Forbes Picks Belize as Top Retirement Spot

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In its introduction, Forbes’ photo feature states that, “Living overseas is different from just visiting. Before you retire to a foreign country, consider not just the weather and cost of living, but also healthcare; safety; tax and visa requirements; and how friendly the country is to foreigners. Here are some possibilities,” and then goes on to list fifteen of what it considers the world’s best retirement choices.

Chaa Creek Announced as One of Fodor’s Finest Hotels

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Fodor’s Travel has been one of the world’s leading sources for travel information since 1936, and currently covers over 7,500 destinations worldwide through its popular guidebooks, website and articles. The company recently released its second annual list of the world’s top 100 hotels, culled from a list of over 4,000 nominations taking in 41 different countries.

Chaa Creek’s Maya Village Opens up a Fascinating World

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“The 2012 Winter Solstice on December 21 is so important to Maya everywhere that we want to make sure it’s celebrated with the respect and energy it deserves. And his means that participants learn about the Maya culture generally, as well as the significance of the 2012 Winter Solstice. We want our guests, especially those taking advantage of the all-inclusive Belize Maya Winter Solstice Vacation packages, to get as much out of the experience as possible,” Mr Awe said.

Ancient Maya Gave Thanks for Turkey Dinners Too

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The Maya began as hunter gatherers in Mesoamerica, but from 1800 BC the culture began expanding rapidly and developed sophisticated agricultural, aquaculture and animal husbandry techniques to feed populations as large as Caracol’s peak of some 180,000 thousand people. While meat was not central to their diet, they hunted rainforest wildlife and domesticated animals. Turkey, known as ulum, was a favourite domesticated and wild food. Turkey was, and remains a Maya favourite in soups and other dishes, and Chef Mario said it will…

The Maya 2012 Long Count-down Begins in Belize

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For several years world attention has been drawn to the 2012 Winter Solstice after a number of articles, internet posts and films, such as the Hollywood blockbuster 2012 highlighted the fact that the 13th Bak’tun of the Maya Long Count calendar completes its cycle on December 21 2012. The highly accurate ancient calendar, which gives the Maya a creation date of 11 August 3114 BC, has been a source of fascination for many scholars and, unfortunately, Ms Fleming said, for conspiracy and apocalypse buffs.

Maya 2012 Winter Solstice Celebrations Carved in Stone

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What we know about the ancient Maya comes primarily from early stone monuments known as stelae; large tombstone-like slabs of mostly limestone on which important dates and events were recorded using Maya glyphs; the written or carved characters considered to be one of humankind’s earliest forms of writing.

New Belize Caribbean Package Takes in Rainforest and Reef

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The new Caribbean Reef and Maya Rainforest Package is a seven night, eight day affordable Belize luxury holiday offering guests the choice of three nights at one resort and four at the other. It includes luxury accommodation, a range of activities, and all meals, transfers, taxes and gratuities. “All-inclusive means that everything is taken care of from the moment you land until you leave. The inland rainforest and the sparkling Caribbean feel like two different worlds…

Belize Jouvert 2012 – Making the Mud!

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Jouvert in Belize is celebrated at 5am on the morning of the Carnival with massive crowds following a truck hauling gigantic speaker systems pumping out Carnival Rythms and whipping the people into a dancing fever while pasting each other with specially prepared mud by Ms. Marsha Smith. People from around the world travel to Belize to partake in Jouvert.

Top Five Historic Ruins in the Caribbean

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Most visitors to the Caribbean don’t make it further afield than their cabana, and with good reason. The powder white sand and clear water make for some of the best beach bumming on the planet. Here are the top five fascinating and picturesque reasons to pry the pina colada out of your hand and explore what’s past the tiki bar.

The Best Travel Apps to Use On the Go

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You’re hungry, exploring Belize, and you need to find a restaurant before you start snapping at your travel companions. What do you do? If your phone runs apps, you can be calling a taxi to the nearest hot spot while your paper-bound companions are still looking around for brochures.Travel apps can help you find tourist destinations, local cultural events, and the best places to eat in Belize without wasting time looking through your guidebook or trying to speak the local language to ask a stranger.

Retire to the Simple Life in Cayo, Belize

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Mick Fleming is something of a legend in this part of Belize, a larger-than-life character who, more than 30 years ago, with $600 in his pocket, made his way to Belize City, where he met a guy in a bar who owned a piece of land in the jungle he was interested in selling. Mick bought, thinking he’d try his luck as a farmer. The farming was tough going, but, in time, Mick identified another opportunity. Travelers were beginning to find their way to this remote region. They’d happen upon Mick and ask if he had a place where they could spend the night.

David Meerman Scott’s Belize Masterclass Levels the Field

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This visit and the Masterclass shows how dramatically new media and social networking has changed the face of communications and global marketing. Just a few years ago, Belize would not be attracting speakers of Mr Meerman Scott’s calibre. We simply wouldn’t have had the budget or the reach to attract the attention of people like him.

Chaa Creek Salutes Belize’s National Celebrations Theme

“It’s a wonderful theme that perfectly encapsulates what Belize is all about, and we wanted to take the time out to thank Emogen for condensing what’s so great about Belize into one theme. We also want to congratulate her for winning the nationwide competition to find that perfect theme,” Mrs Fleming said.

UFO GREAT BLUE HOLE BELIZE Caught on Tape

UFO filmed and caught on tape while we were flying over The Great Blue Hole, off the coast of Belize, near Belize City. The Great Blue Hole is a large submarine sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 70 km (43 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, over 300 m (984 ft) across and 124 m (407 ft) deep.

