I had never been down south before so it wasn't as hard as it now sounds.

I was heading to Cozumel, Mexico with very little expectation for anything other than a little warm water diving and way too many cold beer, chased with even more tequila.

Although I was correct about the beer and tequila, I found something I did not expect and there seemed to be no way to turn back once I was on the course. This unexpected finding has followed me to this very day and I am certain that it will follow me for the rest of my days.

Over the next several years I took lots of trip to the Caribbean, not only to Cozumel, also to many other destinations as well, until I finally landed in the place that I now consider to be the most life changing and enchanting location on the planet.

THE DISCOVERY

San Pedro Ambergris Caye, Belize is the place my soul fells completely at peace and my mind seems to wander to several times a day all year long. This stunningly beautiful and personally haunting paradise seems to engulf the emotions and capture the mind with a simple carefree attitude. This is most obvious when you realize that everywhere on the island you go nobody, except the newly arrived tourists, are wearing shoes. I know that when you read this it seems like such a small thing, however, I can assure you the first time you have a surf & turf meal at a nice restaurant and the waitress is bare foot on the sand floor, this becomes an awakening of the spirit that I could never fully explain.

GETTING TO PARADISE

Being a SCUBA diver and traveling the tropical climates of the world for that purpose it was inevitable that I would eventually come to find San Pedro, as it's located directly on the second largest barrier reef in the entire world and was also made famous by the world renowned underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau during his exploration of the Great Blue Hole of Belize. This is one of the worlds best dive locations and has a great attraction to all who love the underwater universe. Also Madonna sang about San Pedro and Ambergris Caye in the song "La Isla Bonita” and so it would seem that destiny alone would bring me to her.

Originally it was planned for me to travel there with the same to friends that had accompanied me to Cozumel and all of the other destinations that I had been for the years since that first awakening, however, one of them was forced to cancel at the last minute due to unforeseen business problems and it was down to just Kevin and I for the trip.

I was disappointed at losing one of the group since we always had a great time together, but I was also very exited for this vacation.

And so it was that Kevin and I boarded the plane in Toronto and stopped in Houston TX as the there are no direct flights to Belize from Toronto or most other North American cities for that matter, and there we transferred to the flight that would land at Phillip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) on the mainland. It would require another flight from there to get us to San Pedro and we chose Tropic Air as the means to get us there.

The flight was on a 10 seat Cessna Caravan and the pilot was very competent and professional for the 15 min commute.

OTHER OPTIONS

Although the travel method we selected was the fastest and most direct means of getting to the island it was not the most inexpensive or, for that matter, the most scenic.

If you are looking to get to Belize you will need to fly in from one of a small group of Cities in the U.S. or you can choose an option that will not only save you money, but will also provide an exiting addition to the trip for those who seek a little extra adventure.

For this you would fly into Cancun MX where you will then board a coach bus that will travel to Chetumal where you can fly or take a boat to the Island. Click here for details.

Either way the best stuff will hit you once you arrive in San Pedro.

ACCOMMODATIONS

We chose the SPINDRIFT hotel as our base of operations for the week. It was centrally located and also right on the beach and that was very appealing to us. The great thing about being located at a hotel with a pier is that all the tour operators on the Island will pick you up at the pier out front of the hotel for every excursion you plan.

Other locations on the island can be viewed here in order of price category. This will be useful as there are dozens of places to choose from and you can go as inexpensive are as high end as you would like. We chose the Spindrift for a combination of location and price. We love to stay in a hotel as opposed to a resort and this was the best we could find for the price we could afford.

I am happy to report that the staff was excellent and the accommodations were perfect for us.

GETTING AROUND

The most striking thing about transportation on Ambergris Caye is that most people walk if they are in town. If you need some sort of vehicle the most popular on Ambergris Caye is the electric golf cart. Traveler can rent these by the day, week or even the month at several locations and you can, if you like, make arrangements ahead of time for you needs. Although I would caution that time really does have a different meaning when you get here so you may want to just play it by ear and get the rental when you get there if you still want to drive around. You can check out prices here.

THINGS TO DO

If you are interested in doing more than sunning on the beach there are more options then I can count for day trips and tours ranging from local diving or crocodile watching to off island excursions to the mainland or other dive locations. There are dozens of tour operators and some times you can find better deals when you look around on the island but I would always caution that the reputable operators are the safest bet, as with anywhere else in the world.

A list of things to do will help you to find your best interests; some of my recommendations are as follows:

• SCUBA diving is the #1 thing for me to do
• Fishing is world class
• Cave tubing on the mainland is fun for the whole family or group

There are so many more options but I always find that I am far more interested in strolling down the sand streets or along the beach for an afternoon then rushing around from one event to another.

RESTAURANTS

The cuisine on this island would be considered fine dinning in any location in Canada or the United States, and would be out of the per meal price range of the greater majority of people if they were trying to find a location to get it in their home towns. The unfortunate part for those who could afford such meals is that, I believe, there is not one place in these countries where you could even find such cuisine.

The prices are very good and the portions will fill even the heartiest appetite, additionally the service and atmosphere of every restaurant in San Pedro and the rest of Ambergris Caye would shame the very best of the worlds dinning establishments.

The atmosphere is always fun and inviting, smiles are all that you will see on the face of any server you encounter and this attitude will most definitely rub off on anyone who enters, having the effect of creating a desire to sit all night and have drink with everyone who comes in.

The service along with being friendly and warm is traditional Caribbean service. This means that meals will be served to the table on island time but you won't be aware of how long it has been because you will be having so much fun just taking it all in. As well as the best cuisine and atmosphere you will also be able to find any dish you heart desires with the only exception being, chain restaurants and fast food.

TIME TO LEAVE PARADISE

When the sad event of leaving comes around it will feel all too soon and you will be left with a strong desire to return in the (unrealistically near) future. My next visit was an eternal 7 months later and this time was with a much larger group of travelers and I can assure it will not be my last.

It is required for you to contact the island airport the day before you leave to confirm your flight back to the mainland, no doubt because so many people have changed their mind about leaving by this time, but most resorts and some hotels can make this call for you the day before.

It is with a great deal of joy that I write this review of my experience in San Pedro town Ambergris Caye, Belize because I believe that this destination needs to be given the credit it is due for the outstanding work it does to not only treat every person who is there with the utmost care and respect, but to also keep the natural beauty of the island in place for future generations to experience.