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Bonaire Excursion December/January 2006/2007: Scuba certification offered in English & ASL. Check back in March for more details. Tobacco Caye (Pronounced Tobacco Key) General Information
Lodging The Tobacco Caye Dive Center is affiliated with Reef's End Lodge and offers stay and dive packages. Rates are about $65 a night per person for lodging and 3 meals. They also offer more expensive Cabanas and a Honeymoon suite. All of their rooms have private bathrooms with showers. The other hotels range in cost and some have shared toilets and showers. Camping is also an option for about $10 a night at a few hotels (meals would be priced separately). The prices listed below represent my best attempts at gathering information and could have errors. Reef's End Lodge: www.ReefsEndLodge.com rooms $65, cabana $75, suite $90
tel.501/522-2419, Southern Tip of the Island Ocean's Edge: www.global-travel.co.uk/ocean.htm rooms $50, Eastern View
oceansedge@btl.net Paradise Lodge: rooms $25, cabana $35, Northern Tip of the Island
tel.501/520-5101 Tobacco Caye Lodge: www.TCLodgeBelize.com room $60
tel.501/520-5033, Eastern View
Lana's: room $40 shared bathroom, Western View
tel.501/520-5036 Gaviota's: room/cabana $30 shared bath
tel. 501/509-5032, Eastern View Food There are 3 bars on the island, one of which is usually open in the afternoon until 9-9:30pm. They sometimes sell Pringles & Dorritos. If you need more snacks, there are several grocery stores in the town of Dangriga and you can ask a captain to bring you some on his next round trip. Electricity Land Sports
Watersports Kayaks can be rented for very reasonable hourly rates, but the boats themselves and the paddles are not in very good shape. I wouldn't go out further than I could swim back. That said, they are definitely worth an adventure. Some people (with very strong upper bodies) rent kayaks on the mainland and kayak and camp from island to island. You will probably meet some people traveling this way. Sailing Trips can be arranged once on the island. Bring sunscreen, snorkeling gear and a picnic lunch from your hotel. SCUBA Diving is done on the second largest barrier reef in the world. Spectacular sites are minutes away from the dock, and a knowledgeable captain and divemaster will ensure the best dive possible given weather conditions and experience. You can dive up to 5 times a day including a shore dive and a night dive, but most people get overcome by the laid-back island atmosphere and get about 2 dives a day in. You will never dive the same site twice. Eric, the divemaster, personally guides groups of certified divers around the waters of Tobacco Caye and on charters to other dive locales. When diving near the island, your group will be the only people aside from a few free-diving conch fishermen in the area. This privacy is something long gone in areas more well-known and not nearly as nice. You must have your certification card and proof of diving within the last 6 months. If it's been over 6 months since your last dive, an instructor would be more than willing to review the dive tables, equipment set up, and a few basic skills such as clearing a mask & regulator and honing your buoyancy control. Safety is the number 1 concern when you are a guest there, followed by enjoyment.
SCUBA Instruction is available on the island through PADI Master SCUBA Diving Trainers. One of the instructors can conduct courses in American Sign Language. People wishing to try out SCUBA, get PADI certified, take a specialty course or go to the next level will do so with the guidance of well-trained, PADI professionals in the beautiful warm waters that surround Tobacco Caye. Get the most out of your vacation by reading the book ahead of time and doing your confined water work in a pool at home. Snorkeling is done from two points on the island: the Reef's End Lodge offers access to the reef via a dock and swim ladder, and Mark's dock offers access to eel grass and juvenile fish via a dock and wooden ladder. Equipment is available to rent but I recommend bringing your own mask and snorkel. The Tobacco Caye Dive Center carries a range of adult-sized closed-healed fins but does not have child-sized fins or extra large fins. Swimming is done off Mark's dock as the water is about 10 feet deep. Be sure to bring goggles as the salt water can be very irritating to your eyes without them.
TOBACCO CAYE DIVE CENTER PRICE LIST 10% discount off 3-night stay at Reef's End Lodge when diving 2+ dives a day. *All prices and descriptions subject to change. Sharks Cave & Stadium *Tobacco Caye's Signature Dive Site Better than the acclaimed Blue Hole This is an advanced dive into a deep and overhead environment where sharks swim in and out and lurk in the darkness beyond the beam of your torch. The dive is located in a secret place known only by local fishermen. Captains will not allow anyone aboard with a GPS. At 50' the ocean floor opens up to a cave lined with finger-like stalactites. It's a 30 minute multi-level dive with a maximum depth of 130 ft. Dive groups are limited to 6 participants at a time. This will be a highlight of your life. Join the small membership of those who can claim, "I survived Shark's Cave!" The second dive is a shallow 35' max. depth, which brings you 360¡ around a small reef. $115 each with a 2 person minimum $100 each for 4 people or more $150 each with a
4 person
minimum
$135 each for 6 people or more $150 for
4 person
minimum
