Belize Winter Vacation: When yuh hot, yuh hot!

Beat the cold with our affordable all-inclusive Belize holiday packages!

Beat the freeze and head to Belize this winter. For a little off-the-beaten track place, Belize is incredibly easy to get to. Filled with ancient Maya temples and ancient cities, and on the other the Caribbean Sea and all these little islands and coastal villages and resorts, all protected by a huge barrier reef. The people are really friendly and, to top it off, everyone speaks English!

Early Christmas joy for Cristo Rey RC School in Belize

Donate-to-school-in-Belize

Christmas is near and the cheer was shared very early this year with the students of Cristo Rey RC primary school! The Herron family from Florida, USA presented a sizeable donation to the staff and students of the Belizean primary school through Chaa Creek’s Pack-a-Pound initiative.

St George’s Caye Day – Yesterday and Today

belize-flag

Our story begins with a town hall meeting where it’s announced that Spain is sending a large force to invade and subjugate the English-speaking settlers, known collectively as the Baymen, and African slaves who had been eking out a living mostly by cutting logwood, which was highly valued for producing an indigo dye used in the British textile industry.

Belize Green + Old Yeller = Colourful Metaphor

BB Postcard

Every time Belize gets mentioned in Breaking Bad you just got to pay attention. When one of the world’s smallest countries is mentioned on one of the world’s biggest television shows, regardless of how weird the reference is, your ears automatically pick up.

Does “Breaking Bad” suggest that Belize is Heaven?

Breaking Bad Belize

Being at the moment on the other side of the world from the Jewel, we don’t get to see Breaking Bad until the day after most viewers do, so it was with even more than the usual anticipation that we waited for it to air. Yes, we’ll to admit to being totally hooked and agree with most of the world that BB is a truly great creation, works on so many levels, blends high art with pop culture, etc.

It’s Official – Belize is a Very happy Country

Holiday Celebrations in Belize

The Lodge at Chaa Creek’s events planner, Denise Duran, said that discovering that Belize was listed as one of the top five happiest countries on earth according to the global Happiness Index, comes as no surprise to her.

Eco Kids Learn About Belizean Wildlife

Balboa the Boa, nice to meet you

As Eco-Camp 2013 comes to a close, the campers put together newspaper bags in order to carry home all the excellent arts and crafts projects they have done since coming to camp.

Eco Kids Learn About Sustainability

Group Shot in the Stables

After perfecting their songs, campers headed over to the Chaa Creek conference room to listen to a presentation on Responsible Tourism by Mr. Larry Waight, which highlighted several of the ways in which Chaa Creek works to ensure that it remains environmentally responsible.

Eco Kids Learn About Solid Waste Management

Run from the water balloons

Today’s theme of Solid Waste Management meant that the day was not as hectic as previous days. Campers had a leisurely breakfast, and a couple games of “Wink Assassin” before diving straight into Arts and Crafts, recycling plastic water bottles to use as stylish bracelets. Some campers decorated their bracelets with the colors of the Belizean flag, while others went with more colorful heart stickers.

Doing The Chaa-Chaa-Chaa Through Life’s Jungle

Mick and Lucy Fleming

It is hard to imagine an environment that is more vividly alive than the jungle–lush, teeming, unfurling, changing, challenging, chaotic, diverse, primal, light, dark, and unpredictable. Embracing life’s unpredictability led Lucy from her New Jersey girlhood to finding her place in the world on the banks of the Macal River.

Eco Kids Learn About Land Conservation

Team Blue Monkeys  learning about growing pitaya

While preparations for the hike were underway, the campers sat down at the arts and crafts tables to make their very own wallets. Tastes in wallet decoration varied widely, with some campers using stickers, some drawing, some using leaves and sticks, and several using magazine cutouts

Eco Kids Summer Camp Day 3 – Medicinal Plants

Explaining why the white poisonwood is dangerous

Mrs Salome’s presentation on medicinal plants highlighted several popular Belizean herbs, such as serosee, thyme, and aloe vera, and allowed campers got to practice their bush medicine skills. A couple lucky volunteers pretended to have earaches, and they were cured by using thyme. From the excellent bedside manner displayed by some campers, it would seem there are some future doctors in the group!

