Our writing competition offered literary contestants a chance to win free eco holidays inclusive of luxury jungle cottage accommodations, all meals , round trip transfers from the International Airport or Belize City, a visit to the Belize Zoo with transfer on arrival or departure, Guided tours of the Natural History Centre, Butterfly Farm, and Belize Rainforest Medicinal Trail, Canoeing on the Macal River, and guided Early Morning Bird Watching tours. One full & half day tour to Belize’s Maya temple sites, sacred caves or nature reserves, and a Snorkelling Tour to Belize’s magnificent Barrier Reef off South Water Caye are also included in the winners package.

And there’s something to tantalize the nature lover in everyone – on land, sea or air. Land lubbers everywhere will be awed by thrilling adventure tours — to sacred Maya temple sites, in deep hushed caves, at special nature reserves, or there’s even a unique rainforest medicinal trail! There’s no telling what you might discover as you explore Belize’s fascinating concentration of rich Maya archaeological sites, sure to please the amateur historical anthropologist in all of us.

After hours of researching, trying to find that perfect place that fits all your romantic honeymoon fantasies without costing you an arm or a leg, or God forbid, all your marriage funds, Belize came into my mind when I was going through a stack of travel magazines with my lovely fiancé. Being a typical guy, I was darting through the pages quickly, musing at the pictures of couples snorkeling in islands that were way beyond our budget.

Belize is a land covered by plentiful, lush forests. The possibilities are endless with an environment like this. Hikes can be taken through the Belizean rainforest, where one is able to encounter the various tropical plants and herbs that the ancient Mayans used for medicinal purposes. Once you witness the abundant vegetation, you will be blown away to learn that not a single tree or bush has been brought in and planted. Belize is proud to be the home of natural diversity from forest to forest. And if plant diversity is not enough for you, then just glance upwards.

Money is a huge stress and we ordinarily would never be able to take a luxury vacation. My husband and I got married very young and were never able to afford a honeymoon. This year in June will be our 10th Anniversary, and it would be so wonderful for us and our family to win the honeymoon we have been hoping for so many years.

Would the Howler Monkeys jolt you out of your sleep with fear or excitement? You don’t know just yet, but you know that it will all be new, and you are definitely open to trying new things. You are excited by tours The Lodge at Chaa Creek offers and can’t wait to try them all.

From the snorkeling and canoeing to the beautiful animals and resort, I wouldn’t even know where to begin. My mother has spent the last thirty years devoting all of her time and energy to everyone except herself and to see her happy in such a beautiful place would mean the world to me. It will not repay her for all the she has done, but it sure would make a tremendous gift. Everything about this trip seems surreal.

We are a young family with 3 young girls aged 8, 5 and 10 months. We devote are lives to please them and give them everything they want and/or deserve which means no time for us. Neither one of us has ever traveled any where and we would really like a chance to visit somewhere as relaxing and enjoyable as Belize where we can spend some quiet, relaxing, and romantic time together.

I’ll never forget that morning when I had sat on a boulder facing the pyramid of Giza. It was an amazing feeling to have my dreams come true. When a person’s eyes are closed, they can be anywhere they want to be. That day as the pyramid towered above me, with my eyes closed, I felt like I was in my backyard. Perhaps someday soon Belize will be in my backyard too. A girl can only dream.

Because of our work schedules, we have only been together for about 2 weeks of the last 10 weeks. Heck of an introduction to married life. We have been dying to spend time together! For ages, we would compare calendars and list places we would like to go. We couldn’t seem to agree on a destination. Finally we booked our honeymoon to BELIZE.

Nearly twenty years later I found, with this Vacation Sweepstakes contest, a chance to retrace our steps in Belize. It is one of the top three vacations we took with our children in lieu of where “Mom, every one but us has been to” – Disney World. Besides Belize, we also learned about Native American culture in one trip out West – to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, and Monument Valley. The other of the top three family vacations was to a mountain cabin in the LaVerandre National Park in Quebec, Canada. But Belize remains our favorite.

Spreading her ebony wings, wings splattered with hot orange and splotches of parakeet yellow, she made her way over the canopy of green. Skimming past the cascading waterfalls, letting a spray of water coat her antennas, and gliding past ruins set against a hologram of mountain. So much green. From her view, it could be a plateau of broccoli – a delicious breakfast for dinosaurs. Crumbling remains of ancient worlds, where the pyramid’s peaks reached the sleeping moon.

This is my story I tell over and over to people I meet. To be a travel blogger and to show the world places they never thought was possible has always been my dream. I want to be the bridge that connects local culture, rich heritage sites and beautiful people to the world.

I can’t wait to walk through the jungle with my son as we learn about the native plants of Belize and identify the birds and their rhythmic calls. The excitement of seeing a blue morpho for the first time is almost too much. Perhaps we’ll mountain bike the trails of this 365-acre reserve or canoe the Macal River. Most of all, I can’t wait to close my eyes at night and listen to the sounds of the Jungle lull me to sleep. In this magical place, Dad will be smiling when we close our eyes under the Belizean moon.

Yes, a place free of McDonald’s and any other recognizable landmark that resembles the multitudes of vacation resorts that seem only a slight drive from home and are cluttered with soles of unlike interest and imagination.

Write a travel story on why you want to Vacation in Belize and use your creative energy to convince the reader why your unique story should compete for the winning place in the Belize Travel Story Contest.

Considering the details of this contest it seems as if winning this prize would make for the most absolute perfect first time visit to Belize. To have the chance to stay in a beautiful resort, be treated to wonderful meals, canoe the Macal River, visit Maya Temple, caves, barrier reef, the Natural History Museum, Butterfly Farm & Rainforest Medicinal Trail would truly become a once in a lifetime experience. The photos of the accommodations at Chaa Creek actually took my breath away! They look as if they’re something from a dream. I can’t believe a place like this actually exists. I’ve also never been in the jungle before! I could just imagine how incredibly fascinating it would be to walk through such a pristine ecosystem and hear and see all of the species of animals and birds. It must feel as if you’re in a movie. Must feel larger than life and surreal!

Belize is a birders paradise. Over 12 species of parrots call Belize home including various Macaws, Amazons, and a variety of Parakeets. I have been rescuing parrots and other birds and providing education about our avian friends for over 10 years and a trip to the Lodge at Chaa Creek would fulfill a lifelong dream of observing these magnificent sentient creatures in their natural habitat.

I wanted my honeymoon to be relaxing but at the same time adventurous. While looking through travel magazines, there was a page that introduced Belize with a photo of the sea and jungle. As I was about to flip the page, something in the jungle caught my eye. It was the remnants of the great Mayan empire. Right there and then, I crossed out all the other options. The next exciting task was to look for a place to stay in Belize. I searched to see if there were any over-water bungalows but it seemed like a luxury that only existed in Tahiti and Maldives (too expensive for my liking).

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.