Tips for Travel
Before leaving home, research the following to make sure you are covered while traveling in a foreign country:
- Travel insurance: in case you must unexpectedly cancel your trip. Consult your travel agent or go to Travel Guard for more information.
- Notify your credit card company of the dates you will be traveling and in another country. This helps you avoid a lock on your card if your charges in another country red flag your account. Also check your credit card policy on lost or stolen cards, just as a precaution.
- Travelers checks - contact your local bank or AAA, at least several days in advance.
- Health insurance: check your company's policies in case of injury or illness when you are traveling in a foreign country. Belize has socialized medicine and private health centers, but in case you need medication or advanced care, you will very likely have to pay at the time any services are rendered.
- Check with your doctor at least several months in advance of your trip regarding advisability of any immunizations for Central America.
- You'll need a passport to travel to Belize. If you are planning to apply for one, allow at least 6 months for this process. Passport Services Office
- All travelers in Belize must pay a $38.50US exit fee upon leaving the country. This occurs at the airport before boarding your flight.
- Emergency information and waivers - please fill out our form and return it prior to trip start date.
While in Belize:
- Transferring from your international flight to take your local flight to the Caye is easy! After picking up your luggage, you will go through customs and walk around the corner to the domestic carrier ticket counter to present your travel voucher. The flight is about 12 minutes and the planes are small 15 passenger planes. Once at the airstrip on Caye Caulker, golf cart taxis are available to take you to your hotel of choice for a small fee (no more than $5US).
- Currency is the Belize dollar, which trades 2 to 1 with the US dollar. For every $2BZ you spend, it is equivalent to spending $1US. Belize and US dollars are accepted everywhere, but not US coin. You will receive change in Belize dollar and coin. Travelers checks are easily redeemed with a passport as identification, and credit cards are accepted at most places of business. Atlantic Bank is the sole bank on the island, where a newly installed ATM is also available.
- Good restaurants are in good supply on the island for the tastes, preferences, and pocketbooks of most visitors. Seafood, poultry and some beef, and vegetarian dishes are available, along with fruits and vegetables. Rice and beans is the national dish, with stewed chicken or very fresh fish. Grocery stores carry a supply of packaged foods popular in the US in the form of snack foods, cereals, soups, and condiments.
- We are committed to contributing to the local Caye Caulker economy by a guest immersion method. You will stay in hotels run by Belizean residents, eat most meals at the restaurants in the village, and support Caye Caulker residents by shopping at local businesses.
- We are "off the power grid" and proud to be employing wind and solar energy alternatives to help conserve resources. Even transportation is as energy efficient as possible - cars are rare on Caye Caulker, and we utilize bikes, electric battery golf carts, boats, and walking as our means of transportation. Weekly and daily bike rentals are available.
More inclusive tips and resource information will be provided when you book your trip to Great Island Yoga.
Please be aware that handicap accessibility and accommodation are not yet common practices in many developing countries, including Belize. On Caye Caulker there are lots of stairs and no elevators, and the streets are sand.
