Area Codes -- The country code is 501. Belize has a unified seven-digit phone numbering system, with no local area or city codes.

ATM Networks -- Belize does not yet have an extensive network of ATMs, but you should find one or two at most major tourist destinations, including Belize City, at the Goldson International Airport, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, San Ignacio, Placencia, Corozal, Belmopan, Orange Walk, and Punta Gorda.

Business Hours -- Banks are generally open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm. However, in many small towns, villages, and tourist destinations, bank hours may be limited. In very few instances, banks have begun opening on Saturday. Belizean businesses tend to be open Monday through Friday from 8am to noon, and from 1 to 5pm. Some businesses do not close for lunch, and some open on Saturday.

Drugstores -- There are a handful of pharmacies around Belize City, and in most of the major towns and tourist destinations. Perhaps the best-stocked pharmacy in the country can be found at Belize Medical Associates, 5791 St. Thomas Kings Park (tel. 223-0303; www.belizemedical.com).

Electricity -- Electricity is 110-volt AC, and most outlets are either two- or three-prong U.S. style outlets.

Embassies & Consulates -- The United States Embassy is located in Belize City at 29 Gabourel Lane (tel. 227-7161). The British High Commission is located in Belmopan, at Embassy Square (tel. 822-2146).

Emergencies -- In case of any emergency, dial tel. 90 from anywhere in Belize. This will connect you to the police.

Etiquette & Customs -- There are no overarching etiquette or customs concerns for visitors to Belize. This is a hot, humid tropical country, and dress is uniformly light and casual, except in business situations, where a suit or dressy women's clothing is appropriate. For all intents and purposes, Belize is also a very Western country. A simple handshake is the most common form of greeting.

Hospitals -- Belize Medical Associates, 5791 St. Thomas Kings Park, Belize City (tel. 223-0303; www.belizemedical.com), is a modern, 24-hour private hospital, with emergency care and numerous private practice physicians. The country's main public hospital, the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, Princess Margaret Drive, Belize City (tel. 223-1548), is also open 24 hours and has a wide range of facilities and services.

Internet Access -- Cybercafes can be found at most major tourist destinations around Belize. Wi-Fi is also increasingly more common, and many hotels are offering it for free. Rates at cybercafes run between BZ$2 and BZ$10 (US$1-US$5) per hour. Alternatively, BTL (tel. 0800/112-4636; www.btl.net), the state Internet monopoly, sells prepaid cards in BZ$10 (US$5), BZ$25 (US$13), and BZ$50 (US$25) denominations for connecting your laptop to the Web via a local phone call.

Language -- English is the official language of Belize, and it is almost universally spoken. However, Belize is a very polyglot country, and you are likely to hear and come across Spanish, Creole, and Garífuna.

Laundromats -- Most folks rely on their hotel's laundry and dry-cleaning services, although these can be expensive.

Legal Aid -- In the event of any legal trouble, contact your embassy, or ask at your hotel for an appropriate recommendation.

Liquor Laws -- The legal drinking age in Belize is 18 years old, although it is often not enforced. Beer, wine, and liquor are all sold in most supermarkets and small convenience stores from Monday through Saturday. No liquor is sold on Good Friday or Easter Sunday. On Election Day, no liquor can be sold until 6pm.

Lost & Found -- Be sure to tell all of your credit card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen and file a report at the nearest police precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two. It's a good idea to write this number down and carry it someplace separate from your wallet or credit cards. Visa's emergency number is tel. 800/847-2911 toll-free in the U.S., or call 410/581-9994 collect from Belize. American Express cardholders and traveler's check holders should call tel. 800/221-7282 toll-free in the U.S., or tel. 336/393-1111 collect from Belize. MasterCard holders should call tel. 800/307-7309 toll-free in the U.S., or 636/722-7111 collect from Belize.

If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks and American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you via Western Union (tel. 800/325-6000 in the U.S. and Canada, or 227-0014 in Belize; www.westernunion.com), although the service charges are substantial.

Mail -- Most hotels will post a letter for you, and there are post offices in the major towns. It costs BZ$.60 (US30¢) to send a letter to the United States, and BZ$.80 (US40¢) to send a letter to Europe. Postcards to the same destinations cost BZ$.30 (US15¢) and BZ$.40 (US20¢) respectively.

If your postal needs are urgent, or you want to send anything of value, several international courier and express-mail services have offices in Belize City, including DHL, 38 New Rd. (tel. 223-4350; www.dhl.com); FedEx, 1 Mapp St. (tel. 224-5221; www.fedex.com); and Mail Boxes Etc., 166 N. Front St. (tel. 227-6046; www.mbe.com). All can arrange pick up and delivery services to any hotel in town, and sometimes in the different outlying districts. Beware: Despite what you may be told, packages sent overnight to U.S. addresses tend to take 3 to 4 days to reach their destination.

