Orange Walk, Belize + Add a trip

Automobiles

If you plan to explore Belize in depth, a rental car can come in handy, but, thanks to some shoddy roads, a relatively short journey can become a lengthy test of patience. There's a Hertz(www.hertz.co.uk) branch at the airport .

Planes

Belize City is the main airport, serviced by American Airlines, Continental and TACA, among others. From the UK you can fly via Miami, Houston or Atlanta. There's is a departure tax of about $35.Internal flights can be the easiest means of travelling within Belize. You can catch frequent internal flights with Maya Air (www.mayaislandair.com) or Tropic Air (www.tropicair.com). Alternatively you can charter three-, five- and 12-seat Cessna planes when travelling to private airstrips. Planes can be chartered through Javier's Flying Service (www.javiersflyingservice.com).

Trains

Dialing

Country code for Belize: +501.

Reads

Recommended reads Birds of Belize by H Lee Jones will help you identify the nation's vast array of exotic avians; for a flight of fiction, try Belizean author Zee Edgell's award-winning meditation on independence, Beka Lamb. Gen up on the finer architectural points before your trip with the beautifully illustrated Taschen tome, Maya: Palaces and Pyramids of the Rainforest by Henri Stierlin.

Do go / Don't Go

Belize normally sustains a subtropical, moderate climate all year round, but can be quite wet with brief but frequent showers and clouds outside of the dry months. January/February to the end of May is the best time to visit for uninterrupted sunshine. Spring and the winter months bring the most clement weather, as well as the most visitors. August to October is hurricane season in the Caribbean, so most travellers stay away - you can benefit from reasonable rates if you don't mind enduring some gusty squalls.

Cuisine

Taking their culinary cues from an assortment of neighbouring cuisines, Belizean dishes can exhibit influences from Mexico, Spain, the Caribbean and historic Mayan culture. Coastal delicacies such as conch fritters and grilled lobster vie for attention with mountain fare such as intensely flavoured mole chicken or light escabeche broth. Breakfast is often lavish and substantial; huevos rancheros (eggs served with refried beans, salsa and corn chips) is typical, as are deep-fried, doughnut-textured jacks (fritters) drizzled in syrup.

Taxis

Cabs are a cost-effective means of getting around - short trips within towns rarely cost more than a couple of dollars. Boat taxis travel regularly along the length of San Pedro in Ammbergris Caye and there's a regular water bus that leaves from Fidos Bar at least once or twice an hour from the jetty. With a valid driver's licence, you can also hire golf buggies for pootling around the town.

Tipping

More upmarket restaurants will automatically include a service charge, otherwise 10-15 per cent is the norm. Taxi drivers don't usually expect a tip, but you can round up to the nearest dollar.

Currency

The Belizean dollar (BZ$) is currently pegged to the US dollar at a rate of 2:1. Always check whether you are being charged in Belize or US dollars before you agree to pay.

Packing

Insect repellent is essential for jungle trips and visits to the mangroves; an umbrella is more convenient than a waterproof jacket for sudden showers. Take closed shoes for walking around the jungle at night as flip-flopped feet can fall victim to nibble-happy red ants. Soldier ants have such stubborn mandibles that they were once used by the Mayans to keep cuts closed instead of stitches.

Arts

The Mayans left their mark on Belize, and there are some awe-inducing sites. Highlights include the sacrificial altars, capstones decorated with hieroglyphics and carved ball courts uncovered from the jungles of Caracol, as well as the pyramid temples and stucco friezes of Xunantunich. Contrast Cahal Pech, a small site on the Macal river with many buildings condensed into an unfeasibly tiny area, or venture into Guatemala to take on the mammoth Tikal, capital of a vast Mayan empire and - in its 700AD heyday - one of the greatest cities in the world.

And...

Shopping

Saturday's popular open-air market in San Ignacio is ideal for stocking up on pepper sauce, local honeys and jam. Find skin-softening, natural glycerin soap and colourful embroidered huipiles textiles at Caesar's Place (Western Highway, mile 60) that make great gifts and souvenirs. In Placencia, you can collect wooden handicrafts such as the distinctive ziricote animal masks, jaguar sculptures and coconut mermaids from little stalls along the sandy sidewalk. Ambergris Caye is the proud motherland of 'Pantyripper', an ominously named blend of pineapple juice and coconut liqueur - you can pick up a bottle at the Rum, Cigar and Coffee House on Pescador Drive (+501 226 2020). Try DandE's on the same street for frozen custard on the hoof.

Viewpoint

Buried deep in the Chiquibul Forest, Caracol is one of the most impressive Mayan sites in the country. Climb the Temple of Caana, Belize's tallest structure, and marvel at the rainforest canopy from the top. Look out for howler monkeys and toucans.

Something

Belize is a bird-watcher's paradise. With 300 square miles of unspoilt woodland to perch in, the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve attracts more than 500 species of feathered flutterer. Look out for keel-billed toucans (the national birds), orange-breasted falcons or rare king vultures. If the birds prove too flighty, there's also brilliant butterflies and colourful bromeliads to feast your eyes on.

February/March The whole of Belize celebrates Carnival, but nowhere throws its heart into the festivity quite like San Pedro. Elaborately costumed parades cross the city, and people celebrate by covering each other in coloured powder and lipstick. 9 March Baron Bliss Day: an original commemoration of one of Belize's most philanthropic residents. . There are celebrations throughout the country, including a harbour regatta outside the Baron Bliss lighthouse in Belize City. The lighthouse forms the baron's tomb, erected in memory of his love of the sea. March/April Easter Fair in San Ignacio is a family-focused festival, with musical, games and sporting events. August Deer Dance Day in San Antonio is a fascinating hybrid of Christian and ancient Mayan culture, involving ritualistic dance, a staged 'deer hunt' and greased pole climbing. 21 September Independence Day is marked with cultural, religious and sporting events nationwide. A beauty pageant crowns Miss San Pedro. 12 October Pan-American Day or Columbus Day celebrates mestizo (Spanish/Mayan) culture with nationwide races, fiestas, regattas and beauty contests.