We just returned from a 3 week trip to Belize. It was our first trip to Belize, or even any where south of the border. We planned the trip with the help of this book and one other. We found the reccommendations, suggestions, and other helpful info to be right on the mark. We're only slightly adventurous but with the help of this book, felt confident enough to use the local buses, make and change plans as needed mid-stream, and immerse ourseves in the local culture. Our trip was great.

If you're looking for more than a lazy week on the beach, this guide is an excellent resource. I just spent a week in Belize and found it very helpful in deciding how to best spend my time and what to see in each place.

In addition to standard guidebook material, it has a chapter on Belize's animal and plant life, which I found to be a great resource while visiting the Cockscomb jaguar preserve. And there's a long section on various outdoor activities (snorkeling, caving, etc.), in addition to more standard guidebook content (regional info, history, etc.)

You always wonder if a guidebook writer really knows what he's talking about, but after using this guide to get around Belize, I can say that Richard Mahler really knows this little gem of a country.

I'm the editor and publisher of Belize First Magazine (Webedition available) the Belize guidebooks on the market. This is one of the best, with good basic coverage of hotels, restaurants, sightseeing, tours, dive and snorkel options, etc. plus refreshingly different coverage of the natural side of Belize, both on the mainland and on the cayes. Richard Mahler knows his stuff.

--Lan Sluder Editor & Publisher Belize First Magazine

The Very Rich Hours does not merely tell; it transports. And if this is not enough, it also entertains. Hiestand has an eye for the humor innate in most situations involving human beings, a sense communicated delicately and wryly rather than broadly. The tableau which features Hiestand and her travelling companion learning how to navigate a houseboat in the Everglades is as funny as choice parts of Douglas Adams' Last Chance to See. Like Adams, Hiestand does not allow her own discomfiture to eclipse the enjoyment her audience might obtain from her experience. Hiestand also knows that the real adventure in travelling lies in discoveries like the Stromness Natural History Museum, with its "hundred frozen-in-flight, frozen-on-a-branch, or frozen-in-defense-of-their-young stuffed birds," or the sudden appearance of an herbalist shop, populated by "crones," on a busy Athens street. She finds many marvelous surprises, and she invests the time and att! ention required to appreciate and understand them. The Very Rich Hours deserves the same attention.

What fun, what vision, what a great shipwreck story. I've read plenty of sea adventures, but never one that merged grit, adrenaline, and fear with a lyrical excursion worthy of Calvino or Marquez. And that's one part of one essay. Like a travelogue shot by a feature filmmaker, this beautifully wrought book offers sharp, compelling storytelling images set in luminous portraits of the natural world.

"If one must travel, one should do it with the eyes of a child, the mind of an ecologist, the heart of a pagan, and the words of a poet. Astonishingly, Emily Hiestand has all of that." --Kirkpatrick Sale, author,The Conquest of Paradise

"The prose quivers with grace and wit as it charges the large questions with luminous details." --Bonnie Costello, author, Marianne Moore:Imaginary Possessions

"In these fresh accounts of far-flung locations, Hiestand keeps returning us to the profound questions not of exploration, but of home. That is the book's great discovery: we're in this together, wherever we are." --Patricia Hampl, author,A Romantic Education

"The most exciting travel writing I have read in years.... These pieces are, in the best sense, world-views... The poetic eye is their greatest strength; or rather, a poetic sensibility and intuitive perceptiveness combined with a remarkably cultivated and civilized intellect... The style seems to be an expression of good manners, good intellectual manners. She confronts head on some of the basic issues of writing and thinking about nature." --Robert Finch, ed.,The Norton Book of Nature Writing

"Her range of references is wide and unexpected, and she is a wonderful observer... [W]hat holds the book together is a wry and elegant dexterity of intelligence, a sense of humor that engages both the solemn revelations and the undignified exasperations of travel with precision and elan." --Franklin Burroughs, author, Billy Watson's Croker Sack

The Belize Adapter Kit will not disappoint you. Whether you are a first-time visitor to Belize or a seasoned traveler considering permanent residence, you will find a great deal of helpful information here. Mr. Sluder has managed to create a guide that is as useful to the novice as it is to those with significant knowledge about the country.

You will learn the pros and cons of life in Belize and gain a respect for the practical aspects of living and traveling in the country. This is not a romanticized look at a tropical paradise, but an unbiased and truthful guide to daily life in a place that may inspire you - or frustrate you.

If you wish to know whether you should consider relocation to this remarkable country, the Belize Adapter Kit will be an invaluable resource. It is also extremely useful to those considering a vacation here.

Mr. Sluder is very knowledgeable about his subject, but does not try to sugarcoat the country to be an island paradise where you can live like a king on a peasant's budget. Unlike some of the other Belize-related expatriate or retirement articles I've seen, Lan tells you more of the difficulties and intricacies of this country!

As the author of several travel guides to Belize (the latest of which is Explore Belize) and the author of Explore Costa Rica, I've been familiar with Lan's writing for many years.

