Belize is a beautiful country filled with friendly, beautiful, and loving people. You will be welcomed and treated cordially by everyone. The hotel accommodations are very nice. All rooms are air-conditioned, non-smoking, have cable TV, and are nicely furnished. The property is fenced and gated and is guarded 24 hours. The onsite restaurant is fabulous, the food is delicious, and the staff is exceptional. Daily laundry service is available.
The trip is in July which is actually the rainy season in Belize. However, the rain is not often an issue, any more than you normally experience. The temperatures will be in the mid to upper 90’s during the day and the mid 80’s in the evenings and the humidity never goes away. The mosquitoes can be a bother so you should be prepared for that. Fortunately, there is typically a very nice sea breeze blowing and is helps with the humidity and also will keep the bugs at bay, well, some of them.
A typical day will begin with breakfast at 7:00 a.m. We will load into the vans and leave for the clinic site at 8:00. Upon arrival, the supplies and equipment will be unloaded and the clinic site will be set up and registration of patients will begin as soon as possible. Once the clinic is up and running, it does not stop during the day. There is no set lunch break, everyone staggers their lunch time so no station is ever not functioning. We try to finish and close the clinic at 5:00 p.m. and have everything loaded and leave the site by 6:00. Dinner will be at 7:00 followed by a team meeting at 8:15. Understand this is a typical day. However, you will certainly need to be flexible as plans have a way of being changed.
Pack cool, light-weight clothing. We will join the local Church for worship on Sunday morning so plan accordingly. Scrubs are a favorite of many team members. Take more than one pair of shoes. If it does rain, you will probably want a dry pair to wear the next day.
The Saturday before we leave is a free day and you chose what you want to do. Most people will fly over to San Pedro and spend the day there. There are many activities available including swimming, snorkeling, shopping, eating, and doing the “touristy things.” You can rent golf carts, bicycles, or Segway’s if you want or you can simply walk around. The cost to fly to the island generally runs $100.00 – $125.00 per person round trip. All expenses are your own responsibility. Others simply stay at the hotel and rest or visit other attractions in the area.
There are no vaccinations or shots required to get into Belize. As of now, a negative COVID test is required. Belize was declared “Malaria Free” by the WHO in 2022, so medication for that is no longer required. It is recommended that your tetanus is up to date.
There is no need to exchange your money for Belize dollars. All US currency is accepted everywhere, with the exception of coins. The exchange rate is simple: one US dollar equals two Belize dollars. You will generally receive any change in BZ dollars so you should plan to take some smaller denominations with you.
Plan to work hard, have a great time, and meet life-long friends!
