How to Plan an Amazing Travel Adventure to Belize for Your Kids

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Your kids deserve a break—especially if they make the school honor roll repeatedly, exhibit sportsmanship on the playground and remember to thank Grandma for her birthday check without being prompted. Your plans for a summer travel destination start with picking Chabil Mar in Placencia in Belize for your kid-friendly adventure (https://chabilmarvillas.com/belize-vacation-packages/belize-family-vacation-package-beautiful-sea.html)!

Get creepy and crawly. Your kids will want to meet Belize’s most exotic critters, so ask the folks at Chabil Mar to book your party on day trips that showcase the nation’s wildlife. No fair making decisions about where to go: let the kids decide whether they can’t live without seeing infamous howler monkeys, slithering crocodiles or gentle manatees. You know your kids. They’re going to say “Yes, please” to all of them, so ask staff to pick a knowledgeable guide to take you out so the kids can question him or her more expertly than a quiz show host.

Pair fun with learning. Emulate the family visiting the Garifuna village of Seine Bight who treated their kids to drumming lessons. Belizeans in Seine Bight are delighted to lead kids in some heart- and finger-pounding fun, and your children won’t have a clue that they are also learning about the area’s history and culture. Explore markets and let the kids pick a place to eat. If they refuse what’s served, remind them of who chose the venue!

Stay active. Thanks to Chabil Mar sports gear rentals you and your little travelers can explore all points in Placencia. Rent bikes for everyone, grab kayaks to accommodate your family group (both are free for guests, by the way) and devote plenty of time to the Chabil Mar pool and the ocean. Head for town after a full day on premises to explore eateries that expose your kids to ethnic cookery. If a child shows an interest in how food is prepared, ask the chef if your child can peek into the kitchen.

Experience the reef. You don’t have to snorkel if your kids are too little, but if they’re good swimmers and your guide is happy to help you with snorkeling instructions, your surprise vacation could turn into the most amazing experience of all when kids glimpse exotic and wonderful coral configurations that resemble planetary surfaces. Identifying fish species is another fun activity—particularly if you bring a kid’s book on tropical fish that focuses on the waters around Placencia. One warning: the occasional child has spotted lobsters in the wild and refused to eat one at the dinner table. More than one little vegetarian has been born at Chabil Mar!

Cave in to both of these requests: “Please, please, Dad, can we go caving?” and “Mom, let’s go to the jungle!” Both day trips are doable thanks to Chabil Mar adventure plans that take you and the kids to both environments on one- or multiple-day excursions. Jungles and caves are both close-by and can be paired with tours of ancient Mayan ruins that will evoke enthusiastic responses when the kids find out they could spot skeletons. Jungle trips can include swimming and caving as well. Need we add the ultimate kid-driven activity of cave tubing?

Snag this terrific deal: You are happy to let kids make decisions as teachable moments. Chabil Mar is happy to make your booking decisions by offering Barefoot Luxury Vacation Packages that do everything but spread jelly on your kids’ new meal favorite, Fry Jacks. The Barefoot package provides everything a family of four requires to holiday in the lap of luxury, including adventures described above. From luxe accommodations, partial meal plans, tours and ground transportation, taxes, service fees and more starting at $6,750 USD, this package is the deal of a lifetime. Your job is to herd the kids onto the plane. Our job is to do everything else so your entire family returns from Chabil Mar with a lifetime worth of memories.

For more information about traveling with kids in 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: 1-866-417-237

 

Be one with Belize, Chabil Mar and Placencia Village

Belize, just two hours from the US in Central America on the Caribbean sea. Belize is a unique blend of pristine nature, diverse geography, Maya mystery, endless adventure and romance.

Be one with Placencia Village. A traditional fishing village, whose unique setting provides the perfect blend of activities, from flats and deep water fishing, exploring Maya archaeological sites, world class diving, snorkeling, birding, jaguar reserves and howler monkeys, all from one central location. Take a leisurely stroll down Placencia sidewalk, once called the world’s narrowest main street. Be immersed in Belize culture. Visit the many restaurants, gift shops, bakeries and home to Chabil Mar.

Chabil Mar, Maya for “Beautiful Sea”, is The Only Guest Exclusive Resort of Placencia. A private boutique resort of 19 Villas and 1 Honeymoon Suite and a stroll along the beach to Placencia Village (the closest full service resort to the Village).

