Drive through the surrounding countryside. Be sure to visit some of the smaller towns in the district - August Pine Ridge, San Pablo, San Narciso, etc. Mennonite communities abound. You can recognize them by their perfectly tended farms.
2nd Class buses no airconditioning, and usually no "trunk" for suitcases run regularly from Orange walk to Belize City, usually no more than 2 hours one way. From Belize City, you can connect to almost anywhere else in the country. While avoiding Belize City is desireable, it is almost unavoidable if you want to make bus connections to other locations.