Maps -- Belize is such a small and undeveloped country that you'll probably be fine with the maps contained in this book. The Belize Tourism Board (www.travelbelize.org) can provide you with good maps to both the city and various destinations around the country at either their kiosk at the international airport, or at their main offices in the Central Bank Building on Gabourel Lane. Alternatively, most gift shops sell maps of the country.

Measurements -- English measurements are the norm in Belize, although the metric system is making slight inroads.

Newspapers & Magazines -- Belize has no daily newspaper. There are four primary weeklies, Amandala, the Reporter, Belize Times, and the Guardian. All come out on Friday, and all are relatively similar in terms of content, although with some differing (and usually obvious) political leanings and loyalties. Belize First is a periodic book-style magazine aimed at the tourist trade.

Passports -- Allow plenty of time before your trip to apply for a passport; processing normally takes 3 weeks but can take longer during busy periods (especially spring). And keep in mind that if you need a passport in a hurry, you'll pay a higher processing fee.

For Residents of Australia: You can pick up an application from your local post office or any branch of Passports Australia, but you must schedule an interview at the passport office to present your application materials. Call the Australian Passport Information Service at tel. 131-232, or visit the government website at www.passports.gov.au.

For Residents of Canada: Passport applications are available at travel agencies throughout Canada or from the central Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).

For Residents of Ireland: You can apply for a 10-year passport at the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh). Those under age 18 and over 65 must apply for a €12 3-year passport. You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork (tel. 021/272-525), or at most main post offices.

For Residents of New Zealand: You can pick up a passport application at any New Zealand Passports Office or download it from their website. Contact the Passports Office at tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100, or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.

For Residents of the United Kingdom: To pick up an application for a standard 10-year passport (5-year passport for children under 16), visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the United Kingdom Passport Service at tel. 0870/521-0410 or search its website at www.ukpa.gov.uk.

For Residents of the United States: Whether you're applying in person or by mail, you can download passport applications from the U.S. State Department website at http://travel.state.gov. To find your regional passport office, either check the U.S. State Department website or call the National Passport Information Center toll-free number (tel. 877/487-2778) for automated information.

Photographic Needs -- While I recommend bringing as much film as you foresee needing and waiting until you return to develop it, you can buy and develop film at most popular tourist destinations (but it's more expensive in Belize).

Police -- The police in Belize are generally rather helpful; there is a dedicated tourism police force in Belize City. Dial tel. 90 or 911 in an emergency. You can also dial tel. 227-2222.

Restrooms -- There are very few public restrooms in Belize. About the only ones I know of are located at the little cruise-ship tourist village on Fort Street in the Fort George section of Belize City. However, most hotels and restaurants will let tourists use their facilities.

Smoking -- Belize has yet to pass any no-smoking legislation, and aside from a handful of hotels that are entirely nonsmoking, few others have true nonsmoking rooms or floors. Similarly, many restaurants don't have a nonsmoking section. Luckily, so much dining in Belize is alfresco that this may not be a problem, especially if you can snag an upwind seat.

Taxes -- There is a US$35 departure tax that must be paid in cash at the airport upon departure. There is a 9% hotel tax added on to all hotel bills, and there is an 10% GST tax on all goods and services. A 10% service charge is sometimes added on to restaurant bills. Take this into account when deciding how much to tip.

Telephones -- Belize has a standardized seven-digit phone numbering system. There are no city or area codes to dial from within Belize; use the country code, 501 (not to be confused with the area code for the state of Arkansas), only when dialing a Belizean number from outside Belize.

For directory assistance: Dial tel. 113 if you're looking for a number inside Belize, and for numbers to all other countries dial tel. 114 or 115 and (for a charge) an operator will connect you to an international directory assistance operator.

For operator assistance: If you need operator assistance in making a call, dial tel. 114 or 115, whether you're trying to make a local or an international call.

Toll-free numbers: Numbers beginning with 0800 and 800 within Belize country are toll-free, but calling a 1-800 number in the States from Belize is not toll-free. In fact, it costs the same as an overseas call.

Time Zone -- Belize is on Central Standard Time, 6 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. Belize does not observe daylight saving time.

Tipping -- Most Belizeans don't tip. Many restaurants add a 10% service charge. However, if the service is particularly good, or if the service charge is not included, tipping is appropriate.

Useful Phone Numbers -- U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory, tel. 202/647-5225 (manned 24 hr.). U.S. Passport Agency, tel. 202/647-0518. U.S. Embassy in Belize, tel. 227-7161. Canadian Consulate in Belize, tel. 223-1061. U.K. Embassy in Belize, tel. 822-2146. U.S. Centers for Disease Control International Traveler's Hot Line, tel. 404/332-4559. Time, date, and temperature, tel. 121.

Water -- The water in most major cities and tourist destinations in Belize is ostensibly safe to drink. However, many travelers react adversely to water in foreign countries, and it is probably best to drink bottled water throughout your visit to Belize.