Orange Walk

Introduction

Orange Walk Town is the fourth largest town in the nation of Belize, with a population of about 13,400 (Official Release of the Main Findings of the 2010 Population and Housing Census). It is the capital of the Orange Walk District. Orange Walk Town is located on the left bank of the New River, 85 kilometres north of Belize City and 48 kilometres south of Corozal Town.

Sights and Activities

The best attraction in the area is Lamanai, the Mayan ruins up the river. You can catch a boat or bus tour from Orange Walk. The boat will be easier on your kidneys, as the road is quite rough. The river tour is also a great way to see crocodiles, fruit bats,spider monkeys and hundreds of different bird species including many species of herons. Many of the hotels here can arrange the tour for you.

Events and Festivals

PanAmerican Day

PanAmerican Day honors the Mestizo culture of Belize in Corozal and Orange Walk with revelry, music, dancing, parades and some serious partying every October 9th. Horse races and all kinds of fun run for a week in both towns.

Getting There

By Car

Orange Walk Town is a little over an hour from the airport in Belize City, up the Northern Highway. The Highway is also known as the Belize-Corozal road, and runs right through the center of town. There is a toll booth on the approach to the town from Belize City. The road is paved and generally in good condition, although like anywhere in Northern Belize, one must be careful in the wet season. During the sugar cane season, watch out for the many large cane trucks.

Getting Around

By Foot

Walking is the best way to get around the downtown area.

Eat

There will be many street vendors selling tacos and the like in the morning. Try them. While you are in Belize, be sure to have some salbutes - fried corncakes, tomatoes, chicken - available at a couple of places along main street. There are a lot of Chinese restaurants in Belize, and they are usually pretty good, especially the bigger ones.

Of course, the staple of Belizean cuisine is chicken - barbequed chicken, rice and beans, flour tortillas and potato salad.

One of the better places to eat in Orange Walk is the Lamanai Riverside Retreat. The menu emphasizes seafood. There are no vegetarian options on the menu, but the staff are happy to work out a vegetarian plate.

Drink

• Lamanai Riverside Retreat, Lamanai alley. bar and restaurant food around 15BZ.
• Acuario Night Club, 33 San Fransisco St.

Sleep

• St. Christopher Hotel, Main Street (near the Banquitas House of Culture) is clean and reasonable. Some rooms have air conditioning, and it is a five minute walk from the center of town. The hotel also has free Wifi for guests, and a nice garden (invaded by mosquitoes at nightfall). 80BZD for a double, without a/c, breakfast included. Tours to Lamanai can be booked (100BZD): the boat picks you directly at the back of the garden.
• Lamanai Riverside Retreat. Small hotel with three rooms each with bath and air conditioning, right on the New River. The hotel will happily set up a tent or two for additional guests (shower and toilet accessible). The hotel will be happy to help with travel and sightseeing information, and can book boat tours to Lamanai that pick you up directly at the hotel's little dock. This is also a great restaurant. Located on Lamanai Alley, (501) 302-3955, email:[email protected].
• Hotel de la Fuente, 14 Main Street, ☎ 322-2290. Orange Walk Town's up-scale option. Rooms facing the inner courtyard or the rear (i.e., away from the road) are quiet. Quite clean, well-functioning air conditioning. Some rooms with kitchenette. BZ$80 to BZ$260.

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafés can be found at most major tourist destinations around Belize. Wi-Fi is also increasingly common, and many hotels are offering it for free. Rates at cybercafes run between BZ$2 and BZ$10 per hour.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The general emergency number is 911. The country calling code to Belize is 501 and to make an international call from Belize, the code is 00.
Belize has a standardized seven-digit phone numbering system. There are no city or area codes to dial from within Belize.

Payphones are the most common public phones and accept pre-purchased phone cards.

If you bring your own cell phone, avoid roaming charges, as the bill for internet can add up quickly. Instead, use only wifi or buy a local SIM card.
Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL) and their cellular division DigiCell have a virtual monopoly on cellular service in Belize. Luckily, DigiCell does have affordable packages for SIM card activation.

Post

Belize's postal service provides services throughout the country. Services are not very reliable though and it might take weeks for a postcard or letter to arrive at your destination. Post offices are generally open from 8:00am to 5:00pm, with a one hour lunch break starting around noon.
Most hotels will post a letter for you, and there are post offices in the major towns. It costs BZ$.80 to send a letter to the United States, and BZ$1 to send a letter to Europe. Postcards to the same destinations cost BZ$.40 and BZ$.50 respectively. If you want to send a package, it's better to use international companies like TNT, DHL, UPS or FedEx, as they are fast, reliable and not too expensive.

External Links