Month: January 2020

If you identify as a risk-taker, there’s only one place to go in 2020: Belize. The nation’s resources beckon travelers—especially those who can’t get enough adventure.

Did you know that travelers have distinct vacation styles? It’s true, says Max Knoblauch. “More than one in three Americans (37-percent) have had a ‘life eureka’ moment while on vacation,” says Knoblauch who adds that “while 35-percent of Americans prefer to spend their vacations…resting and relaxing poolside—38-percent prefer more active, adventurous trips focused on exploration.”

“Adventurous travelers tend to make stronger lasting memories and report fewer regrets,” he adds. This scientific study was so comprehensive, it even included the fact that people born under the signs of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius can’t get enough adventure when they travel.

Of course, it matters not which sign you were born under if adventure travel raises your heart rate, but you may worry that these trips are expensive. Not so if you choose Belize, where everyone speaks English, the plane ride is a few hours away and award-winning resorts like Placencia’s Chabil Mar  are surprisingly affordable.

Which adventures suit your fancy?

-Explore ancient Maya cities and underground caves filled with artifacts that range from skeletons and cooking pots to ritual items used during secret ceremonies.
–Snorkel and scuba dive with Whale Sharks, gentle giants who don’t mind visits from tourists guided by certified diving professionals. Come in May when Chabil Mar seasonal rates start to dip.
-Birding expeditions are exciting. No matter the season, you’ll spot all types of birds and spectacular colors. The excitement doubles and triples when visitors spot rarely-seen endangered species perched on trees or in the air.
-The presence of nature reserves like Cockscomb Basin and Bocawina give visitors opportunities to spot animals usually only found in zoos.
-If your appetite for adventure resides in all things cultural, come and learn more about the Maya and Garifuna cultures, learn to drum, make chocolate like Mayas did and indulge all of your senses in music, food and fun.

Setting up your 2020 travel schedule?

Plan to stay at Chabil Mar, the luxury, award-winning Placencia, Belize resort where everything is at your fingertips: proximity to adventures, gracious hospitality, sumptuous digs and Café Mar, where al fresco dining under palm trees has been elevated to a culinary art.

The Chabil Mar virtual tour offers you a taste of what awaits in 2020 once you put a Belize vacation on your “must-do” list. Seal the deal by browsing tours offered on the resort’s menu. One warning: You are likely to find so may choices, deciding on just one could be the biggest adventure of all!

When spring arrives, the faithful eagerly await Easter, a holiday filled with pageantry and fun. Should you decide to celebrate the holy season here in Belize, make it the kind of vacation that suits your religious needs and sensibilities while enjoying weather that’s heavenly. As a Christian, you’ll celebrate in a nation where 80-percent of the populace shares your faith; if you’re not Christian you’ll have an equally fabulous time of it since Belize serves up some of the most beautiful sights, sounds and tastes in the Caribbean at this time of year.

What sets Belize apart from other Central American nations when Easter rolls around? As a society that takes the season of Jesus’s resurrection very seriously, your visit will coincide with a four-day celebration that’s a non-stop ride through parties, events and religious rituals. The nation shuts down in deference to the pious nature of the season, but you won’t care if you visit because you are in Belize to slow down and relax, right?

If you’ve limited time in Belize and wish to see the best of the best, we urge you to attend this Good Friday tradition: evening mass followed by a moving re-enactment of The Way of the Cross staged in the town of Benque Viejo del Carmen in western Belize. Other re-enactments of the Via Crucis will also be held in the Districts of Orange Walk and Corozal, in case one of these locations is more convenient for you.

If you think a suitcase filled with fancy Easter duds is necessary for your holiday trip, re-think your packing strategy. Bring one nice outfit to attend services at any of Belize’s churches on Good Friday, but because the weather’s hot and lots of activities surrounding Easter are more secular than sacred, lightweight shorts, shirts, skirts and traditional resort wear plus swimsuits will have you covered in the fashion department.

Be forewarned that alcohol is not served in Belize on Good Friday, so if you can’t imagine a day that doesn’t include the cocktail hour, follow the lead of tourists and stockpile your bubbly before this 24-hour period begins. Some visitors say that the parties, church services, water sports and visits to attractions keep them so busy, they don’t even miss having alcoholic beverages on this holy day.

Change up the pace of your Belize Easter visit by attending the annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycle Race. The antithesis of religious pageantry, this cycling race is an excitement-filled, 140-mile-long event that takes cyclists from Belize City to San Ignacio/Santa Elena and back. This wildly popular competition attracts big crowds, but if you’ve no interest in the sport, your resort host can help you find things to do for this short period of time that are away from the race route along the Western Highway.

Once you’ve experienced Good Friday and Holy Saturday Belize style, you can expect a more familiar day on Easter Sunday. Churches throughout the nation proclaim the Resurrection of Christ during services and then, in fairly typical fashion, families get together for meals as do tourists in country for the holiday. By afternoon, athletic events, fairs other secular events liven up the third day of this holiday—leaving Easter Monday to be observed. On this day, the last of the fairs, athletic events, dances and parties wrap up this four day celebration!

If reading about Easter in Belize whets your appetite, we recommend accommodations at Chabil Mar in Placencia. The recipient of myriad hospitality and media awards–plus recommendations from travelers who keep coming back–this luxury resort offers gracious surroundings, superior accommodations and service. Staff is delighted to help guests find and attend celebrations held during the Easter holiday season, but to see the full extent of what awaits at Chabil Mar, take a peek at the resort’s website.

