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Belizean postal services are perhaps the most efficient (and most
expensive) in Central America. Sending letters, cards and
parcels home is straightforward: a normal airmail letter takes
around four days to reach the US, under eight days to Europe, and up
to two weeks to Australia; parcels have to be wrapped in
brown paper and tied with string.
Belize
has a modern (albeit expensive) phone system with payphones
found throughout the country. The international country code for
Belize is 501, used only when calling from outside the country.
There are no area codes in Belize; wherever you are in the country
you have to dial all seven figures of the telephone number. Since
this system was only introduced in May 2002, you may find many
brochures and business cards will still list the old number.
The BTL
(Belize Telecommunications Limited) website www.btl.net has a
tool that converts the old number to the new one. In practice,
however, this doesn't always work and cell phone numbers
particularly appear not to be readily available. More number changes
can be expected from 2003 onward, as BTL's monopoly comes to an end
and long-suffering customers try out the competition. Most payphones
now only accept phone cards, which can be used on any phone.
These are widely available from BTL offices, hotels, shops and gas
stations; to use them just scratch off the strip concealing the PIN,
dial the access code (printed on the card), the PIN and then the
number you're calling. Some rural areas are served by community
telephones (nowadays often fixed cellular phones), usually
located in a private house; you can either use a phone card or pay
the person who operates the phone.
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 Belize
travel guide
Caribbean
guide
Calling home collect is
easy using the Home Country Direct service, available at BTL
offices, most payphones and larger hotels. Simply dial the access
code (printed on some payphones and in the phone book) to connect
with an operator in your home country.
Most
hotels and businesses now have fax machines and any BTL
office will have a public fax you can use. Fax numbers are listed in
the pink pages in the telephone directory. Belizean businesses and
individuals are also avid users of email and the Internet,
and Internet access is available in all the main towns and for
guests at many hotels.
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Belize
Belize City
Where to go
When to go
Getting around
Costs, money, banks
Currency, exchange
 Eating
and drinking
Mail &
communications
Safety and the police
Work and study
Information
The media
Holidays
and festivals
Shopping,
souvenirs
Belize city
Arrival and information
Restaurants
Nightlife,
entertainment
Tours,
buses
Listings
Travel details
Explore Belize City
North side
South side
Cayo and the west
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Belize city
to San
Ignacio
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Belize zoo
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Belmopan
Practicalities
Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
Guanacaste
Park
Benque Viejo del Carmen
Caracol Ruins
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
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San Antonio
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San Ignacio
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Arrival
Restaurants
Kayaking,canoeing
Xunantunich, San Jose
Corozal, Orange Walk
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Travel details |
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