Month: September 2022

Do you crave a destination wedding but the distance issue is scary? No worries. Belize is fast becoming the destination wedding capital of Central America and resorts like Chabil Mar have a talent for turning even small celebrations into extravaganzas. From basic arrangements to all-inclusive packages customized to suit your taste and budget, why go elsewhere?

Here are 21 great reasons to get married in Belize:

1. You don’t have to feed the multitudes, including Aunt Mary who ruins most weddings anyway. Enjoy a lavish wedding for less cash because your wedding party is likely to be small enough to make the day both lavish and affordable.

2. Your photos will be perfect–especially if taken late in the day when golden rays of the sun make everybody look gorgeous, even mothers-in-law!

3. Find out who your real friends are. Invite your nearest and dearest; if they can’t get to your Belize affair, you know where you stand.

4. Make other newlywed connections. Since Belize is fast-becoming Central America’s wedding destination, you could bond with other newlyweds and stay in touch over the years.

5. Save money. According to The Knot, today’s average 150-guest wedding averages $29,000 USD. Compare that to a full-blown Chabil Mar affair. If your party is big enough, reserve the entire resort just for your big day.

6. Everyone speaks English in Belize. Forget struggling with a second language as you put together your wedding celebration using skilled Chabil Mar event planners.

7. Beach? Jungle? Waterfall? All things are possible in this wonderland, so whether you want your wedding on a beach, in a cave, at a Mayan ruin or at a quaint local church, your choices are unlimited.

8. Save a bundle on your honeymoon. You’re already in Belize. Voila! Instant honeymoon.

9. The food is delish. Treat your guests to gourmet meals prepared by Chabil Mar chefs skilled in European cookery and ethnically-rich plates that reflect Belize’s diverse cultures.

10. Your host does all the work. Included in Chabil Mar’s basic wedding package are the honeymoon suite, bouquets, beach or pier deck ceremony, help with your license and tropical reception, all at one price.

11. Chabil Mar offers a wide range of extras, like reception planning, couples massages, in-country airfare, photographer, videographer and even clergy.

12. It’s easy to get a marriage license. Show up three days before the big day. Present your passport with photo as proof of the day you arrived in Belize and you’re done.

13. Your marriage will be recognized everywhere, so it’s just as official in Belize as it would be if you exchanged vows in Ottawa, Detroit or Los Angeles.

14. The weather is divine. Year-round. Seriously.

15. Wear what you like. White gown. Floral sarong. Bedazzled pedal pushers. Swimsuit. Bridal Fashion Police officials avoid Belize, so don anything you fancy.

16. No clothing restrictions for guests, either. Inform guests that your ceremony and/or reception is to be held on a boat, on the beach or at Chabil Mar Resort so they can wear whatever they consider appropriate.

17. It’s easy to get to Belize. Anyone wishing to attend your wedding can find lots of flights from Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. Adventurous guests may wish to make your event the object of a long and relaxing road trip!

18. Stress-free planning. Use your phone or the Internet to do all of your planning with Chabil Mar staff. Since no grumpy, frazzled couples are permitted in Belize, you fly down and hit the beach to get the tan other couples pay for at tanning beds back home.

19. Save on pricey décor because Mother Nature is another of your wedding planners. Brides lament that their floral bill is as daunting as a student loan, but in Belize, everything is perpetually in bloom.

20. Take advantage of rate drops during low season at Chabil Mar and save even more on airfares and accommodations so you can spend it on the reception instead.

21. Make exceptional memories. This reason to marry in Belize is strictly up to you!

In a country with more than 100 navigable caves, Barton Creek Cave stands out for its unique history and impressive size. Unlike “dry” caves where spelunking is performed on foot, Barton Creek Cave has a large yet tranquil waterway running through it, meaning that visitors explore this impressive cave using canoes.

Belize is the heartland of the ancient Maya civilization, and Barton Creek Cave was used by Maya priests to conduct some of their most sacred rituals. The ancient Maya believed that caves were conduits to the underground world of the gods, known as Xibalba or “place of fear.” As such, Barton Creek Cave still contains many priceless artifacts, including ceremonial weapons, food offerings, pottery, and jewelry.

To explore Barton Creek Cave, modern-day visitors head east from the town of San Ignacio until they reach the village of Georgeville. From there, experienced guides will lead visitors along a narrow jungle path that includes a river crossing. After approximately one hour, the banks of Barton Creek are visible, and participants will board a canoe to begin their exploration of the cave.

