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- I recently traveled to Belize with friends and had a great time for under $1,000.
- By traveling in the off-season I was able to get a cheaper room and cheaper flights.
- I redeemed points from my travel rewards credit card, which is an easy way to save hundreds.
Every summer, my friends and I like to vacation together. We try to find cheap places that offer beaches, nice accommodations, and good food. Since summer is the off-season in most parts of Central America, we decided to plan a trip to Belize, which is known for its cheap prices.
Belize is a popular vacation destination because of its warm weather, beaches, and good exchange rate. We knew a large portion of our budget would go towards our hotel. We wanted a beachfront apartment in an adults-only resort. After some research, we found an ideal resort in Placencia, a sleepy beach town south of Belize City, and split the cost of the room.
Traveling in Belize during the off-season means high temperatures and a few rain showers. However, traveling in the off-season does have some advantages, such as uncrowded beaches and restaurants and special deals on flights and hotels. I used points from my travel rewards credit card and spent a total of just over $1,000.
I spent $628 on accommodation
Our biggest expense was our accommodations. We stayed at Caribbean Beach Cabanas, which offers a tiered discount rate during the off-season based on room type. We booked a two-bedroom villa with two bathrooms, a full kitchen, living room, and an oversized deck overlooking the hotel pool.
Our total cost for the villa for five nights was $1885, which we divided by three. We took advantage of the hotel’s off-season rates (though this only saved us about $30 per night since the villa is the hotel’s largest unit), but we felt like we got our money’s worth.
We splurged on the villa without hesitation because the hotel was right on the beach and within walking distance of Placencia’s main street. This meant we didn’t have to spend money on taxis to get around all week and the hotel also offered free round trip transportation from the local airport. Although there were cheaper accommodations in Placencia, we wanted to stay in an adults-only property and we enjoyed having a full kitchen and living room.
My flights cost just over $100
After we booked the villa, I set up a flight tracker and found a good deal on my flight. I booked an American Airlines flight from Miami to Belize City and spent $272 round-trip, hundreds below peak prices. I am an AAdvantage member with American Airlines, so I also used the flight to earn frequent flyer miles that I can eventually redeem on future flights.
When we arrived in Belize City, we had two options to get to Placencia: rent a car and drive for two to three hours, or take a “puddle jumper” plane that would get us to our destination in about 15 minutes. We opted for the plane and purchased the additional flights from Belize City to Placencia on Tropic Air, which cost $129 each way or $258 extra for the round trip.
I am a Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card holder and redeemed $425 in travel credits (which applied to my next billing cycle) to reduce the cost of my flights to just over $100. I use my Bank of America Travel Rewards card for almost all of my everyday spending. The card has no annual fee and I earn 1.5 points on all purchases. A few times a year I redeem my points to pay for flights or hotels.
Our food and activities were very affordable
Food was the most cost-effective part of our trip – in total, I spent about $350 on food and activities. Our hotel offered free coffee and pastries for breakfast each morning, and we ate lunch and dinner at local restaurants. Most of our meals were under $20, and instead of ordering drinks at each meal, we picked up a bottle of wine to enjoy in our villa.
Plencencia is a very quiet resort, perfect for relaxing on the beach, which is what we did most of the day. We alternated time at the pool and on the beach, and the hotel also had a few free kayaks, tubes, and snorkeling equipment.
We also explored Placencia on foot and used the hotel’s free bikes to get around town. We skipped the expensive excursions and rented a golf cart for a day. It cost $50, which we split between three.
I slightly exceeded my $1,000 budget, but I don’t regret splurging on the villa – especially since I was able to earn points for my flight and food purchases that I paid for with my credit card.
