playa vs. belize

newdrew · 03-02-2006

should i spend part of my trip in belize or will i be having too much fun in playa??

DiverGirl · 03-02-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by newdrew

should i spend part of my trip in belize or will i be having too much fun in playa??

This is a joke right? When ru coming? What is your purpose of your vacation? If you dive go to Belize (you can still dive in Playa). If your coming to party, eat, meet new peeps, lay on the beach then you found it here!

claybonz · 03-02-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiverGirl

This is a joke right? When ru coming? What is your purpose of your vacation? If you dive go to Belize (you can still dive in Playa). If your coming to party, eat, meet new peeps, lay on the beach then you found it here!

I almost did Belize but the prices to fly were cheaper to PDC. I know we will have fun at PDC but we thought about an overnighter to Belize. After much research, it sounds like it will take a long time to get there by bus. So, basically you'll waste nearly two whole days traveling (if you take buses). You could fly, but again, this becomes costly. How long are you staying?

Kim from Michigan · 03-02-2006

I really did some research and we were all set to go to San Pedro, Belize a couple of years ago and then we backed out, because we love Playa too much. I did have a friend who did go to San Pedro for week, and said there is no comparison to Playa. If you love the beaches and the night life, stay in Playa.

**Anna** · 03-02-2006

I've posted quite a lot of information on what I think it's worthwhile to do in Belize. If you do a search for Belize and username Anna, maybe you'll find something that will be helpful.

krazy4playa · 03-02-2006

Belize for me is definately a cruise ship stop. Get in do your SCUBA and leave. I supose if you did an echo tour in the jungles but Ambergris Caye didn't have enough for me to do and I was there just for an afternoon. We had thought for years of vacationing there, so glad we didn't. I would have been very disapointed. Playa by far outweighs Belize in my book. And I think th SCUBA is better in Playa and Cozumel.

cop0251 · 03-02-2006

Our first time in playa for a week and never made it to do half the things we had planned on doing. There is plenty to see and do right in PDC.

Allen&Jessica · 03-02-2006

We've traveled to Belize twice, and will most likely go again when our daughter is older.

Like others have said, there is much more to do in Playa. The beaches also tend to be nicer in Riviera Maya than Belize (from what I've seen).

itscandace · 03-02-2006

At the Feb 14th meet at the Beerbucket Bluespicker and some folks were talking about Belize. From evesdropping on their conversation it sems like it is not a place for a beach vaction but water activities such as diving were good. I heard them say there are many sandfleas and lots of eel grass making the shoreline not a good as Playa. More sitting on the docks than the beaches. Maybe Bluespicker would have more info.. it seems like he and his wife had traveled there extensively. Try searching his username too.

doggums · 03-02-2006

It's really kind of an odd comparisson, Belize is a country and Playa is a city, or if just centering on the tourist zone Playa is more like a town. San Pedro on Ambergris Caye is the closest thing in Belize to Playa, but is a very different town. I think of San Pedro of as what Playa must of been like before it became Playa. The points about the beach are accurate, there really is little to no beach swimming in San Pedro as the reef stops waves from crashing the shore and thus the shore is lined with sea grass. Swimming is done mostly off of piers or in a couple of small spots where hotels rake the sea grass. San Pedro is more expensive to get to than Playa, but cheaper once you are there in many ways. It has no McDonald's, Senior Frogs, TGI Fridays, or huge AI hotel complexes. It is much more laid back/sedate/less to do than Playa, unless you want to relax, do some drinking/snorkeling/diving, and enjoy very friendly people, great food, and an expat community that seems to drink its weight on a weekly basis. I've been to both and love them both, but they are indeed different. That being said, there is a lot more to see/do in the country of Belize than just spend time in San Pedro.

LaGrange48 · 03-02-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by itscandace

At the Feb 14th meet at the Beerbucket Bluespicker and some folks were talking about Belize. From evesdropping on their conversation it sems like it is not a place for a beach vaction but water activities such as diving were good. I heard them say there are many sandfleas and lots of eel grass making the shoreline not a good as Playa. More sitting on the docks than the beaches. Maybe Bluespicker would have more info.. it seems like he and his wife had traveled there extensively. Try searching his username too.

