SAFETY

Caye Caulker is a very safe place to visit. Violent crime is rare. We have walked the island in the early morning hours and at night and have never felt unsafe. Travelers should just follow standard precautions (never leave your drink unattended at the bar, never walk home alone intoxicated, etc.). Make sure you have your valuables stored safely. Our unit provides a safe for your use. Scams here are rare and not something we worry about. There is a police station on the island and officers patrol the streets, but they generally remain in the background.

Caye Caulker Village has many street vendors selling food, fruit, arts and crafts, etc., and some of the best food on the island is sold out of resident’s homes. This is how many of the locals make their living. While they would love for you to buy their offerings, we’ve never run across any that get upset if you simply smile and say no thank you. Be sure to wish them well.

We strongly recommend that you purchase good travel insurance to protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations, which provides comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. There is a health center and a couple pharmacies on the island (that one of us had to use during Covid), but severe illness or injury will require transportation to the mainland which can be costly. Just be sure you’re covered.

BOOKING
Once you have secured your reservation, we will ask you to provide your email address and a cell number for the Front Desk team (frontdesk@bluzenbelize.com). All communication about your booking will be done with them moving forward. As your stay approaches, the Front Desk will communicate with you to confirm your itinerary and arrange any transfers necessary. They communicate via WhatsApp (as does most of the island). Their number in Belize is +501-615-2799. If you have any questions, you are also welcome to reach out to us.

COMMUNICATION

A very common question we get from guests is how their cell phones will work in Belize, and what options they have when they are here for wifi, calling/texting back home, and staying connected via their data. The most obvious and easy way to stay connected is to simply connect to the wifi available at almost every hotel, restaurant, bar, and the airport. If it is your first time out of the country, it seems scary to have your phone looking like its roaming, or getting messages that your data is on, and hearing stories about outrageous fees people have paid because the settings on their phone were not right. You just have to make sure that your data is turned off when you arrive.

Most US carriers offer service in Belize if you sign up for it, but check with your provider on availability and cost. It’s not necessary for most people, but it will enable you to make and receive calls the same as you would in the US. It’s a good idea that at least one person in your party download the WhatsApp app to their cellphone, as that is the best way to communicate with the Blu Zen Front Desk. Their WhatsApp number is +501-615-2799.

CLEANING FEES

The owners are charged a cleaning fee from the resort during your stay, which is reflected in your booking fee. Please note that this does not include requests you make while you are there. You will be charged a $30 fee for any day you make a request, and these charges will need to be paid when you check out. We suggest that if you need to ask the Front Desk for anything that you can’t get elsewhere, go ahead and get the condo cleaned as well. If you’re going to get charged $30 for towels, soap, shampoo or K-Cups, you might as well get everything cleaned. However, we’ve never found it necessary to request a cleaning during our stays, particularly since we have a washer and dryer, and the markets usually carry anything we may need.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS

The resort has a gym and a spa that you are welcome to use. Unfortunately, the gym is an extra cost, and the Front Desk can give you information on the pricing for the services the spa provides.

Our unit has a washer and dryer, so if you want to wash the pool towels or your clothing you can either bring a couple of pods with you or purchase them individually from the Mercado grocery store next to our unit. Other consumables such as dryer sheets, toilet paper, paper towels, soap, shampoo, etc. may also be available at Mercado, or in the village at one of the many stores. Asking the front desk for these will incur a fee. We do have two black lockboxes that have extra TP and some other supplies, located in the guest closet! The combination to both of those is 1357.

If you need help with any of the TV or A/C remotes, the front desk will be happy to assist. There is also a remote that controls the living room floor lamp. Extra batteries for that can be found in one of the lock boxes. The after-hours number for BluZen is noted in each unit for any emergencies.

As hard as you’ll try, it’s impossible to keep sand off the floor in our unit. Please use the broom and dustpan (or vacuum should the broom and dustpan disappear) as needed, unless you like to sleep with sand in your bed. 

Please try to use toilet paper sparingly, and put nothing else in the toilets. While BluZen’s waste management system is superior to most places on the island, it’s not as robust as back home.

If you are a coffee drinker, we suggest that you bring down your own K-cups. The front desk will charge for a refill of these. Mercado may have these from time to time, and some of the markets in the village carry them as well. You can purchase creamer at one of the stores, or bring your own, just be aware of TSA guidelines. We suggest unplugging the Keurig coffee maker when not in use, as it seems to need “rebooted?” after a period of time.

Generally, anything left in the fridge or freezer is fair game for the next occupant to use at their discretion. Just be sure whatever you use hasn’t reached its expiration date. We generally purchase items like beer, soda, bread, eggs, cheese, and sandwich meat from Mercado or the village on our first day, and get butter, mustard, mayo, ketchup, etc. if those things weren’t left in the fridge. We do our best to keep the salt and pepper filled, but you may need to get some of that if we’re out. Just let us know and we can reimburse you.

The water from the fridge and the tap is filtered and safe to drink at Blu Zen.

Mercado has many books, puzzles, and games that can be borrowed while you are there. Just be sure to return them before you leave.

If you would like to use one of the resort’s bicycles, be sure to check with the front desk to ensure availability. Same for the kayaks.

The Split is about a 10-minute bike ride or a 30-minute walk from Blu Zen. The road is also well lit.

Please, no smoking inside the unit.

Be sure to sign our Guest Book!!!!!  Remember, Go Slow and have a great time!!