Everyday practical information for Belize

The basics

• English is the official language and the language of daily life - the only country in Central America where that is true, and it makes the first day here far easier than in any neighbour.
• Belize Kriol is what you will actually hear between locals, and Spanish is widely spoken in the north and west.
• Plugs are the American flat two-pin, type A and B, at 110 V - but British type G outlets on a 220 V supply survive from British Honduras and turn up in the same building. The shapes do not tell you the voltage, so check the label beside the socket before plugging in anything that heats.
• UTC-6 all year. Dialling code +501, six-digit numbers, no area codes.

Rhythm

• "Go slow" is not a joke. Buses leave late, boats leave when full, and a 20-minute errand takes an hour. Plan half of what you would elsewhere.
• Sunday is genuinely quiet, and in the villages so is much of Saturday afternoon.
• Businesses close early. Outside San Pedro, dinner at 21:00 is optimistic.

Climate

• Hot and humid year round, with the dry season roughly December to May.
• Hurricane season June to November.
• The Cayo highlands are marginally cooler and the jungle is wetter than the coast.

Small things

• Cash in small notes. Nobody on a bus or in a village can break a BZ$100.
• Bring insect repellent from home; what is sold locally is expensive and not always effective.
• The reef is a UNESCO World Heritage site and touching coral is both damaging and, in the marine reserves, an offence.
• Belize is small. Under 400,000 people in a country the size of Wales, which is why one hospital, one chamber and two airlines cover it.