The annual eco-kids summer camp gives 24 young Belizeans between the ages of 8 and 13 a chance to learn about their natural world through a mix of adventure, social interaction, and fun filled applied education – all aimed at instilling a sense of wonderment in the unique cultures that constitute Belize and the environment that sustains us all.
The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Belize’s eco resort website, chaacreek.com has received a prestigious recognition as winner of the ‘Outstanding Achievement’ Award in the Hotel/Resort category at the 2015 Interactive Media Awards – one of the IMAs highest honors.
24 young Belizeans between the ages of 8 and 13 have won a one week Chaa Creek Eco Kids Summer Camp Package which is scheduled from July 19th to the 26th, 2015. We want to congratulate all winners of our Eco Kids Essay Competition from more than 150 entries countrywide.
It is with great sadness that the management and staff of Chaa Creek farewell a former long-time member of the Chaa Creek Team. Peter Tonti, who was with Chaa Creek for fifteen years, most recently as the company’s Chief Financial Officer, passed away on April 16th, 2015, leaving a huge void in the entire Belizean tourism industry, where he carved out a legacy as one of the industry’s pioneers and contributors to its early success.
Time to start planning a Belizean Summer vacation! Getting into the planning swing of things right now makes perfect sense. For one thing, it takes one’s mind off the slushy cold weather and waiting for March’s lion to mellow out and finally become a lamb. Secondly, it gives time to pull together ideas and start creating a summer vacation that satisfies everyone.
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.
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.
“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.
Belize Celebrates Baron Bliss Day With the Red Baron, Baron Barracuda (for those of you who remember the kids’ show “Under the Sea”) and many … Read more
Chief Agriculture Officer Roberto Harrison said that, “…there has been much controversy discussion in the public on the issue of GMOs in Belize, with two very strong sides for and against the introduction of GMOs.
The Lodge at Chaa Creek owners, Mick and Lucy Fleming have just announced that new offerings, tours and initiatives at the popular Belizean eco resort will make 2014 “one of the best years to discover or rediscover Belize.”
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.
The steady rise of eco-tourism as opposed to the more traditional model is just the tip of an iceberg of a rising service industry geared towards satisfying customer demands to “do the right thing”, according to the owner of Belize’s first eco-resort.
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.
Ms Fleming started The Lodge at Chaa Creek with her husband Mick after farming what was then a remote parcel of land on the Macal River in Western Belize prior to the country’s independence from Great Britain in September, 1981.
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.
The owner of the Lodge at Chaa Creek said that the eco resort’s inclusion in a recent USA Today travel guide “bucket list” is good news for the nascent Belizean tourism industry, and further proves that environmentally sustainable, Green tourism can provide a high quality travel experience. Lucy Fleming, who with her husband Mick started Chaa Creek by accepting guests at their small family farm in a remote part of Belize in 1981, said that recognition such as USA Today’s provides an important boost to the Belizean tourism industry, which since it’s relatively recent inception has struggled to achieve name recognition in the highly competitive Caribbean travel industry.
“Honeymoons are such an important life event for couples that they’re willing to go that extra bit more to share something extraordinary, and more and more they’re discovering that Belize offers the same level of quality and service that more established destinations do, but at a lower cost.
Ms Fleming Bradley said the recently inaugurated direct flights from Maya Flats, near Chaa Creek, to Ambergris Caye makes it easier for Chaa Creek’s guests to attend the festivals this year. “You can have breakfast in the rainforest listening to parrots and toucans and then be dining on lobster next to the sparkling Caribbean that afternoon with one short plane ride in between. That makes Lobster Fest 2013 even more attractive,” she said.
Naturalist guide Miguel Choco said that with such a wealth of avian wildlife in Belize, finding birds is easy. But finding the birds you want is where experience and expertise comes in.
Here at Chaa Creek, the home of adventure romance, where Cupid cavorts with Ix Chel, the Maya goddess of love, we want to wish lovers all over the world a very happy and seductive Valentine’s Day.
Mr Fleming, who with his wife Lucy began Chaa Creek as a small farm in the late 1970s and still manages the eco resort’s Maya Organic Farm, which uses traditional Maya agricultural techniques to supply vegetables to the Chaa Creek restaurant and local families, said people are often amazed to learn how productive the ancient Maya were as farmers.
Chaa Creek is Belize’s first true eco resort, having made the transition from small family farm to opening their first guest accommodation in 1981, just as Belize was achieving independence. Since then Chaa Creek has grown into a 365 acre private rainforest nature reserve with a natural History Centre, Maya Medicinal Plant Trail and Organic farm, a butterfly breeding farm, hilltop spa, conference centre, pool, a highly regarded restaurant and other amenities.
Belize’s The Lodge at Chaa Creek has just announced an exciting competition whose winners will usher in the Maya 2012 Winter Solstice by taking part in an extraordinary weeklong celebration to be held in the Heartland of the ancient Maya Empire.
“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.
The Lodge at Chaa Creek’s resident Mayanist said that recent reports from a noted University of Texas scholar are an important addition to our understanding of the true history of the Maya. Speaking from Chaa Creek’s Natural History Centre, anthropologist Joe Awe said that he praised Dr David Stuart for an announcement he made June 28 that not only once again debunked Maya 2012 doomsday theories, but offed a unique interpretation of the significance of the December 21 2012 Winter Solstice date.
The Academic Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to students striving to excel at various levels of education, including high school, colleges and university. The rigorous scholarships selection process is based on academic performance and financial need, and each year assists ten Belizeans who show both academic promise and a desire to further their educational goals.