Year: 2015

Travelers insist that one of the best reasons to visit Belize year-round is because everyone speaks English, so it’s easy to shop, dine and get around without a translator or guide book. But on one day every year, English takes a backseat to the language of Gobble, Gobble, Gobble: everyone talks turkey on Thanksgiving Day!

At Chabil Mar Resort in Placencia, this holiday has become a more splendid affair with each passing year, and 2015 is guaranteed to surpass your expectations. From luxury rooms and affordable rates to a holiday atmosphere that’s as festive as any celebratory Thanksgiving you’ve attended in the U.S., expect a place at the Chabil Mar table that’s part gourmet banquet and part tropical splendor, all at an affordable fixed price.

According to Chabil Mar Marketing Manager Larry France, Chabil Mar chefs have been working for months to perfect the ultimate menu worthy of culinary awards for both imagination and preparation: Start your meal with sweet potato bisque lavished with chives. Indulge in an assortment of three salads that run the gamut from pasta and almonds and a green tropical mélange to a traditional Caprese salad.

Return to the buffet table to load your plate with a sampling of colorful fall vegetable casseroles—one more delicious than the next—and help yourself to the apple raisin stuffing. At last, the course you’ve been waiting for: the Chabil Mar carving station offers two succulent meats: perfectly-roasted turkey and ham on the bone, both served with tropical sauces.

Save room for at least a taste of pumpkin cheesecake, southern pecan pie and tiramisu or you won’t end this spectacular meal properly. As for giving thanks, you may wish to include the chefs when you count your good fortune once you’ve had a taste of this year’s Chabil Mar holiday extravaganza.

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information on 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 Thanksgiving Vacation.

Wondering what to pack for your stay at Placencia’s world-famous Chabil Mar Resort in Belize? Shorts. Sunscreen. A hat to protect your head from the sun…and how about tossing some flash cards, pencils, rulers, cat snacks and perhaps a dog leash into your suitcase?

You’ve got room, right? Everyone speaks English so no need to drag a translation guide or install an app on your smartphone. And since Chabil Mar is all about breezy living, relaxed dress and a no-frills experience, by tossing a couple of educational or pet-related items into your bag, you turn your vacation into an opportunity to show your kindness and concern for others.

What’s this request all about? Charitable giving. Chabil Mar Resort just joined the Pack for a Purpose family, a worldwide nonprofit organization devoted to helping kids, supplying basic medical needs and even assisting homeless pets. By bringing a book, pet shampoo or Band-Aids when you travel south for your vacation, you use a little bit of room in your luggage to do so some big giving!

As a Pack for a Purpose partner, the Chabil Mar team is thrilled to get in on this program. Launched in 2010, the initiative has been a stunning success, amassing more than 103,642 pounds of school, medical and pet supplies since it began spreading the word throughout the international travel community.

“Our targets are St. John’s Memorial School in Placencia Village and the Belize Humane Society,” explains Chabil Mar’s Marketing Director Larry France. “Every time we inform our guests about this collaboration to help St. John’s stockpile school supplies that kids can’t afford to buy—as well as contributing much-needed provisions for the Belize Humane Society—they become as enthusiastic as is our staff!”

If you can’t figure out exactly what to bring as a donation for this terrific cause, there’s a list of most-needed items posted on the Chabil Mar website or simply figure out what your kids needed for school and slip it into your bag when you prepare to leave. Even small donations of goods and materials help, says France.

Becoming involved with the Pack for a Purpose movement is just the most recent way resort staff and management found a way to show their concern for the earth and its people. Chabil Mar was recently awarded Green Globe certification—an honor bestowed upon travel industry entities only after it has fulfilled 380 sustainability compliance indicators that prove a serious commitment to conservation and green operations.

The Pack for a Purpose movement has done amazing things for worldwide populations thanks to the efforts of the international travel industry and you get bragging rights if you join in! Ask yourself this question: when was the last time you contributed to a worthy cause simply by tucking a few rulers into your bag when you go on vacation?

For more information about the Chabil Mar or its Pack for a Purpose initative, please contact Larry France at chabilmar@comcast.net or https://chabilmarvillas.com/.

Being asked to join an exclusive community is always an honor. When that recognition is received for doing an outstanding job of practicing sustainable tourism, that’s cause for celebration–which is exactly what the Chabil Mar Resort team did after learning that the staff and the resort were awarded Green Globe certification.

“This has already been a banner year for us at Chabil Mar, so being notified of our Green Globe certification was like icing on a cake,” said the resort’s Marketing Manager Larry France. “This is no lightweight designation. It’s given only to those in the tourism industry practicing the highest levels of sustainability. At Chabil Mar, we take seriously the beautiful environment surrounding us and we are eager to help with global initiatives that keep the planet pristine for future generations.”

To earn this recognition, an applicant must meet 44 core criteria and fulfill 380 compliance indicators. Only those able to document their achievements, improvements and green efforts are eligible to be awarded Green Globe certification, and thanks to the efforts of management and staff alike, at Chabil Mar, that goal has been achieved.

“Receiving this designation is just a first stop for Chabil Mar,” explains France. “We will be reviewed twice per year by third-party independent auditors to make sure that we are living up to our promise to remain as ecologically responsible as we are tourist-centric. From our lush tropical gardens to kayaks, paddle boards and bicycles we provide so guests can travel from place to place without expending carbon emissions, our green earth commitment has become a priority for us.”

As the only guest-exclusive resort on the Placencia Peninsula, Chabil Mar undertakes unusual measures to promote sustainability, including choosing suite furnishings decorated with locally-grown Belizean hardwoods from trees that are regularly replenished. Wildlife reserves and ancient Mayan ruins are considered treasures so when guests are taken to these locations, guides stress the critical nature of the world’s finite resources.