Although the underground river running through Barton Creek Cave extends for at least five miles, only the first mile (1.6 kilometers) is safe for public exploration. Within a few minutes of boarding the canoe, participants will follow their tour guide into the stygian darkness of the cave. Using headlamps and flashlights, visitors will see a secret underworld that was once the exclusive domain of high-ranking Maya priests. The beams of light will reveal awe-inspiring cathedral-like chambers and beautiful stalactites that glitter and twinkle.

Along the way, the tour guide will explain about the natural history of the cave as well as the importance of the cave in Maya history, giving visitors a better understanding of the long-lost culture that built dozens of impressive cities across Belize.

After exiting the cave and emerging back into the bright tropical daylight, participants can enjoy a refreshing swim in the waters of the creek. Organized tours to Barton Creek Cave may also include a delicious picnic lunch.

Due to the nature of this tour, visitors who suffer from claustrophobia or anxiety about the dark are not recommended to participate. In some places, the ceiling of Barton Creek Cave is quite low. Although no swimming is required to explore Barton Creek Cave, swimwear, a change of clothes, and a towel are recommended. Other recommended items include insect repellant and rain gear during wet weather.

Chabil Mar offers Belize vacation packages that include all the best attractions of the jungle and sea, including an organized cave tubing tour of Barton Creek Cave.

For more information about Barton Creek Cave, 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.

10 Reasons to Dive and Snorkel Belize’s Southern Waters!

1. Everybody speaks English on dive boats hired to take you to southern Belize’s deepest, most challenging spots. Whether you need your guide to give you expert gear instruction or you simply seek advice, no translator required to make sure your dives are safe and memorable.

2. These are no ordinary dive waters, nor are the creatures you run into ordinary, either. Search south Belize waters for Whale Sharks migrating from Sapodilla cayes to the Gladden Split where they feast on spawning Snapper from March to June. Make arrangements to swim with these intriguing sharks if you dare!

3. Grab bragging rights by visiting the south end of the world’s second biggest barrier reef rather than the reef’s northern rim which tends to be more crowded with divers. Keep this secret: southernmost Belize waters offer unrivaled diving and you won’t have to compete with fleets of dive boats that have the potential scare fish away.

4. Choose a resort offering the best proximity to Belize’s southern waters so you spend all of your time diving instead of traveling from site to site. By booking a luxury, all-inclusive snorkeling and scuba diving package at Placencia’s Chabil Mar Resort, you get a luxurious suite plus your choice of six customized dive trips.

5. Visit paradise without traveling to the Pacific Rim! Great airline deals get you to southern Belize in a short amount of time and without busting your budget since current discounts average 20-percent. Roam islands, inspect coral cayes and venture onto atolls where you can pitch a tent, stay the night and dive your heart out.

6. Learn the primitive and exciting art of spearfishing, just as the earliest people on earth did before rods, reels and hooks were invented. By spearing predatory Lionfish, you save endangered fish indigenous to south Belize waters while you have a great time, learn a new skill and help rid the area of unwanted aquatic interlopers.

7. Pair your diving adventure in southern Belize with land excursions that include exploring Mayan ruins, jungles, caves and spectacular waterfalls. If you’re interested in Belize’s burgeoning commercial scene, visit cacao farms to see how chocolate is grown and used in Belizean products that range from candy to beer!

8. Introduce yourself to Belize’s cultures when you’re not diving. Learn to play the drums courtesy of Garifuna teachers, explore the Placencia peninsula from your Chabil Mar hub and meet fascinating people. From music and food to arts and crafts, this nation’s Creole, Mayan, East Indian, Garifuna and European populations are great examples of how to live in harmony.

9. Investigate the ecological efforts being undertaken by this nation’s government to make the Placencia Peninsula and adjacent waters the Mecca divers seek when they pick destinations in the Caribbean. This effort is so successful, there are already 60 dive sites on tiny Turneffe atoll near Chabil Mar.

10. Make southern Belize your forever destination. You won’t be the first diver to come for the thrills and fall in love, so if you decide to explore real estate with an eye toward retiring here, Chabil Mar makes a great base camp! As the only full-service resort in Placencia Village, it’s the destination travelers who value privacy and seek personalized service choose. Settle here and you’re always welcome to come “home” to the resort for diving and socializing!

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 scuba diving vacation.