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In their most recent issue, Destinations Travel Magazine has published a multi-page article on 10 amazing day trips currently available for travelers in Belize. The article focused on the Placencia Peninsula, described as 16 miles of golden sands that include the most beautiful beaches in the country, a unique honor for a nation with 180 miles of coastline and hundreds of offshore islands.

The Destinations Travel Magazine article described in loving detail the top attractions in and around Placencia, including the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. As a trackless wilderness of pristine rainforest, and rolling hills, the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a wide variety of indigenous flora and fauna, including some Central America’s last remaining jaguars.

Other mainland attractions featured in the Destinations Travel Magazine article include bird watching. Belize is home to hundreds of domestic and migratory bird species, including toucans, red-footed boobies, and macaws. The Placencia Peninsula, in particular, enjoys a spectacular diversity in avian species thanks to the abundance of national parks, watersheds, and pristine rainforests that are found in the region.

Just a few miles west of Placencia lies the Inland Blue Hole in the St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park. Not to be confused with the world-class dive site called the Belize Blue Hole on the offshore coral reef, the Inland Blue Hole is a collapsed cenote with startlingly bright blue waters. The Destinations Travel Magazine recommended visiting the Inland Hole for its spring-fed, refreshing waters and the nearby caves that can be explored by amateur spelunkers.

Another top attraction just a short distance from Placencia is the enormous ancient Maya site of Xunantunich. Once the dominant city-state in the region, Xunantunich has its own interactive museum on-site where visitors can learn about the city’s rich history and witness the ongoing archeological excavation of the largest royal Maya tomb ever discovered.

The Destinations Travel Magazine concluded by recommending Chabil Mar resort as the premier destination for travelers visiting the Placencia Peninsula and nearby region on their vacation. Chabil Mar is a multiple award-winning resort featuring luxuriously appointed villas, gourmet restaurant, lush tropical garden, professional spa services, and a sea pier ideal for al fresco dining.

Destinations Travel Magazine specializes in visually stunning multi-media travel, leisure, and entertainment content. Using a unique digital recreation of the traditional magazine format, Destination Travels Magazine allows readers to read in-depth articles and view high-resolution photographs of premier travel destinations around the globe in a unique multi-platform digital format.

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information about Chabil Mar and 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.

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2017 has only just begun and yet already the small Central American nation of Belize has been raking in accolades and travel recommendations from prestigious publications. Best known for its rankings of colleges, hospitals, and travel destinations, U.S. News & World Report has included Belize at or near the top of several of its “best of” lists for travel in 2017.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Belize as the top destination for “Best Affordable Winter Vacations,” mentioning that year-round balmy temperatures and the calm, warm waters of the Caribbean are a top draw for visitors. The report also mentioned the Great Blue Hole (also known as the Belize Blue Hole), ranked by celebrated French marine biologist and documentarian Jacques Cousteau as a top spot for scuba diving.

U.S. News & World Report listed Belize in the number eight position for “Best Places to Visit in Central and South America,” highlighting the number of adventure options in the country, including exploring ancient Maya ruins, the archeological sites of the country’s western Cayo District, and the world-class snorkeling and diving opportunities located at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.

Belize also made the list that U.S. News & World Report published on “Best Affordable Vacations in Central and South America,” ranking the country as number eight. The article spotlighted the charming thatched-roof huts, gorgeous coral reefs, and endless expanses of sugar white beaches as some of the top draws in the country. The report also encouraged travelers to explore Maya ruins and the turquoise waters of the Caribbean as two budget-friendly options.

The favorable mentions by U.S. News & World Report in their latest rankings follow similar praise from recent articles published by the New York Times and Lonely Planet. These travel articles mirror statistics recently published by the Belize government which show overnight visitor numbers were up 13% in 2016. In recognition of Belize’s growing popularity, Southwest Airlines recently announced two new flights to Belize, one from Denver, Colorado, and one from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, both to begin operation in 2017.

“We are really enthused to see Belize getting the attention it deserves from these prestigious publications,” said Larry France, marketing manager at the Chabil Mar resort in Placencia, Belize. “We look forward to welcoming new visitors drawn to Belize by these articles. It is our greatest honor to share the beauty and excitement of Belize with travelers from around the world.”

Chabil Mar is a multiple award-winning resort located on the Caribbean coast of the Placencia Peninsula in southeastern Belize. Chabil Mar features luxurious villas, a lush tropical garden, gourmet restaurant, spa, bar, and a long sea pier ideal for enjoying el fresco dining. Chabil Mar offers its guests a plethora of beach and rainforest packages that include guided tours of the top attractions of the mainland and the nearby Belize Barrier Reef.

The Placencia Peninsula is one of the top destinations to visit in Belize. Located conveniently near all of the top snorkeling, sailing, swimming, and fishing destinations on the nearby Belize Barrier Reef as well as major attractions on the mainland, Placencia is the perfect base of operations for an unforgettable Belize vacation.

