Back with the family from Caulker. Definitely a very worthwhile and pleasant trip. Here are some of my thoughts and suggestions.

Flying AA. Not so great. No scheduling effort is made to ensure good connections, so the trip is loooong. I could practically get to Hawaii in the same amount of time. AA equipment is old and the service is barebones -- I would rather have been flying WN for some extra legroom! On the outbound, we had a last minute mechanical and sat on the plane at DFW for about an hour and 15. Arrived 45 minutes before the last ferry boat to Caulker! We went straight to the "Belizian citizens" line and after a brief explanation and a slightly annoyed stare, they let us through. Made it to the dock with about 8 minutes to spare (we also ran into some traffic and road work which added time to the normally 20 minute taxi ride).

We also had to pay the departure tax. Almost US$180 for 5. Ouch! BTW, I thought this fare was only $60 roundtrip plus taxes. I paid about $130 all in. I guess that was just US departure taxes and PFCs.

If you've got a family, the ferry IS the way to get to Caulker. That only cost about US $55 for all of us roundtrip. A pleasant ride, as long as the seas are relatively calm (ours was fine).

Caulker's a nice village. Supposedly about 1000 people, perhaps including tourists. You can easily walk to anything, especially if you stay in the central area. Nothing to do on the island except eat, drink, relax, sunbathe, snorkel/dive and sleep. But I think most folks would be happy doing this for about 4 or 5 days. We spent that much time on the island and while the pace was relaxed, we weren't bored. I saw Ambergris from offshore and was horrified by the size and development of the place; I'm really not sure why you'd want to go there instead of the much calmer (and more laid back) Caulker. Maybe for nightlife? Development is definitely coming to Caulker, too, so go now while it's still "a village."

Most of the tourists on Caulker seemed quite young, in their 20s. Indeed, there might be a good singles scene, if you knew where to meet up! Definitely not a "party island" though -- we were a couple doors down from the main hostel and noise was never a big issue. Very few families on the island during our stay, but that didn't bother us at all. A few young "retirees" as well. By your third day, it feels like you know dozens of people. Most tourists are Americans, but I met a ton of Canadians. A good sprinkling of Europeans as well. The locals are a mix of many ethnicities and races, with a pronouced creole/island vibe. Think "Jamaica light." Very friendly and fun.


Because you'll be spending so much time "chilling," I would try to find decent accomodations. You'll be hanging out there, especially if your accomodations are decent. I rented a seaside "condo" that slept 5 for under $100. I found it hard to find family accomodations; those who are a couple or less will find it MUCH easier. Indeed, if you're not coming at a peak time, I would consider showing up, looking around and bargaining. Of course, if you can reserve a top tripadvisor-rated place in advance for a good price, that would also be a good way to go.

The top thing to do on Caulker is snorkel or dive. Indeed, if you don't want to do these things, a one day visit is probably adequate. We snorkeled. The best value trip is a "half day" to nearby Caulker reef areas. About 3 minutes by motor boat, and then you switch sites to see different coral and species. Less than US$25 for adults, and some operators will take kids for half price. Highly recommended -- great corals and marine life If you have only 1 day, do this.

There is also the full day snorkel to Hol Chan. This is something like 20 minutes by motorboat and an hour by sailboat. I recommend Ragamuffin for this trip because they do it by sailboat. A nice ride that way. The operators will tell you this reef is "better" than the local reef, but I found it similar. Less than US$43, including light lunch and rum punch on the way back.

The third trip we did was the night snorkel. My wife found it a little freaky; I found it calm. The children had mixed feelings. It was an interesting once-in-a-lifetime experience (you can see lobster, urchins and octopus and sometimes bioluminesence), but not as enjoyable as day snorkeling. Slightly more expensive than the local day snorkel.

You can do a little snorkeling from the broken concrete pier at "the split." That's also where tourists go to sunbathe and swim. No real beach there, though -- indeed, there's no real beach on the island.

Dining is great fun on Caulker. Lobster is the thing to eat. Unfortunately, there is apparently no lobster from mid-February to mid-June, so if you come then you are apparently out of luck. You can get a complete lobster dinner, including drinks, for between USD $10 and $15 in the local open-air joints. Non-lobster dishes are a little cheaper. Fran's along the water is decent, but as you head south and west in the village, prices are a bit lower. Little Kitchen and Marin's both have cheap and tasty lobster meals (Marin's also has a decent $2.50 lobster burger). Sandbox has a good breakfast menu with good prices. Glenda's is good for breakfast, too, but fewer choices. Amor and Cafe attracts a Starbucks crowd; fairly tasty, but limited choices. Wish Willy's has good local flavor (breakfast and dinner). Chan's/Pirates has tasty "fast food" throughout the day. The local bakery is tasty and cheap, as are the guys peddling breads and cakes in town. The sports bar, bamboo and the lazy lizard are all decent (and inexpensive) watering holes. I found it pleasant to buy a bottle of coconut rum and mix my own drinks with the fresh juice you can buy everywhere on the island. There are several small to medium size food markets on the island, but I can't imagine trying to cook anything myself -- the restaurants are cheap. Cheapest market I found (at least for rum) was Chinatown on the south side.

Bring plenty of US money; always accepted at a 2 to 1 ratio. Only one ATM on the island, and it can be unreliable, especially on weekends. Expect to pay for EVERYTHING with cash. Most of the few places that take credit cards tack on an extra 5% fee, including hotels.

I didn't make any mainland trips (except to the airport), but I think I would if I returned to Belize. I think a day of touring a Mayan ruin would be fun. I'd probably do that from the mainland, to save the travel time. FWIW, I didn't find downtown Belize City to be as "scary" as its reputation, but it's probably no place to linger.