At Chabil Mar each villa on this lushly landscaped property is uniquely designed and furnished, appointed with original artwork, and feature excellent views of the Caribbean from personal verandas. In addition, two infinity beach-side pools, nestled in lush tropical gardens, grace the property, along our 400 ft. of private beach and pier.

Intimate open-air al fresco beach-side dining at Café Mar or on our private pier is a hallmark of the Chabil Mar experience. Chabil Mar gives new meaning to table with a view. You choose:  The beach, your veranda, the pier, or a candlelit table beneath a black velvet star scattered sky? This is room service and al fresco dining re-defined! Our entire property is your kingdom; you choose where and when you will dine.

Privacy, luxury accommodations, access to all of Belize’s adventures, and our premier location all result in a one-of-a-kind “Barefoot Luxury” Resort adventure vacation.

Planning a destination wedding or honeymoon? As a boutique guest exclusive resort, we are uniquely positioned to create your dream destination wedding or honeymoon. Whether an intimate affair for the two of you or reserving the entire resort as your private oasis for just your guests and family, our on-site wedding planner is available to serve up that one-of-a-kind experience!

The unique setting of Placencia and Chabil Mar Resort provides the perfect blend of activities, from luxury to barefoot, modern amenities to local culture, adventure to romance.

Guest-Centric exclusive service in barefoot luxury, all just five minutes from Placencia Village in the World’s Best Kept Secret . . . Belize.

Tourism pioneer passes away

On behalf of the Chabil Mar Family, we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr Peter Tonti who passed away on April 16, 2015. Peter was a hard working trailblazer who played an instrumental role in contributing and developing tourism in Belize.unnamed

Below is the Belize Tourism Industry Association farewell to Mr. Tonti whose work in the tourism industry of Belize will never be forgotten.

It is with tremendous sadness that we inform you of the passing on April 16, 2015, of Mr. Peter Tonti.  Mr. Tonti was the CEO of Cahal Pech Village Resort and former 2nd Vice President of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA).

Mr. Tonti arrived in Belize in the late 1970’s as a Peace Corps Volunteer.  After completing his term as volunteer, Mr. Tonti remained in Belize to work in Belmopan for the Reconstruction and Development Corporation, which built and operated the new capital of Belize before it had a municipal government. He later joined the Belmopan Convention Hotel in 1983.  From those early days, Peter saw the opportunity Belize held as a thriving tourism destination. He quickly became one of the pioneers at the forefront of the development of the Belize tourism industry.

Peter’s accomplishments and contributions for over the past 30 years are countless and immense. He rendered his service to the BTIA wholeheartedly from the inception of the Association as standing member, advisor and later as a Board Member.

As a true tourism professional, Peter’s passion and dedication for the sustainable growth of the tourism industry was always at the forefront. He participated as BTIA’s representative on various national committees including the most recent, on the Inter-American Development Bank’s Civil Society Consulting Group for Belize (on which he was still serving at the time of his passing), and on the Board of the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) from 2010 – 2013. In addition to his vast contributions to the tourism industry, Mr. Tonti was also the Administrator at the Lodge at Chaa Creek for 15 years before joining the team at the Cahal Pech Village Resort in San Ignacio, Cayo District.

BTIA President, Mr. Osmany Salas says, “Peter Tonti will be greatly missed. Just a few months ago, he called me several times to persuade me to offer myself to serve as BTIA President. Peter was very persuasive and inspirational. You could sense his love for Belize in everything that he did. I am happy for having had the opportunity to know him. As a pioneer of the tourism Industry in Belize, Peter’s contribution will be felt for a very long time.”

On behalf of the BTIA President, Board of Directors, Staff and Members, we extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. The details of his funeral services will be announced shortly.

Mr. Peter Tonti will be greatly missed!

 

Welcome to the Mother Lode of Belize Chocolate Festivals

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Don’t look now, but Belize is about to move to the front of the line in terms of international chocolate festivals when the nation hosts its 9th annual–bigger and better–Chocolate Festival, between 22nd and 24th May 2015.

You read that right; expect three whole days of imbibing, so you’ll need a headquarters from which to go forth and indulge. The sweetest place to stay in Placencia is Chabil Mar (chabilmarvillas.com) where you can rest and relax in-between seeing, tasting and otherwise sampling decadent foods and delicious events.

But, you must act fast if you wish to stay at Chabil Mar, because most villas are already booked for the chocolate festival.