In addition to being awarded Green Globe certification, Chabil Mar resort is the recipient of numerous awards on a peninsula that is no stranger to worldwide notoriety: Placencia was named “Leading Beach Destination” at the 2015 World Travel Awards held in Bogota, Columbia and Chabil Mar’s laudits include nine years topping TripAdvisor award categories and a “Choice for Luxury” designation by Fodor’s.

“Too often, people say that it’s impossible to balance luxury with conservation and sustainability, but Chabil Mar is proof that not only can this be done, but done in such a way that visitors return again and again for first-class hospitality and service. We’re proud of our efforts and we intend to keep up our commitment to sustainability in every way possible,” adds Mr. France.

For more information about the resort or its Green Globe Certification, please contact Larry France at chabilmar@comcast.net or https://chabilmarvillas.com/.

The philosopher Maimonides uttered prophetic words that have remained as true over time as they did when he said them–“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” His words were never truer that they are today in Belize, where over-fishing threatens the nation’s once-vibrant industry, leading to a decline in conch, reef fish and lobster catches.

Some nations might give up and accept the inevitable, but the Belize fishing community isn’t about to take this dramatic situation lying down—nor is the Belize government willing to give in either. The solution? Resurrecting a concept that’s been around almost as long as the Maimonides quote: Territorial Rights Use for Fishing (TURF).

With the implementation of this system, gone are the days of unrestricted, indiscriminate fishing practices responsible for the current problem. TURF simply gives the estimated 15,000 Belizean fisherman plying their trade dedicated areas in which to pursue their livelihood. With the establishment of these areas, responsibility lies with fisherman to abide by zoned ecosystems so marine life populations can return to their former bountiful states.

Is Belize the only nation to turn to this tried-and-true method of restoring coastal fishing waters? Hardly. Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Mozambique and the Philippines faced the same depletion crisis and adopted the TURF system supported by the Environmental Defense Fund. Some nations have even declared “no-take” areas that prohibit all fishing until marine life numbers begin to increase.

How are the fishermen of Belize responding to this new system? Positively—because they will be the recipients of the benefits of restored stock and because they’ve already seen how fast cessation of overfishing specific zones and establishing no-take areas can reverse this tide. Current research proves that, for example, in a no-take reserve, fish and crustacean populations quadruple, while they double outside these designated areas.

With the support of the marine biology community, the Belize government and the nation’s fishermen, overfishing can, with a concerted effort, finally end as proven by two experimental TURF projects that were set up in Belize in 2012 just to see if it could be done. As a result of the experiment, illegal fishing activity dropped 60-percent as 80-percent of Belizean fisherman complied and are reporting positive catch numbers.

Goals have been set. Pilot programs launched. In concert, everyone benefits—even the tourism industry! At Chabil Mar, Placencia’s award-winning resort where fishing expeditions for guests have been extremely popular excursions, this news was met with great excitement since the resort had just received its Green Globe certification and applauds such efforts.

Because the ocean’s fish population is being restored thanks to TURF, Chabil Mar can continue to offer its extremely popular fishing package and there’s great news greeting guests who arrive eager to grab fishing gear and pursue their favorite sport: Around 70-percent of Belize fishermen report catching more fish since this system was instituted—which portends plenty of luck for guests of Chabil Mar, too!

For more information about fishing 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: 1-866-417-2377.

Chabil Mar has been hard at work throughout October preparing the grounds, accommodations and innovative services for the upcoming 2016 season.

Being number one has its responsibilities and at Chabil Mar that means being the best in the industry by providing award winning service every day and every moment, to not just meet expectations, but exceed them, to anticipate our guests needs before they even know that want them. In a recent tripadvisor review, a guest wrote two weeks ago, “Chabil Mar is the epitome of excellence. It is exactly the most comfortable place to stay. It is exactly the best meals to be had. It is exactly staffed with the most knowledgeable, friendly, and efficient people . . . I genuinely miss everyone of the staff that I met.”

“Come as Friends, Leave as Family”.

And another guest wrote on tripadvisor three weeks ago, “This was our 2nd trip to Placencia, BZ and our return to Chabil Mar . . . The trip was just as beautiful, relaxing and amazing as the first time 3 years ago . . . If you want to feel like Royalty, you’ve found it here, no matter where you are on the property you will see someone asking if you are doing good, need a towel? need a drink? can we bring you anything?

We are so proud to have won Traveler’s Choice Awards for 8 consecutive years in the Service, Romance, Best Hotel and Family categories.

Our accommodations, all Caribbean sea-facing villas have been upgraded, including comfort features and details such as new bedding, only the best 400 thread count sheets, pillow cases and comforters. New kitchen backsplashes, stainless steel appliances, comfort robes and furnishings to the already luxury designs we are known for. Art and decor, always a Chabil Mar delight!

At Chabil Mar attention to detail is a requirement. Must we say it or let our guests say it for us . . . “We’ve been to Chabil Mar 4 times now, and it always exceeds our expectations. We have just completed our annual refinishing of the pier, Cafe Mar, the verandas and the furniture. The pools are sparkling, the 400 feet of beach is manicured (daily) and awaits.

We do not forget about your desire for first class dining and this year we are serving up a brand new menu from our Chef Carlos and Sous Chefs Marsha and Salvino. Eat al fresco style anywhere you choose among the Chabil Mar property and don’t forget to reserve your private dinner on our pier, the best dining location in all of Placencia.

We’re waiting for you . . . Placencia awaits you . . . All of Belize awaits you.

We hope to serve you in 2016.

For more information about visiting Belize or Placencia in 2016 , 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: 1-866-417-2377.