Book Description
You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go -- they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us!
Frommer's Belize brings you the best of the country's Mayan sites, world-class scuba diving, unspoiled landscapes, and sensitively developed ecological and adventure travel opportunities. Personally researched by a longtime resident of Central America, it's the only truly up-to-date guide that gives you such in-depth coverage of this fast-developing country, with recommendations to suit every budget.
Download Description
You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go -- they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us!
Frommer's Belize brings you the best of the country's Mayan sites, world-class scuba diving, unspoiled landscapes, and sensitively developed ecological and adventure travel opportunities. Personally researched by a longtime resident of Central America, it's the only truly up-to-date guide that gives you such in-depth coverage of this fast-developing country, with recommendations to suit every budget.
Customer Reviews:
better than LP.......2007-08-19
I am a planner freak, so I used this book and Lonely Planet for my trip. I ended up relying on the Frommers as it was more detailed, more accurate with pricing, and included alot of stuff LP didn't.
not so good.......2007-07-26
I took the frommers and the lonely planet book to my first trip belize, get the lonely planet the frommers isnt very useful nor as easy to use nor as accurate (even tho its newer)
The Book of Lies.......2007-07-18
A few days into our trip to Belize, my friends and I began calling this the book of lies. I bought it because it was the only 2007 travel book for Belize, but it none of the prices were accurate and some things it suggested doing hadn't existed in years. It was just a joke by the end of the trip and we would read passages and just laugh at how wrong the information was. You're way better off getting the rough guide or lonely planet and checking the internet for current prices.
Love the Frommer Books.......2007-05-13
I haven't taken the trip yet, but the book seems to cover everything I'll need.
Excellent resource for the vacationer to Belize!!.......2007-03-19
This is the newest book available for travel to Belize you can buy. This book contains many helpful hints and tidbits. This book is EXCELLENT and very detailed.
Average customer rating:
- Tales of the Foreign Service
- Snafus of Diplomacy
- Could have been better.
- Delightful recreation of British Honduras days
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Our Man in Belize: A Memoir
Richard Timothy Conroy
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0312169590 |
Customer Reviews:
Tales of the Foreign Service.......2007-07-31
Nobody would read this book to learn about Belize or the casualties left by Hurricane Hattie. This memoir belongs to the category of Foreign Service Tales -- like Durrell's "Esprit de Corps." Laughter helps you survive almost anything, even working for the consul from Hell. Although I wish Conroy had focused exclusively on his time in Belize -- because that's where the action is -- memoirs do tend to meander, like real life, and anybody who ever worked in a consulate will recognize Conroy's predicament.
Snafus of Diplomacy.......2003-06-20
I thoroughly enjoyed this book because I read it as a foreign service adventure commentary, NOT as a travel log of Belize. As a daughter of a foreign service officer and as an avid listener of f.s. stories thereof, I chuckled about the various snafus, ridicula, and adventures of this young man and his family on their first post.
Could have been better........2002-10-28
Conroy is funny and the book is very readable, but I didn't give him a higher rating because I didn't think he tried very hard to know the people of Belize, or the country itself. He has a lot to say, all true, about the poverty and the governmental inefficiency when he was there, but didn't notice any of the natural beauty or the native culture(s) in this unique little place. He got really distressingly cold-blooded when he wrote about Hurricane Hattie, a tragedy in which there was great loss of life, and seemed mostly concerned that he wrecked his boots! If you want to know Belize, I would recommend that you read Zee Edgell's fine book BEKA LAMB, which is a nice antidote for Conroy's fin-de-colonialism attitude in this book. Conroy's attitude is reminiscent of Evelyn Waugh in this book, but although he is (almost) as cruel, he is not half so funny.
Delightful recreation of British Honduras days.......1999-05-12
Our Man in Belize is the story of Belize before satellite TV, before tourism, and before crack.
In 1959, Richard Timothy Conroy, something of state department misfit, was posted as U.S. vice consul to British Honduras, a lowly job in one of the backwaters of the diplomatic world. Two years later, one of the worst hurricanes of the century would strike an unprepared Belize. Out of this mixture of colonialism and disaster, Conroy builds an entertaining, fanciful memoir of life when the driving was still on the left. Or, as likely as not, in the middle.
