Belize-Surviving the City

Belize City

If you are traveling to Belize, you will most likely encounter a brief or maybe longer stay in Belize City before you get to your final destination. A few months ago I wrote a blog post about "Crime and Personal Safety in Belize". I find that no matter where you live or travel there will always be areas of crime and you should always take certain precautions for your safety.

I recently read a great blog post on "How to Survive in Belize City" which gave some great safety tips if you plan on traveling through Belize City.

Belize City is the largest city in the country of Belize and had about 70.000 citizens at the time of the last census. It is the former capital and home to most companies. From a tourism point of view there is not much to do in Belize City and it is a launchpad to the safer areas in the country or on the Caye's.

If you’re an expat, or a volunteer, you may live here. If you arrive on a cruise ship you will disembark here.

You may have heard rumors or surfed websites that made a violent death seem like the inevitable result of a day spent here.

We’ve been here for almost 2 months now. We haven’t been killed, though a newbie carelessness quickly resulted in a snatched mobile phone.

Your trip to Belize city can be pleasant and uneventful. If you follow some basic rules:

To read more: "How to Survive in Belize City"

Crime and Personal Safety in Belize

It is easy to talk about all the wonderful things I love about Belize, what’s not to love about the beautiful turquoise blue green waters, the lush green jungles or the ancient Maya ruins. But like any place, there is crime and Belize is no different. 

It would be difficult to compare crime statistics from one country to another because of different record keeping and recording systems. The murder rate in Belize for 2008 was reported to be 34.2; which means for every one hundred thousand citizens, 34 were victims of murder in 2008. Compare this to the United States in 2008 where there were 5.4 murders per 100,000 people.

Most serious crimes in Belize are primarily connected to drugs. While there are gangs in Belize City, it is nothing like those compared to other Central American countries.

Although Americans are not specifically targets of crime, you should always exercise caution where ever you travel throughout the country. The majority of reported incidents are in Belize City, but crimes may occur anywhere including tourist destinations. Statistics suggest that the crimes are concentrated among the native lower classes, not aimed at travelers. 

The last time I was in Belize, I spoke to a woman that has lived in Belize for over 6 years. She told me that she had been robbed several times and had her purse stolen.  My first thought was to be very scared. She then told me that all of the incidents were her own fault. She said she had been out late, by herself and had been drinking. She was never harmed, but these types of situation you should always avoid, especially females.

Travel Safety Tips
Travel in groups during daylight hours and do not walk in unlit areas at night.
Avoid wearing flashy jewelry.
Do not carry expensive items.
Do not leave valuables unatteneded.
Woman should not carry large purses and keep purses zipped.
Men should carry their wallets in their front pockets.
Do not carry large sums of cash.
Carry cash in different places.
Do not pick up strangers in your car.

Most crimes that I have heard of in Belize are petty theft crimes. Someone left something unattended.  Shoes were left outside on the porch or they parked their bike and did not lock it up only to come back later to find them missing.

Burglar bars on homes in Belize are not always meant to keep out burglars. Many homes do not use air conditioning and therefore keep their windows open.  Burglar bars are used to keep animals out when the windows are open.

Tips for avoiding home theft and burglaries
I am told the best thing you can do is to get a dog. I think this is true no matter where you live.
Have a fence or wall around your property.
Install an alarm system or burglar bars.
Install exterior lighting around your home.
Get involved with your neighborhood watch program. Yes they have these in Belize.

Someone emailed me a few weeks ago and asked me "if I felt safe in Belize and if there were areas in Belize where I would not go"? I told him "I probably would not be in Belize City after dark". But I also told him where I live, drive 20 minutes and there are certain areas "I would not go day or night either, because I know they carry guns there". I have never felt anything but safe when in Belize and in talking to most expats and retirees living in Belize they expressed little concern about their safety and were happy with their decision to move to Belize.

Photo: Oracio Alvarado, Flickr

Belize Travel Information

Getting to Belize
Belize City is approximately a 2 hour flight to Houston, Texas. Many international airlines service Belize on a daily basis and fly into Phillip SW Goldson International Airport (BZE) located 9 miles outside of the city. Most airlines in the United States connect through Miami, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles.
Tropic Air and Maya Air are the main local carriers and offer connecting flights almost every hour to most of Belize's major towns and resorts. Keep in mind that they do not fly at night.

Entry Requirements to Belize
Adults and children require a valid passport for at least 3 months after the date of arrival and a return ticket to enter Belize. US citizens do not require visas if they have a passport and return ticket. You can stay in Belize as a visitor up to one month and must get an extension after 30 days.

Time in Belize
Belize is in the Central Standard time zone the same as the United States. Belize does not observe Daylight Savings time.

Belize Currency
The Belizean dollar is the country's official currency but most US visitors use US dollars which are fixed to the Belizean dollar at a rate of approximately BZ$2 to US$1. Most tourist areas accept major credit cards, just note that the transactions fees can be expensive. You will find ATM's throughout the city but most are for the local banks. U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere in Belize.

Departure Taxes and Fees
Departure taxes that use to be collected at the airport are now included in the cost of most airline tickets. 
If you are departing the country through land borders you will be required to pay a border exit fee of US$18 per person. There is a standard 9% hotel tax. A 9% sales tax is charged on most goods and services in the country.

Belize Weather
The hurricane season normally runs from June to November.

Prohibited ExportsPre-Columbian articles, marine products, unprocessed coral or turtle shells.

Safety Tips
According to TravelBelize.org you should follow certain basic safety tips.

• Keep your travel plans, including accommodation details, to yourself.
• Only make reservations with tour operators who are licensed. Ask them for a direct contact in cases of emergency.
• Don't hitch hike.
• Try not to travel at night.
• Avoid quieter areas of the cities you visit, especially at night.
• Ask your hotel manager for advice on 'safe' versus 'unsafe' local areas.
• As a general rule, city streets that include children and women suggest the area is safe for families.
• Carry with you at all times the contact details of your home country embassy click here for embassy listing in Belize. If your country doesn't have local embassy, find out which other country's embassy is available to help you, such as the British or US embassy.
• Keep a photocopy of your passport and all other important documents in a safe place.
• Use ATMs during the day, when there are people around.
• Try to rely more on credit cards and travelers checks than cash.
• If you are mugged, don't fight back. It is better to lose a few dollars and a wristwatch than get injured.
• Avoid incidents such as fights, riots or civil disturbances at all times.
• Report all incidents to the Belize police department nearest to you.