We were at the BB that night also and left for San Pedro the next day for a week, the beach was ok and didn`t get any sand flea bites, yes there was the eel grass and the swimming was not that good, lots of diving there, but not a whole lot else to do but lay back and relax. All in all I am glad I went...I will try to post some pics later

Señor_Jota · 03-02-2006

Playa or Belize......that is the question.

Well, this is my story.....I took my wife to Belize in 1997. We drove from Cancun to Playa to Tulum to Belize. First, if anyone drove the 'old 2 lane highway' that lead to Belize from Cancun, you know what a nightmare that road was at this time - I remember accessing fields on the farm where I grew up that were better maintained and wider than this road. Second, the drive is 'FOREVER!'

Once, we arrived in Caracol or whatever town that was that was the first major 'vicinity' in Belize, my wife was ready to shoot me....actually, I think that she was ready to shoot me somewhere around Chetumal....actually, let me rephrase this....I think that she was ready to shoot me the previous day when I decided to leave Cancun for Playa at 8pm and the roads were populated with campesinos walking and not wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other much less give room for them walking and pass each other! :p Thinking back to this, it was probably the most ridiculous thing that I have ever done besides 'topping-out' my cycle at 185mph!

So, needless to say, it wasn't a good experience and I, along with my wife, wished that we had stayed in Playa!

I am sure that it is great for diving, but if you are going to drive to Belize from Playa, I personally think that this trip is CRAZY!

I would recommend staying in Playa and enjoying all that it has to offer!

Señor Jota

Señor_Jota · 03-02-2006

Ya know I took that trip to Belize with my wife at the time. So, since we are divorced now, I should probably try it again since I never liked traveling with here anyway!

So, 'ix-nay' anything that I have written about Belize and make your decision based off of what everybody else is writing - my trip was most likely horribley bad just because I was with her not because Belize is a bad place to visit!

Señor Jota

newdrew · 03-02-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by claybonz

I almost did Belize but the prices to fly were cheaper to PDC. I know we will have fun at PDC but we thought about an overnighter to Belize. After much research, it sounds like it will take a long time to get there by bus. So, basically you'll waste nearly two whole days traveling (if you take buses). You could fly, but again, this becomes costly. How long are you staying?

flexible....thinking 7 nights but longer if we decide to do both. im guna look, but isnt there an easy plane to take from cancun to belize??

newdrew · 03-02-2006

thanks all for great info...very helpful..

03-02-2006	#1 (permalink)
newdrew lost on fifth Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: philly Posts: 11	playa vs. belize should i spend part of my trip in belize or will i be having too much fun in playa??

03-02-2006	#10 (permalink)
doggums life=playa Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: minneapolis Posts: 617	It's really kind of an odd comparisson, Belize is a country and Playa is a city, or if just centering on the tourist zone Playa is more like a town. San Pedro on Ambergris Caye is the closest thing in Belize to Playa, but is a very different town. I think of San Pedro of as what Playa must of been like before it became Playa. The points about the beach are accurate, there really is little to no beach swimming in San Pedro as the reef stops waves from crashing the shore and thus the shore is lined with sea grass. Swimming is done mostly off of piers or in a couple of small spots where hotels rake the sea grass. San Pedro is more expensive to get to than Playa, but cheaper once you are there in many ways. It has no McDonald's, Senior Frogs, TGI Fridays, or huge AI hotel complexes. It is much more laid back/sedate/less to do than Playa, unless you want to relax, do some drinking/snorkeling/diving, and enjoy very friendly people, great food, and an expat community that seems to drink its weight on a weekly basis. I've been to both and love them both, but they are indeed different. That being said, there is a lot more to see/do in the country of Belize than just spend time in San Pedro. Last edited by doggums : 03-02-2006 at 06:50 PM.