The just-arrived vice consul recounts a trip into the Belize City of 40 years ago:
"The car crunched over the land crabs that had crawled onto the road to enjoy the last heat of the day ... The two-mile drive into Belize along Princess Margaret Drive was a drive into another century. Out at the racetrack, the few houses, for all their bleak shabbiness, had a cheap modern look. A failed subdivision on the edge of an abandoned town in a small country with unsupportable pretensions .... The old part of Belize presented, as we entered, a certain harmony of man, dog, and environment. Even shabby charm ... But the big difference was the number of inhabitants in the streets. The desolation that had so marked the new settlements was replaced by a town teeming with life, on foot, paw, and bicycle as well as rooted in the salty ground."
Conroy quotes U.S. state department reports of the time that the country has "a road going west, and a road going north; both going nowhere." He reports, too, that except for the Fort George Hotel, Government House, and a few houses in the British section which had piped-in water, most of the city collected its water in cisterns "with the occasional rat or cat for body and flavor." He tells of some of Belize's great eccentrics: "Paddy," who would filch the American consulate's copy of The New York Times, and then, after removing all his clothes to wash them in the sea, would sit naked on the public seawall reading The Times while his clothes dried. And of "Bugger," a chess-playing Polish physician who always wanted to go to Africa, so when offered a position in Belize City, he quickly accepted, learning only after he was half-way there that Belize wasn't in Africa.
After his British Honduras post, Conroy did a tour in Vienna, then left the state department for the Smithsonian Institution. Happily for us, Conroy's time in government work didn't ruin his knack for a good story. He's published three mystery novels and can tell a tale with the best of them.
Witness: The sedate dinner party when giant roaches, attracted by the candlelight, drop from the ceiling into the gazpacho, or the story of a fool-proof method for stopping the cook from stealing your scotch.
That these stories have, as the author admits, taken on a life of their own, are perhaps as much fantasy as fact, does not at all detract. Such recasting of reality, however, is likely behind Conroy's irritating and otherwise unexplainable habit of changing the names of nearly everybody, and even of some cities and countries, long after most of these people are gone and the events forgotten.
Some old Belize hands, including those who knew him personally, take exception to Conroy's tales. It is not, after all, always a flattering memoir. He tells of the petty stupidities of the U.S. government and of the bunglings of both the British and the local Creole establishments, albeit disguising the identities of the participants. Conroy revels in juicy and unflattering gossip. He reports, for example, the story of the long-time Belize City department store owner who, after getting a nice settlement from the insurance company on losses from Hurricane Hattie and the looting afterwards, piled his Rover full of cash and drove north to the Mexican border, outrunning a customs inspector on a bicycle and violating British currency exchange regulations then in force.
More significantly, Conroy also could be faulted for focusing on the details, however amusing, of personal discomforts and calamities caused by Hurricane Hattie, rather than on the human tragedy the hurricane caused. Hattie struck on the night before Halloween 1961, killing more than 400 Belizeans and destroying much of Belize City. Conroy gives short shrift to the misery of homeless Belizeans in the shacks of Hattieville (which Conroy misidentifies as the site of Belmopan, the new capital) yet lightheartedly claims that after Hurricane Hattie young girls in Belize stopped wearing underwear, in a primordial reproductive reaction to a natural disaster. With an irreverent nod, however, to Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana and a wave to the captivating scoundrels of In the Garden of Good and Evil, Conroy's is the kind of memoir which, to paraphrase William Powell as Nick Charles in Shadow of the Thin Man, we enjoy no other kind than.
Conroy says he has not been back to Belize since 1963 and proposes that today's Belize he would not even recognize. He suggests that Hurricane Hattie may have been, as it were, a watershed in Belize's history, the turning point from the old colonial backwater past to self-government and a move to a new order of politics and business on a wider stage. The final laugh of this memorable memoir, this one on Vice Consul Conroy himself, may be that the Belize of the 1950s, with its entertaining eccentrics, bordellos, heavy drinkers, comic politicians, inept diplomats, dope airstrips in the bush, auto-theft rings, and port thieves, is not that much different from the Belize of 1998.
