More
Information
Trips and
Tours
General Information
Belize Travel Agent Services
Member:
Belize Tourism Industry Association
Placencia
Humane Society
Peninsula
Citizens
for Sustainable
Development
(Board of Directors)
Placencia
Sidewalk Fund
(Board of Directors)
The Iris Foundation
for Education
(Board of Directors)
Belize Marine Mammal Stranding Association
Belize Ecotourism Association
Email Us |
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 Fishing, camping and snorkeling with the whole
family can be a great treat. However,
all families are not alike - and not all family members
enjoy the same activities. That's why we enjoy helping families design custom itineraries to
fit the interests and priorities of individual families and family members.
Just email us with
information on activities in which you are interested, and we'll work with you to develop
a unique vacation just for your family. You might also want to take a look at some sample itineraries to give you an idea of the kind of trips that
can be put together in the Placencia area.
To help you start the planning process,
following is
information on:
Also provided is information on:
And please don't hesitate to email us for
general information on Belize, local attractions and area accommodations. We are an
independent service, and are not affiliated with any hotels, resorts or other
business. Therefore, we believe we can offer fairly unbiased advice on planning your
Placencia vacation.
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Family Activity Suggestions |
Family Fishing
Trips
Fishing is a wonderful family sport. Exciting when a
fish is hooked, but with time to relax, get to know each other better, and take in the
natural Caribbean beauty. And then there's always the "one that got away
stories" to tell afterwards.
Our family fishing trips feature:
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Trips tailored to suit the skill
levels of family members. For example, trolling is a good way for
children and adults alike to "get their feet wet" (so to speak) in
fishing. Few things are more relaxing, AND exciting, than
when the trolling reel starts to "zing" signaling that a fish is on the
line. With a little help, even children as young as 5 or 6 can
haul in a decent-sized fish. |
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Meals:
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Breakfast for early starts
(breakfast sandwiches or sweet rolls, coffee, and juice)
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Angler's lunch (designed to be
easily eaten on-board - sandwiches, fresh fruit, chips, salad, dessert, juice and
bottled water)
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Gear: trolling gear (rods,
reels, line, hooks, lures, etc.). We usually also have spinning gear for clients'
use. However, repairs are very difficult to obtain in Belize, so we cannot guarantee
availability of spinning gear loaners. We do not supply flyfishing gear.
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Snorkeling: We recommend that
clients take along snorkeling gear on all fishing trips to take advantage of whale shark
and dolphin sightings (not uncommon in area waters). Some of the best area cayes for
fishing are also great snorkeling spots.
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Free diving: Depending on the
interests of family members, we are happy to provide "instruction" on
free-diving for lobster and conch (depending on season).
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Fishing instruction (as needed). |
See our Fishing
page for more detailed information on fishing trips.
Family
Snorkeling
The coral reefs in the Placencia area have
channels sometimes dropping down 100 feet, and then rising sharply into shoals and cayes.
This underwater topography creates beautiful shallow coral reef sites particularly
suited to snorkeling.
Our family snorkeling trips feature:
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Guided
snorkeling at area cayes such as Laughing Bird and the Silk
Cayes
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Individual snorkeling
instruction, as needed |
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Meals:
freshly prepared shore lunch featuring fresh fish, lobster or conch (depending on
availability and season)
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Free
diving: Depending on the interests of family members, we are happy to provide
"instruction" on free-diving for lobster and conch (depending on season)
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Trolling
gear
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Snorkeling gear can be rented in Placencia Village
(and some resorts stock gear for use by guests). However, we recommend packing
custom-fitted snorkeling gear. Ill-fitting snorkeling gear, particularly masks, can
ruin a snorkeling trip. Children are especially hard to fit, so we strongly advise
parents NOT to count on renting snorkeling gear for children. Several of the local
rental shops will buy the gear from you if you don't want to take it home.
Also, if your child needs corrective eyewear,
prescription snorkeling masks may be advisable, depending on the level of correction
necessary (preferable to wearing contacts under a mask for small children).
Less confident swimmers may also be more
comfortable wearing snorkeling vests. Unfortunately, these are not available for
rental in Placencia. However, they are fairly small and easily packable.
See our Snorkeling
Page for more detailed snorkeling information.
We like fishing, snorkeling and camping with young
children. Their excitement is contagious and their questions sometimes really make us
think. Children as young as 5 enjoy trolling and spincasting inside the reef.
Plus, a day of fishing together can be a special treat for the whole family.
However, young children do require some extra consideration on
tropical adventure trips. We hope the following information will be useful to you in
planning your Belize vacation.
