Menu
Expat.com

What shall I bring?

Post new topic

margewest

My husband and I are moving from Wisconsin to Ambergris Caye hopefully within the next few months. We are selling things and doing our homework. We qualify for QRP. We will have a container. I have been doing some reading and have learned that living on the island things you want and or need can be difficult to find. Understandable. So my question is, for those of you that have moved there, what are some of the things you are glad you brought with you and what are some of the things you wish you had.  I appreciate all comments and points of view. Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Monkey Town brew

This is such a fantastic question, and I was actually thinking to post it as a conversation starter. I'm surprised no one has chimed in. You will have access to a different variety of things in Ambergris than we have down here in the jungle, but there are a few things I'll say I really wish I had brought - and some things I wish I hadn't wasted space on.

What I wish I had brought:
My printer! Why didn't I bring my printer?! They're stupid expensive here and kind of a pain to ship because they're heavy
5 coolers. Power goes out periodically, and you can't imagine what coolers cost here.
3 extra smart phones. This climate is hard on electronics, but you don't want to buy them here. Bring extras.
Car parts. Also wildly expensive here.
Tools. Bring tools. Yard tools too. And power tools.
My car! Why did I let people tell me driving through Mexico isn't safe?!
More grits. I can't find them here.

Things that were a waste of container space:
Cheap toys. I'm glad I brought the nice wooden toys, but cheap toys are everywhere, and even nice toys can be bought in gift shops and from many Mayans.
My antique books. Totally destroyed. I just couldn't let them go. Now no one gets them.

Things I'm super duper glad I brought:
My mattress. We have a really nice one, and you can't find anything like it here.
All my kitchen toys. My husband tried to fight this. I put my foot down. Really glad I did.
The tools we did bring.
All the weirdo stuff I need like fluoride free toothpaste, aluminum free deodorant, essential oils, non toxic detergent, all that. Only wish I had brought more. My teen replenishes my stock when she goes to visit her dad.

margewest

Thanks for the advice! It is appreciated. Really excited to move. We will not have a car because Ambergris you are not allowed unless you are a taxi or have a business. Who did you hire to do your container move? Where do you live? On the mainland? Does Amazon deliver there?

Monkey Town brew

Hey! You're welcome. The car thing makes sense. You wouldn't need it even if they did allow it. We need it because we are in a place where you must have a vehicle or a boat. We're in Monkey River, a small village just south of Placencia on the mainland. I'll have to ask my husband about the container because I put that squarely in his hands when I left two months ahead of him with all four kids. Regarding Amazon. Some places will deliver here via post. For places that won't, you can have your things shipped to one of several shipping services that have offices in the US and then bring things to Belize. Those services take care of shipping and customs and deliver to your door. If something is shipped via post, you pay customs when you retrieve it from the post office. Since you're coming QRP with that free customs at the outset, I'd try to get as much as I could on that shipment that isn't subject to customs.

margewest

Thanks!

sittee4

Although you don't need a lot of clothes, suggest you bring comfortable (I prefer cotton) underwear. Also bring swimsuits, bras, as many of your kitchen toys as you can (remembering that some will rust here, especially by the sea). QRP lets you bring most household stuff duty free. Buy a container, you can easily sell it here. Some couples are doing one person on QRP, and the other keeping their options open by visiting immigration every thirty days. Depends on your situation. Also bring any special creams or cosmetic things you like to use, as the range here is limited. (I bring in moisturiser) Good luck. 
We don't use smart phones, and don't miss them. We have local Smart (the brand) phones and use the internet at home. It works most of the time!! Before you buy local phones check which provider has best coverage where you will be. Bring a Kindle if you like to read as books are hard to find. Easy to download ebooks.

margewest

Thanks! Where are you?

Cochise8933

Good Evening, those were some long post, and didn't have time to read. I am in Costa Rica  and a post on our site is a cooler. Coolers do more than get in the way. They are expensive here, and you can put knives, and pans in them. Buy one with wheels, and a handle. Wish I would have thought of that.

Articles to help you in your expat project in Belize

  • Moving with your pet to Belize
    Moving with your pet to Belize

    If you have pets and are planning to move to Belize or make an extended visit, you will almost certainly want to ...

  • Relocating to Belize
    Relocating to Belize

    Moving is always a big project, but an international move requires special considerations. If you have decided to ...

  • Using phones in Belize
    Using phones in Belize

    Belize has a national telecommunications company, Belize Telemedia, Limited, and several mobile phone companies ...

  • Connecting to the internet in Belize
    Connecting to the internet in Belize

    Belize enjoys decent internet coverage. Unfortunately it is slow and expensive. The country has many internet ...

  • How to drive in Belize
    How to drive in Belize

    In Belize, you can drive with an international driver's license, and you can often drive with a license from ...

  • Where's the Beef?
    Where's the Beef?

    Before visiting Belize to determine if it was a country we could permanently relocate to, we did an awful lot of ...

  • Sports in Belize
    Sports in Belize

    Sport has always been a part of Belizean life. Although the country does not have a lot in terms of professional ...

  • Banking in Belize
    Banking in Belize

    Belize was once known to be a real banking haven, a place where banking secrecy was guaranteed. The situation ...

All of Belize's guide articles