Best is to fly with tuifly.be from Brussels to Cancun, and from there to take the ADO bus to Belize City, then with local bus to Dangriga or Hopkins.
Local bus schedule: https://www.belmopanonline.com/belize-bus-schedules
You have to hire a Captain who brings you out in his motor boat. The ride is 150Bzd and takes 30 min from Hopkins and 200Bzd for 45 min from Dangriga.
We know some trustworthy and reliable Captains who we can call and with whom you can work together to pick up potential guests.
There is no public transportation to the island.
There is a big (about 7 meters) boat on the island in good condition. You would only need a motor (best would be 40hp, 25 would be also working, 4 strokes are mostly from 60 on). A new motor is no problem, but to find a used one will not be easy... Renting would be also difficult as everyone needs their boats here.
When entering the country you will get automatically a tourist visa, valid for 30 days.
You can extend this visa for some years. You have to go once a month to Dangriga, extending your visa by getting a stamp in your passport and paying 50Bzd, after 6 months 100Bzd. You are not allowed to work or being employed, with our without salary. You are here “on holidays”.
You had to reside over 12 months permanently in the country to be able to apply for a residency.
WE ARE IN CENTRAL AMERICA! Nobody gives you any guarantee, if you buy something which is not working, you have to buy it again. The world ticks differently here... This includes safety, legality, and inter human action. But of course, Belize has its own laws. You have to find your own way and make yourself a picture online or at site.
There is cellphone reception on the island, sometimes good sometimes worse...
You need to purchase a sim card with a prepaid data plan which fits in your device, before coming to the island.
The company is called BTL/DIGICELL. There are shops in BC, Belmopan, Dangriga but NOT in Hopkins.
The internet prices are about 40Bzd per 6GB.
All denpends on the antenna of your device. Some people with a simple DIGICELL sim card in the android phones had no reception issue, most of them had!
We had a mif devicei with ISP SMART which worked ok, only at some time of day or weather wise it was slow.
No. Sometimes we share our internet on request.
You need to bring a device with a good antenna, best a 4g modem/router or a dongle with external antenna/booster. There are also tablets and phones with decent antennas.
If you want to research, you need the frequencies 850 and 1900 MHz (Band 2, 5).
We have 8 solar panels on the roof of the main house. Each produces 250W
at 34V. They are connected directly to some 110V American Standard outlets/sockets. They put out 34x4=136V.
But this is direct current (DC)!
You can only use this direct current during daytime and if you have such a little black/white box (Switching Power Supply/Wall Charger) between your device and the outlet.
There is no inverter, no charger and no batteries connected.
In the CozyCabin, there is also one of these outlets/sockets which is connected directly to the solar panels, so guests can use it for phone, photo or laptop charging. They seldom bring hairdryer, fridge or blenders with them;-) Internally a power bank is connected, which loads during daytime and is connected to the lights in the CC for nighttime.
... is dark:-)
At the end of the day it is very simple.
You can use the solar panels to charge all your devices during daytime, including power banks to connect your lights with it.(If you bring some)
Most of portable lights today come with LED which are also available
for USB. (USB light chains) BTW, also blenders are available on USB...
All bigger stores accept at least the VISA card and there are 3 ATM’s in Dangriga. In Hopkins only one. For online work paypal is of course an option.
US dollars are also accepted everywhere.($2 BZD = $1 US)
You should be handy with tools, having an overview on the systems, being in good mental and physical condition, not afraid of water, animal lover and (and this is the most important part!) being confident living together with a pig! Piggy is the boss and a non castrated huge, strong boar...
He lives here since January 2016 when he was 6 days old. He survived the hurricane Earl and is feeding himself with herbs, roots, nuts and seaweed coming with the currents ashore. We only feed him our kitchen scraps and a little corn, fish or coconut.
Being present on the island 24/7.
Feeding Piggy. He needs fresh water daily.
Maintaining and keeping the systems working.
Keeping the beaches and trails free from plastic.
Cutting the greens for accessibility of the trails.
A project which has high priority is to continue the building of a seawall out of old wooden logs against the erosion which mostly happens in fall/autumn with high tide in association with northern winds.
The tip where the saloon and CozyCabin are, gets smaller and smaller..
In the 4 years we have been here, we lost more than 10 meters of island.
Big carpets of Sargassum seaweed are coming in frequently. This material should be used to fill the ponds/swamps in the middle of the island to gain land. Additionally the surface may be filled with coral pebbles from the eastern beach. Don't take anything away from the west side! The Sargasso is also an excellent material for composting for gaining soil for planting.
The former “fence” of the island is after more than a decade not in shape anymore, but the logs can be reused for building a seawall and the planks of good quality wood (mostly on the easern side) are to be salvaged and stored for the use as building material.
Other possible jobs would be moving some timber, driftwood and seaweed and
we are always open for creative improvements.
There is nothing to say against that you have visitors or invite volunteers, but please inform us that we have an overview who is present on the island. It is also desirable that you invite volunteers to get done bigger projects like the sea wall or land filling.