Eco Kids learn about The Ancient Maya

Group photo at the lookout

Once we arrived back at Chaa Creek, Mr. Awe gave a presentation on the history and culture of the Maya, from their origins as hunter-gatherers crossing the Bering Straits, to the decline of their civilization thousands of years ago. And just to make sure the campers were paying attention, he split boys and girls into two teams and gave a pop quiz at the end. It was a close call, but the girls scored higher by one point!

Eco Kids Learn about Biodiversity and Conservation

Learning about animal skulls

The first day at Chaa Creek Eco Kids summer camp began a little earlier
than expected for some campers. After all, it’s quite difficult to sleep
when a howler monkey troop comes roaring through at the crack of dawn!

Eco Kids Summer Camp 2013 Kick-Off!!

Eco Kids Summer Camp 1

“The winners were selected by Lucy Fleming (Chaa Creek co-founder) & Eco Kids organizer Roberto Harrison, categorized by districts and organized to meet at central points to be picked up by a Chaa Creek shuttle and transferred to the Macal River Camp,” said Mr. Harrison.

Chaa Creek’s Eco Kids Set for Educational Adventure

ecokidscamp1

According to Chaa Creek founder and general manager Lucy Fleming, the innovative annual event gives Belizean youth an opportunity to learn about their natural world through a mix of adventure, social interaction, fun and hands-on education aimed at instilling a sense of wonder and responsibility for the environment.

Food is an Essential Part of the Adventure in Belize

Food is an Essential Part of the Adventure in Belize

In order to survive in the increasingly competitive tourism industry, even the most remote resorts must pay careful attention to their kitchens as travellers are placing greater emphasis on a quality dining experience, the food and beverage manager of a popular Belizean eco resort advises. Bryony Fleming Bradley, of The Lodge at Chaa Creek in western Belize, said that the days of adventurous travellers being satisfied with food that was simply hot and palatable are over. ”Some years back, our guests would always comment at how happily surprised they were with the quality of the food we served, as it usually exceeded their expectations of what would be found in such a pristine location.

Happy Earth Day

earth

According to the official Earth Day website ( earthday.org), over 1 billion people in 192 countries are participating in earth’s day activities in their communities and helping depict the face of climate change. At Chaa Creek, we have started to organize this year’s Eco Kids Summer Camp Program which is a week long summer camp scholarship program for Belize’s resident school children.

7 Cool Facts about the Praying Mantis

manatids

Mantidae (also known as praying mantis) is the common name for an insect of the order Mantodea which are mostly tropical or subtropical. The insect is named after the distinctive way they hold their front legs up and together and is in a prayer, and in Greek the word “mantis” means prophet or fortune teller.

Fox News Features on Chaa Creek a Boon for Belize

Chaa Creek - March 2013

Fox News’ recent pick of The Lodge at Chaa Creek as a one of the world’s most outstanding jungle and rainforest retreats marks the third time the Belize eco resort has been featured by the US news agency this year, and is further proof that the tiny Caribbean country is coming into its own as a premier travel destination, marketing administrator Larry Waight said today.

Why You Should Consider Retiring To Belize

Mick&Lucy

It’s a country of freedom-seekers. The pirates came to ply their pirate trading out of view. The Mennonites came from Germany and the Netherlands so they could be Mennonites without anyone bothering them. The British came to do their banking in private. And the folks from the surrounding countries have made their way across Belize’s borders over the decades in search of safety.

Chaa Creek Resort: Belize’s Playground

horseback riding in belize

After two days of hiking, climbing and swimming, I was ready for a bit of a change of pace, so we headed to the eco jungle resort, Chaa Creek. At this 365 acre resort, you’ll have everything at your fingertips to customize your own jungle adventure. I had met someone from Chaa Creek a few years ago at a travel trade show and had been staring at their promotional disc for years, waiting for the day I’d get to Belize so I could stay there. After checking in to our private thatched cottage, we met with the concierge to organize the activities for the following day. Many are included in your stay, but a few such as horseback riding and canoeing carry a small surcharge.