Planning Your Trip
The public transportation situation throughout the country continues to be in flux. The former Novelo's bus line, and its subsidiaries Northern Transport and Southern Transport Limited have been combined and renamed the National Transport bus company. This line, combined with James, BBDC and a few other small bus lines continue to service the entire country, although bus schedules and frequencies are constantly changing. You're best bet is to have your hotel find out the current schedule and departure locations, as unfortunately, much of the printed data is out of date almost as soon as it's printed.
Belize City
Riverside Tavern (tel. 223-5640) is a new bar and grill at #2 Mapp Street at North Front Street. It is owned by Dustin Bowen and the folks that brew Belikin beer. This place claims to have the best burger in Belize, and early reports seem to indicate they just might live up to that claim.
Northern Belize
Up near the Mexican border, across from the Corozal Free Zone, the massive Las Vegas Casino & Hotel has opened the casino portion of their namesake project. The casino floor is over 54,000 square feet, and claims to be the largest in all of Central America. Construction has only just begun on the adjacent 385-room luxury hotel, but it will be a couple of years before work is completed.
Northern Cayes & Atolls
Chef Patrick Houghton of Cayo Espanto (tel. 888/666-4282 in the U.S. and Canada; www.aprivateisland.com) won this year's Taste of Belize cooking competition. Chris Aycock of the Blue Water Grill (Sun Breeze Hotel, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye; tel. 226-3347; www.bluewatergrillbelize.com) placed second.
On Caye Caulker, the dive shop Paradise Down Scuba has closed, although Belize Diving Services (tel. 226-0143; www.belizedivingservice.com) and Frenchie's Diving (tel. 226-0234; www.frenchiesdivingbelize.com) are both going strong.
There's been a boom of construction on Ambergris Caye. Some of the new hotel and condo rental projects that have recently opened include La Perla del Caribe (tel. 220-5733; www.laperladelcaribe.com), Pelican Reef Villas Resort (tel. 226-2352; www.pelicanreefvillas.com), and Tranquility Bay Resort (tel. 888/843-2293 in the U.S. and Canada; www.tranquilitybayresort.com).
Amidst all this construction, two long-standing restaurants, Jade Garden and Taste of Thailand have both closed their doors
Southern Belize
Down in Hopkins Village, the folks at Belizean Dreams (tel. 523-7272; www.belizeandreams.com) are nearing completion of a sister project Hopkins Bay Resort (tel. 523-7272; www.hopkinsbayresort.com), which is very similar in design and style.
Also in Hopkins, the resort Hamanasi (tel. 877/552-3483 in the U.S., or 520-7073; www.hamanasi.com) has added yet another "treehouse" bungalow.
Placencia has a new, mid-size resort, Laru Beya Resort & Villas (tel. 523-3476; www.larubeya.com), located on a beautiful stretch of beach.
The brand new Cotton Wood Lodge (tel. 866/480-4534 in the U.S. and Canada, or 670-0557 in Belize; www.cottontreelodge.com) is a new luxury jungle lodge with 10 individual bungalows set on the banks of the Moho river, about 10 miles out of Punta Gorda, near the village of San Felipe. One of the interesting tour and activity options here is the opportunity to make fresh chocolate with local Mayan artisans.
Cayo District & Western Belize
In San Ignacio the Green Dragon internet café has shut down. There is a new bar occupying the space called Cocopelle.
Chaa Creek (tel. 824-2037; www.chaacreek.com) has added two new villas, done a lot of general upkeep and maintenance, and also hired a new chef, who is winning rave reviews for his combination of classic Continental techniques with the spices and ingredients of the Caribbean.
Over in Succotz you can now get good pizza and an internet connection at the new restaurant Bits and Pieces.