Belize is the closest place we have traveled in a long time. Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and Chile are all far enough away that taking a full day, or even overnight, to travel there made complete sense. So, when we decided on the first international destination for our toddlers, Belize, which is SO much closer, seemed like a great choice.

Then, we …

Once in Belize, the quickest way to get around is by taking little hopper flights between destinations. Yes, you can drive or take water taxis if you are truly opposed to tiny planes, but why waste another few hours when you can knock out the journey with a 15-minute flight?

Tropic Air is the main local airline, and they were fantastic. Their …

When we checked in at Xanadu, we were given a great little map of the island with most of the restaurants and shops nicely labeled. The front desk staff went over the map with us, highlighting their recommended places. While they all looked nice, most were a little more on the touristy side and a little more on the expensive side.

Instead, we did …

There is plenty to do on Ambergris Caye, and a trip to Belize can be a non-stop adventure if you travel the way I normally do! You can head to the mainland for ruins, zip lining, cave exploration, rappelling and more - or even just stay on the island and enjoy incredible snorkeling, diving, fishing, jet skis, sailing, parasailing and …

Ambergris Caye is a busy little island. The streets are constantly bustling - but not with a lot of cars. The main forms of transportation on the island are bicycles and golf carts! While there are a few cars - particularly taxis, there are HUNDREDS of golf carts and bikes.

Xanadu is fantastic and offers free bikes for guest use, and they also …

Belize is a great spot for wildlife with a mix of jungle and ocean in one tiny little country. You can head to the mainland for monkeys, interesting birds and maybe a jaguar. Or, you can head out to the reef for incredible fish, sharks, manatees and dolphins.

We knew we would be missing the wildlife by staying at our hotel for the whole trip, …