Lan has consistently been one of the most prolfic writers about Belize and one of its biggest boosters. This book offers a compact summary of what life in Belize might be like. He interviews a crew of resident expats (many of whom I know), and there are plenty of maps, charts, and other info.

Personally, I've learned a lot from Lan about Belize, and I encourage you to buy this book. And do keep Lan and myself informed of changes and your own experiences. Because this is the way to improve travel guides.

This is the "BEST" map of Belize I've found. If you've ever tried
looking for a detailed map of Belize on the internet, it's almost
non-existant! You can find very simple maps but not nice ones.
This maps has elevations in color. It's very detailed. It has distances between places in kilometers and miles, it has water depths, and you don't have to squint to look at it(it's roughly 3ft tall by 2 and 1/2 feet wide for the whole country). Very accurate.

I have used previous editions of this map while driving in Belize. I spend a lot of time on the back roads and have been pleased to see that even the little dirt tracks are included. This is definitely the most accurate and easiest to use of all Belize maps I've seen. If you are planning on getting around on your own, or even if you just want a comprehensive listing of Maya sites and other national landmarks, this is the map for you!

This one-sided map has everything one needs for driving around the country. It will also be useful for boaters going out to the Cays, although there are no detailed depth numbers. Good diving sites are marked. Points of interest, resorts, archeological sites, etc., are marked. Road quality and seasonality are indicated. The map also indicates geographical information such as elevation, swamp areas, and reefs. The map also gives most of this information for immediate border areas of Guatemala and Mexico. Well worth the money if one is going to be exploring without a guide or tour group.

...We used your books for years to guide cruisers passing thru New Haven, Belize. Your guide is the most accurate and informative of it's kind on southern Belize and the Rio Dulce...

I used this guide for pre-cruise planning and while on a 2 week charter in Belize last month. The book is well-written with good information. We cruised from Ambergris Cay to Placencia and found enough accuracy and detail to keep out of trouble (assuming you pay attention to your other sources of navigational information) and to make decisions about what to see and do. The sketch charts and regional maps provided were very helpful. Some of the assesments of the holding ground offered in various locations were a little more dire than we experienced. (We had a Delta, the author used a Bruce). Overall, the guide is well worth the money.

Just checked here for the availability of this guide and was suprized to see no review. Having recently returned from cruising with friends in Belize I can say that this guide is often the only chart info available inside the reef. If you intend to cruise Belize obtain all available charts of course but be sure to get this book. Capt. Rauscher has obviously spent countless hours charting Belizean waters and although they are really no more than sketches (and do not purport to be more) they are invaluable for piloting within the 10 fath. curve. The guide also includes sailing directions and commentary on the various destinations.

This book is perfect for anyone interested in herps in the Maya Forest. Complementary to Campbell's field guide, but also includes great line drawings, range maps, and characteristics to distinguish from similar species. Also, better photos than in Campbell's guide. If I were to buy one field guide for the area, I'd choose this over Campbell's.

A Field Guide To The Amphibians And Reptiles Of The Maya World is a comprehensive survey of the crocodiles, turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, and salamanders found in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. This exceptionally well laid out field guide allows the easy identification of all native and introduced species of amphibians and reptiles of the region; is enhanced with 180 color photographs and 180 drawings; provides valuable techniques for field identification; includes a glossary of herpetological terms; and for each species gives a full description, natural history, and geographic distribution information (complete with maps). There are suggested readings for those who want to know more about a particular species, even descriptions of the most characteristic vocalizations of the reptiles and amphibians surveyed. A Field Guide To The Amphibians And Reptiles Of The Maya World is a "must" for any personal, professional, or academic library collection of natural history and herpetology reference works.

Julian C. Lee's field guide of the amphibians and reptiles of the Maya world is excellent. The color photographs make it easy to identify the animal in question; the maps give the reader the distribution of the form; the text gives a short synopsis of the characters and natural history of the taxon; the photos, line drawings, and the PRICE make it all worth while. Any person visiting the outback of the Yucatan Peninsula needs a copy of this book. All Nature Touring Companies should have it available for their clients. A wonderful addition for any professional herpetologist bookshelf.

Belize holds three of the four coral atolls in the Caribbean, hosts the world's only jaguar reserve, and has the highest waterfall in Central America. The author's updated book is a tour guide helping the adventure-oriented traveler take advantage of these rare visions as she tells how to make the most of Belize, from locating a local tour to visiting backroads and less traveled areas of the country. A must for any traveler who wants to experience the outdoors of the country.
Library Bookwatch

Belize holds three of the four coral atolls in the Caribbean, hosts the world's only jaguar reserve, and has the highest waterfall in Central America. The author's updated Adventure Guide To Belize is a tour guide helping the adventure-oriented traveler take advantage of these rare visions as she tells how to make the most of Belize, from locating a local tour to visiting backroads and less traveled areas of the country. A 'must' for any destination traveler who wants to experience the outdoors of the country.

