Belize - Travel Deals

Ask the average person to start naming the countries in Central America and there is a good chance that they will miss Belize. There is a reason for this. It is a small country that has rarely ever been in the news. It is not a country that has undergone conflict and outside of the occasional hurricane, it has been largely spared from the disasters that have hit other countries in the region.

Belize also may escape the mind because linguistically it is different from the rest of Central America. A former British colony (it was called British Honduras, for those scoring at home), the official language of Belize is English, although many people speak a form of English called Belizean Creole.

While you may not associate Belize with Central America, chances are you have heard that it is a pretty decent place to visit. It has excellent beaches, world class scuba diving and an ex-pat community that is seemingly growing by the second. Given its proximity to the United States, it is also very easy to reach for a short little get away.

Airfare to Belize often depends on the time of the year, but you can usually find a deal if you are persistent. You can also find loads of great information about what to do, where to stay and what to eat by visiting the handy Belize Travel Guide.

Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras or Panama. Which one of these countries would you most like to visit? Belize is so close to the United States and it has an English speaking population. It has some lovely beaches and the snorkeling/diving opportunities are some of the best in the world. It has fascinating Mayan ruins.

Costa Rica has the scenery. The country has a higher percentage of land set aside as protected land than anywhere else in this world. It too has great beaches and water. Costa Rica doesn’t have an army so you don’t have to worry about them trying to draft you.

Honduras is the wildcard of the bunch. It is a poor nation that is rich in human warmth. It has some splendid mountains and a way of life that will soothe your harried soul. It probably gets less tourists than the other three.

Panama has the canal, of course. It also has Panama City, which is the most developed city in Central America. If you like heat and humidity you could do a lot worse than visiting Panama.

Tough choice, isn’t it? Perhaps you should factor in these excellent deals from Latin Destinations into your decision.

Belize is my new favorite country. Not only does it have great beaches and world-class scuba diving, but it also has a tourist council that is kind to the traveler. How kind? Try free hotel rooms. That’s right. Free. Zip. Nada. The rooms are available at a number of Belize hotels for stays between December 3-7, 2006. You can’t beat free and you can’t beat Belize, so head on over to Booking Wiz and get your flight ticket this very second.

All you have to do is take a look each day at the Eco Travel Logue to see that environmentally friendly travel is big business these days. What is good for the environment can also be good for the traveler. Case in point, El Pescador Resort in Belize. Located on the island of Ambergris Caye, the resort is set among some of nature’s most beautiful scenery and near Belize’s fragile barrier reef.

For the 2006-2007 season, El Pescador is pledging to donate to Green Reef NGO, a nonprofit organization located in Belize that is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of Belize’s vast barrier reef system. El Pescador’s aim is make donations on behalf of their guests to benefit Green Reef Environmental Educational and Coastal Research Institute, thus lessening the impact of travel.

That is pretty cool. Not only can you stay in a first class resort, but you can also feel good knowing that your visit will help maintain Belize’s natural wonders.

If you have ever had the hankering to visit Central America, now might be your best opportunity for a while. Cheap Tickets is offering up a tasty deal on flights to Costa Rica, Panama, Belize and Guatemala. How tasty? Try less than $400 to fly round trip from New York to Costa Rica. You aren’t going to come across prices like that very often. The sale ends October 24, 2006 and requires that you must fly by December 13, 2006. Re-work your schedule, beg your boss for a few days off and get yourself to Central America for a memorable vacation.

And make sure you visit the Central America Travel Guide for information about where to stay and what to do.