Month: May 2015

You’re a trend setter, right? You launch fashion styles, throw unusual soirees, hang out with fascinating people and you’ve earned a reputation for sleuthing out vacation destinations that aren’t just off the beaten track but downright extraordinary. Continue to grow your reputation by heading to Belize during the Green Season—between June and November. When rains come, the world bursts into life and those privileged to witness this annual phenomenon say there’s nothing that compares, so your reputation as a trendsetter will remain secure in perpetuity!

1. Luxuriate in green space. Because the world has yet to discover the wonder of the green season in Belize, you’re going to have plenty of room to spread out, stay at the best accommodations and take advantage of the lack of crowds, thereby enjoying more privacy and choices than at any other time of the year. For example, resorts like Chabil Mar offer green season accommodation discounts that thrifty Scotsmen would applaud.

2. Spend less green. Your dollar stretches into infinity during Belize’s green season when rates dip as much as 30-percent at resorts and hotels. Airfares? We hesitate to use the word plummet when discussing air travel, but during green season, airlines reduce ticket prices giving travelers more green to spend at their destinations. There’s a reason Southwest Airlines begins offering nonstop service to Belize in October! Take advantage of route introductory rates and make your friends green with envy.

3. Yellow trumps green. If you’ve heard rumors about nonstop rain in Belize, you’ve been listening to people who want to keep the secret of this season to themselves. Sure, there are nourishing showers, but mornings tend to be sunny and bright, lots of rain falls at night when tourists are winding down from busy days and even when showers break, they can disappear in such short order, you might not have time to open your umbrella. Days are cooled by rain and on some days, there’s not a cloud in the sky.

4. The green explosion. When the rains come to Belize, day trips to jungles, rainforests and gardens are enhanced by an explosion of vibrant colors. From succulent fruit to vivid flowers, it’s as though God grabbed a paint brush and coated every butterfly, leaf and bloom with shiny lacquer. Rains coincide with the birth of some types of marine animals in Belize, so if you’re looking to witness a few miracles, plan to be around when darling baby turtles come into the world.

5. Green beans. Not the veggie, silly. Rains play a huge role in Belize’s thriving cacao bean growing season, bringing nutrients and moisture to the crop that helps satisfy the chocolate cravings of people around the world. Rains nurture and push cacao beans to maturity, so the next time you bite into a bar of dark chocolate, you can thank Belize’s green season for that mouth-watering treat.

6. Green streams. When Belize’s green season arrives, sporty types, eager to tackle extreme aquatic adventures, show up in Belize to take advantage of rising rivers, lagoons, lakes and waterways fed by downpours that can make water activities so much more exciting. Tourists visiting at other times of the year may not get opportunities to experience the rush that comes when water levels are at their highest. Dare you fib about “the one that got away”? Of course. The rain won’t share your secret.

The Placencia Humane Society (PHS) is a private Belize not-for-profit, volunteer organization that works to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of domestic animals on the Placencia Peninsula and surrounding communities.

Over the years, Chabil Mar has been an avid sponsor of PHS and has assisted the organization to provide a high standard of health and welfare for domestic animals in the area.

“Donating to PHS is part of our corporate social responsibility,” says Chabil Mar’s Marketing Manager Larry France who believes that every business should engage and adopt policies to contribute to the Peninsula’s sustainable development.

“PHS is an active organization that provides medical treatments at no cost to animals and the more donations it receives, the more animals can be saved,” states France.

Homeless animals that are found in Placencia are cared by PHS at no cost and from time to time the organization has pets available for adoption.

The organization ensures that it carries out the following duties and responsibilities on a daily basis:

(i) donation-only spays and neuters

(ii) facilitating availability of regular veterinary care

(iii) providing veterinary care and foster homes for abused, injured and homeless domestic animals

(iv) coordinating trapping, neutering and releasing of feral cats, and

(v) educating communities about compassion and responsibility for all animals

“Another aspect of our corporate social responsibility (CSR) is to encourage our guests to spend time in Placencia Village by meeting the locals, visit their shops, eat at their restaurants and experience the eclectic culture of Belize first hand at their leisure and schedule,” added France when asked about other CSR that Chabil Mar practices.

