[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Glad to hear that worked out so well for you. It appears that, at least for Digicell, the number is permanent. I’m not so sure it works that way for Smart, though. For Digicell you can add minutes to your phone at any time. But those minutes only last for 90 days. If you add more money/minutes to your phone number before the end of the period, those minutes are carried over, so you don’t lose them. And if your phone is lost or stolen, you can go to the BTL/Digicell office and supposedly get the same number/SIM card again. They started tracking phone numbers/SIM cards a year or so ago so that people could get their number back if their phone disappeared, whether due to a loss or theft.

Digicell also has double up and triple up Fridays, which they announce. On those days you get 2-3 times the normal minutes if you buy $20 or $50 BZ of minutes.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Pierre,

Glad that the info I provided met you and your wife’s expectations. Some questions are much easier to answer than others. Given that I have been exercise driven, and been a dancer, my entire life this is a topic that is easy for me to answer, especially for Ambergris Caye, where my husband and I live.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Pierre,

This is a question I totally relate to, since I was not ready to move to Ambergris Caye until there was a decent, clean athletic facility where I could work out. Swimming and walking the beach are not enough for those of us who have established a lifelong practice of aerobic and other athletic activities. Having been an aerobics dance practitioner for most of my adult life, I ended up teaching salsa Aerobics classes on the island initially.

The Train Station is the best gym in San Pedro and that’s where I’ve belonged now for the last three years. Here is their FAcebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Train-Station-Fitness-Club/92401008943?sk=timeline. I also take yoga classes at Zen Arcade. They also have pilates and dance aerobics classes, and salsa dance classes. Both facilities are in San Pedro Town. There are also two Cross Fit Clubs on the island. So we have many options for a small island. I think that there is also a locals dance aerobics class at the Lions Club, although I don’t know any expats who attend it.

The cost of memberships vary, depending on when you sign up. The off season is the best time to get on board, as some of these businesses offer deals to increase membership in the low season. Almost all clubs allow drop in classes, but the costs are geared towards tourists. So those of us who live here opt for a monthly membership, or a ticket for so many classes per a fixed amount.

I pay $55/month at the Train Station, but the entry cost may be a bit more for someone signing up today.

For Zen Arcade, here is their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/zenarcadebelize/timeline. They have daily yoga classes, as well as Pilates and dance aerobics classes several times a week. They also offer salsa classes, but I think that is only once per week. You can opt for a monthly or pay as you go membership, or a card where you pay x dollars for x classes. The card is good for several months, so that is the more flexible approach that I prefer. The various businesses constantly change their deals, depending on the season and how many people are attending. I’d suggest that your wife contact both the Train Station and Zen Arcade directly to ask about what options they have available.

Also, we do have Cross Fit groups. There are two on the island at this time. I don’t really have an idea of what they cost, but assume they also have a monthly membership plan.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Paul and Susan,

Thanks for the positive feedback. Good luck with your research. I hope to meet you one day in Belize!

Soon I’ll be interviewing some expats in Belize and adding that onto the Belize Insider as well. So that members can meet some of the people who have already made the move, or who are experts on a relevant Belize topic.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

I’ve never had my SIM card that quickly deactivated, nor have my friends. We keep our friends phone for them while they are gone. They are here only two months out of the year. They went into the BTL Digicell office and explained their situation and they have kept their same number even though they only use it a few months a year.

I don’t use my phone one minute, since we have a hardline phone, and poor reception with our cellphone in our house. So I seldom use my cellphone but my SIM card has not been deactivated. But I have often lost minutes that I didn’t use, if I forgot to add more minutes before the end of one month, to maintain the existing minutes.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Bill,

Just this week I heard that there have been new “challenges” wiring money to banks in Belize from the USA. Some people are convinced that the FATCA regulations will result in it becoming nearly impossible to wire money anywhere outside of the USA in the future… Some banks are definitely not adequately meeting the USA’s stringent requirements. And the USA Correspondent banks are cutting off a lot of these banks. But I did wire a transfer to meet my QRP requirements within the last two weeks, to Atlantic International, and it breezed right through without a hitch. But given that there are currently issues with overseas transfers, in general, it’s best to hold off opening a bank account in Belize until you decide if you will live here fulltime.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Thanks for that update, Thomas. I read that private jets have landed at the airstrip. I think that is the direction the Placencia International airport will go, with wealthy private jets coming in. They are hoping to get some charter trips from Europe, as well. But as you point out, it is not a good fit for American airliners. It will be many, many years before there is a hospital capacity of 500 beds within 50 miles of Placencia. There are only about 3000 residents on the entire Placencial peninsula. At this time there is no hospital nearby. So in the case of any type of plane accident, there would be no place nearby to take injured passengers. That is a very important point that will prevent major airline carriers from committing to fly into Placencia.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Bill,

Did you get a chance to read the April Monthly Newsletter? It focuses on banking in Belize. Here is the link: https://internationalliving.com/2015/04/april-2015-4/. The newsletters should show up on the Home page. But I’ve found it is actually easier to go to the FAQ page for the list of items, on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to the bottom to find Monthly Newsletters and open that page.

