The Ultimate Belize Thanksgiving Vacation: It’s Not Too Late!
Exquisite dining followed by healthy activities in a tropical wonderland will put you and yours in a grateful mood
Looking for the ultimate Thanksgiving? There’s still time and a few spaces left for Chaa Creek’s annual Thanksgiving Vacation Package for those who prefer an exotic setting and a side order of adventure with their turkey.
As with many great traditions, Chaa Creek’s Thanksgiving began small; as a family event that just grew organically over time – mostly via word of mouth. Each year happy, satiated guests would return home with glowing reports about this new take on an old holiday, and the next year more people would show up. And so it grew over the years…
Mick and Lucy Fleming, who started Chaa Creek as a family farm back in the late 70s, have been celebrating Belizean Thanksgivings since their first year in the jungle, and some years back began inviting the eco-resort’s guests to share the repast and join in the giving of thanks.
“After our first year settling Chaa Creek we felt we had much to be thankful for, so we scraped together our then meagre resources to throw a feast with family and friends. Ever since, it has become an annual tradition we look forward to. Over the years more and more guests would take part, and now it’s one of our favourite times of year,”Lucy recalls.
The Chaa Creek story is very similar to the first Thanksgiving, when America’s pilgrims celebrated their first harvest and acknowledged the help their neighbors gave them by throwing a feast.
After discovering the overgrown, disused orange orchard by way of a chance meeting in a bar, the Flemings canoed up the Macal River and began clearing bush and renovating the old dilapidated farmhouse. Before too long, land was cleared, the first crops of watermelon, corn and other vegetables were planted, chickens were scratching around, yoghurt they made was for sale in the San Ignacio markets, and the adventurous young couple were part of the local landscape.
Each year there was something new to be thankful for. A new dugout dory was followed by a second-hand outboard motor. Horses joined the menagerie. The rude dirt track in was upgraded (with help from British forces tanks). An old tractor arrived from England. Before too long a daughter arrived. And then a son…
“Even though it was hard work and there wasn’t much money, we could find new things to be grateful for each year, and we felt it was important to sit down with our friends and family and neighbours to count our blessings and give thanks. It became a tradition, and then, after we built the first Chaa Creek Cottages and began taking in guests, it was only natural to invite them to dinner as well,”Lucy explained.
As Chaa Creek evolved and more and more guests arrived, the annual event became popular enough to warrant its own all-inclusive Belize vacation package, and the Chaa Creek All-inclusive Belize Thanksgiving Vacation Package was born.
Now, each year families, couples and singles are all invited to take part in a delicious mix of adventure, learning, healthy outdoor activities and relaxation with roast turkey, pumpkin pie and all the traditional fare we associate with Thanksgiving.
Chaa Creek’s surprisingly affordable Belize Thanksgiving Vacation Package is an all-inclusive minimum three day mix of fine food, exciting activities and relaxation and is available throughout November. In addition to exquisite meals, the package includes Chaa Creek’s signature thatched-roof cottage accommodation, guided bird walks, access to all Chaa Creek attractions and amenities, canoeing on the Macal River, swimming and hiking miles of secure trails throughout the pristine 365-acre nature reserve and much more.
In true Chaa Creek fashion, the food and drink is laid on in style, but the guilty pleasure of excess is alleviated by the farm fresh ingredients and healthy exercise with a horseback, bike or hiking trip through the forest, followed by a refreshing swim and activities such as a walk to the Butterfly Farm, Natural History Centre, Maya Organic Farm or our many other attractions.
An important part of any holiday is relaxation, and lounging by the pool, swinging in a hammock with a good book or perhaps a visit to the Gayot’s Guide recommended Hilltop Spa are all options for kicking back and chilling out.
Thanksgiving all about spending time with loved ones, enjoying excellent food and drink, enjoying some quality time and acknowledging the good things in life. Add a bit of adventure with great weather in exotic surroundings and you have the makings for a very special holiday indeed.
And if you are a couple looking for a romantic holiday away together, make sure you let us know – our romantic adventure specialists will make sure this is a Thanksgiving you’ll never forget.