Belize City's more sophisticated, air-conditioned bars are found in the most expensive establishments, and there aren't many of those. At the lowest end of the scale are dimly lit dives, effectively men-only, where, though there's the possibility that you'll be offered drugs or be robbed, it's more likely that you'll have a thoroughly enjoyable time amongst easy-going, hard-drinking locals. There are several places between the two extremes, some of them in restaurants and hotels - or try the early-closing Marlins restaurant and Nu Fenders , a bar on the corner of Queen and Handyside streets.

Nightlife , though not as wild as it used to be, is becoming more reliable, and the quality of live bands is improving all the time. The Radisson Fort George and the Bellevue hold regular dances or discos, with live music often preceded by a Friday evening happy hour . At Planet Hollywood (not part of the chain) on the corner of Queen and Handyside streets there's live punta and reggae , while Nerie's Restaurant hosts local bands upstairs on Friday evenings. A bit further afield the Lumba Yard Bar , on the riverbank just out of town on the Northern Highway, hosts the country's top bands on Friday and Saturday evenings.