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For more information about visiting Belize or Chabil Mar for Easter, 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.

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Belize seems almost custom-made for romance. Although it is just a short flight (five hours or less) away from major cities across the United States and Canada, Belize is truly a world away.

With no fast food outlets, shopping malls, or even traffic jams, Belize is a beautiful, unspoiled country where the air is perfumed from hundreds of flowering plants. Over half the country is a protected park, sanctuary, or animal refuge, and Belize has hundreds of offshore islands along the western hemisphere’s largest coral reef system.

One of the most idyllic places to enjoy Valentine’s Day in Belize is the Placencia Peninsula. Often called the caye (island) you can walk to, the peninsula is just half a mile wide but stretches 16 miles from north to south. The Caribbean coast of the peninsula has gorgeous, white sandy beaches, making it easy to enjoy a romantic stroll in privacy.

Chabil Mar is an award-winning luxury resort located on the southern tip of the peninsula just a short stroll from Placencia Village, a small fishing enclave with colorful street murals and a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the smallest main “street” in the world, a four-foot wide sidewalk that is packed with eclectic cafes, bars, and restaurants, all completely off-limits to cars and trucks.

Chabil Mar Resort has luxuriously appointed villas with a full range of modern conveniences and comforts, including high-speed internet, gorgeous furnishings made from local woods, and powerful air conditioning. The resort also has a lovely tropical garden, freshwater infinity swimming pools, and a gourmet restaurant serving up a mouthwatering array of local and international cuisine.

One especially romantic option to enjoy at Chabil Mar is a private dinner that you can enjoy on the resort’s seafront pier, gazing up at the natural wonder of another starry, Belizean night.

Other romantic options to enjoy include free use of bicycles, paddle boards, and sea kayaks to explore the coastline and nearby Garifuna village of Seine Bight. February is also when the Placencia Sidewalk Arts Festival takes place, a multi-day affair that sees the central “main street” transformed into booths selling local art, handicrafts, delicious foods, games, and plenty of live music.

Nearby attractions include hiking through the vast wilderness of the Cockscomb Basin Nature Reserve (home to all five of Belize’s big cat species, including jaguars), bird watching, and enjoying snorkeling and scuba diving on the nearby islands like Silk Cayes and Laughing Bird Caye.

If you’d like to experience an unforgettably romantic Valentine’s Day this year, book your vacation at the Chabil Mar Resort in Placencia, Belize.

 

Why Belize is worth visiting in 2020

Belize is a hot destination for myriad reasons and to attract even more visitors, the nation will roll out a giant welcome mat this year for newcomers and return visitors. Reasons you’ll want to visit in 2020 are courtesy of Mother Nature, airliners, attractions and resorts like Chabil Mar Villas where hosts love showing off their hospitality.

Come for the weather

No matter which month in 2020 you decide to make Belize your relaxation epicenter, temperatures will be consistent, averaging 88 degrees but dipping down to 70 at night in some seasons. One small suitcase can get you through a longish vacation if you pack right!

Come for the whale sharks

Arrange your 2020 calendar smartly to be on hand for Belize’s annual whale shark sightings near Gladden Spit. You can dive with them if you like or just watch friends frolic with these giants between March and June. Your diving adventure begins at the Chabil Mar booking desk.

Come for the rates

One of the reasons visiting Belize has become so popular has to do with the graduated rate structures offered by resorts throughout the country. In low season, discounts are as prevalent as colorful fish on the Belize Barrier Reef, so if you holiday on a budget, a 2020 visit won’t ruin yours!

Come for the Maya ruins

Vestiges of Mayan civilizations are scattered across Belize like stars in the sky, so if you’ve put off visiting sacred sites, what are you waiting for? Chabil Mar staff can set you up with as many Mayan ruin tours as your time allows.

Come for the flights

 

Once upon a time, direct flights to Belize were infrequent, but thanks to heavy demand, a number of airlines such as SouthWest, WestJet, Air Canada, American Airlines, now serve Belize City, as do other major U.S. carriers. If you originate in Panama, catch a short Copa Air flight and you’ll be up and down before you can say 2020.

Come for the fishing

Even the unluckiest of amateur fishermen have been known to strike it rich in the waters off Belize. Take a photo of your catch before you hand it off to the chef at Chabil Mar who will prepare it for you with a tropical flourish.

Come for the sailing

If 2020 is the year you’ve committed to ridding your life of stressors, set sail for relaxing time on Caribbean waters as you feel your blood pressure numbers drop. Hire the boat that meets your criteria and even picnics will be provided!

Come for adventure

Which adventure, you ask? Select from excursions and day trips posted on the Chabil Mar website menu or customize your plan to fill every hour of your 2020 holiday with nature walks, jungle exploration, cave tubing, wildlife discoveries, zip lining and much more.

Come for the romance

Prioritize Belize when making 2020 plans for romantic getaways including honeymoons. Intimate gardens, beaches and guestrooms so lavishly appointed, they redefine the term honeymoon suite awaits couples at Chabil Mar. You might even qualify for discounted rates during the low season so you start your life together on a thrifty note.

Come for your wedding

Destination weddings in Belize are so trendy, resorts like Chabil Mar have designed different types of celebrations so couples enjoy exactly the type of wedding they dream about. Whether you desire a beach, garden or under-roof event, 2020 is your year to start your married life off right here in paradise!

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 your 2020 Belize vacation.