The Story of Pat the “Great Cat”

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Children of Belize and the U.S. joined hands across nations to give a voice to a “down on his luck” real-life Belizean jaguar, whose world was forever changed as people came to share his land. The resulting book, Pat the (Great) Cat: A Jaguar’s Journey, has made the students published authors and advocates, and their teachers are taking note!

Belize and Australia Co-host The International Coral Reef Initiative

Global estimates from the international scientific community suggest that 10 percent of the Earth’s coral reefs have been seriously degraded and that a much greater percentage is endangered, which if allowed to continue is likely to lead to the loss of most of the world’s reef resources during the next century. Damaged or destroyed reefs can be found in more than 93 countries, with coral reefs in South and Southeast Asia, East Africa and the Caribbean facing the greatest risks.

3 Reasons to Skip the Wild Spring Break Trip and Volunteer in Belize Instead

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Despite the fact that Belize is incredibly ethnically diverse—home to many different peoples and languages—they all seem to share a common respect for the human condition and for the environment. One of my Belizean friends told me a story in which he once caught a wild baby bird when he was a little boy and kept it in his room in a shoebox. When his mother found out, she forced him to release the bird and then locked him in his room for a day. The lesson?

The Ultimate Survival Guide to Long Bus Rides

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Whatever you do, don’t drink alcohol the day before or day of the bus ride. This is a big no-no and I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. Why you ask? Generally, when you drink alcohol… at a later point, you’ll want to drink water and copious amounts of it. It might not seem like that big of a deal until you realize you’ve been guzzling water and the bus doesn’t appear to be stopping for a toilet break. Fast forward three hours and you’re about ready to turn your empty water bottle into a makeshift bathroom. Not fun.

7 Surprising Tips for Staying Healthy On the Road

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As an avid traveler I know a LOT of simple tricks anyone can use to stay healthy on the road. In fact, I’ve survived South East Asia, India, South America, U.S. and Canada and have never had any stomach problems.

Kate Walsh’s environmental mission in Belize

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Ms Walsh, described as an “Oceana activist”, arrived in Belize on World Oceans Day, June 8, to help raise awareness about Belize’s rich biodiversity and its importance to the economic and social stability of the country.

Belize voted among world’s best destinations by Travel and Leisure readers

Travel and Leisure is one of the world’s most recognized magazines. Published 12 times a year, the publication has just shy of five million readers. As for the World’s Best Awards, every August since 1995, these awards have been determined by an annual reader survey which asks travelers and travel providers to rate destinations, hotels, airlines, cruise lines, river cruises, and car-rental companies.

It’s A Jungle Out There At The Belize Zoo

When the Belize Tourst Board offered me a press trip to Belize. I jumped at the opportunity. When they told me that upon arrival I would be whisked off to the Belize Zoo, I was skeptical if this first stop would be worth a visit. My feeling is that zoos are mostly depressing places. I figured that there would be imported Lions, Tigers, and Giraffes. I could not have been more wrong.

Chaa Creek Cheers New Chocolate News

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Dark chocolate may be a pleasant and effective way of delivering important dietary components that can provide health benefits to the ever increasing numbers of people at increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” researcher Christopher Reid, PhD, professor of cardiovascular epidemiology and preventive medicine at Monash University in Australia said this week

Chaa Creek Celebrates Everest Victory with Super Tuesday

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The Lodge at Chaa Creek is celebrating Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay’s Mount Everest victory of May 29, 1953 with another Super Tuesday, giving vigilant travellers an opportunity to experience Belize rainforest luxury at budget accommodation prices, marketing administrator Larry Waight announced today.

Tips for avoiding jet lag on long haul flights

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Most travellers will want to make the most of their limited time on holiday and see as much of their holiday destination as possible. Unfortunately most travellers will also fail to take into account the effect the leap in time zones will have on the body.

Diamonds on the Water – Prince Harry’s Royal Racing Canoe

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Two Belizean canoe builders with a special connection to a Canadian canoe builder were commissioned to build a racing canoe for His Royal Highness Prince Harry. As part of his tour of Central America in March, the Prince visited the small, British Commonwealth country in celebration of his grandmother’s Diamond Jubilee.

Another Chaa Creek Super Tuesday Announced

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Response to The Lodge at Chaa Creek’s surprise Super Tuesday discounts has prompted Belize’s premier eco resort to offer a repeat performance this coming Tuesday, 22 May 2012.

New Maya Mural debunks Doomsday Myths

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The Maya of Belize and the entire Mundo Maya region welcome new facts coming from recently unearthed murals at Guatemala’s Xultún archaeological site because they serve to further debunk myths while opening the real Maya culture to the world, Chaa Creek’s resident Mayanist said today.

The Eco Kids Rainforest Adventure Continues…

Chaa Creek has had a rich past as an ancient, bustling ancient Maya community and trade centre, as a vibrant part of the early British Honduras chicle and logging industry and as one of the many farms supplying San Ignacio town before becoming home to Belize’s first eco-resort. As part of our commitment to Green sustainability, all of us at Chaa Creek are continually promoting greater environmental awareness and respect for the things that make Belize so special.

Chaa Creek prepares for Maya summer solstice

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The ancient Maya’s reverence for the summer solstice would have taken on even great significance during their much anticipated year of 2012, a Mayanist at The Lodge at Chaa Creek said while announcing that the Belize eco resort is keeping this centuries-old tradition alive with a week of special activities centred on the Maya Summer Solstice celebration of 20 June 2012.