Solo traveling can be a blessing and a curse. Some love the solitude it gives them and the benefit of not being dependent on anyone’s schedule but their own. Others might find the practice outside their comfort zone, too risky, and, honestly, too scary. Luckily, Belize has often been deemed a safe and easily accessible destination for solo travelers. Once you get past that first hesitant step into solo traveling, your Belize vacation can be a breeze.
However, there might be the concern that traveling alone automatically means you’ll get bored mid-way. You might think there’s no one to share the memories with, or might miss your friends back home. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. A solo vacation in Belize can be as enriching and memorable as when sharing it with family. You just need to know where to look. Below we’ve outlined several reasons why a solo Belize trip doesn’t mean you’ll be bored.
Connect with Belizeans
Atop a ruin in Xunantunich Maya Site. Photo by Duarte Dellarole
One of the most valuable perks of traveling alone is connecting with the locals. Building intimate bonds with Belizeans will impact you longer than any Xunantunich selfie. Learning their stories, their histories, and their love for a country whose countless attributes are akin to paradise is unrivaled. Your travel memories will hold deeper meaning and you’ll have interesting anecdotes when you go back home.
The San Ignacio Market. Photo by Duarte Dellarole
So stop by a market stall in San Ignacio, or sit to people-watch on a park bench in Ambergris Caye. You’ll never know which friend you’ll meet.
Meet like-minded travelers
The Split at Caye Caulker. Photo by BTB
In that same vein, you can connect with other solo travelers when exploring alone, too. Group tours allow you a chance to experience new attractions with new people. Other solo travelers could be on their self-discovery journey, ready to make friendships with globetrotters who share the same passion for traveling. Go bar hopping in Ambergris Caye to make friends or you can reach out to travel forums beforehand to coordinate a meetup while in the destination. Perhaps you meet the right person and an exotic summer romance can brew in the romantic destination.
Experience enriching moments
Enjoy a traditional Maya cooking class with Taste Belize Tours. Image via Lyra Spang
When traveling with friends and family, you might be used to a certain dynamic that involves routine activities and tours. But when traveling alone, you have that freedom and flexibility to choose your own off-the-beaten-path experiences. This is your chance to take an authentic Maya cooking class or hike to the top of Victoria Peak. Maybe you’ve always wanted to try your hand at making tortillas by hand but no one else shared that dream with you. Solo traveling is the ideal period to try everything you were scared you’d be judged for. Rappel down a waterfall, cliff dive into a cenote, or venture into a spooky cave. It’s all yours for the taking.
Best of both worlds
Lastly, there’s one major reason why you simply can’t be bored in Belize, no matter how long you’re here: there is simply too much to do. Unlike an all-inclusive where you only have the beach or a green destination where you only get jungles, Belize has both. Out here, if you get sick of lounging on the silk-sand beach all day (though we doubt it,) you can scurry on over to the rainforest at Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge or Gaia Riverlodge.
And vice versa. Should you tire of swaying broadleaf trees and chirps of wildlife, make your way down to Jaguar Reef Lodge and spend your days sipping cocktails at the Big Dock Bar. while overlooking the lapping waves of the Caribbean Sea, you’ll for sure remember why you chose Belize as your solo destination.
Header image courtesy Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge.
