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The Placencia Peninsula is a 16-mile long strip of golden beaches jutting outside from the southeastern Caribbean coast of Belize. Still a laid-back eco-friendly place that more than lives up to its “barefoot perfect” motto, Placencia is the gateway to all of the best dive spots on the southern half of the great Belize Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with clear waters and white sandy seafloors that teems with hundreds of colorful marine flora and fauna species.

Laughing Bird Caye

Many people come to Placencia Village to stroll along the beach, zoom around in golf carts, and generally take in the sights, but Placencia is also the perfect place to access the world-class dive sites that have made Belize so famous.

One of the premier dive sites just a short distance offshore from Placencia is the Laughing Bird Caye National Park. Just 11 miles from Placencia Village, Laughing Bird Caye is a national park and the southernmost island in the central lagoon portion of the Belize Barrier Reef.

Laughing Bird Caye (in Belize, islands are known as “cayes”, pronounced “keys”) is located on a narrow stretch of the reef technically called a faro. The sides of the faro are quite steep and the waters offshore are separated by deep channels that connect it to the rest of the barrier reef. This unique physical structure makes it the perfect place for fish to spawn and hide from predators. The enormous numbers of fish and other marine animals in the area draw in other creatures, making it a top dive spot.

The island gets its name from the Laughing Gull bird that once used the caye for a breeding ground. Laughing Bird Caye has been a protected marine park since 1981.

The Silk Cayes

The Silk Cayes are a three islands that lie inside the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve, a protected natural area since 2000. The Silk Cayes are located approximately 22 miles off the coast of Placencia.

Gladden Spit is an elevated piece of land located on the southernmost tip of a long atoll, itself a popular dive site. The three Silk Cayes, North Silk, Middle Silk, and South Silk, are located on the southern approach to Gladden Spit.

This is a premier dive area in southern Belize because the elevation and water quality make it one of the healthiest and most ecologically diverse parts of the Belize Barrier Reef.

Chabil Mar is an award-winning luxury resort located just a five-minute walk from Placencia Village and is a great place to stay to enjoy all the best dive spots in southern Belize.

For more information about diving in Belize or Placencia, 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.

Belize’s Bird Watching Tradition Has Extremely Deep Roots

Bird species, it seems, are as fickle as are humans. Some stick around Belize year ‘round. Others emulate tourists that flock here: they come and go with the wind. But all species of the birds frequenting Belize are offered a wide variety of natural habitats that include coastal plains, tropical forests, wetlands, savannahs and cayes.What birding objective are you seeking to achieve by coming to Belize? Are you looking to do research, update your journal or photograph birds? Most bird-loving travelers want to do all of these, though if you are interested in seeing specific Belize species, you can maximize your time by choosing areas they frequent.Travel to Belize’s west regions and stay in  San Ignacio or the Mountain Pine Ridge to spot rare Orange-breasted falcons, Stygian Owls and Keel-billed Motmot. Specify Toledo’s Aguacaliente Wildlife Sanctuary, a 6,000-acre park that’s the site of three lagoons that serve as breeding grounds for Boat-Billed Herons, five types of kingfisher and Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks.

The Rio Bravo Conservation Area consists of 250,000 acres of land that nurtures flocks of keel billed toucans amid hundreds of other species, or spend the majority of your time at Stann Creek’s Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve. The sheer variety of bird types flocking to this reserve is amazing and includes Scarlet Macaws. Photograph this colorful bird feeding on Annatto shrub and you’ll bring home calendar-worthy images.

The Belize Zoo is truly a unique experience and far more than just a collection of animals kept locked up in cages. Located just a few miles outside of Belize City, the zoo was founded in 1983 as the Tropical Education Center to provide refuge for animals that had been abandoned after being used in a documentary film.

Today, the Belize Zoo is an interactive wildlife park that is the first location of its kind to be completely accessible to handicapped persons. Measuring more than 29 acres in size, the Belize Zoo is home exclusively to more than 140 animals that are native to the country, including birds, reptiles, and mammals. Continuing its original mission, all of the 45 species of wildlife at the Belize Zoo are rescued animals.

Some of the most popular residents of the Belize Zoo include Junior Buddy (a jaguar), Panama (a harpy eagle) and Fuego, a Baird’s Tapir, the national animal of Belize.

Although Belizeans live in one of the most ecologically diverse environments on the planet, many of them are unaware of the rich diversity of wildlife to be found in their country. The Belize Zoo doubles as an educational center, providing information and hands-on experiences in order to encourage respect for the animals and plants of Belize and emphasize the importance of preserving the natural heritage of the country for generations yet to come.

More than 68,000 people visit the Belize Zoo every year including school groups from local schools in Belize. Student career training, summer camps, reading programs, and birthday parties for the animals are regular events at the Belize Zoo to help increase awareness of the rich diversity of wildlife in Belize.

Visit the Belize Zoo

Chabil Mar strongly encourages all visitors to Belize to visit the Belize Zoo and our concierge would be very pleased to make those arrangements for a visit there for you.

A luxury resort located just a short distance from Placencia Village, Chabil Mar features lovely well-appointed villas on an immaculate property complete with a lovely tropical garden, infinity swimming pool, and a top-rated restaurant and bar.

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No trip to the beautiful Central American nation of Belize would be complete without sampling some of our delicious food. The region is jam-packed with an abundance of mouth-watering fruits that you absolutely must try, such as:

1. Guaya

When eaten at its perfect ripeness, this fabulous fruit is wonderfully sweet. In Belize, the Guaya fruit is sometimes called Ginep – so you may need to use both names when speaking with vendors.

