Belize. Just hearing the name arouses the mind. If we were fortunate enough to experience Belize, we believe there is no better place than the Lodge at Chaa Creek. Because of its British Colonial Heritage, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language, but that is just a scratch on the surface of the rich history and culture of Belize.

Researchers, diving into natural pools in Belize in the quest for offerings from the ancient Maya, found what’s believed to be the country’s first recorded fossilized remains. Watch as one diver ‘disappears’ into the pool’s floor. Videographer: Marty O’Farrell

We’ll arrive in Belize in the late morning, after just 6 hours of travel time from the Washington DC area. By early afternoon, we’ll be relaxing at our jungle lodge. Unlike other potential Honeymoon destinations, we could be a world away in less than half a day… With only a week vacation, this means more time to enjoy our honeymoon and less time traveling to our destination.

The Lodge at Chaa Creek is ending the year on a high note and with another award after recently being acknowledged as one of the world’s finest destinations, according to the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller Gold List for 2010.

With the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere and three of the four major atolls in the Caribbean, including the famous Blue Hole, Belize is a diver’s paradise. The waters are teeming with marine life in all sizes and shapes, including 70 types of hard corals and nearly 500 species of fish.

Last week we sent out a press release titled “Chaa Creek and Cheers star salute Belize’s sea protection” applauding the Government of Belize for banning bottom trawling because we strongly believe that bottom trawling is an incredible destructive form of fishing that destroys the sensitive coral communities and anything else in their path.

The “Brukdown” is a popular style of music created by Belizeans Kriol. According to historians, the evolution of brukdown can be attributed to the music and dance of the loggers, especially the buru. The buru was satirical in nature and was accompanied by a donkey’s jawbone, drums and a bajo.

Chaa Creek applauds the Government of Belize in instituting the ban, which goes into effect December 31 to protect the World heritage Site status of our beautiful Belize Barrier Reef System, the second largest coral reef system in the world after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Three of the Western Hemisphere’s four offshore atolls, including the famous Blue Hole, are located in Belizean waters, making our waters and cayes an invaluable resource for divers, snorkelers and researchers from around the world.

I cannot say enough how wonderful this Belize resort is! The staff were absolutely fabulous, enthusiastic and tremendously thoughtful and sweet! They make it what it is! The beds were heavenly, I’m still dreaming of going back to bed there! The grounds were gorgeous, private and spacious, and very well maintained. The food was phenomenal, especially for vegetarians.

The Macal River. The birds. The Mayan Temples. This is the vacation we all dream of. I have endured enough in my travels to deserve this kind of wonderful experience.

I read an article about the Hummingbird Highway in Belize a year ago and saw pictures of what I thought was the most beautiful tropical paradise yet. After reading more about the country, I knew I had to find a way to get there. My perfect Belize vacation would start when my plane landed in Belize City. The first thing I would do when I landed is to go to a local restaurant to try some rice, beans and stewed chicken. You can learn a lot about a country’s culture by eating their native food, and nothing starts a vacation off right like some good home cooking.

Sworn to protect the forbidden knowledge, the tribe elders have decided the time has now come for the tribe’s people to reveal their treasure. According to tradition, after centuries of darkness, the stars have fallen into alignment, illuminating a skyward treasure map towards what some have been told is the Sun’s earthly replica, the lost city of gold. Few scientists hold the key to decipher the ancient map. It is crucial that these findings are reported to the scientific world as they hold secrets that can help save the planet in such times of need. Unfortunately there are forces at work that wish to conceal such findings, and use these secrets to increase their own power, keeping the world in darkness and chaos.

December usually arrives wet and leaves drier as the wet season begins to wind down. December temperatures in Belize fall to an average low of 71°F (22°C) with highs of 80°F (27°C) for a monthly average of around 75°F (24°C) – the perfect weather to enjoy a comfortable Christmas holiday, warm enough for swimming and with pleasantly cool evenings.

I want to go to Belize so that I can learn about the cultures and history of Belize. I would also like to learn about the wildlife such as bugs, birds, lizards, snakes, and some of the plants used for medicinal purposes. This knowledge could help me later on in life because I would be able to recognize weather something is poisonous and deadly or safe to touch or eat. I would like to explore some of the caves found in Belize and find out how they were formed. I would also like to explore the coral reef and study the water life that lives there. I have been in two science and nature programs.

We would love to get away to Belize and hideaway in the warmth of the sunshine and the warmth of the Belize people, see the ocean, and relax. We love the hispanic culture (we are learning spanish as much as our neighborhood is hispanic), hispanic food, and we have heard so much about Belize from our friends who have traveled there often.

Chaa Creek shares the distinction with only sixteen other world class eco resorts in Kenya, Australia, Morocco, India and other exotic locales in Hitesh Mehta’s new book, Authentic Ecolodges, which publisher Harper Collins describes as “A must have reference guide, perfect for anyone interested in the future of tourism facilities, sustainable architecture, and the health and well-being of our planet”

During this thanksgiving season, the management of Chaa Creek would like to take a moment to express our feelings of sincere gratitude. To the country of Belize, thank you for offering an extraordinary landscape in which to grow and excel. To our staff, thank you for breathing life into the environment and forming the heart of a truly magical Belizean experience. To our colleagues and guests, thank you for guiding our hand, sustaining our work, and for becoming an integral part of our special little world. And to the god of all things and creator of nature’s bountiful riches, our gratitude is as it should be, beyond measure.

I have never been to Central America and it would be a dream for me to visit Belize in order to know more about the local culture and traditions of pre-Columbian societies. Indeed I am currently studying the myths of the 3 Americas and I am particularly interested in the Amazon myth but also in the importance of tobacco as a way to communicate with the Gods.

Like most divers, I’ve heard great things about scuba diving in Belize, but for various reasons first travelled further afield to places like Tonga, the Cook Islands and Australia. They were all superb, but what a surprise to discover that the absolute best diving to be found anywhere, and I do mean anywhere, is in the tiny little Central American country of Belize.

A friend of mine had visited Belize in the early seventies and came back raving about it. Belize was a tropical paradise, she told me, with unspoiled beaches, lush forests, Mayan ruins, and an incredible network of caves. The people in Belize were kind and friendly and interested in the visitors who came to see their country. Mexicans, sad to say, tended to be overwhelmed by too many tourists and a bit jaded. But best of all, in Belize they spoke English.