We will support you in searching for successors in case you would want to
leave and would propose a period of notice of 3 months. This should be ok
to find some new people. New people have to apply at VirginiaCaye@disroot.org
The locals are Garifuna, African origin. They don't steal. In their culture, if something is not used, it is public good, so they use it.
Therefore communication with them is not easy. But they are friendly and we come along well with them.
Nothing got off the island since we are here and there is zero crime out here in comparison to the mainland. We know everybody who is around and it is a community out here.
No, only neighbors will sometimes pass by and since Piggy is grown up, nobody dares to enter the island;).
When you go every 30 days to Dangriga, you do a big shopping. Veggies and fruits last at least 15 days without fridge, after that you can have some cans or fish, lobster&conch;-) or you stock up by hopping on a guest boat. Belize is not cheap. About same to Europe.
Shopping list:
one month on VirginiaCaye - 2019
FOOD:
Vegetables + fruits, big box (50x30x30cm), ca. 80 BZD, last 2 weeks (for 2 people)
Corn Flour (wheat flour is also available) for backing tortillas/pancakes instead of bread
Corn starch
Baking powder
Rice
Noodles
Dry Lentils
Dry Chickpeas
please no Dry Beans (need too long to cook. Waste of Butano. Buy canned beans instead)
Coconut oil from BELIZE (for cooking, pricey but excellent)
Jam from BELIZE
Mayonnaise
Coffee (real and instant)
Camomile tea (against a funny tummy and more)
Coconut milk (for cooking)
Vinegar
Eggs
Milk (powdered, easier to transport and better for conservation than the liquid one)
Cornflakes
Oatmeal
Butter? (no fridge )
Cheese? (no fridge )
Yogurt (be careful, "Natural" is with sugar, NATURAL SIN AZÚCAR is without)
Tins/Cans (for second half of the month):
Tomatoes
Sweet corn
Beans
Spinach
Sauerkraut
Peas
Corned beef
Turkey
Chicken
Cookies
Peanuts
Nachos
Rum, Beer, Juices ...
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NON FOOD:
Toilet paper
Personal hygiene products
Dish washing liquid + sponges
Laundry washing powder (hand wash)
Coils (incense sticks against mosquitoes and sand flies)
Candles/Tealights/ Flashlight (= no electricity. Please try not to bring batteries)
***************************************
DIGICELL chip for internet(data)/telephone
! no shop in Hopkins, you have to buy it in Dangriga.
***************************************
NOT available in Belize but good to bring:
An oil which is very very good against sand flies,
it really helps to use it as a lotion when the flies are around:
Avon
Skin so soft
Bath oil
500 ml
Avoid products with Oxybenzone and octinoxate in sun screens, these two chemicals are believed to cause coral bleaching.
Reef save sun screens:
· Kokua Sun Care Hawaiian SPF 50 Natural Zinc Sunscreen
· Mama Kuleana Waterproof SPF 30 Reef-safe Sunscreen
· Little Hands Hawaii SPF 35+ All-natural and Organic Sunscreen
· Manda Organic SPF 50 Sun Paste
· Raw Love SPF 35 All-natural Mineral Sunscreen
· Thinksport SPF 50 Sunscreen
· All Good SPF 30 Sport Sunscreen Lotion
· Babo Botanicals SPF 30 Clear Zinc Lotion
· Suntegrity Natural Mineral Sunscreen
· Badger SPF 30 Unscented Sunscreen Cream
· Raw Elements SPF 30 Certified Natural Sunscreen
· Stream2Sea SPF 30 Mineral Sunblock
· Loving Naturals Clear Body SPF 30+ All-natural Sunscreen
· Reef Safe Oxybenzone Free Biodegradable SPF 50 Sunscreen
· Banana Boat Simply Protect SPF 50+ Sunscreen (spray, not lotion)
************************
Still enough on the island:
Salt (sea water)
Different seasonings
Soya sauce
Filtered rain water = drinking water
Best is to prevent them! We only had once a little incident with guests, you should have a first aid kit at site and for asking for more serious help, best address is our over next neighbors, the caretakers from Jewel Caye, who have a boat and are always very open and helpful. They are locals and know best what to do and where to go.
Yes, we do have one, but it is not working on DC. The fridge can be easily driven over day time with a switching power supply and a small inverter. We already had this scenario to let it work over daytime and it will have still about 15 degrees in the morning. Maybe with some more isolation, the system can be improved. More details on request.
There are tools, but only extremely basic. Salt and volunteers brought them
to the edge;-) Hardware stores in Dangriga are well equipped.
There are 3 medium quality snorkeling masks, you can lend out to guests. But be aware: They may destroy them. Please repair them if they break.
If you want to take it serious, I would recommend to bring some good EUROPEAN quality equipment. All you can get here is cheap Chinese quality(if any) or extremely pricy ones in a marine shop.
There are two fishing lines for guests with lead and a hook in the CC. Simple and rustic!
We have connected a ceramic filter to one big water tank and it is dripping by gravity in our water bottles.