2. Dragon Fruit

Though it may look a little strange, dragon fruit is always a popular favorite among travelers to Belize. Depending on where you go, you may hear locals refer to it as Pitaya.

3. Pineapple

Pineapples may just be the perfect tropical fruit. Whether you want to enjoy a slice at breakfast or in your beverage, you won’t be disappointed with the selection on offer in Belize.

4. Sapodilla

Native to Belize and the Mexican Yucatan, this delicious fruit has a sweet and granular texture. It is not to be missed.

5. Soursop

This native Belizean fruit can be found throughout the country. If you want to indulge your sweet tooth, you can find Soursop flavored ice creams in stores and restaurants.

6. Mango

If you like to treat yourself to a mango while you are at home, you simply must have one while you are in Belize. For maximum freshness, try to travel during mango season.

7. Breadfruit

Though breadfruit is not native to Belize, it is nonetheless very popular in the area. It is traditionally baked or roasted and enjoyed at dinner time.

8. Papaya

This delectably sweet fruit is popular across Belize. If you look closely, you will even be able to spot the birds of Belize enjoying this fabulous fruit straight from the tree.

9. Apple Banana

Belize offers some of the tastiest bananas that you will find anywhere on earth. You simply must try an apple banana during your time there.

10. Coconut

Whether you prefer to enjoy coconut milk, coconut water, or something a little different, you will be pleased to know that Belize offers huge quantities of this delicious fruit.

11. Tamarind

You will find this fruit at convenience stores across Belize. Its sour, candy-like taste is always popular with tourists and locals alike.

12. Golden Plum

If you like your fruits to be tart and crunchy, you must try the Golden Plum. If you are feeling really adventurous, you can even dip it in some hot sauce.

13. Cacao

Belize is the perfect place to indulge in the fruit that is transformed into chocolate. The flesh that covers the beans is amazingly sweet.

14. Sapote

The Sapote’s sandpaper-like skin can be a little offputting at first. However, when you open it up you will be able to taste the creamy and sweet center that lies within.

15. Craboo

This delicious fruit is popularly eaten as part of a stew Craboo in Belize. You will sometimes hear locals refer to it as Nance.

16. Cashew Fruit

You may have heard of cashew nuts, but did you know that there is also a cashew fruit? When eaten fresh, this fruit is fabulously sweet and juicy. If you’re feeling thirsty, you can also purchase cashew fruit wine in many stores and restaurants.

17. Custard Apple

This fruit is a favorite among native Belizeans. It has a sweet and granular texture and is most often eaten with sweetened condensed milk.

18. Malay Apple

Originally brought to Belize by colonial settlers, this fruit has since become one of the most popular in the nation. It is sometimes referred to as a Wax Apple.

19. Sea Grape

Sea Grapes are found mainly in the coastal beach areas of Belize, so if you are staying at a resort you should definitely try them out. This mouth-watering fruit is incredibly sweet.

20. Starfruit

Though starfruit originally hails from Southeast Asia, it is now widely grown in Belize. Though it generally tastes quite sweet, it can sometimes be a little sour.

21. Guava

Whether you prefer to eat it in slices or drink it as a juice, you simply must try some Belizean Guava when you are in the area. You won’t be disappointed.

If you want to head to Belize to try out some of these delicious fruits for yourself, then you will need somewhere to stay. Of course, Chabil Mar Resort in Placencia Village, Belize is the perfect option. Aside from our fabulous culinary options, our amazing resort also offers beach access and luxurious accommodation. There is nowhere else quite like it on earth.

As a former British colony, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language. The vast majority of people in Belize speak standard English, but a variety of dialects and other languages are often spoken at home.

These include:

Creole/Kriol

Traditionally spelled Creole, the Kriol dialect (preferred modern spelling) is not a different language than English but a distinct dialect that can be difficult for non-speakers to understand. Many Kriol speakers “code switch,” speaking the Kriol dialect with friends and family and standard English in public.

Approximately one-third of the population speaks the Kriol dialect as their first language.

Spanish

Located in Central America, Belize has been strongly influenced by Spanish, including groups of self-styled Mestizos (literally “mixed race”) who emigrated in the early 19th century following a civil war in neighboring Mexico.

Today, many people in Belize speak Spanish as a native language, particularly near the Mexican and Guatemalan borders. In addition, some Belizeans speak a “kitchen Spanish,” a simplified version of the language used by people whose first language is English.

Mayan

The descendants of the ancient Maya that built the impressive pyramids, palaces, and ceremonial sites that dot the Belizean landscape, the Maya in Belize speak three different dialects: Kekchi (various spellings), Mopan, and the increasingly rare Yucatec.

Maya communities tend to be located in rural areas, but most Maya speakers are bilingual in either English or Spanish.

Garifuna

An Afro-Caribbean tongue, Garifuna is a unique language spoken by approximately 4% of the population. The Garifuna tongue is a blend of indigenous Caribbean languages and West African languages and was recognized in 2001 by the United Nations as a valued contribution to the intangible heritage of humanity.

German

Different than standard high German (Hochdeutsch), the German spoken in Belize is predominantly the Plautdietsch or Mennonite Low German variety similar to the Pennsylvania Dutch spoken by Amish communities in the United States. Belize has a well-established Mennonite community consisting of several villages and towns.

Most German-speaking Mennonites in Belize are also bilingual in English.

Chinese and Arabic

Belize has a small but well-established community of Chinese communities located primarily in urban areas. Originally brought into the country as an unskilled labor force, the Chinese community of Belize soon expanded into more entrepreneurial activities.

Predominantly hailing from Lebanon, there is also a small Arabic-speaking community in Belize.

For more information about 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.

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