I have a print shop with artwork and images from Belize here!
A Week in Caye Caulker, Belize…
Everyone always asks me how I travel often and my answer is either for work or for play and it’s all miles! Being MVP or Elite status to your chosen airline doesn’t hurt, either. You have to earn that, though. Hit up www.thepointsguy.com for his insane travel tips if you’re wondering how people do this. Not all of us trust fund kids! This can be done with miles!
You know the saying when people refer to “money burning a hole in your pocket”? Well money doesn’t do that to me, but miles do! I guess my theory on that is, I could die tomorrow. I get why saving money is important, but one of my biggest fears is not getting to see as much of this insane planet we live on before my time comes. Lately, I’ve been using some of them to travel to some countries in Central America, which are very inexpensive, by the way. The American Dollar goes a long way down there and their local beers are just so fucking delicious, and I’m not much of a beer drinker anymore. Nothing tastes better than walking through some tropical sun and finding a bar where they serve ice-cold local lagers that go down like water for just a few bucks.
Getting around Caye Caulker was so easy. You can walk anywhere, or hope on a golf cart or a bike. Everyone speaks english, even though the local language is kriol. The island is way more Caribbean than I was expecting. And just about everywhere accepts USD and major credit or debit cards. If you’re looking for a tropical destination outside of the states and somewhere in Central America, this is great place to get your feet wet. Don’t forget to snorkel with the sting rays and sharks. And no, you won’t get “Steve Irwined” if you keep distance and don’t fuck with them. You’re not even allowed to. 4pm is the sting ray “feeding time” so this is when you’re likely to see them come out and swim around the beach areas. If you stand still, they’ll swim close to you and you can feel them touch your leg. The first time it happened, I wasn’t facing the water and was putting all my clothes and my drink up on the dock and felt this soft yet slimy wing brush against my leg and it scared the shit out of me. I loved it. Every minute of it. I did decide to skip the Great Blue Hole because that meant having to shoot it through a plane window and I wasn’t interested in that. Next time, I’ll pay the $800 to charter a private helicopter and shoot it through an open window.
When you land in Belize City, you’ll need to book a ferry or a quick 10-min jumper plane to the island. The golf cart taxis are $5 rides (cash only) to your hotel/AirBnB. Don’t forget to tip, the people there are friendly. The roads are made of sand and mud, especially after their heavy rains so be prepared to walk around in muddy flip flops. Bring bug repellent and drink GRAPEFRUIT JUICE, which I found out later naturally repels the sand flies and mosquitos. I didn’t even notice that until a few palomas and then read that online.
Again, heavily recommended if you’re looking for a low-key tropical destination outside of the states. Unlike Costa Rica, there is no surf there. All the colors there are insane – a photographer’s paradise in of itself. Tip: Go off-season! The weather isn’t as bad as they say it is. Yes, it rains, but all tropical places do anytime of the year. It’s slightly cooler and less humid, the water is still warm, and it’s less busy. Everything is cheaper and everything is available.
