were going to Myrtle Beach this year
camping
zoo
alot of day trips

what all do you guys like to do?

Whatever your vision of Central America is, check it at the door before entering this beautiful and welcoming country. Many travel guides will tell you to “get out of Belize City and head for the islands.” It is too bad really, because they are causing people to miss out on meeting the very proud and helpful citizens of this vibrant town.

Cruise ships stop here regularly and whisk tourists off to Tikal in Guatemala, or to Amgergris Caye off of the coast. The port is well developed and you can spend time walking around the shops in the comfortable terminal. However, walking around the city is where you get the true Caribbean flare.

Settled by the English in the late 16th century, Belize City is a mix Colonial buildings and Creole Culture. Eat international cuisine, or enjoy the local fare at Jembel’s Jerk Pit or Big Daddy’s Diner. Music pumps from inside shops as smiling people great you speaking perfect English, only to turn to their companion and talk in rhythmic Creole. The official language of Belize is English, but you will often hear a mix of Spanish, Creole, Mayan and German throughout the land.

After soaking up the culture and cuisine in the country’s largest city, catch a water taxi to head out to Caye Caulker. For $10, you will be transported to paradise. Far less crowded than its overdeveloped neighbor Ambergris Caye, this little island is a gem of a destination.

The laid-back vibe of the island has an air of Jamaica, and reggae booms from bars and restaurants. Walk along the dirt roads to look for a beach front hotel and you can spend as little as $20 for a room. Only golf carts drive on the island, so you won’t have to worry about exhaust pollution or noise. The resident’s work hard to preserve their culture and large-scale development is not in its future.

Located just 1 mile from the Belize Barrier Reef, it offers some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world. Hire a boat to take you out to Shark Ray Alley and you will swim with the sharks as manta rays brush up against you. A marine preserve for the past 12 years, the coral and marine life is second to none in the world. Dolphin sightings are commonplace and you will be sure to spot barracuda’s, octopus, stingrays, eels and lobsters.

For experienced divers, The Blue Hole is not to be missed. Made famous by Jacques Cousteau, dive 150 feet into this collapsed cave as sharks circle above the hanging stalactites. If you are not already a diver, take an open water diving course.

Prices are reasonable and you will experience the chance to see even more wildlife and gain an appreciation for the ocean.

Finding a company to go with is easy, just walk along the main dirt road and you will find dive operators and snorkel shops lined up to take you out.

If getting into the water with natural predators isn’t your cup of tea, take a sailing trip to visit other Islands. Belize has several islands and you can take a trip to have a picnic lunch on the beach or enjoy an island drink at an upscale resort on Ambergris Caye.

Caye Caulker may not be overly developed, but you can still enjoy great food ranging from Seafood, to pasta and barbecue. The nightlife isn’t wild, but you can find a nice bar to enjoy a drink or two, look out over the water while swinging on a hammock or listen to some live music well into the evening.

Belize is certainly full of many more sights. It boasts rainforest’s and islands, and the largest cave system in Central America. It is teeming with wildlife from Howler Monkeys to Jaguars. Like its surrounding neighbors, it has Mayan Ruins scattered throughout the country for you to enjoy and beautiful beaches can be found everywhere, the best being in Placencia on the mainland.

It would take weeks to truly discover everything that Belize has to offer, but if you have the time, it is certainly worth the investment.

Read more on The Walton Sun

Undoubtedly, there are lots of advantages of using hammocks like you can keep your back in comfortable position, keep insects away from you and many more. But, do you really know something about the history of your comfy hammock? Probably not and that’s the reason why it is worth taking a look at it.

Evolution of Hammocks:

There are lots of countries like Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, Brazil and Nicaragua, where hammocks have always been used as an essential object. In these countries, hammocks have been used for more than 900 years which is truly fascinating. However, it is thought that hammocks were actually introduced by Mayan Indians in Central America about 1000 years ago. Bark of the hammock tree was used to weave these hammocks. Cotton was next to be used to weave these hammocks because bark of hammock tree was not comfortable enough. Since cotton hammocks was not weatherproof, so, need to introduce some other fabric was very much there.

Hammocks made of canvas cloth were introduced by Europeans which were basically designed for navy. But, these narrow and wood staved hammocks were not too comfortable which gave rise to modern day hammocks.

Today, you can find several companies producing hammocks in all designs, shapes, colors and materials and that is what implies that hammocks are here to stay. So, do get one for you as well.

The two best options for hammock purchase:

Although it is not hard to find several manufacturers offering hammocks in today’s world, but, there are some of the very best in the business. Two amongst those are mentioned below and you can always consider them to fulfill all your needs related to hammocks as they have reached to the heights of quality through dedication and passion.

Hatteras Hammocks: Hatteras Hammock can really be considered as the best option because of several good reasons. The biggest reason is that they have everything that you need like single and double swings, rope and fabric hammocks, and all types of stands.

Pawleys Island Hammocks: If quality and durability is at your preference, then consider Pawleys Island Hammock as the company has the top-notch quality.  You can consider them to get fabric hammocks, rope hammocks, swings, hammock chairs, hammock stands and all related accessories. 

So, these are the best options available for you to make a choice. But, while buying a hammock, do make sure that you are buying hammock made of a solid fabric as it is essential for comfort, safety and proper suspension. Similarly, it is also useful to buy hammock with rain canopy and bug net along with a suitable hammock stand. Finally, take special care while hanging a rope hammock because rope hammocks need to be tied in the right way with right trees.