Belize’s Garifuna Settlement Day an International Success

Belize Garifuna Settlement Day Celebrations

Despite a week of very wet weather, this year’s Garifuna Settlement Day 2013, a national bank holiday in Belize that is also formally honoured in other countries and several US states was another big success, according to The Lodge at Chaa Creek.

We wish the PM all the best for surgery in the United States

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“The doctor has told me that he believes that it will be a little taxing because of the long flight from Los Angeles. He believes that I could actually come back as early as Wednesday. I set it for Thursday just to give myself that extra room,” Barrow told “Caribbean 360” when speaking of next week’s surgery.

Belize’s Bountiful Birds Showcased in latest Audubon Magazine

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There is no doubt that Belize is a birder’s paradise, according to the owners of The Lodge at Chaa Creek, who have been sponsoring professional, scientific and amateur bird watching for over three decades. And now the latest edition of Audubon Magazine not only confirms this but highlights it to an audience far beyond the Belize eco resort’s usual reach.

Living Together Sponsorship – Donors’ Program

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In June 2013, Cubola Productions offered to team up with donors in the private sector of the Cayo District to supply the Living Together a Belizean Social Studies Series for Primary Schools Standard 1 book and workbook at cost price. As part of the package we also committed to supply free training for teachers.

The Orange Julia Butterfly

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The wing of this butterfly ranges from 83 to 92 mm and is colored orange with black markings. According to Chaa Creek Naturalist Guide David Juarez, the Orange Julia feeds on nectar from flowers and most of the time, they prefer the red or blue flowers.

Chaa Creek Welcomes New US Ambassador to Belize

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“Ever since receiving news of President Obama’s nomination of Mr Moreno last July we have been following the news closely and waiting for confirmation,” Chaa Creek owner Lucy Fleming said, “So it’s certainly good news to hear that his nomination has been confirmed.

Farewell Ras Fari

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We have been asked by Rasta friends to make the sad announcement that spiritual leader Ras Fari has passed away.

Did more people or less people come to Belize this year?

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This is good news, and The Belize Tourism Board released the information in much the same way it was received by tourism industry stakeholders – with big smiles across the faces. We are growing as an overnight tourism destination, attracting the sort of people who stay longer, spend more money, and get to know Belize and Belizeans better.

Remember when we all hitchhiked everywhere in Belize?

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Upon arriving at destination you’d pay the going rate, if you knew it, or politely ask the driver “What I got for you for gas?” The driver usually would look perplexed, as if he was just giving you a lift , anyway, before asking for the usual standard $10 or so. It was all very much, ”Thank you for the ride,” and that you were just helping out with the petrol. Although the transaction was in a way as formal as any pubic trans system, it felt different and nice.

Annual Waterways Volunteer work a Clean sweep to Eco – Success

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The 2,000 volunteers worked on cleaning up sections of the sea, various lakes, lagoons, rivers and creeks, removing piles of debris and trash from the beaches and banks of Belize’s precious waterways and generally giving the ecosystem a much needed show of support along with very practical help.

Retiring in Belize can start with a holiday that maybe never ends

So, there’s our free advice for the week. If you or anyone you know are entertaining the idea of taking the Belize government up on their generous retirement deal, start with a Chaa Creek holiday. You have absolutely nothing to lose (except for a few pounds lost in the myriad activities they offer) and much to gain from a super friendly informative staff and a couple who migrated to Belize over three decades ago and never regretted it.

Chaa Creek Thanksgivings are a New Belize Tradition

Belize’s The Lodge at Chaa Creek is reporting another rise this year in families enquiring about the latest trend in destination holidays – tropical Thanksgivings. Turning the traditional family feast into a shared adventure is becoming increasingly popular, according to the eco resort’s food and beverage manager.

Little Belize’s Independence Day the Biggest Yet

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Lucy Fleming, who with her husband Mick opened Chaa Creek’s doors on the same date that Belize achieved independence from Great Britain, said she’s not surprised that Belizean nationalism shows no signs of waning.

A LETTER FROM LUCY FLEMING

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Along with many Belizeans I am disturbed by the lack of consultation and the haste in which the memorandum of understanding between the government of Belize and Norwegian Cruise Lines in regards to the sale of Harvest Caye has been signed.

The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Belize Recertified Green Globe

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Green Globe Certification CEO Guido Bauer said: “The Lodge at Chaa Creek is one of the more exemplary Green Globe-certified properties. From its inception, the owners, managers, and staff of this eco-resort have dedicated their business to sustainable development, as well as presenting a quality eco-tourism experience.

This Year’s September 10 Parade a Peaceful Success

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As Guardian reporter Shane D. Williams pointed out, this year’s parade reflected a growing sense of security and peace in Belize City, as with even with more marchers than ever before, there were no untoward incidents reported among the enthusiasm and partying that continued to build as the throng made its way from Memorial Park through a new, longer route through the city this year.

Chaa Creek Remembers 9/11

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Although years have passed since that dreadful day in September when the previously unthinkable happened, the pain is still fresh in the minds and souls of so many people around the world.

St George’s Caye Day – Yesterday and Today

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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

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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.

Six Reasons to Reconnect and Rejuvenate with Nature

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The other thing we notice is how people respond to being surrounded by nature. Often, when they first arrive, guests will be keyed up, nervous and anxious. Fair enough; many times this is the final payoff for months of planning, and then a lot of last minute preparations followed by the “Did you remember to lock the backdoor/turn off the gas/pay the phone bill…” questions on the plane.

Belize – Ready, Willing and Able to Help with Disabilities

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Belize has signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and Thursday’s work concentrated on – get ready for it – the Situational Analysis of Children with Disabilities and the Situational Analysis of Blind and Visually Impaired Children.

On the Humanitarian Road Again with Belize’s First Lady

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Having recently returned from a trip to the UK where she used her diplomatic expertise to create stronger ties with London children’s hospital wards while putting her social skills to good use in organising and hosting a successful fund raiser for paediatric care in Belize, Ms Simplis Barrow is again on the road – this time on a trip to the other side of the planet.

The Beauty of Southern Belize – a few thoughts

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Having been blessed with such rich, fertile land and a Caribbean seacoast teeming with fish and marine life, it was often said that Belizeans may have been poor, but never desperate, as it was almost impossible to starve amid such natural abundance.

It’s Official – Belize is a Very happy Country

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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.

More than just a search – Google helps Belize’s sea turtles

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Volunteers from Google and Belize teamed up with marine scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Hol Chan Marine Reserve and the University of Belize’s Environmental Research Institute to do a bit more than just search for turtles – they also captured, recorded and tagged the at-risk marine creatures before releasing them back into the sea.

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

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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.