03-02-2006	#12 (permalink)
Señor_Jota way into it Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Savage, MN Posts: 152	Play or Belize...... Playa or Belize......that is the question. Well, this is my story.....I took my wife to Belize in 1997. We drove from Cancun to Playa to Tulum to Belize. First, if anyone drove the 'old 2 lane highway' that lead to Belize from Cancun, you know what a nightmare that road was at this time - I remember accessing fields on the farm where I grew up that were better maintained and wider than this road. Second, the drive is 'FOREVER!' Once, we arrived in Caracol or whatever town that was that was the first major 'vicinity' in Belize, my wife was ready to shoot me....actually, I think that she was ready to shoot me somewhere around Chetumal....actually, let me rephrase this....I think that she was ready to shoot me the previous day when I decided to leave Cancun for Playa at 8pm and the roads were populated with campesinos walking and not wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other much less give room for them walking and pass each other! :p Thinking back to this, it was probably the most ridiculous thing that I have ever done besides 'topping-out' my cycle at 185mph! So, needless to say, it wasn't a good experience and I, along with my wife, wished that we had stayed in Playa! I am sure that it is great for diving, but if you are going to drive to Belize from Playa, I personally think that this trip is CRAZY! I would recommend staying in Playa and enjoying all that it has to offer! Señor Jota Last edited by Señor_Jota : 03-02-2006 at 07:47 PM.

03-02-2006	#13 (permalink)
Señor_Jota way into it Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Savage, MN Posts: 152	Then again....now that I am thinking about it..... Ya know I took that trip to Belize with my wife at the time. So, since we are divorced now, I should probably try it again since I never liked traveling with here anyway! So, 'ix-nay' anything that I have written about Belize and make your decision based off of what everybody else is writing - my trip was most likely horribley bad just because I was with her not because Belize is a bad place to visit! Señor Jota

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03-02-2006	#4 (permalink)
Kim from Michigan beachaholic Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: East Lansing, Michigan Posts: 444	I really did some research and we were all set to go to San Pedro, Belize a couple of years ago and then we backed out, because we love Playa too much. I did have a friend who did go to San Pedro for week, and said there is no comparison to Playa. If you love the beaches and the night life, stay in Playa.

03-02-2006	#5 (permalink)
Anna top babe admin Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: after 10 wonderful years in Playa, now back in Sweden Posts: 3,002	I've posted quite a lot of information on what I think it's worthwhile to do in Belize. If you do a search for Belize and username Anna, maybe you'll find something that will be helpful.

03-02-2006	#6 (permalink)
krazy4playa añejo Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 2,199	Belize for me is definately a cruise ship stop. Get in do your SCUBA and leave. I supose if you did an echo tour in the jungles but Ambergris Caye didn't have enough for me to do and I was there just for an afternoon. We had thought for years of vacationing there, so glad we didn't. I would have been very disapointed. Playa by far outweighs Belize in my book. And I think th SCUBA is better in Playa and Cozumel.

03-02-2006	#7 (permalink)
cop0251 ruined Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 94	Our first time in playa for a week and never made it to do half the things we had planned on doing. There is plenty to see and do right in PDC.

03-02-2006	#8 (permalink)
Allen&Jessica way into it Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: mostly Ohio, sometimes Selvamar Posts: 102	We've traveled to Belize twice, and will most likely go again when our daughter is older. Like others have said, there is much more to do in Playa. The beaches also tend to be nicer in Riviera Maya than Belize (from what I've seen).

03-02-2006	#9 (permalink)
itscandace way into it Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 170	At the Feb 14th meet at the Beerbucket Bluespicker and some folks were talking about Belize. From evesdropping on their conversation it sems like it is not a place for a beach vaction but water activities such as diving were good. I heard them say there are many sandfleas and lots of eel grass making the shoreline not a good as Playa. More sitting on the docks than the beaches. Maybe Bluespicker would have more info.. it seems like he and his wife had traveled there extensively. Try searching his username too.

03-02-2006	#15 (permalink)
newdrew lost on fifth Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: philly Posts: 11	thanks all for great info...very helpful..

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