Book Description
Weave your way through jungle rivers to the haunting sound of howler monkeys, escape the 21st century at Lamanai's millennia-old Maya ruins, dive deep with technicolor marine life at spectacular Glover's Reef or just kick back with a fruity rum punch. Whatever adventures you have in mind, this comprehensive guide will take you deep into the heart of Belize. STEP BACK IN TIME - written by an expert in the field, our chapter on ancient Maya culture unravels the past PLAN YOUR TRIP - inspiring island-hopping and touring itineraries, insider tips and over 30 maps REST EASY on any budget with our comprehensive accommodations listings, from beachside shacks to jungle lodges BE INSPIRED - discover the adrenaline junkie in you with details on the best outdoor activities, including scuba diving and river-tubing GO BEYOND with our excursions to Tikal and Flores, Guatemala
Customer Reviews:
Go with Frommers.......2007-08-19
I am a planner freak, so I used this book and Frommers. I ended up relying on the Frommers as it was more detailed, more accurate with pricing, and included alot of stuff LP didn't.
LP is outdated, and it only had general information about Belize....not as specific as Frommers.
Disappointing.......2007-03-01
As always, the Lonely Planet guide is well-structured with key features such as bus schedules. This particular guide was hit-and-miss with its information, however. Lodging prices were out-of-date (not just seasonally); the Tropical Education Center's prices have nearly doubled. The biggest problem is the outright-misinformed notion that Belize's dry season starts in November; every Belizean told me that it always starts in January or February, hence water levels were still high and wildlife was scarce during my February trip. Several towns and locations of interest were left out, forcing me to buy the Rough Guide. Although the Rough Guide reads like a novel and not so much a field guide, it has more information than the Lonely Planet guide. This was the first trip where nobody I met was using the LP guide.
An absolute must to Belize!.......2007-01-29
Rarely has a book been so useful in traveling around a country. Belize is not so big and the information inside covers most details you will ever want to ask about Belize. Very much in the best spirit of Lonley Guides whose devoted user I have become for any travel to a new destination. Highly recommended for all the Belize travellers (incl. Tikal in Guatemala).
Packed with information.......2007-01-24
A must have for traveler's going off the beaten path. If you're the type that likes to take local transportation and call ahead to hotels, this guide is what you need. If you prefer to stay in an all-inclusive resort, you'll still get inside information about what to do and see locally.
Lonely Planet comes through again!.......2006-03-09
I purchased three Belize guide books, and this was by far the best!
The New Key to Belize(1994) and Hidden Belize(2001) had outdated and duplicate information(word for word!)
Buy the Lonely Planet Book, you will not be disappointed!
Book Description
This new edition gives RV travelers and campers all the information they need to hit the road for Mexico. Chapters are broken up into geographical sections for easy reference, and there is new information on RV travel in Baja and Belize. Routes that bisect or bypass cities are included, to accommodate both visitors who wish to see the hustle and bustle and those who would prefer to get away from it all. Directions, addresses, and maps for virtually every campground in Mexico are provided and make use of GPS coordinates to pinpoint destinations. There are also descriptions of campground facilities and a brief guide to the towns or localities where the campgrounds are located, listing important sights and destinations, local markets, and interesting side trips. Knowledgeably written and accessibly presented, this is the book to take across the border.
Customer Reviews:
Mexican Camping.......2007-10-06
I've been searching on the internet for information on RV (Trailer Parks in Mexico) Resorts in Mexico and it hasn't been very useful. This book however is exactly what I was searching for on the internet but MUCH, MUCH handyer.
A dream becoming reality.......2007-09-01
Thanks to this book, we will be able to get on with our project, drive into Mexico with our Class A. We probably would have done it anyway, but this book makes things easier and with less hassle and waste of time.
We know, now, exactly what and where we will go on our 3 month trip.
Mexican Camping?.......2007-06-08
There is not much useful in this book. Traveling widely in Mexico and checking out many of the suggested stops, few still exist. Just try calling them. One of the few that was still in operation had an overflowing septic tank and was intolerable.
Alas, dry camping with permission is the order of the day. Luckily Mexicans are nice about it. US style RV or tent camping sites are rare as hen's teeth. Since the right to bear arms does not exist in Mexico, security can be a real issue if you make a bad decision. Maybe the best advice, if you do not caravan, would be to drive a decrepit, ratty, small RV so as not to attract the wrong sort.
GREAT CAMPING GUIDE.......2006-02-05
I found the book a GREAT guide for camping with my RV.The publishers website has updates on the campgrounds.
Traveler's Guide to Mexican Camping.......2005-04-11
We found the Churchs book an essential aid in navigating around some of Mexico's cities and finding interesting campsites. Each page is filled with useful information, maps, directions and commentary on camping places that aid in trip planning.
