Farewell Paul Nabor: A Belize Music Legend
Belize lost a national treasure and we farewelled a wonderful friend this week with the passing of Paul Nabor, Garifuna parandero extraordinaire and one of the best cultural ambassadors Belize ever had.
Belize lost a national treasure and we farewelled a wonderful friend this week with the passing of Paul Nabor, Garifuna parandero extraordinaire and one of the best cultural ambassadors Belize ever had.
Indigenous Innovations: Revolutionizing the Cocoa Industry in Belize, is a project that is part of a radical new approach aimed at supporting small Maya communities by helping to boost production and then better market their ancestor’s favourite crop – cacao.
New reports from the Belize Tourism Board show that tourist arrivals for 2014 continue to increase, with this year’s third quarter numbers showing a significant rise compared to last year.
A recent Travel Pulse feature article agrees with our earlier post this week that Belize is on an upward trajectory. The article. “Belize is Booming And Has The Numbers To Prove It” (October 14, 2014 ) cites the same BTB tourist arrival figures we quoted, as well as Caribbean Tourism Organization statistics to highlight their view that, yes, Belize is booming.
Like most things at Chaa Creek, river tubing began as a couple of one-off adventures that caught on. In time, through experience and word of mouth, tubing became more and more in demand, to the point where it’s now another regular daily offering.
Belize’s Actun Tunichil Muknal cave has topped a “Sacred Places of a Lifetime” list compiled by National Geographic, bolstering Belize’s reputation as one of the world’s best cultural tourism destinations.
After Canul’s group defeated a British detachment, killing five and wounding 16 other soldiers, things began heating up, with the British determined to subjugate the Maya or drive them out all together by further burning houses and crops. However, Canul and his men fought on, eventually taking Corozal Town on 1870. In 1872 they attacked the British barracks at Orange Walk on the New River and Canul was mortally wounded. The Maya retreated, and, with their charismatic leader gone, this was the last major attack on British forces.
After our vacation at Belize’s Chaa Creek earlier this year, I rave about the place all the time and have confidently steered a few friends in that direction. I say confidently because I have no doubt that no matter what their ages or interests, anyone will find something there to please and even excite them.
Mayan for “Stone maiden” Xunantunich is definitely one of Belize’s prettiest Maya archaeological sites, renowned for exquisite architecture, beautiful frescos and stelae, as well as its park-like atmosphere and stunning views from the top of El Castillo, the iconic pyramid temple. Xunantunich was an important ceremonial centre built around AD 600 near the end of the Maya Late Classic Period, boasting a population of some 10,000 people at its peak, and apparently continued to thrive while other Maya centres such as Tikal and Caracol were in decline. However by around 1000 AD Xunantunich was abandoned.
So when the AARP says something, a big audience is listening. And recently the AARP named Belize as one of the top ten honeymoon destinations, sharing honours with Tahiti, the Maldives, Bali and other exotic tropical locations. Yes, tropical seems to be a key element for a happy honeymoon. But of course, it takes more than a warm sunny climate to make the AARP’s top ten. This is a discriminating group looking for the very best for its members, so no wonder Belize got a nod.
Huge Maya City found near Belize and Mexico border line: Noh Kah According to Mexican Newspapers the Archaeologists from the National Institue of Anthropology and … Read more
Belize’s The Lodge at Chaa Creek was recently honoured with a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor, the world’s largest travel site, according to the popular Belizean eco-resort’s owners. “It’s very gratifying to be acknowledged by such a respected travel authority as Trip Advisor, and is something the entire Chaa Creek family takes pride in. The fact that Trip Advisor’s awards are based on customer reviews makes this distinction that much more valuable to us,” co-founding owner and GM Lucy Fleming said.
As part of our commitment at The Lodge at Chaa Creek is to work with our local communities in building awareness and educating our local people on conservation and preservation of our natural environment. And in that respect, as part of our community outreach program, today saw our “Butterfly on the Road” Program when two of our Naturalist Guides packed up their equipment and visited the Sacred Heart Primary School in San Ignacio Town.
Although they’re far to the north, the Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail sounds close to Chaa Creek in Green philosophy, so we’re happy that they gave us special mention in a feature entitled: “Did you just book a green hotel (or was it green-washed)?”The article warns travellers to be discerning when booking a “Green” hotel; as for some it’s just a marketing ploy and doesn’t show a real commitment to sustainability.
And why not? With the pristine Macal River gently flowing past the front door and a fleet of well-maintained canoes at your disposal, canoeing is one of the activities at Chaa Creek that consistently delights guests of all ages. Even people who have never been in a canoe before discover just how enjoyable this age-old pastime is in Belize.
A weeklong summer camp that teaches Belizean children to be stewards of their environment and instills memorable values that will have an impact on the way children conduct their lives, their relationship with our fragile Earth, and the sustainable development of our future.
In a surprise move, Belize has been elected to the UN Security Council, and will be sharing an office with Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon, who requested the move “in order to work in close proximity with the Belizean advisors,” he said.
A new trend in eco-tourism is rapidly growing in popularity – equestrian travel holidays seem to be the Next Big Thing in Belize, according to Natural History Centre manager Brion Young.
You may remember back in August last year when we reported that the Travel Channel listed Belize as one of the top 10 happiest countries in the world? Well, it’s happened again, the time the March 18th edition of the Wall Street Cheat Sheet, an investor’s guide and lifestyle site e-zine, listing Belize as one of the world’s ten top happiest countries!
“I started hearing people saying ‘we’re taking our summer vacations now’ in the middle of the winter, and just heard the same statement again today. It’s occurred to me that seasons are almost becoming obsolete in today’s world,”
These are the things we live for – we love what we do! And it is the best feeling to know that our guests leave happy and appreciate the hard work our team puts into creating truly unique Belize vacations from start to finish.
And one of the best parts is, not everyone is aware of that yet. It’s relatively unknown, and definitely uncrowded and unspoiled.
I’m sure Saint Patrick would approve… we’ll see you there. And remember, you don’t need to be Irish to enjoy St Patrick’s Day…
From our out-of-the-way file comes an out-of-the-way story…Belize’s alleged Sea Cucumber Queen was busted and remanded to gaol. Now, we think this is an interesting story because how many people are familiar with the sea cucumber, and the huge illegal trade in this most humble of marine animals?
We’re referring to the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding with 18 nations to create and safeguard a wildlife corridor aimed at preserving one of the world’s most magnificent creatures and a Belizean icon – the jaguar
First of all, we are a continent, see? So the comparison is unfair. You don’t need weeks and the constitution of a camel to cross Ambergris Caye and see all the sights. You don’t even need shoes.
For the second year in a row, Ambergris Caye takes top honors. The beautiful Belize island offers the perfect blend of modern development and laid-back tranquility.
Now’s the time to turn up the thermostat on your love life and prepare to treat yourself to tropical splendor this year! Remember, all you need is love – Belize style.
Who would have thought? Amid all the mighty and more noticeable species we see in the rainforest, it is the various fungi that act as nature’s police force to keep the delicate balance in check.
We mention this to explain our excitement about a recent find in northwestern Belize called Tulix Mu.