TRAVEL PREPARATION AND ACCOMMODATION INFORMATION
GETTING READY FOR A HILLSIDE EXPERIENCE
Travel Information
If questions arise in planning you may contact the clinic directly by phone or email.
Language
English is taught in the schools throughout Belize and is the primary language of the country. Creole is spoken by much of the county’s population. Maya, Garifuna, and Hispanic people may generally use their native languages but are able to communicate in English as well. However, in some villages—especially along the borders—English is not spoken by everyone.
Passport information
A valid passport is required to enter Belize. Those coming from the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, or the UK., are able to get a tourist visa on arrival which will be valid for thirty calendar days. Those staying beyond thirty days will need to renew their visa (for a fee) for each additional thirty-day period. Visa extensions can be obtained at the Customs Office in Punta Gorda. Citizens of countries other than those listed need to contact the Belizean embassy to make arrangements for a visa. Though not required, it is a good idea for travelers to register online with the consulate/embassy of their home country in Belize before their trip.
When to Arrive
Students/residents and other volunteers are expected to be on the clinic grounds prior to their first day of work. Many plan time before or after their Hillside experience to see the rest of the country.
Getting to Belize
Participants are responsible for arranging their own airline tickets to and from Belize. Groups that wish to fly together may want to use the Student and Staff Forum tab to facilitate making arrangements. Airlines serving Belize from the United States include American Airlines, US Airways and Continental Airlines . MTS travel a travel agency that attempts to provide discounted rates for medical volunteers. All international flights arrive and depart from Goldstone International Airport in Belize City (Code BZE). Travel from Belize City to Punta Gorda can be via bus or air. It is not possible to catch a bus on the day of arrival in Belize City and make the trip to Hillside Clinic the same day. Reservations can be made on Tropic Airlines for flights to Punta Gorda. Tickets should be booked well in advance online. Payment can be made on arrival at the Tropic Airline ticket counter in the Goldson Airport.
Upon arrival at Goldson , participants will be required to show their passports, collect their luggage, and pass through customs. If traveling to Punta Gorda via Tropic Airlines, just ask to be directed to the Tropic Airline desk in this same terminal. It is a short distance from the customs area. The flight from Belize City to Punta Gorda takes about one hour. The planes will generally stop in Dangriga and Placencia on their way to and from Punta Gorda to pick up and drop off passengers and mail, but passengers will not change planes.
Participants are asked to email the date, time and flight number of their Tropic Air flight to HHCI a minimum of two weeks prior to their planned date of arrival, so that the Hillside staff can arrange to pick up arriving participants up from the Punta Gorda airstrip and transport them the five miles to Eldridgeville where the clinic/dormitory is located. If there is disruption of travel plans while enroute, participants are asked to make every effort to notify the clinic of the changes. The phone number at Hillside when calling from within Belize is 722-2312; when calling from the States it is 011-501-722-2312.
Accommodations
There are two housing facilities on the clinic grounds, each with shower/restroom and kitchen. Each facility has two bedrooms with individual beds and can accommodate four to five people. Bedding, blankets, and small towels are provided. A housekeeper does general cleaning once a week but is not responsible for personal items or kitchen clean up. Laundry will be the responsibility of each participant and can be done onsite by hand or dropped off at a laundry service in Punta Gorda.
Drinking tap water is not advised; bottled water is provided while at the clinic and can be easily purchased elsewhere. As electricity and water rates are extremely expensive, participants are asked that lights, fans, etc, be turned off when leaving their facility or when they are not needed. Smoking or drinking of alcohol is not permitted on the clinic grounds at anytime.
The clinic and dormitories are located about 5 miles out of the town of Punta Gorda in a very rural setting. Participants will be allowed to ride into Punta Gorda Town with one of our designated drivers, one evening per week at no cost. Arrangements with clinic staff must be made well in advance. Additional auto travel to and from town outside of clinic hours will require the use of a cab (approximately$15 BZ each way). Bicycles may also be available for use. Nighttime bike riding and walking along the road between the clinic and Punta Gorda is not safe and is strongly discouraged. Likewise, hitch-hiking is not advised.
Though the clinic has never had a security issue, a watchman is on duty nightly as a precaution. Likewise, there are burglar bars on all doors that are to be kept locked at all times. A cup of coffee or friendly conversation is always welcome by the watchman.
Replacing lost or damaged items as well as repair of facilities is a very difficult and expensive proposition in this setting. All participants are asked to care for their facilities to the best of their ability and to notify clinic personnel at once if a problem with the facility is detected.