If you aren’t sure you will stay in Belize after six months, it probably isn’t worth it to go through the challenges of opening a bank account. You can take money out of the various bank cash machines pretty easily. And you can possibly write checks for your rent. You can bring quite a bit of cash with you so that you can initially pay rent and bills in cash. But you will have to go to the various utility companies to pay your bills if you don’t have a bank account. I pay all of our utility bills on line, which saves me a lot of time.

To save on transaction fees, open a Schwab account. I have a Schwab bank account in the USA and a brokerage account. They do not charge any ATM fees when we take out cash in other countries. We get hit with the fee initially at the teller machine. But Schwab reimburses it later. Schwab also doesn’t charge interest on their overseas credit card. So we primarily use Schwab for banking and credit cards.

Our lawyer had suggested that Atlantic Bank is the most solid bank in Belize. That is where we bank. She had said that Belize Bank is also pretty good. But they just recently lost their correspondent banking status, so steer clear of them for now. It appears the the US government has singled out a few banks in Belizes, the Belize BAnk being the primary one, for not being in alignment with US banking policies. If you decide to open an account, Atlantic Bank is a decent bank. We have not had problems with them to date.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Yes, the heat and humidity in Belize have little to do with telephones. So please start a new thread so that everyone can benefit from it. But, in short, yes, September it’s very hot, humid and there are mosquitoes. To me August – October are my least favorite times. But it doesn’t rain daily in September. It can in October, though.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Yes, if you have a work permit, or your residency.

Note that there is a section on the Belize Insider website that gives you information about working in your own business. Here is the link: https://internationalliving.com/country_clubs/belize-insider/doing-business/. You can find this on the front page of the BElize Insider website. Scroll down to the Business section, then read that section. You will need a self-employment work permit.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

I forgot to point out that there is a section on the Belize Insider that gives you information about working in your own business. Here is the link: https://internationalliving.com/country_clubs/belize-insider/doing-business/. You can find this on the front page of the BElize INsider website. Scroll down to the Business section, then read that section. You will need a self-employment work permit.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

You are not allowed to work, even in your own business, until you become a resident, or get a work permit. The Belizean government is supportive of foreigners buying or opening businesses because they expect they will hire and train locals.

Meet with a Belizean attorney who can advise you on this matter. It isn’t always cut and dry. And if there are other employees working at the business it may be possible to facilitate a work permit that will suffice until you get your residency, if you are the owner. Once you have lived in Belize a year, then you can apply for residency. But it takes a while to get your residency once you submit it.

There may be a work around on this. But before investing in a business, it will be well worth the money to pay an expert to help you, preferably a Belizean lawyer who specializes in this type of permit.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Steve,

Not sure if you noticed that there are several example itineraries on the Belize Insider website, as well.

Best of luck in your search next year.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Sue,
Since you will visit all areas, it doesn’t really matter which you do first, unless you think you many want to revisit your preferred area. The heat does increase as the year proceeds, so it might be best to start first on the mainland and then go to the cayes. The cayes are comfortable in the hotter weather, due to the sea breeze. Just try to avoid San Pedro at EAster time, if you are here then. It is a really busy holiday on the island.

Be sure to go to the zoo. It only takes a few hours and you will definitely see all of the animals there. At nature preserves there is no guarantee of seeing the more elusive creatures. And the Belize Zoo is really exceptional. The last time I went around 3 PM and spent two hours. The jaguars were quite active at dinner time. So I think early morning or late in the day are the best times to go. Then go to preserves as well.

Unfortunately, when you rent for only five nights there are seldom any discounts. One exception is the off season (after May). IN the off season you can wing it, and bargain for a better deal in person. But that is risky. You are coming in the high season, so there will be no discounts. So plan out your trip and book ahead to get the best deals possible. There are some good deals on AirBnB and other websites that show individually owned and rented places. Of course, you don’t get all the hotel amenities when you go that route.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

The water visibility is much clearer out at the cayes. The color is quite different. On the mainland you have a lot of river runoff. The water around the reef is the most spectacular aquamarine color and is very often clear. All of the remote cayes have this spectacular feature. The seawater anywhere near the mainland does not have the same color. It tends to be more green or brown, vs. the aquamarine hue. I am told that at certain times of year the bay is clear and has an emerald color. I assume that would be in the dry months, where there is little runoff.

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