Begun as a weekly news magazine in 1933, U.S. News & World Report is one of the most popular news magazines in the United States. The company is best known for its highly influential publications that rank universities in the United States. Other regular reports that rank hospitals, health care, careers, cars, and travel are also popular. U.S. News & World Report is a digital pioneer, first providing online content in 1995.

For information about visiting 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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BETEX 2017 Kicks Off May 3, 2017

BETEX, the biannual Belize Tourism Expo, is scheduled to take place between May 3-5, 2017 in Belize City. The two-day event brings together local and international tourism professionals with the objective of promoting Belize as a world-class visitor destination. The theme of the 2017 BETEX will be “Savor Your BELIZE Experience.”

The first BETEX was held in 1996 and has been held every two years since. BETEX is jointly organized by the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA), the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), and private stakeholders in the Belize tourism industry. More than 350 tour operators, hotel owners, and tourism service providers are expected to participate in the 2017 BETEX event. The BETEX event will be open to the public, offering travelers and locals alike a great opportunity to learn more about Belize and the top attractions, lodgings, and visitor services on offer in the country. BETEX is the only travel show held in Belize that brings together travel professionals to get to know Belize to help better sell the country as a travel destination.

Added benefits of attending BETEX include:

1. a) One on one appointments with your desired local Belize tourism partners.
2. b) “Post Expo Tours” (FAM trips) to your Jungle, Oceanfront and Combination Jungle and Sea tourism partners.

“We look forward to participating in the 2017 BETEX,” said Larry France, Marketing Manager at the Chabil Mar resort in Placencia, Belize.

“Chabil Mar representatives will be attending the BETEX tradeshow in Belize City to meet travel agents and wholesalers that offer tourism services and products specializing in Belize, particularly the Placencia Peninsula. Then there is the additional benefit to all of us when the agents/wholesalers are being given the opportunity through the ‘Post Expo Tours” to meet and greet all of our staff, on site, at Chabil Mar during the Placencia FAM. There’s nothing quite like having that first-hand experience and knowledge of the resorts you represent.”

BETEX will bring together travel and tourism professionals who have helped make Belize one of the hottest vacation destinations in the region. Lonely Planet, the world’s leading publisher of travel guides and books, recently released their top 10 destinations for budget-conscious travelers in 2017 that featured Belize as the top destination to visit in Central and South America. The Lonely Planet list focused on the growing trend of eco-tourism in the Placencia Peninsula, highlighting how electric-powered golf carts are the leading form of transportation in the area.

Another important driver of increasing tourism to Belize is the New York Times, one of the most widely read and respected newspapers in the United States. In their 2017 report of the 52 top destinations to visit, Belize was highlighted for its many tourism attractions, including swimming and snorkeling the Belize Barrier Reef, visiting ancient Maya ruins such as Xunantunich, and sampling the wide variety of affordable street food found in every town and city in the country.

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Although the offshore waters of Belize are home to an incredible diversity of marine flora and fauna, the presence of orcas spotted near Ranguana Caye was a rare occurrence. A large killer whale, sometimes known as an orca, was spotted on December 29, 2016, heading north with another male adult and a juvenile.

Jason Westby, a freelance tour guide who operates fishing tours in conjunction with a number of local resorts, including Chabil Mar, spotted the three orcas between 9:30 and 10:30 AM on December 29, 2016, in the vicinity of Ranguana Caye and Palm Owens Caye on the Belize Barrier Reef. Westby told local media that a school of tuna was in the area, which may account for the presence of the three orcas, apex predators who regularly consume tuna as part of their diet.

Westby was alerted to the presence of the three killer whales when he heard a large splash. Westby then signaled to his clients that a “massive” animal was present near their location, but he told local media that he originally believed the animal was a marlin. Westby became alarmed as one of the male orcas “jumped straight at him like a freight train,” causing Westby to reverse his boat’s engine. Westby estimates that the two adult males were between 30-32 feet long, far bigger than the 23-foot skiff he was operating at the time of the sighting.

When the pod of orcas turned and headed north, Westby angled his boat to follow them for approximately half a mile. Two other tour group operators in the area, Blue Reef Adventures and an unnamed company helmed by Rowland Alford, managed to capture the encounter on video.

Another giant of the ocean deeps is a more frequent visitor to the waters off of Belize. Whale sharks, the largest fish species on the planet, migrate to the Belize Barrier Reef every year between March and June to feed on enormous quantities of spawn and juvenile fish. Orcas are rarely seen in the waters off of Belize, and the last known sighting occurred in 2014 near Maugre Caye in the Turneffe Atoll region prior to the December 29, 2016, encounter.

One of the premier diving experiences in Belize is interacting with the whale sharks during their time in Belizean water. In order to protect the whale sharks, only licensed tour operators are allowed to bring divers into the area in carefully limited groups. Chabil Mar, the award-winning resort on the Placencia Peninsula, offers visitors a chance to see whale sharks up close and personal with their Belize whale shark diving package.

For information about visiting 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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