk around with all of your cash on you. These are some good preventative measures that can help you at any part of the world that you are visiting.
2. The Ever Famous ATM Cave
Yes, the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave is, in and of itself, a HUGE reason to visit Belize. I have heard many tourists state that the only reason they visited Belize, is because of this cave site. I have even heard stories from tourists who extended their stay in Belize by an entire week to ensure that they were able to do this activity. The tour kept getting cancelled, because they came at a time when there were heavy rains. This caused the cave site to close due to flooding. The ATM is an extremely popular destination, and only a little over 20 guides in Belize are licensed to carry out this tour.
Many people describe this experience as an Indiana Jones type adventure, due to the skeletons in the cave, and the adventure filled day that you have. I do not know how to swim, but I still went on this tour, and I felt safe the entire time because of my guide. I am very glad that I faced my fears and took part in this activity. You will definitely not regret going on this adventure.
You can use my discount code TLTMAYA5 to receive a 5% discount on the ATM Cave Tour experience with the largest tour operator in the Cayo District, Mayawalk Tours.
3. The Barrier Reef
Countless tourists and locals visit the Barrier reef in Belize to go snorkeling and diving. Take a look at my list below to see a few facts about Belize’s Barrier Reef.
- It is the second largest living coral reef system in the world measuring 185 miles.
- A few endangered animals live near the reef system (sea turtles, manatees, and American marine crocodile).
- It has several bird colonies for the dedicated bird-watchers to enjoy (Red-Footed Booby, Brown Noddy, Bridled Tern, Sooty Tern, Reddish Egret).
- It can actually be seen from outer space!
Photo Credit: Bernt Rostad 
Photo Credit: M.Gray97
This was an exciting experience for me. I was pretty scared though, because I don’t know how to swim. However, my guide ensured I remained close to him for the entire trip and I am not embarrassed to say that he even had to hold me hand sometimes to help me make it through the tour. I got to see so many different fishes and other ocean dwellers during this experience. It was my first, but definitely won’t be my last time going snorkeling.
4. The Delicious Food and Rich Culture
Belize is popularly known as a melting pot, due to the vast cultures that can be found in the country. Garifuna, Maya, Mestizo, Creole, Mennonites, Lebanese, Chinese, and East Indian are some of the cultures that can be found here. Each of these groups have some restaurants at different parts of the country where you can try the delicious foods that they consume. I proudly represent the Garifuna and Creole Culture. Sadly, I do not know how to speak the Garifuna language; I only know a few words. However, like many other Belizeans, I am fluent in both Creole and English.
Different Types of Food
Hudut is a dish you must try when you come to Belize. This can typically be found in the southern part of our country in Dangriga Town and Hopkins Village. However, there is a restaurant in San Ignacio that also sells different Garifuna dishes. Authentic Flavors is the name of the restaurant. I love their food; it has a lot of flavor and I am never disappointed in the taste.
You can find street vendors in any part of the country that you are in, who sell fast food like burritos, tacos, and some cultural food as well, namely salbutes, panades, tamales, tamalitos/ducunu, and garnaches. It is safe to eat from the street vendors in Belize. If you are ever uncertain about which one to try, a good tip would be to simply visit the street vendor that has the most people around it. Way more than likely that means that they have the nicest street food in the area.
Some of My Favorite Restaurants
There are also many restaurants in Belize that sell AMAZING food. One of my greatest weaknesses is food. Some restaurants in the Cayo District that have taken huge chunks of my pay cheque over the years, are Tolacca Smoke House, Crave Restaurant and Recinos Wine House. You should definitely visit these places if you’re in San Ignacio Town. Are you a wine lover like myself? A blog post, with a review of my favorite spot to drink wine in San Ignacio, will soon be published. Follow me on Facebook if you want to keep updated on the new blog posts that I create.
**Fun Fact: There is a Cultural Tour that you can book in San Ignacio, where you will get to experience the Mayan and Mennonite cultures in the country of Belize. Click this link to find out more about this experience.
5. The Great Blue Hole
The Inland Blue Hole
Belize has two locations referred to as the Blue Hole. There is a small inland blue hole located 12 miles on the Hummingbird Highway as you are leaving Belmopan. This attraction is inside the St. Herman’s Blue hole National Park. The inland blue hole is a 25ft deep swimming hole that you can visit and have lots of fun at. Due to this being in a forest, if you find the need to use repellant, I highly advise you to use an ecofriendly repellant so that you can have as little impact on the environment as possible. Eco-friendly repellants also tend to not be as harsh on your skin as the ones filled with chemicals.
The Actual Great Blue Hole
The Inland Blue hole, however, is not the huge attraction that I am listing as the fifth reason why tourists love to visit Belize. The attraction I am referring to, is the Great Blue Hole, which is a huge sinkhole that is located off the coast of Belize. This cenote is 1,043 ft. wide and 407 ft. deep. If you love diving, I highly encourage you to add this attraction to your bucket list. It will be well worth it. If you are still not convinced, then let me also mention that this site was declared as one of the top 5 scuba diving sites in the world by Jacques Cousteau! He came on his ship, called the Calypso in 1971 to explore the depths of this sinkhole.
You can find many different species of fish in the Blue Hole, and you might even come across some bull sharks and hammer head sharks. I do not know how to swim, and so I don’t think if I will ever visit this location in my lifetime. However, I would be very happy if you would visit it and then tell me all about your adventure in the comments or by sending me a message.
6. We Speak English!
The official language in the country of Belize is English. This makes it very easy to communicate with the locals. Due to the different cultures that are present in the country, Belizean residents speak many other languages as well, however, most of them do speak and understand English. A large percentage of the country speaks Spanish as well, however, most locals speak English.
Another bonus is getting to hear us speak Creole, and also hearing our beautiful Caribbean accent.
7. A Video Showing Proof That Belize is Awesome!
I have attached a short video below to show you a tourist having the time of his life in Belize, and not wanting to go back home. If my words were not enough to get you to book your flight to visit my beautiful country, then maybe this first hand account will convince you. Enjoy!
THE BEST ADVICE IS LOCAL ADVICE