$135 for 6 people or more Drinking Water Toilets Vaccinations Malaria medicine is not essential in coastal Belize or the islands as mosquitoes are not as big a problem with a sea breeze as they are in the Jungle. Mostly, it seems to be a personal decision whether the side-effects outweigh the risks for you. Herbal Supplements Aquatic Dangers Stingrays tend to hang out in shallow water on the sand, with only their eyes, gill slits and tails visible. Most will move away if you step near them, but if you step on one, their immediate defensive reaction is to swing their tail around. This normally catches a wader near the ankle and inflicts a puncture, some foreign material left by the sheath, venom, and bacterial contamination. First Aid Treatment is to irrigate the wound and remove the spine and any sheath fragments, then soak the injury in hot water at 113¡F/45¡C (or as warm as possible) for 30-90 minutes or until the pain is relieved. Monitor the patient's pulse and breathing. Stonefish tend to hang out in shallow water in sand, rocks, or coral reefs. Their bodies are camouflaged with their environment, so the closer you get to the animal, the more it stays still to convince you that it is not a fish but rather a part of the underwater topography. (I can almost hear it's mantra, "I am a rock, I am a rock" when I am in it's vicinity). The spines of a stonefish are very strong and can penetrate even a bootie and deliver a toxic venom. There is immediate pain and the possibility of paralysis, seizures, cardiovascular shock, respiratory distress or death. First Aid Treatment includes relieving pain, removing any foreign bodies, and cleaning the wound. This entails irrigating the wound and removing any spines or foreign objects, then soaking the injury in hot water at 113¡F/45¡C (or as warm as tolerable) for 30-90 minutes or until the pain is relieved. Monitor the patient's pulse and breathing. Antivenom is available through http://www.csl.com.au/VaccinesAntivenomsStonefish_Antivenom.asp. Cone Shells can grow up to 10 cm and inhabit shallow reefs and rubble, burying themselves in sand with their siphon out to sting and then eat unsuspecting fish swimming by. The proboscis carries 1-20 venomous radicular teeth which can be extended to pierce the skin and even a thin diveskin. The venom produces possible pain, swelling, numbness, muscle weakness, double or blurred vision, paralysis, coma, or death. Most symptoms become present within the first 30 minutes. First Aid Treatment includes reassuring the patient, having the patient rest, immobilizing and applying a pressure bandage to the wounded area and seeking medical assistance, if necessary. Decompression Illness is a SCUBA-diving related injury that occurs when a diver ascends too quickly resulting in an arterial gas embolism or stays at depth for too long resulting in decompression sickness. Other factors that increase the risk include repetitive diving, flying after diving, a high blood-alcohol level and obesity. Divers should be physically fit, avoid alcohol and other drugs, and follow safe diving protocols including using a dive table conservatively. Plan your dive, dive you plan, log your dive. If decompression sickness is suspected, the First Aid Treatment is pure Oxygen (available in the dive shop) and evacuation to the recompression chamber located in San Pedro.
Ear Infections or swimmers ear is caused by frequent immersion in water and a breakdown of epithelial cells lining the ear canal. Bacteria that is normally in the ear gains access to the spaces under the ear canal epithelium and begin to multiply. First Aid Treatment can be given as a prophylactic or at the first sign of the feeling of water in the ears by tilting the head, filling the ear canal with plain vinegar and letting it soak for a few minutes in each ear. The acidity of vinegar kills any bacteria present without all the bubbling noise from killing the bacteria using hydrogen peroxide. Once the infection progresses, antibiotic eardrops are necessary, and you must avoid water-related activities until cleared. Land Dangers Coconuts Falling on your head. Remedy: don't lollygag underneath the coconut trees and remind others when they are standing in the target drop zone. Stepping on Trash that washes ashore. Remedy: use footwear when walking about on the island. Trip Insurance
Money The currency is called Belize and has a constant exchange rate with the US of $2.00 BZE equaling $1.00 US. The money is used interchangeably down there, so there is no need to exchange your money. Be sure to know when you are being quoted a price whether it is in BZE or US dollars. Prices listed on this website are entirely in US dollars. A taxi driver will quote you his price in BZE. For example, a taxi ride from Dangriga airstrip to the Riverside Cafe will cost approximately $5.00 BZE or $2.50 US. Giving the driver $3.00 US would include a generous tip. Hotels and shops generally accept MasterCard and VISA credit cards. Some may charge a 3-5% service fee. Everyone accepts cash and Traveler's checks. Most vendors will have you write your passport number on the back of Traveler's Checks. Transportation
Air Travel To Belize International Airport (BZE)
Other common city codes are: Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Newark (EWR), Los Angeles (LAX), Portland (PWM), San Francisco (SFO). If you are not booking through a travel agency, some good flight search engines are:
Air Travel Within Belize
Land Travel Within Belize Car Rentals are available at the airport. You need a valid drivers license to rent a vehicle. Renting a car is a good idea if you are planning on visiting many of the mainland attractions. Belize is only about 68 miles wide and 180 miles long, although the roads are not as smooth as the highways in the States. The main highways (roads) in Belize are:
Gas costs about $4.00 a gallon. Most people in Belize, aside from hotel owners, are very poor and can't afford to have a car. Tourism is important to the economy of Belize. Although it is safer than its neighboring countries, visitors should exercise normal caution: never leave valuables in view, lock your car doors, keep the gas tank filled, don't pick up hitchhikers and avoid driving at night.
Taxis are available in cities and can be called for pickups but tend to gather and wait for fares in central parts of town. Usually there are fixed rates for in-town fares and longer distance fares. Taxis do not have meters so always inquire about the rate prior to hiring their services. Water Taxis are available to take visitors out to the islands. The prices of these vary depending on how far you are going, how many people are in your party, and whether or not you have made arrangements with the hotel at which you are staying. There are several captains who service Tobacco Caye and charge an average of $20-25 dollars per person. If you are staying at Reef's End Lodge, the boat will meet you at the dock outside of the Riverside Cafe in Dangriga. Other attractions in Belize Belize is full of nature reserves, marine parks, and Mayan ruins. Some of the highlights include:
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