To learn more about the Placencia Humane Society please visit their website at http://placenciahumanesocietybelize.org/.

Your kids deserve a break—especially if they make the school honor roll repeatedly, exhibit sportsmanship on the playground and remember to thank Grandma for her birthday check without being prompted. Your plans for a summer travel destination start with picking Chabil Mar in Placencia in Belize for your kid-friendly adventure (https://chabilmarvillas.com/belize-vacation-packages/belize-family-vacation-package-beautiful-sea.html)!

Get creepy and crawly. Your kids will want to meet Belize’s most exotic critters, so ask the folks at Chabil Mar to book your party on day trips that showcase the nation’s wildlife. No fair making decisions about where to go: let the kids decide whether they can’t live without seeing infamous howler monkeys, slithering crocodiles or gentle manatees. You know your kids. They’re going to say “Yes, please” to all of them, so ask staff to pick a knowledgeable guide to take you out so the kids can question him or her more expertly than a quiz show host.

Pair fun with learning. Emulate the family visiting the Garifuna village of Seine Bight who treated their kids to drumming lessons. Belizeans in Seine Bight are delighted to lead kids in some heart- and finger-pounding fun, and your children won’t have a clue that they are also learning about the area’s history and culture. Explore markets and let the kids pick a place to eat. If they refuse what’s served, remind them of who chose the venue!

Stay active. Thanks to Chabil Mar sports gear rentals you and your little travelers can explore all points in Placencia. Rent bikes for everyone, grab kayaks to accommodate your family group (both are free for guests, by the way) and devote plenty of time to the Chabil Mar pool and the ocean. Head for town after a full day on premises to explore eateries that expose your kids to ethnic cookery. If a child shows an interest in how food is prepared, ask the chef if your child can peek into the kitchen.

Experience the reef. You don’t have to snorkel if your kids are too little, but if they’re good swimmers and your guide is happy to help you with snorkeling instructions, your surprise vacation could turn into the most amazing experience of all when kids glimpse exotic and wonderful coral configurations that resemble planetary surfaces. Identifying fish species is another fun activity—particularly if you bring a kid’s book on tropical fish that focuses on the waters around Placencia. One warning: the occasional child has spotted lobsters in the wild and refused to eat one at the dinner table. More than one little vegetarian has been born at Chabil Mar!

Cave in to both of these requests: “Please, please, Dad, can we go caving?” and “Mom, let’s go to the jungle!” Both day trips are doable thanks to Chabil Mar adventure plans that take you and the kids to both environments on one- or multiple-day excursions. Jungles and caves are both close-by and can be paired with tours of ancient Mayan ruins that will evoke enthusiastic responses when the kids find out they could spot skeletons. Jungle trips can include swimming and caving as well. Need we add the ultimate kid-driven activity of cave tubing?

Snag this terrific deal: You are happy to let kids make decisions as teachable moments. Chabil Mar is happy to make your booking decisions by offering Barefoot Luxury Vacation Packages that do everything but spread jelly on your kids’ new meal favorite, Fry Jacks. The Barefoot package provides everything a family of four requires to holiday in the lap of luxury, including adventures described above. From luxe accommodations, partial meal plans, tours and ground transportation, taxes, service fees and more starting at $6,750 USD, this package is the deal of a lifetime. Your job is to herd the kids onto the plane. Our job is to do everything else so your entire family returns from Chabil Mar with a lifetime worth of memories.

For more information about traveling with kids in Belize , feel free to chat with our Concierge at: concierge{@}chabilmarvillas.com or contact our Reservations Manager at: reservations{@}chabilmarvillas.com. Or perhaps you would like to call toll free from the US or Canada: 1-866-417-237