Personal Spending Money
- $USD is accepted everywhere in Belize at a fixed rate of $1USD=$2BZD.
- We recommend you bring a combination of smaller and larger bills and separate your cash so you're not carrying it all in the same place. Some places in the country are no longer accepting $1USD notes.
- The amount of cash you bring will depend on your own needs. Authentic and village-made souvenirs are available in most places
- There are ATM's in Belize; however, certain USA and Canadian cards might work with some, and not with others (Most ATM's in Belize are now connected to the North American banks)
- Credit Cards are accepted at most shops, hotels and restaurants in major towns and cities.
Tipping
How much should I tip?
- A good rule of thumbs is to budget between 5-10% of your total cost for gratuities.
- Example for a US$3000 trip, allocating US$150-$450 for tipping would be appropriate.
- Typically, you will have multiple sets of guides/staff. Some for the inland portion and some for the reef portion
- You may consider how many days you spend in each place and budget accordingly
- You can tip individually or leave a general tip for everyone to share. Sometimes the general tip's are shared between all staff and sometimes only the guides. Each place handles this slightly differently so please ask a site manager if you aren't sure
Tipping on Multi-Stop Expeditions, including Adventure Basecamps
Depending on your trip, you're likely to meet different sets of guides and staff across various locations. If you would like to leave a tip for them, you should do so before moving on to your next location.
Here are tow common approaches:
- Pooled/ General Tip (recommended): Give one tip per location and it will be divided proportionally among guides, cooks, support staff, and others. Some locations divide tips between all team members, others may share primarily with guides; so if you're not sure you can just ask.
- Individual Tipping: If someone really stood out and went above and beyond - feel free to give them a personal tip. This is in addition o their share of the pooled/general tip. Personal tips are always appreciates and truly make staff feel special for a job well done!
Behind the scenes/ Office staff - 10% of the Pooled/General tip is sent back to the Dangriga office to be divided between the Belizean staff who work behind the scenes to make your trip a success.
Pro Tip: Consider how many days you're spending in each location, and divide your tip budget accordingly.
Cash is King! US Dollars or Belize Dollars work great. Bills in small dominations are handy, especially in remote locations. Some remote locations may have the ability to charge credit cards for tips, however, this is not the preferred method.
Emergency Spending
- It is good practice to carry an amount of emergency cash in the $200-$400USD range.
- This will help with unexpected travel expenses such as missed connections, lost luggage, and other circumstances beyond anyone's control.
For those exiting Belize overland there is a departure tax of approximately $20 US at all land borders.