Average customer rating:
- Island living
- Beautiful and Exotic
- Perfect for Decorating Ideas
- Great book
- The Best in Tropical Houses
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Tropical Houses: Living in Nature in Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Java, Bali, and the Coasts of Mexico and Belize
Tim Street-Porter
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
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Binding: Hardcover
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Island Style: Tropical Dream Houses in Indonesia
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Tropical Interiors
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Bali Modern: The Art of Tropical Living
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Bali Houses: New Wave Asian Architecture and Design
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Tropical Modern
ASIN: 0517704625
Release Date: 2000-11-07 |
Amazon.com
Before opening Tropical Houses, hide your passport. As soon as you get a glimpse of these incredible houses nestled among lush tropical landscapes, you'll want to head straight to the airport. Author Tim Street-Porter spent more than 10 years traveling through Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Bali, Java, Mexico, and Belize, meeting the owners of these Shangri-las and taking interior and exterior photos. Tropical Houses offers intelligent, dreamy commentary and over 272 breathtaking full-color photos.
Visit the House of Iseh in Bali and sit in the verdant shadow of the sacred volcano Gunung Agung. Said writer Anna Mathews of the view from the terrace: "Once you have lived in this place you can never be the same again. You are driven mad by beauty." In Jamaica, imagine you're a guest at Good Hope. Originally a plantation, Good Hope is now a 10-room villa that overlooks the Queen of Spain valley and the Cockpit Mountains. To look at these provocative photos is to imagine yourself in another life--one where you lounge on the veranda while white-jacketed waiters quietly replace your empty rum-and-pineapple drink. The owners of these estates have taken great care (at great expense) to create private, tropical paradises. One of the most stunning is Taprobane, an incredible retreat dominating the tiny island of the same name. Built by Count de Mauny-Talvande, the house is "an octagonal villa that allowed for verandahs in every direction; a 1930s folly, which, with small gardens extending through the foliage to the overhanging edges, fully occupied the crest of his island."
The careful architecture and landscaping of these estates "opens a world of sensual experiences." When the sky is gray and you don't have time for a vacation, Tropical Houses will lift your spirits and quiet your wanderlust. --Dana Van Nest
Book Description
The ambient warmth of the tropics causes architectural distinctions between indoors and out to evaporate, along with the walls that divide them. Houses expand into the landscape, while the sights, sounds, and scents of nature waft through living spaces. Indeed, one of the pleasures of living in the tropics is an awakening of the senses that brings us closer to nature.
Internationally renowned photographer and writer Tim Street-Porter has spent more than ten years traveling through Bali, Java, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Belize, and Jamaica. This book's 272 stunning photographs, supported by Street-Porter's fascinating and informed commentary, capture the appeal and the meaning of the enviable dwellings he found in his journeys. It may be the outdoor bath, a sybarite's delight, with sun filtering through a frangipani tree . . . the deep-eaved verandah, where one sips coffee while contemplating the neighboring valley shrouded in early morning mist . . . or the thatch-roofed palapa, its main supports local tree trunks wrapped in strangler vine.
These wonderful expressions of vernacular architecture -- many the products of the world's finest architects and designers--nest in jungles, perch over volcanic cliffs, stand placidly beside lagoons, and exist always in harmony with the nature that envelops them. These are real places where people really live, but each seems suspended in a setting that is at once dreamlike and elemental.
Customer Reviews:
Island living.......2005-08-02
Excellent book with something for all tastes. Beautiful pictures make you want to go home and decorate immediately.
Beautiful and Exotic.......2004-05-28
The cover is just a teaser to the exciting tropical houses Tim Street-Porter captures in this wondeful book. A real treat to exclusive tropical living around the world. Also an excellent reference to decorate in the tropical look. Street-Porter does it again as he did in Casa Mexicana. A book to enjoy over and over.
Perfect for Decorating Ideas.......2003-01-15
We are trying to get an "island" feel for our home and this book was the perfect reference. Not only are the pictures of the homes (inside and out) breathtaking, but there is enough detail about the decorating itself to be useful for our purpose. The only downside is that it makes you want to sell your current house and just travel the world staying in these amazing homes! Especially tempting is the contact information at the very end in case you actually want to rent one of them on vacation...
Great book.......2002-05-25
I found this to be a wonderful book - it has some amazing pictures. It affords you the opportunity to view some beautiful private houses that you are unlikely to be able to visit. Unlike some other books that focus primarily on houses in South East Asia, this one also features some great houses in Mexico and Jamaica.
