Month: July 2015

Yesterday afternoon, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) announced via a press release that starting December 8^th 2015, Copa Airlines will add two weekly flights to Belize City, Belize from Panama City, Panama.

According to the press release, the new addition in flight will now expand Copa Airlines route to 75 cities and 31 countries in North, Central, South and the Caribbean with Belize being the 7^th in Central America.

 “For Copa Airlines it is with much joy that we announce this new destination with which we consolidate our leadership in the region, strengthen our existing routes while at the same time allowing us to offer better connectivity and world class service to all of Central America, from Hub de las Americas, in Panama. The connectivity will open enormous opportunities for tourism and commercial development for this interesting Caribbean country, as well as allowing for tourist from the same region to have the opportunity to enjoy all the tourism and commercial strengths Belize has to offer” said Pedro Heilbron, Executive president for Copa Airlines.

The flight will leave Belize City Tuesdays and Fridays at 2:17 pm and arrive in Panama City at 5:34 pm. The return flight will leave Panama Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:29am and arrive in Belize City at 12:52 midday. The flights are local time and the flight time is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes.

According to the BTB, the flight from Belize to Panama was programmed to provide convenient connection to Sao Paulo, Brazil; San Jose, Costa Rica; Bogota, Cartagena and Medellin in Colombia; Santiago de Chile,Chile; Quito and Guayaquil in Ecuador; Managua, Nicaragua; Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago; Havana, Cuba; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Lima, Peru.

The press release also states that the passengers in transit will not need to pass through immigration or wait in a customs line and their luggage will be checked until their final destination.

“I must reiterate how important this partnership is, as COPA will not only supply significant potential markets for Belize, but also offer excellent and competitive linkages to the Caribbean, Central and especially to the South American market. Currently, the latter represents less than 5% of overnight tourist arrivals to Belize, with the biggest barrier being limited accessibility. As a result, and in keeping with our initiation of strategic and targeted marketing efforts in South America, this partnership could not come at a more opportune time” Hon. Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism in Belize said about the new Copa Airline flight to Belize.

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information about traveling to Belize, and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call US/CAN Toll Free: 1-866-417-2377, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning a Belize vacation.

We’re of the opinion that the birds that formerly nested on Laughing Bird Caye got the last laugh. They flew elsewhere for peace and quiet when tourists began flocking to this sliver of land. The species known as Laughing Gulls did what smart birds do: they relocated and left no forwarding addresses. But they’re no fools; they got naming rights.

These days, Laughing Bird Caye offers visitors more than 10,000 acres of pristine marine attractions, including the island itself, which is composed of coral reef patches that embrace a central lagoon. The island sits atop an elongated ridge with steep sides, which is why geologists refer to it as a faro or atoll rather than an island.

Given it’s unique design, configuration and natural resources, Laughing Bird Caye was declared a protected reserve decades ago by the Belize government. Members of a Placencia-based community group called Friends of Nature work hard to keep it that way.

Located about 12 miles from Placencia beaches in the Stann Creek District, this Caye offers plenty to do. Relax on palm tree-graced beaches that invite swimmers to jump into the Caribbean or ask about popular dive sites in the vicinity. Your best course of action is to book a licensed tour operator to take you out on any or all of these adventures: fishing, snorkeling and diving.

Make your life easier by using Chabil Mar Resort  in Placencia as your home base. Not only will you enjoy luxury accommodations, but staff is delighted to book you on any of the tours you prefer, from the aforementioned sports to roaming around Laughing Bird Caye to see what geologists rave about: the southern-most point on the Belize Barrier Reef. The variety of coral habitats in the area is striking and the marine wildlife that flocks to the reef is breathtaking.

While conservationists are happy that Laughing Bird Caye was designated as protected on two occasions—in 1981 and 1991—and received World Heritage Site status, they will have to share the glory with tourism. In 2015, TripAdvisor named Laughing Bird Caye first on its list of “Things to do in Placencia,” no easy fete for an area that took many years to find its true destiny as a wildlife refuge and relaxation spot  for travelers.

Will the birds be back once they realize that so many protections now exist for them? Naturalists hope so. Ongoing efforts to bring the gulls home to set up new rookeries don’t stop just because this has become a popular tourist spot. Besides, with digs like Chabil Mar to return to each day, visitors will want to spend plenty of down time at the resort, leaving returning birds plenty of alone time.

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Belize and Laughing Bird Caye, and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call US/CAN Toll Free: 1-866-417-2377, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning a Belize vacation.

Belize will face Canada in the next round of World Cup qualifying.

The first leg of the game will be played on September 4^th at the BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, and the second leg will be played on September 8^th at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan, Belize.

“We can say Belize is a team that has made positive and continuous progress. That’s good for us because it won’t be easy to pass this eliminatory round. We need to focus on these first two games with a lot of intensity,” Canadian coach Benito Floro said in a statement.

Belize is currently the highest it has ever been in the FIFA rankings and has vaulted 37 spots in the latest numbers.

Canada started their journey with a 6-0 domination of Dominica in Round 2, while Belize entered uncharted territory after seeing off the Dominican Republic 5-1 after two legs.

If Belize makes it to the fourth round, they will face the likes of Mexico, a regional powerhouse that has never failed to qualify for the World Cup and walloped a young Jaguars team 9-0 over two legs in 2008 in the second round of 2010 World Cup qualifying.

The 2018 World Cup kicks off on June 14 and the final is on July 15^th and is being hosted in Russia.

On behalf of Chabil Mar Management and Staff, we wish the best of luck to the Belize National Team in the World Cup qualifying tournament.