If someone is planning a trip to the real Mexico, not just the hotel zone of Cancun or Puerto Vallarta, this is the book to read. The travel tips and information are very useful and the stories of their experiences are not only hilarious and entertaining but very helpful in understanding the differences in Mexican culture and traditions. I loved the story about the the fiesta for John the Baptist they accidently encountered, where everyone in town runs around throwing buckets of water on each other. This is a fun book to read even if you are not planning a trip to Mexico!

If you're going to Mexico, especially if you have even the slightest interest in Mexicans as human beings and not just a backdrop to your vacation - a rare virtue in some North American circles - and you're planning on getting out of the usual gringo mainline, you simply must read this book. There is no better book on Mexico available. It's funny, it's informative, and best of all, it's simpatico.

It won't tell you about specific places in Mexico to visit, but it will tell you what you will need to know in order to function on the ground anywhere in Mexico - eating, drinking, camping, hotelling, what to look for when you buy things, dealing with the police, insuring your car - in general, how to be a minimally offensive gringo. You'll thank yourself for reading it, and you'll thank Mr. Franz for writing it, after you get there.

Because my wife, Esperanza, is from a tiny village east of Juan Aldama, Zacatecas -- I had made a few trips to Mexico before having purchased this book. I truly wish I'd bought it before the very first time. Carl Franz humorously takes you through many typical venues and situations encountered in Mexico. In addition to being quite entertaining, these illustrations and anecdotal stories provide great insight to understanding the subtleties of Mexican culture. Carl Franz's love for the people, history and customs of Mexico come through in his writing. I can vouch, through my experiences in Mexico, that Carl is "right on the money" with his travel suggestions and understanding of the Mexican people. This book will give you the proper mindset for Mexican travel, leaving our preconceived notions at home, eager to take in all that Mexico has to offer and loving the country and people on their own outstanding merits.

I read this pretty quickly. There's no problem with knowing what the author is trying to say. I found the representation to be a little full of sad satire and sorry history lessens but then again the reality really has been horrific.

I will hang on to this and use it as a reference. I always find it interesting the way several 1st person accounts of a like place will produce inconsistencies in attitudes and reactions.

At first this book appears to be merely a travelogue of Wright's journeys through the Maya areas of Mexico and Central America. Sure, he gives us the goods on the ancient Maya ruins and archeological treasures, plus a lot of great historical coverage, but these turn out to be the background of a much larger narrative. Instead, Wright spends the bulk of his time visiting with the local people, both modern Mayas and non-Mayas who inhabit these regions today. Therefore we get an excellent sociological study on these peoples. I was surprised to learn of the large numbers of Maya that still exist, not just as an ancient fringe religious group, but as a sizeable portion of the populations of Guatemala, Belize, and Southern Mexico. Unfortunately these people still deal with the fallout of nearly 500 years of oppression, and continuing discrimination today. Their resulting hardships are a major focus of the book. Wright also has a flair for picking out offbeat and enjoyable characters among the people he meets, like the nearly-Rasta mestizos of Belize and a variety of befuddled and naïve traveling companions. Wright could stand to be a little less biased at times, especially in the portion of the book that deals with Guatemala. Wright gets really carried away in describing this dreary nation as a hopeless hellhole. This characterization is probably not too far from reality, but impartiality is missing at times in this book. (Note that this was written back in the mid-80's, though it's doubtful if much has changed since then). Also, pictures of the many fascinating areas Wright visited would be a nice addition to this book. You have to rely on Wright's descriptions instead, although he does a pretty good job. Ultimately, this book is less a standard travelogue than an entertaining and very enlightening sociological study on a people who are still going strong even though their culture "collapsed" (in Western eyes) centuries and centuries ago.

A travel book, with culture and policitcs woven in, but not too heavily. Geography, environment, and a collection of characters encountered along the way, a fascinating book on several levels. Also in the fabric of the book is a discussion of how the Mayans keep time, what happened to them as a culture and people, as well as what their future might be. But is it all done with excellent writing, none of it too academic or dry, all interesting, with great writing artistry. A very good book. Simple and powerful. A good read if you have any interest in this area of the world or the Mayans.

We are trying to get an "island" feel for our home and this book was the perfect reference. Not only are the pictures of the homes (inside and out) breathtaking, but there is enough detail about the decorating itself to be useful for our purpose. The only downside is that it makes you want to sell your current house and just travel the world staying in these amazing homes! Especially tempting is the contact information at the very end in case you actually want to rent one of them on vacation...

I found this to be a wonderful book - it has some amazing pictures. It affords you the opportunity to view some beautiful private houses that you are unlikely to be able to visit. Unlike some other books that focus primarily on houses in South East Asia, this one also features some great houses in Mexico and Jamaica.

Tropical Houses takes you around the globe to find some of the most interestingly designed homes in the world. The photographs are at once detailed and lush. If you are going to buy one book on tropical interiors, this should be the one.