Author: Chabil Mar Manager

What do whale sharks and honeymooners have in common? For starters, both love privacy and several types of sharks like to dance, using those moves as mating rituals. Humans do, too. Men kiss the hands of their dates as a show of affection while male whale sharks nip at female fins to say, “Hey, I’m interested in you!” 

Why is it fun to compare the two? If you’re planning a honeymoon—or just a romantic getaway—choosing Belize as your destination gives you two the opportunity to see these amazing creatures up close and personal.

Of course, romance is less about whale sharks than it is about intimacy and privacy when the objective of a vacation is falling even more in love, so why not use whale shark spotting as your excuse to get away this summer? Whale sharks remain in Belize through June and if that’s the month you’ve chosen for your honeymoon, you’re in luck. 

Staying at Chabil Mar Resort in Placencia during summer months is heaven. Accommodations are just what honeymooners crave: luxurious, spacious and isolated enough to give you the privacy you desire. 

Take a virtual tour and if you don’t fall as much in love with these gorgeous surroundings as you did when you realized that your sweetheart “is the one,” you may need several whale shark tours to get your pulse rate up!

Summer at Chabil Mar is idyllic for practical reasons. Rates are lower. There are fewer crowds. The resort restaurant and bar are posh and menu items are exotic and delicious since authentic Belizean cuisine is guaranteed to please even travelers with picky appetites. 

June happens to be the month of Lobsterfest in Belize so guess what you can find on your dinner plate as often as you like? Here’s a hint: it’s not shark!

Honeymooners visiting the Belize Barrier Reef together start their life together on an awesome note because sharing underwater adventures builds colorful memories and for active couples who love to balance alone time with thrilling activities, you won’t find a better place to pair fun with romance. 

Belize in June is a honeymooner’s paradise for so many reasons, there’s a chance you might not have enough time to see those whale sharks. No worries. You’ll come back. Chabil Mar is the place couples return for anniversaries down the road! Sometimes, they even bring their kids to see the whale sharks they missed while on their honeymoons!

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.

Before news of the dramatic find unearthed by a tourist staying at Chabil Mar leaks out, it is incumbent upon us to deliver a warning to anyone intending to investigate this story on their own. Don’t approach Chabil Mar on April 1st—even if someone dares you to do so—because you could put yourself into a serious and dangerous situation, especially if you’re female. 

It’s hard to miss this rather ugly, scaly creature since he’s about the same size as a contemporary crocodile and while he doesn’t speak English, he has made it clear that he is on a mission to bring his species back from extinction. In order to figure out exactly why he crawled up on the Chabil Mar beach, we hired a linguist specializing in Iquanise to find out how he intends to do that. 

The answer was unsettling: He has returned with reproduction on his mind and wants to show the scientific world that it’s possible to bring a species back that has disappeared off the face of the earth. This accomplishment would, if possible, make Belize the world’s capitol of species regeneration! 

The translator was astonished to discover that this giant reptile’s only goal is to find a mate quickly. Because this iguana’s mission is so specific, we’re asking all Chabil Mar guests to remain indoors on what he has declared to be his specific day to mate: April 1st. Once midnight passes, it will be safe to go out and all women are invited to come to the beach bar for free champagne and hors d’oeuvres. 

“We’re doing this for the safety of our guests,” said Marketing Manager Larry France. He plans to be on hand at midnight to pass platters of snacks and pour champagne. “We intend to celebrate having come through this nightmare and we will toast the fact that there will be no iguana babies come New Year’s Day when they would ordinarily be expected to hatch out.” 

“We’re also doing this as a prank!” adds France, who takes all of the credit for coming up with this far-out April Fool’s Day joke, so feel free to roam wherever you like at Chabil Mar on April 1st. Unless, of course, you run into an oversized iguana, at which point, Larry wants to hear from you!

When people think of eSports, Central America isn’t a region that typically comes to mind. But when it comes to eSports competitions, the combination of beach territory and incredible scenery could make attending an event a more enriching experience that could benefit both the sport and Central America.

eSports tourism: A force to be reckoned with

When it comes to eSports, attendance is one of the most encouraging signs of its growth. And for the places that host these events, it is the out of market attendance that signifies the value of hosting competitions. Up to 70% of eSports event attendees are labeled as out-of-market attendees, meaning that people are traveling long distances to watch eSports in person. And when people are going to an event, that means that they’re contributing to the business growth of the local communities.

Given that eSports are spread across the world, rather than confined to domestic leagues in most cases, fans have to travel hundreds of miles to attend competitions. That means buying hotel stays and other accommodations that last longer than one day. This could spell immense benefits for Central American businesses if the region were to put a more defined focus on hosting future tournaments, which should be pursued with gusto.

Reasons for eSports popularity

There has been a meteoric rise in eSports popularity over the last few years, as competitive gaming has gone from a niche sport to one that is capable of filling arenas around the globe. One of the biggest reasons for that rise is the fact that eSports are more accessible to players than many other sports. While becoming an elite gamer requires plenty of hard work, it does not come with many of the barriers to entry that come with throwing 60-yard passes in football or slam-dunking a basketball. As a result, fans can cheer for outcomes that they are capable of achieving, creating more engaged supporters.

Additionally, eSports attendance continues to climb as interactive components like esports betting have brought fans closer to the action. Now, what exactly is esports betting? It allows the most ardent supporters to predict the outcomes of matches, cultivating a generation of more knowledgeable esports fans in what has become a big business. That knowledge has spawned a passion that has inspired fans to travel to competitions and buy merchandise. That’s also something that fans would likely do during events held in beautiful Belize as they have in other destinations across Europe, Asia, and North America.

How eSports could impact tourism in Central America

As it pertains to tourism in Central America, eSports could play a sizable role in the future if steps are made to bring the two together. With many vital eSports events being held in cities like Seoul and Seattle, organizers holding tournaments in Central America could provide a much-needed change of scenery from competitions held in cities to those held near the beach. And with the potential to create vacation packages around those tournaments, fans could enjoy everything Central America has to offer in between matches.

eSports could also provide a blueprint for other sports to move into the region for events in the future to make it an even more appealing destination. American college sports could be an area for that expansion to take place, given the current trajectory of both college basketball and football.

College basketball in the United States routinely features early-season tournaments in locations that include Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands, where some of the best teams in the sport clash outside of American soil. College football, meanwhile, features the Bahamas Bowl each year. Both sports already feature international competition, and if something like eSports proved that sporting events could go off without a hitch in Central America, the region could see those sports move in as well.

In and of itself, eSports is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Were Central America able to secure the opportunity to host events in the sport, it could see a strong attendance that has followed this sport around the world. Perhaps more importantly, eSports could open the door to the chance to host even more events from other sports and make the region an attractive destination for sports fans of all kinds.