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Young children burn more easily than adults and
teenagers, so be sure to equip your kids with plenty of water-proof, 30 or higher SPF
sunscreen and a hat. You may also want to bring lightweight long pants and
long-sleeved shirt if your child is not used to the tropical sun.
***Important!!!! Do NOT use sunscreen on infants!!!! See our page on Sun Protection for additional information.
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A dry child is a happier child (and has a happier
parent), and we suggest packing a change of clothing, even on short day trips (including
shoes on jungle trips).
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Children under 80 pounds need specially fitted
personal flotation devices (PFDs). We suggest that you pack your own PFD for each
child under 80 pounds. Also, the U.S. Coast Guard does NOT recommend inflatable PFDs
for children We suggest a Type 1 PFD.
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Young children often have food allergies. Let
us know well ahead of time if your child does. The sooner you contact us, the
better, since we may be unable to acquire some items in Belize, and you may need to pack
special food items to bring with you.
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Young children may be more susceptible to sea
sickness. Discuss this with your doctor before you leave to determine whether
over-the-counter medications such as Dramamine® are safe for your child.
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Children may tire and become bored more easily than
adults (as if you didn't know). Rather than a day-long fishing trip, you may want to
combine fishing with snorkeling and/or a camping trip to accommodate shorter attention
spans and the need for more R&R.
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Insects and insect bites are often more bothersome
(and itchier) for young children. Unfortunately, that sometimes leads to a lot of
scratching AND infected bites. Check with your doctor for advice on infected bites
(note: Belize doctors often prescribe breaking tetracycline capsules directly onto
infected insect bites). Also, make sure to bring an insect repellent rated
safe for young children.
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Medical precautions should minimally include a
tetanus shot (strongly advised). Malaria is generally not a problem in the
Placencia area. However, discuss this with your doctor, especially if you plan on
spending time in the Toledo District, Guatemala (Tikal) or other jungle locations.
Placencia tap water is very safe to drink and hygiene standards are high. Therefore,
Hepatitis A is not much of a concern here. Again, however, discuss this with your
doctor - a Hepatitis A shot might not be a bad idea in general.
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Most kids love to snorkel and swim. Snorkeling
gear may be rented in Placencia, but for young children, we strongly advise packing
custom-fitted snorkeling gear. Young children are harder to fit, and the rental
shops may not have sizes small enough to be comfortable for young children. At a
minimum, bring a custom-fitted mask. A poorly fitted one is enough to ruin a great
trip.
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SunSmart Clothing offers a
unique line of sun protection clothing for children and infants.
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Recommended Books (links will open in a new browser
window - close the new window to return to this page):
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First
Cast, Teaching Kids to Flyfish, Phil Genova. Phil Genova is the founder and
director of the Fly Fisher Apprentice Program, a nationally recognized fishing for kids
program. Focus is on keeping the fun in learning the art of flyfishing. |
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National
Audubon Society Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes, C. Lavett Smith, National
Audubon Society. THE field guide for tropical fishes. Our main reference book
on this subject. |
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Snorkeling
and Free Diving, Tom Scott, Jim Flagg. One of the best of the very few books
available on snorkeling and free diving (maybe these guys should write a book on saltwater
flyfishing in Belize) |
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Primates
: From Howler Monkeys to Humans (Animals in Order) by Erin Pembrey Swan, Sandra
Hirshkowith (Paperback - March 1999) |
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J. Rooker, Manatee by Jan Haley, Paul Brent (Illustrator)
(Hardcover - September 1996) |
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Sam
the Sea Cow by Francine Jacobs, Laura Kelly (Illustrator) (Paperback - May 1992) |
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Manatee
Blues (Wild at Heart, No 4) by Laurie Halse Anderson (Paperback - September 2000)
(preteens)
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We know some of you
may find this hard to believe, but young adults (i.e., teenagers) are some of our favorite
clients. We've found them to be genuinely concerned about our environment and interested
in experiencing our culture. (They also usually turn out to be great anglers, as
well!
Young adults should take the same sun, insect and
medication precautions as older adults. Bring along plenty of sunscreen (SPF 15),
sun block, insect repellent, hats, sturdy shoes (wading sandals are advisable for fishing and
exploring the cayes), prescription medication and any over-the-counter medication that may
be needed (Dramamine®, aspirin, etc.).
As for young children, discuss the need for
malaria and Hepatitis A vaccinations with your doctor. We also strongly advise
making sure that tetanus shots are up-to-date.
Finally, make sure you pack anything
"special" that will be needed to avoid "ruining" the vacation.
Shopping selections (especially of personal hygiene products) in Placencia are extremely
limited, so pack the favorite shampoo, razors, creams, etc. without which life may not be
worth living. Everyone will be a LOT happier. |
