People travel to make memories, have experiences, grow, or relax. Regardless of where you go, things are bound to happen! but here in Belize, we can assure you that these 8 things just won’t!
1. You’ll never stay at a chain hotel
Unless you’re in Belize City, the business capital, you’ll never stay at a Hilton, Ritz Carlton, Marriot or even a Hyatt hotel. Belize’s ecotourism module specializes in personal experiences, each hotel is unique in philosophy and style. There are a wealth of hotels nestled in the jungles and just as many dotted along our white sand beaches and no two of them ever feel the same; The Victoria house will take you back to colonial Belize with its classic charm while Chabil Mar will give you a taste of the authentic Caribbean living in their beach-front villas. In the Heart of mainland Belize Chaa Creek will unlock the fearless explorer you were always meant to be and Blancaneux Lodge will lull you into bliss on the mountains, making no two experiences mundane.
2. You’ll never eat at a chain restaurant
What is McDonalds? Belize has the policy to favor local produce, local business and local, well, everything. All this local promotion almost ensures the complete lack of any chain-branded eatery! Instead, you’ll find a myriad of local restaurants, shacks, and stalls all offering the best of what Belize has to offer in food. Being here, one would be astounded by the sheer diversity contained within, this country is a lattice-work of cultures and each proudly displays their cuisine for all to try; Lebanese, Indian, local Maya, Mestizo Spanish, Garifuna, and Asian dishes are all fare for travelers traversing our little slice of heaven.
3. You’ll never get lost at an airport
It’s practically impossible to get lost at the Philip Goldson International, the airport has one exit gate and one entry gate and usually only one flight leaving or arriving at the same time. It’s a pretty straightforward system of check-ins for flights and arrivals, you should still be early for your flight to clear all the necessary checkpoints but when you’re there we suggest you kick back and relax. Oh, and an even easier process for our local airstrips!
4. You’ll never get stuck in traffic
Getting literally stuck in traffic in Belize is entirely improbable, while not impossible. Traffic jams are somewhat of an oddity in this little country, most of the roads are only 2 lanes and especially outside the city traffic flows well and most drivers know workarounds to any unforeseen obstacles. As with anywhere, morning, noon and evening times are hot spots for vehicle activity and even then traffic still lurches on, if even at a dampened pace ensuring you’ll always get where you need to go.
5. You’ll never breathe cleaner air
Or drink cleaner water for that matter. Belize is all about sustainability and green practices, even Bowen & Bowen, the largest beverage producer in the country purifies its water through reverse osmosis and uses very little additives to their purified water. The low population density means a lower concentration of vehicles, lower emissions, no smog, ever. It also helps that Belize has more trees than it does people so a cool fresh place to have a picnic is never far away!
6. You’ll never run out of things to see
Belize has over 900 documented Maya archeological sites, only a few of which have been excavated and new sites are opened up frequently, and existing sites are always being expanded due to new discoveries buried beneath our feet ensuring there’s always a reason to go back and see what’s new. For the even more adventurous, there’s a wealth of caves and a few limestone sinkholes (like the Blue hole in the sea) to fearlessly delve into and explore, ancient Mayan artifacts, literally hundreds of years old are still perched in their original resting places in some of these caves.
7. You’ll never be closer to nature
Belize boasts an incredible number of wildlife reserves, both marine and terrestrial, protected areas that ensure entire eco-systems are only observed and not disturbed. Shark ray alley and Hol Chan Marine reserves protect all manner of the reef and aquatic creatures and snorkeling tours are available so you literally get to swim with colorful fishes, nurse sharks, and even turtles. How close you get is up to them! Our most famous inland reserve, Cockscomb basin, houses the world’s only jaguar sanctuary where they are allowed to roam free undisturbed, saved for the occasional hiking group, and of course, jaguars aren’t the only critters to inhabit the area, each step has a chance at a unique encounter (think tapir, wild pigs, etc you get the drift!)
8. You’ll never want to leave
Belize has a lot to do, a lot to see and a lot of things you’ll inadvertently grow to love. It’ll be hard not to miss it all when you go (if you do!), and if you do you’ll definitely want to come back. From the endearing locals to the heart-pounding adventures and those cherished “go slow” moments, Belize becomes a part of you and it’s possible that by the end of your vacation, you’ll never want to leave.
I’d give anything to relocate to Belize…..