Well..., the island exists only of coral pebbles and sand. When the tide gets high in Sept and Apr, there are a few days, when the island is flooded. Therefore all plants must be resistant to salt. We began to make soil out of the incoming seaweed and to build higher beds. There is one bed in an old boat and in pots on the porch of the main house we raised 2000 (small) tomatoes in winter 18/19. If you want to plant, better to bring seeds as it is difficult to get good ones here.
1. Avon Skin So Soft Bathing Oil
It works against the sand flies.
2. First aid kit
3. A 4G device with good reception.
(4. Some Solar solution which lets at least work the fridge again.
Please ask for details.)
There is one toilet besides the CC. It should have a septic tank or multiple chamber system underneath, but we don't know exactly. This is exclusively for the guests and they flush it with salt water.
We and all Volunteers use compost toilets with sea weed. Hermite crabs do the rest. Works perfectly!
The main house also has a septic tank, but it is not in use anymore.
All garbage you are producing please take back to Dangriga/Hopkins to dump it into the public bins.
All the trash you are collecting from the beaches you put on the huge pile (plastic mountain) behind the main house.
The neighbors burn everything. But that is not recommended and also not easy as lot of vessels contain water and burn badly.
On propane/butane gas stoves. There is one in CC and another one in the main house. But stoves are Chinese quality and get rusty pretty fast. All this equipment you will get also in DGA.
There are two big gas bottles (they are about 20kg) and a smaller one(10kg, rusty).
The gas truck comes through town once or twice a week and usually you just put the bottle out in the street. But he is not passing by out here ;-)
You can try to make an appointment with the gas truck man or you will need someone on the mainland who refills it for you. You can ask neighbors to take the bottles with them, when they go home.
There are three structures on the island:
CozyCabin:
The former caretaker hut.
It survived hurricane Earl.
The best climate with the least bugs.
Built on the southern tip.
Sea view to 3 sides.
Queen sized bed, kitchen corner with 2 burner gas stove and basic equipment, bucket shower and sea water toilet. For volunteers compost toilet.
Main house:
Built in the mangroves.
Sleeping room, living room / kitchen, attic with lots of mattresses.
Sand flies and sometimes mosquitoes are present when the wind is down or in twilight.
The kitchen is quite well equipped.
The Saloon:
Built out of the remains of the big round palapa which was pulled
down by Hurricane Earl in 2016. Left without roof and windows as
it is the best place to enjoy wind and sky and stars. (But could be changed)
We have almost no rain out here, only some showers. The "north fronts" may bring some rain.
We do have sand flies and sometimes mosquitoes, mostly in twilight and when the wind is down. You can burn (poisonous) coils or use bathing oil. The number depends on the weather. If we have Caribbean trade winds, there are no bugs around.
We never saw sharks, have no crocodiles, scorpions or venomous snakes or spiders.
The main house is the owners house and should stay untouched if possible.
You are allowed to use what you need, but you have to bring everything back on its place and when you should leave the island, you should put everything in exactly the position like you found it when you arrived.
This implies all inventory of the island. If you change things, this should be documented and discussed beforehand with your hosts.
If it is possible to you, that is a good idea, at least you have to report via email that we can organise that it is not missing for your potential successors.
You will have to photograph all inventory before you touch anything on the island. If something is missing after your stay which is not documented you may be made liable for recourse.
The facts of this FAQ constitute the base agreement between you and VC. If you want something to change, please note this in an email to VirginiaCaye@disroot.org.
You secure everything which may float or fly away, install some drinking solution for Piggy and keep contact with the neighbors. They will take you to mainland where you can find shelter in concrete buildings. The storm will only last some hours.
Hurricane season is mostly dry season out here. Most hurricanes are evolving out of tropical waves, which build up over Africa and move westwards. These are pretty precise and in good time to forecast. In the late season tropical systems may building up in our area. This means that they are "still young" or are not yet organized, but they can come relatively spontaneous. 3-5 days.
Daily monitoring of the weather channel is a must.
Best source: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/cyclones/
Hurricane season means not that there is a storm everyday, in opposite if there are hurricanes (mostly over the Antilles) they take our wind, so it may get quite hot;-)
It is right, summertime is "slow season". But you can get some guests from Europe in that time. It all depends on your marketing strategy, we only acquired our own guests over the internet. We did not make any promotion in Belize.
Actually, we have a different climate to the mainland. We can see the rain clouds over the mainland and we have difficulties to fill our tanks. We have over the year max 7-15 days completely covered by clouds.
Fall/winter you will get the north fronts, which may bring cold and humid air down from the states. Then it can happen that some days are covered with clouds.
Yes. The CozyCabin is prepared for renting out and you just can overtake it.
It depends on the text and intesity of your advertisement. If you are for quantity, you can have lots of guests. Good and bad ones;-)
If you go more for quality, you will have interesting, sensitive guests and share an experience with them.
High season is from Dec to May. Xmas and Easter is packed. In hurricane season some guests are showing up. Sometimes from Europe or Mexico. It all depends on your abilities of advertising.