The Best in Tropical Houses.......2001-11-29
Tropical Houses takes you around the globe to find some of the most interestingly designed homes in the world. The photographs are at once detailed and lush. If you are going to buy one book on tropical interiors, this should be the one.
Book Description
The Yucatn Peninsula is today divided among Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. Travelers to this region discover both astonishing archaeological sites and a stunning array of wildlife, including crocodiles, turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, and salamanders. This book--written by the world's leading authority on the herpetology of the lowland Maya area--is the only comprehensive field guide to all the species of amphibians and reptiles found there.
This field guide allows identification of all native and introduced species of amphibians and reptiles of the region.
features nearly 180 color photographs and 180 drawings.
offers valuable techniques for field identification, and a glossary of herpetological terms.
provides in each species account: description, natural history, similar species, and geographic distribution (complete with maps of each animal's range).
includes suggested readings for those who want to know more about a particular species.
illustrates all tadpoles.
describes the most characteristic vocalizations of the reptiles and amphibians in the volume.
introduces the physical geography, climate, and vegetation of the region, with emphasis on the habitats of amphibians and reptiles.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent field guide.......2001-08-28
This book is perfect for anyone interested in herps in the Maya Forest. Complementary to Campbell's field guide, but also includes great line drawings, range maps, and characteristics to distinguish from similar species. Also, better photos than in Campbell's guide. If I were to buy one field guide for the area, I'd choose this over Campbell's.
An exceptionally well laid out field guide.......2001-02-09
A Field Guide To The Amphibians And Reptiles Of The Maya World is a comprehensive survey of the crocodiles, turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, and salamanders found in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. This exceptionally well laid out field guide allows the easy identification of all native and introduced species of amphibians and reptiles of the region; is enhanced with 180 color photographs and 180 drawings; provides valuable techniques for field identification; includes a glossary of herpetological terms; and for each species gives a full description, natural history, and geographic distribution information (complete with maps). There are suggested readings for those who want to know more about a particular species, even descriptions of the most characteristic vocalizations of the reptiles and amphibians surveyed. A Field Guide To The Amphibians And Reptiles Of The Maya World is a "must" for any personal, professional, or academic library collection of natural history and herpetology reference works.
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Maya world.......2000-08-23
Julian C. Lee's field guide of the amphibians and reptiles of the Maya world is excellent. The color photographs make it easy to identify the animal in question; the maps give the reader the distribution of the form; the text gives a short synopsis of the characters and natural history of the taxon; the photos, line drawings, and the PRICE make it all worth while. Any person visiting the outback of the Yucatan Peninsula needs a copy of this book. All Nature Touring Companies should have it available for their clients. A wonderful addition for any professional herpetologist bookshelf.
Product Description
A folded travel and road map in color showing elevations. Indexed with town, camps, and villages. Scale 1:250,000. Legend is in English and Spanish. The map distinguishes paved and unpaved roads, seasonal roads, and tracks. Icons locate international airport, domestic airports with scheduled service, airstrips/ landing ground, lakes, rivers, swamps, coral reefs, protected area, bird sanctuaries, diving, border crossings, bridges, ports, fishing, major and minor archaeological sites. Includes: location of the barrier reefs, marine reserves, forest reserves, and other sites of ecological interest
Customer Reviews:
Indispensable.......2007-08-29
I lived in Belize for six years, and carried this map most of the time. I was always sorry I didn't have it at my fingertips, particularly when flying over the cayes, or driving someplace new. There are plenty of road signs in Belize, but you need THIS MAP in order to really understand the layout.
sr. ric
Well worn after 7 days.......2007-01-28
I just returned from driving thru Belize for 7 days and this map was indispensable. We put over 400 miles on our car and never got lost. It was pretty current with the highway system (such that it is) in Belize and it held up pretty good. I would only question the use of the term "main road" vs "secondary road" and "seasonal road" as most other roads other than highway are dirt roads. And all the dirt roads looked seasonal.
Book Description
"This is a first-class book that will enable users to identify any bird they encounter in Belize."
—Victor Emanuel, President, Victor Emanuel Nature Tours
With nearly six hundred identified species of birds—and an average of five "new" species discovered annually—Belize is becoming a birding hotspot for amateur and professional birders from around the globe. Thousands of birders visit the country each year to enjoy Belize's amazing abundance and variety of both temperate and tropical birds in natural habitats that remain largely unspoiled. But until now, despite the growing need for an authoritative identification guide, birders have had to rely on regional field guides that offer only limited information on Belizean birds.
