Amazing accommodation and hosts! I was staying in the Eagle Ray one bedroom apartment for September and October. There is plenty of space for two people, but as I was on my own, there was more room than I needed. The three things that sold me on this rental were its location in San Pedro, the affordable rental rate, and the promise of a full kitchen.
The hosts, Mark and Tina, live above the rental and were welcoming, gracious and generous with their time. Check-in was quick but thorough. I planned to cook most of my meals, and the fully equipped kitchen more than met my expectations in terms of the countertop space, stove and oven, large refrigerator with freezer, cutlery and glassware, and drinking water dispenser. There is even a toaster and a blender. When I mentioned that I often used a microwave to heat coffee and leftovers, I was provided with a microwave. Despite the heat and high humidity, the high performance air conditioners (located in the main room and bedroom), along with good ceiling fans in both rooms, kept the apartment at very comfortable temperatures even on the hottest days.
To cook my own meals, I needed to stock up on food and other groceries. The day I arrived, Mark picked me up at the airport and after I dropped off my bags, drove me in his golf cart to show me the best shops for purchasing meats, veggies, fruits, and general groceries. All the shops and fruit stands he showed me were within walking distance, with the farthest shop, Caribbean Chicken, only a 20 minute walk from the apartment. A good, though very small, pharmacy and barbershop were only a short walk.
There is a golf cart rental place very close, MK Rental, and based on Mark and Tina’s referral, I rented a golf cart from them for a week at a very reasonable rate. Mark assured me their carts were mechanically very sound, and they provided emergency pickup services anywhere on the island should anything go wrong. I explored the island for four days and was completely satisfied with the performance of my cart. Shopping at the places Mark recommended, and renting from MK, saved me a considerable amount of money over the two months because his recommendations generally had the lowest prices and best service. The apartment is located in a fairly quiet residential neighborhood just a short walk south of the hectic downtown area, but there are many good restaurants within walking distance of the apartment, ranging from vendors selling the popular homemade tacos and tamales out of ice-chests on the sidewalk, to little places selling delicious fast food, like Robin’s Kitchen, to elegant restaurants such as Hidden Treasures, considered one of the best restaurants on the island.
I was there primarily to scuba dive on the barrier reef, and the apartment was perfect for me because it has cement floors - so I did not have to worry about bringing my still wet scuba equipment inside, a large shower for rinsing equipment, and is only a 15 min walk to the Belize Pro Dive Center.
I had done considerable research on which dive shop to dive with while on Ambergris Caye, and in the end decided on the Belize Pro Dive Center. While not the largest dive operation on the island, in my opinion it is the best in terms of its dive staff and boat captains, who are all highly trained, professional, and friendly. The Pro Dive Center’s dive masters are thoroughly familiar with dozens of popular dive sites on the reef, many only a 10 minutes boat ride from their dock and, once at the site, are excellent guides to the abundant and varied life the barrier reef has on show - and I am pleased to report the reef is very healthy thanks to the conservation efforts of the government and people of Belize! Also, located a bit of a longer walk from the apartment are the two largest scuba outfits in town, Ramon’s and Amigos del Mar, both of which offer regular trips to Lighthouse Caye, home of the famous dive site, the Blue Hole.
Throughout my stay, Mark and Tina always responded quickly to my many questions and requests for help, for example, where to find the nearest ATM. I was also provided with drinking water by Mark who generously brought it by golf cart when I did not have one. Mark was also happy to let me accompany him a couple of times on his weekly shopping trip which allowed me to stock up on heavy items like large packages of frozen chicken or watermelons, and saved me a great deal of walking.
Mark would give me wind and weather forecasts on a weekly basis to let me know which days of the coming week would be calmest and so better for local diving. When I was having trouble arranging a tour on the mainland to the Belize Zoo and Baboon (aka Black Howler Monkey) Sanctuary because the tour places I contacted were reluctant to provide a tour for just one person, Mark and Tina referred me to an acquaintance of theirs who owns a taxi service on the mainland, Rey's Taxi Service, and I was able to arrange the tour with them. The tour was excellent.
When Tina found out I had some interest in the island’s birds, she arranged a guided tour with a friend, an avid birder who, having been on the island for decades years was exceptionally knowledgeable about the many species birds on the island and, most importantly for me, knew exactly where to find them. We saw over 30 species within two hours, including a pair of nesting ospreys! After the tour, Tina gave me a list of the birds we had seen - so I could read about them and, more importantly, make my birder partner jealous. She also loaned me her copy of “Birds of Belize” to look