Country Guides
Belize
Going Out
Going Out
Belize
Food and Drink
There is a selection of restaurants which serve international, Chinese, Creole and Latin American food. Service and quality vary but the food is generally cheap.
National specialities:
• Tacos, corn or flour tortillas, with shredded chicken, onions, cabbage and cilantro.
• Rice-and-beans; for a change of pace, switch to beans-and-rice (where the beans are cooked separately and spooned with their own gravy over white rice).
• Split peas and pigtail over rice.
• Cow-foot soup.
• Fry Jacks: fluffy fried crescents of dough.
• Johnnycakes: flattened biscuits.
• Conch fritters.
• Marie Sharp's hot sauces.
• Plantains, fried to a sweet golden brown.
National drinks:
• Coconut rum mixed with pineapple juice.
• Belikin beer.
• Guinness Foreign Extra Stout.
• Lighthouse Lager.
• Fresh orange, lime, watermelon or papaya juice.
Tipping: Many restaurants and hotels automatically tack on a service charge of 15%. Cab drivers are not tipped unless they have helped you with your luggage. Tour guides are always tipped.
Nightlife
While Belize could not be considered a major clubbing destination, there is no shortage of bars throughout the country. In Belize City, the main spots tend to be the bars in the top-end hotels, which usually have live bands. There is also a casino here. San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye, has a lively bar scene and a couple of clubs. San Ignacio has some excellent music bars. Be aware that bars can become dangerous after 2300.
Shopping
Belize doesn't have the same traditions with handicrafts as its neighbouring countries, Mexico and Guatemala. Selections will be limited and rather expensive. The best handmade crafts and jewellery are found in the Ambergris Cayes. Further south you can find hand woven baskets created by the Mayan women, as well as mahogany chairs and other carvings. Probably the most distinctive craft are the drums created by the Garifuna. Standard souvenirs fare includes slogan T-shirts and Belikin paraphernalia. Travellers should be aware of their home country's rules on importing exotic goods. In the UK, for example, there are restrictions on importing tortoiseshell goods and jewellery made from endangered coral.
Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200, 1300-1630 and 1900-2100. Some shops close on Wednesday afternoons.
Food and Drink
There is a selection of restaurants which serve international, Chinese, Creole and Latin American food. Service and quality vary but the food is generally cheap.
National specialities:
• Tacos, corn or flour tortillas, with shredded chicken, onions, cabbage and cilantro.
• Rice-and-beans; for a change of pace, switch to beans-and-rice (where the beans are cooked separately and spooned with their own gravy over white rice).
• Split peas and pigtail over rice.
• Cow-foot soup.
• Fry Jacks: fluffy fried crescents of dough.
• Johnnycakes: flattened biscuits.
• Conch fritters.
• Marie Sharp's hot sauces.
• Plantains, fried to a sweet golden brown.
National drinks:
• Coconut rum mixed with pineapple juice.
• Belikin beer.
• Guinness Foreign Extra Stout.
• Lighthouse Lager.
• Fresh orange, lime, watermelon or papaya juice.
Tipping: Many restaurants and hotels automatically tack on a service charge of 15%. Cab drivers are not tipped unless they have helped you with your luggage. Tour guides are always tipped.
National specialities:
• Tacos, corn or flour tortillas, with shredded chicken, onions, cabbage and cilantro.
• Rice-and-beans; for a change of pace, switch to beans-and-rice (where the beans are cooked separately and spooned with their own gravy over white rice).
• Split peas and pigtail over rice.
• Cow-foot soup.
• Fry Jacks: fluffy fried crescents of dough.
• Johnnycakes: flattened biscuits.
• Conch fritters.
• Marie Sharp's hot sauces.
• Plantains, fried to a sweet golden brown.
National drinks:
• Coconut rum mixed with pineapple juice.
• Belikin beer.
• Guinness Foreign Extra Stout.
• Lighthouse Lager.
• Fresh orange, lime, watermelon or papaya juice.
Tipping: Many restaurants and hotels automatically tack on a service charge of 15%. Cab drivers are not tipped unless they have helped you with your luggage. Tour guides are always tipped.
Nightlife
While Belize could not be considered a major clubbing destination, there is no shortage of bars throughout the country. In Belize City, the main spots tend to be the bars in the top-end hotels, which usually have live bands. There is also a casino here. San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye, has a lively bar scene and a couple of clubs. San Ignacio has some excellent music bars. Be aware that bars can become dangerous after 2300.
Shopping
Belize doesn't have the same traditions with handicrafts as its neighbouring countries, Mexico and Guatemala. Selections will be limited and rather expensive. The best handmade crafts and jewellery are found in the Ambergris Cayes. Further south you can find hand woven baskets created by the Mayan women, as well as mahogany chairs and other carvings. Probably the most distinctive craft are the drums created by the Garifuna. Standard souvenirs fare includes slogan T-shirts and Belikin paraphernalia. Travellers should be aware of their home country's rules on importing exotic goods. In the UK, for example, there are restrictions on importing tortoiseshell goods and jewellery made from endangered coral.
Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200, 1300-1630 and 1900-2100. Some shops close on Wednesday afternoons.
Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200, 1300-1630 and 1900-2100. Some shops close on Wednesday afternoons.
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