Birds of Belize provides the first complete guide to the identification of all currently known species—574 in all. The birds are grouped by families, with an introduction to each family that highlights its uniquely identifying characteristics and behaviors. The species accounts include all the details necessary for field identification: scientific and common names, size, plumage features, thorough voice descriptions, habitat, distribution, and status in Belize. Full color, expertly drawn illustrations by noted bird artist Dana Gardner present male and female, juvenile and adult, and basic and alternate plumages to aid visual identification throughout the year, while 234 range maps show the birds' distribution and seasonality in Belize. A comprehensive bibliography completes the volume.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent for novice and expert bird enthusiasts.......2007-09-06
I have several bird books for Central America but this is by far the most comprehensive guide on birds of Belize. There are numerous illustrations and the information is very thorough. If you're looking for a guide to Belizean birds, this is for you.
very good.......2007-03-29
really good bird book lots of interesting facts but just too big to take out in the field!!
The one THEY use!.......2007-03-25
Belize is a bird watcher's paradise. I bought this book right before my first trip to Belize in June of 2006. As an amateur bird watcher, I found it immensely easy to identify birds with this book as a guide. It is somewhat hefty, and a little cumbersome to carry around in the steamy jungles, but its printed on high-quality paper with water-resistant paper boards, and well laid out for quick reference. My wife and I stayed at two resorts during our trip, and all of the resident expert bird guides carried this book! The plates are wonderfully hand drawn in color, which is much better than color photographs for any field guide. Another couple we met also had this book, but felt the drawings of some of the species were not on par with other publications, but obviously a volume dedicated to the single country you are in makes this volume well worth the price.
Trip to Belize.......2007-03-23
We found Birds of Belize to be very helpful in identifying the colorful birds of this tropical nation. We also slipped into the Mayan ruins of Tikal in Guatemala for a day and saw the Black-headed Trogon and Montezuma Oropendola. Along the bus route we saw the Wood Storks flying over distant wetlands. Most of our time was spent in the Cayo district where we enjoyed the friendly Great Kiskadee, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Baltimore and Orchard Oriole. The parrots kept us challenged, going from tree to tree. And oh, what a disappointment when we learned of Macaw Bank, just down the road from us where those beautiful creatures apparently come each evening. We would have loved to seen the Toucan also. But we did see 50 birds during our 12 day stay. On bus trips we also saw the Lineated Woodpecker. Got a sling book bag made by the locals to carry this heavier book. We probably should have left the book home on our boat journey to Caye Calker for snorkeling; because even the salt water seeped through the bag on a corner of the book. There were a couple of birds which we simply could not identify. Just couldn't find them in the book. Immatures, females, or vagrants? We shall treasure the record of our bird list in the back of the book from this trip to Belize. We were pleased to have taken this helpful identifying bird book with us on the trip. Would have been lost without it.
At last! THE Belize bird guide.......2006-05-04
Due to its small size, proximity to the USA, English speaking tradition, tropical biodiversity and fairly well conserved natural environment, Belize is growing to be one of the most popular destinations for birders. However, until recently the country lacked a national field guide. This book therefore fills a major gap in the bird identification literature.
The book covers all 574 species recorded in Belize at the time of publication. After brief but informative introductory chapters, a group of 56 colour plates is dedicated to every species. As a refreshing change, all migrants are illustrated, reducing the need to carry an additional field guide to North American birds. A brief text accompanies each plate on the facing page, while the full species descriptions are found separately in the main body of text. Range maps for 234 species are found at the back of the book.
Although this book will not replace the immensely authoritative Howell & Webb's "A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America" (on Amazon: ISBN 0198540124) for Belize, it is certainly a much more portable guide to carry into the field. A must for birders planning a trip to this friendly patch of Central America.
Book Description
Though it's a mere sliver on the Caribbean, Belize is one of the fastest growing destinations in Central America, and it's easy to see why. Belize enchants over 230,000 visitors a year—including honeymooners, celebrities, and diving and deep-sea fishing enthusiasts—with its surreal landscape. This brand-new guide gives a thorough overview of the entire country, from inland Maya ruin expeditions to coastal adventures.