“I’m guilty of showing up in Belize every year for this event,” said a woman who asked that her identity not be revealed since her husband thinks she’s at a spa with friends. “This celebration gets better every year; it’s a fitting tribute to this nation’s commitment to make its cacao bean crop a major industry and an excuse to invite the world to commemorate the decision made to cultivate it by the Toledo Cacao Growers Association in 1984.”

History notwithstanding, the ninth homage to all things chocolate will require you to be a bit strategic as you set out on your tour of chocolate. Visit this website http://chocolatefestivalofbelize.com/ to learn where and when each event takes place, so you’ve a game plan for maximizing your time throughout all three days.

And don’t fear the calories. If you stay in motion, traveling from one event to the next on foot can help you work off calories, and the anti-oxidants packed into the dark chocolate products you consume will boost your immune system and keep you healthy.cacaofest_2-big

There will be many epicenters of chocolate during the festival. For example, the Taste of Toledo Street Fair on Saturday 23rd May morphs streets into staging areas for lectures, chocolate-making demonstrations, cultural displays recalling Toledo’s ethnic history and musical performances.

Patronize food stalls offering everything from chocolate-laced barbecue to beer, take a kayak ride break and buy souvenirs and memorabilia—lots of it cleverly chocolate-related, of course. “I long to bring home souvenirs for my family,” our anonymous source added, “but that would give my secret away.”

Staged since 2007 by Belize government, commercial and tourism entities–and originally called the Toledo Cacao Festival–the Chocolate Festival of Belize is one of the nation’s most heavily attended and popular events because it spreads the word about the growing commercial cacao industry and bolsters the nation’s annual Commonwealth Day holiday weekend in late May.

Staffed by Belizean volunteers, there’s a philanthropic aspect to the fest as well. Not only do businesses and citizens benefit from festival revenues, but profits help undertake community improvement projects throughout the Toledo District.

For additional information: email reservations(@)chabilmarvillas.com or call (011 501) 523–3606. If calling from the U.S. or Canada, use Chabil Mar’s toll-free number: 1-866-417-2377.

Megan’s and Derek’s Romantic Wedding in Belize

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Megan and Derek

Megan Scherer and Derek Pinkham didn’t always follow a traditional path in life, so their families weren’t surprised when they informed everyone that they planned to marry on December 13, 2015, at one of the top wedding destinations in the world: picture-perfect Chabil Mar in Placencia, Belize.

While their love story started much further north when the pair attended chiropractic school together in Marietta, Georgia, Megan and Derek actually hooked up for the first time while on a Red Top Mountain hike, so it’s only natural that the climbing enthusiasts are putting down roots in a place with an impressive number of scenic mountains: Maine. That’s where their family practice is headquartered.

In addition to being romantics, Megan and Derek share a decidedly practical side, which is why they made a decision to tie the knot on December 13, 2014. They loved the idea of marrying on an iconic date (12/13/14), and this put to rest name change issues for the busy pair. We have a hunch neither will forget to pick up anniversary gifts after marrying twice on the same day!

Megan and Derek are bending over backward (apologies for the chiropractic pun, but we couldn’t resist) to make their upcoming destination wedding memorable and easy for those who plan to attend. They’ve hired a wedding travel agent to do everything but open gifts on their behalf, and their Chabil Mar wedding planner will take over to assist the couple stage their storybook wedding, reception and the social events surrounding the big day.

What can you expect if you’re the lucky recipient of an invitation? An ambience and luxury you may not have experienced in your lifetime, plus the opportunity to help launch Megan’s and Derek’s marriage within one of the most intimate and private enclaves in Belize. The Chabil Mar Villas community consists of just 19 individually designed villas and a magazine-worthy bridal suite that, for obvious reasons, has already been booked.

In addition to watching the adorable couple take their vows, guests will be treated to the good life while on premises: there are 400-feet of unspoiled, isolated beachfront, a private pier for sunning and al fresco dining, two infinity pools and lush tropical gardens to be explored. Look around and you’ll quickly understand why Chabil Mar is profiled in prestigious travel magazines, and when TV show producers needed vacation prizes, Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right winners won trips to what Fodor has designated their “Choice for Luxury” destination.

Happily ever after never had such a sweet beginning, and we have a hunch Megan and Derek will return down the road. After all, when you get married on December 13th two years running, that establishes a trend, right?

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