Snorkel with sharks. Scramble up slick mineral formations deep inside a cave. Explore the rain forest on horseback. Teeter on rocky paths high atop Mayan ruins. When you need a break, sip the locally made Belikin beer while chilling alongside the Caribbean's clear aqua waters.

In one week, you can experience Belize's inland jungles and island beaches, a something-for-everyone vacation. Now's the time to go, before the weather gets stifling hot and humid. Or plan ahead for next winter.

US Airways flies direct to Belize from Charlotte in under four hours, and it had seats available right after Christmas, just when my husband Randy and I wanted to go. Also in Belize's favor, for the non-Spanish speaking: English is widely spoken in this former British holding. And the exchange rate is easy. Two Belize dollars equal $1.

I got a trip-planning start online. Then I stumbled across a longtime Belize travel specialist, Magnum Belize Tours in Minnesota. Cheryl Chivers took care of everything, from airport transfers to restaurant recommendations.

Flying in over postcard-perfect "Belizean blue" waters, you get a taste of the country's beauty.

Our first night, we stayed at the Radisson Fort George in oceanside Belize City. If the city is all you saw of the country, you probably wouldn't go back. Travel books and locals warn of crime. There's a down-at-the-heels look to everything. The Radisson is adequate and a major jumping-off point for visitors.

We got into vacation mode strolling the oceanfront and sipping frozen margaritas. Chivers had insisted we eat dinner at the Smoky Mermaid restaurant across from the Radisson, the first bit of her excellent advice. Lobster cocktails introduced us to a native specialty, Marie Sharp's hot sauce. The sauce, available in several flavors and heat levels, is probably a top-selling souvenir.

There's no need to rent a car in Belize. Resorts arrange transport. Day two, Adam showed up right on time to drive us inland to Banana Bank Lodge. About halfway through the hour's drive, the landscape turns hilly, and the vegetation more rainforest lush.

To reach the lodge, we walked down a steep river bank to a small metal boat. One worker bailed as water seeped in small holes. Another pulled us across the river using a rope strung between the banks. A climb up the opposite side, and we were at the 4,000-acre sprawl that former Montana cowboy John Carr and wife, Carolyn, an artist, bought more than 30 years ago.

This is a relaxed and relaxing place. We stayed in and preferred the thatched-roof cabanas to the newer, bright pink building. Belikin beer is self-serve, with an honor-system tab. Dining is family-style, all-you-can-eat, with simple but excellent food. My favorites were the lasagna and the candied plantains with the New Year's Eve ham and turkey feast. Conversation is lively as guests compare the day's adventures and consult with staff on the next outing.

A neighbor lodge, the Belize Jungle Dome, owned by former British soccer player Andrew Hunt, allows Banana Bank guests to use its pool.

The Carr's lodge includes an equestrian center with dozens of horses, well-trained to suit even a first-time rider. A pair of trainers took us riding for a couple of hours through the rain forest. The highlight was spotting black howler monkeys, known locally as baboons, in trees high above us. A large male threw sticks at us, either trying to play or run us off.

Important note: Pack -- and wear -- high-test bug repellent. Even then, your souvenirs might include a bunch of bug bites.

Day three, we got an early start for a cave-tubing expedition. The waiver warned of the perils of "high adventure." The first adventure was 45 minutes in a wooden trailer, pulled by a tractor, along one of the few highways and into an orange grove.

The caving operator limits groups to 10 people. Ours had eight, including a family of six from Mexico. We donned headlamps, shouldered our tubes and floated and waded in the slightly chilly waters of a small stream to the mouth of a cave. Shortly after leaving behind any glimmer of daylight, we saw the first of many immense, glittering formations.

We parked our tubes on a small island and spent the next two hours clambering and splashing up, down and around the cave's winding passages. The guide showed us where to step and find secure finger-holds. There were fire pits and pottery remnants, which he said were left hundreds of years earlier by the Mayans.

Back at the tube-parking spot, the guide spread a white tablecloth and served make-your-own sandwiches.

On day four, the morning of New Year's Eve, we joined a New York religion professor and her two boys to tour Guatemala's massive Mayan ruins of Tikal. Banana Bank's Adam drove us to the border, where he handed us off to a Guatemalan guide and driver. The total drive each way is about three hours, about one-third over pot-holed dirt roads.

There are ruins in Belize, too, but the trip to Tikal is worth it.

Nearly 50 years of excavation have unearthed one of the largest Mayan capitals, including two towering temples you can climb, marveling at the architectural prowess of people living centuries ago. You can sit atop the ruins of nobles' houses and imagine the grand plaza alive with people and commerce. From the top of Temple Four, you can look across the jungle canopy to the horizon.

Beware -- the climbs are steep, and it would be easy to fall from uneven ledges atop the temples.

Day five, Adam drove us to the domestic airport where Tropic Air takes off along the beach for the brief flight to Ambergris Caye, Belize's largest island -- a world-renown snorkeling and diving paradise.

We stayed at Xanadu Island Resort, right on the beach. Our second-floor unit had two bedrooms and bathrooms, a full kitchen and a deck with a hammock. There are no paved roads. Locals and visitors use golf carts to get around. Buzzing around in our rental cart, we saw a police golf cart and had pizza delivered one night by a driver in a cart. A lot of places, including Xanadu, also provide guests with free bicycles.

We don't dive, but took a morning snorkeling trip. First stop, the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, where we ogled lots of coral and brightly colored fish.

Then we motored to Shark Ray Alley. Our group watched nervously as the guide lured brown nurse sharks, one about 5 feet long, with bait fish. It wouldn't be good for tourism if sharks ate visitors, right? Into the water I went.

The sharks were more interested in the bait fish.

The stingrays flapped along minding their own business. Schools of big-eyed silver fish, about 18 inches long, were the most curious, swimming within inches of me.

Winding down, we spent the last of our trip walking quiet beaches, quaffing Belikins and buying Marie Sharp's sauce.

My husband, not a big travel enthusiast, paid Belize his greatest compliment as we left.

"When do we go back?"

Belize Basics

US Airways flies direct from Charlotte.

U.S. citizens need a valid passport, no visa required.

Belize is in the Central time zone, one hour behind Charlotte.

One U.S. dollar equals two Belize dollars. Most shops and restaurants post prices in Belize dollars, but ask to be sure. U.S. dollars are widely accepted, but you are likely to get change in Belize currency.

English is the official language and widely spoken.

By: Charlotte