Traveling to a third world country can be an intimidating experience, especially for those with little "reef-rats" in tow. Although safety is a major concern in some parts of Belize (like Belize City) we feel extremely safe on the island of Ambergris Caye. Because we chose to travel to Belize via Mexico we initially had second thoughts mainly because of safety concerns. While in Mexico I kept both children within arms reach at ALL times. Even in Corozal when we arrived after dark and ventured out into the streets to rustle up some grub I still wasn't sure about personal safety.

Since arriving in San Pedro though I have had no safety concerns whatsoever. My little "reef-rats" are 7 and 10 yrs old and have the run of the place here. They venture out on their own to the local convenience store, go fishing and even stroll down the beach to find their favorite furry pal, "Stinky". Need I say more?

Miss Evan and "Stinky"

I am not suggesting that you arrive here and let your little ones out unsupervised. Depending on your hometown, I think that you can use the same discretion that you would at home. We come from a sleepy little suburb where the local law enforcement is excited to see a drunk driver on a Saturday night. So for us, this is just like home. We keep tabs on the kids but they still have the same amount of freedom to roam that we would give them back there. Again, use your own discretion.

Please note: There are increasing reports of violent crime in other parts of Belize so please exercise caution when traveling or considering a move to areas such as Belize City.  A great source of local news is Patrick Jones of Love Television. His Facebook updates cover reports of national and regional significance. You can connect with him at: http://www.facebook.com/pjonesbz

More specific to San Pedro are The San Pedro Sun , Ambergris Today and San Pedro Daily all of which have Facebook pages as well for convenient delivery of daily news.