• 8-page color insert
• Full coverage of outdoor activities from hiking in the Cayo district to boating around the atolls
• Feature chapter on Maya Ruins, including tips on visiting a ruin and a specialized itinerary
Customer Reviews:
pretty good.......2007-04-10
this book was helpful but not as good as the rough guide.
the prices were about as exact as the rough guide (RG a year older version too) as well as the reviews. it did have a few places the rough guide didnt but the same in reverse.
i think i liked the map better in this book though.
Disappointing drop in quality........2006-12-21
I have always considered Fodor's travel books to be the best. They covered the highlights of each country in terms of a brief history, what to expect, places to visit, restaurants and where to stay. Their reviews were concise, accurate and covered a range from moderate to expensive. Most refreshing was an absence of the pretentious attitudes that often characterized other guides. (Frommers being the worst offender.)
I've visited Belize before, but since it had been a few years, picked up Fodor's Belize 2007 guide. First thing I noticed is it is now one complete book devoted to the country, where in the past it was grouped under the title of "Central America". In this case, more does not translate into better. Much of this book is irrelevant filler.
Most disappointing however is that the writers seems to have "phoned it in" while lounging by the resort swimming pool. In short, if you love expensive hotels or trendy restaurants, this is the book for you. If you are interested in visiting more of the real country, try another publication.
For example, Dangriga is a fascinating part of Belize, but lacks traditional tourist infrastructure. While it may not be the most popular part of the country for the Fodor writers, I would expect at least an update of hotel descriptions. Sadly, some are easily two years out of date.
Yet another example is seen in the coverage afforded to Belmopan, the capitol of the country. Belmopan is also not a major area for tourism, but people do visit. There are some small hotels and B&B's available, nothing fancy, but clean and friendly. Yet the only listings shown in the 2007 Guide are for resorts located many miles away (One suggestion is at least a 45 minute drive from Belmopan. Its a beautiful air-conditioned jungle lodge but so far away, to list it is absurd.) Again, the writers may not like having to stay in a small hotel, but they should at least list them for others who may visit.
Not surprisingly, the only place this book excels is when it comes to Ambergris Caye and San Pedro. It does give a very good listing of hotels, restaurants and activities. While the focus is on the more expensive, it does cover a representative range.
I hope this guide does not mark a new direction for Fodors. I personally enjoy staying in more upscale accommodations, but would not avoid a section of a country simply because there are no 4-star hotels. A good travel book should give a complete range. I stopped using Frommers because of this arrogance. I hope Fodors is not following in their footsteps.
Great book, although more $$ recommendations.......2006-10-21
My husband and I just returned from a 16 day trip, and this book was definitely worth the money!! It is the most up to date Belize guidebook you can buy right now, and almost all of it's information was right on. We also bought the Belize Moon Guidebook, and comparing the two, I would say that Fodors is more upscale. Usually, it's assuming you're going to rent a car and hire guides for your trips (both of which cost $$$), and it does a better job of describing more expensive hotels and restaurants. This is great if you have the money, but we were on a budget, so this info was useless for us. The Moon book did a better job covering places and topics for a budget traveller (like what to do if you get a GI bug--something no one wants, but when it happens, you're glad it's covered in the book!). That said, Fodor's was still really helpful because it's the most up to date, so it's maps, attractions, restaurant, and lodging recommendations could usually be relied on (Kudos for the Fodor's recommendation for Tradewinds in Plancencia--this tip alone made me glad I bought the book!). Overall, it's the perfect book if you are planning a more upscale trip, but it's still very helpful (4 star) if you're a budget traveller and I would defintely recommend purchasing it along with the Moon Belize book.
Average customer rating:
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Michelin THE GREEN GUIDE Mexico Guatemala Belize, 1st (THE GREEN GUIDE)
Michelin
Manufacturer: Michelin Travel Publications
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Binding: Paperback
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Book Description
This title in the acclaimed Michelin Green Guide series brings you the best of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize in a single volume. Experience the bustling Mexico City, one of the biggest cities in the world. Unravel mysteries that lie buried in the legendary archeological sites of Tikal and Uxmal. Stroll the historic streets of the colonial cities of Puebla and Zacatecas or relax on the sugary white-sand beaches of Cancun and Cozumel. A country of unique attractions, Mexico is known for the popular legends of its people, fiestas, as well as for its fine handicrafts. This edition includes listings for hotels, restaurants, cafes and nightlife spots in selected cities.
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- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
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