Food
Lunches are provided for participants at least once a week. All other meals are the responsibility of the participants. Some food items will be stocked for participants prior to their arrival; grocery and market runs are scheduled regularly during each week. Grocery stores in Punta Gorda are adequately stocked with prepared foods so that even the “cooking challenged” will be able to get by. Those who enjoy cooking will find market days to be a treat as they find new foods to challenge their culinary skills. Each dorm has a fully equipped kitchen. Other options include restaurants in Punta Gorda or asking a neighbor near the clinic to prepare a meal
Money
The Belizean dollar is fixed to the US dollar at a 2:1 ratio ($2 BZ = $1 US). While the cost of living is much lower in Belize in general than the United States, it is much higher than other Caribbean countries. Due to high tariffs many prepared foods cost the same or more than they do in the USA. On the other hand, meals of local foods at restaurants are about one half the price. US dollars and travelers checks are accepted at most places without question at the 2:1 rate. Credit cards are accepted only at tourist sites and often have a surcharge required for their use. The Belize Bank has an ATM machine in Punta Gorda that will dispense up to $500.00 BZ per day to US ATM cards. Know your pin number! Some local merchants will cash personal checks in a pinch.
Communications
Internet use is now available via a high speed satellite connection at the clinic. Students bringing a laptop and WiFi card meeting the 802.11b standard may connect at any time. Clinic computers are available on a limited basis when they are not being used for clinic business. Telephone service is through Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL). International phone cards do NOT work on BTL. BTL phone cards are readily available in Belize and are required for all personal phone calls from the clinic (including local calls). Outgoing phone calls are very expensive, and it is suggested that family members be given the clinic phone number (see the home page tab). A calling time, before or after clinic business hours, can then be arranged via email.
Vaccinations
Participants are asked to check the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/camerica.htm for the latest information. The clinic is located in a rain forest area where malaria is prevalent and prophylactic chloroquine is suggested.
Evacuation insurance
Evacuation insurance is required by HHCI. Insurance can be obtained on-line at SOS insurance company or through similar providers. Evacuation insurance must cover the entire time you plan to travel. This may require that you buy more than a 1 month policy. Make sure to forward a copy of the confirmation email they will send you to HHCI or you will NOT be allowed to participate in the HHC program.
Clothing and Weather
HHC is located in Southern Belize in a rainforest. To put this in perspective, “rainy” Seattle gets about 40 inches of rainfall annually (about the same as Belize City in the north); the rain forest on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington gets about 90 inches of rainfall annually; Punta Gorda gets about 160 inches of rainfall annually. Local residents in Punta Gorda speak of two seasons in addition to the usual pattern of sunny and very warm during the day with rain at night (plan on 75 to 85 degrees). The two seasons are the dry season of April and May when the temperature can quickly top 100 degrees and the wet season of June and July when the rain comes in torrents (usually at night). (Internet weather sites don’t include information about conditions in Southern Belize.) In general quick dry T-shirts and pants work well. Zip off synthetic pants are great, because they dry quickly and are easily converted to shorts. A long sleeve shirt is recommended for cool evenings and areas with bugs. Don’t forget shorts and swim suits to enjoy the tropics. Cool dresses are a comfortable idea for the women. A light sweater or fleece is suggested for cooler times.
Professional appearance is required during working hours. No shorts are allowed for men and no spaghetti straps or exposed midriffs for women. Scrubs are available for those who want to wear them and sandals ARE allowed in clinic. Laundry facilities are available at the dormitory or arrangements can be made to have your laundry done at a local laundry. A canvas hat works well as does a breathable raincoat or poncho. Many of the local people carry umbrellas to use for the hot sun and for the unpredictable rains.
Other items recommended are sunscreens with a high spf, bug repellant, plenty of hand sanitizer, a flashlight, sun glasses, and reading material. Many common everyday items such as shampoos, soaps and toothpastes are readily available locally.
Holidays
HHC is closed during Belizean government holidays.
Christmas – New Years: HHC follows the Belizean custom of closing from a week before Christmas through January 2
Baron Bliss Day: March 9
Good Friday – Easter Monday: HHC follows the Belizean custom of closing for a 4 day weekend
Labor Day: May 1
Commonwealth Day: May 24
National Day: September 10
Independence Day: September 21
Pan American Day: October 12
Garifuna Settlement Day: November 19
This schedule is specific for each calendar year. The day the holiday is celebrated (and the clinic is closed) does not always correspond to the actual holiday
Recreational Travel
Students often enjoy visiting the sites of Southern Belize while they are at the clinic so they arrange weekend getaways. These expeditions (see Fun and Educational Things to Do in Belize tab) are at the students own expense and can be done on a tight or generous budget. Students often visit the beaches of Placentia for a weekend and some travel inexpensively by bus and water taxi to get there while others make a quick trip by air. The clinic staff can recommend accommodations in many of the frequented local sites and know some vendors who will give discounts in exchange for the frequent business HHC sends their way. Generally students can plan to have from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening as “free time” in addition to some weekday evenings.
Visitors
The Hillside dorms are provided only for elective participants. For those participants expecting visitors, the HHCI staff can recommend and assist in arranging local accommodations at their own expense . Visitors, whether from the local area or from abroad, are not permitted on the Hillside grounds without prior approval from the Hillside director.
