Part of the natural beauty of Belize is its lush and green rainforest which is abundant in flora and fauna. But there is more to just the verdant rainforest, Belize also offers an uncommon but sacred trip into the past, with a scope into the new world. There is a secret little place, nestled in the heart of Belize’s unspoiled rainforest. From the moment you step foot on it, it magically but also naturally transfers your mind into the secrets of the past – the Lodge at Chaa Creek.

For generations, descendants of the ancient civilizations have tried to guard the country’s natural and historical riches. More recently, the Belize government realized that discovery by tourists – though it is most welcome and a shot in the arm for the economy – places the country’s treasures in peril. At risk of being “loved to death” are the barrier reef, the hemisphere’s most extensive cave system, the Maya ruins and the sensitive rainforests that shelter endangered jaguars and hold the cures to many of the world’s ills.

I was made to feel at home whether participating in a Garifuna Drum festival or eating fantastic street food (miss the meat pies the most) offered up at the Bus depot in Belmopan. Being an artist I was also enthralled by the high art that is to be seen while exploring the myriad of Mayan ruins including Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, Caracol. At a time Europe was a complete wreck “the dark ages” Mayan culture was flourishing. There is evidence of trade as far as the American southwest, Architectural advances such as the corbelled arch, an incredible volume of public monument building and an advanced understanding of the night sky and an ingenious calendar system.

Chaa Creek is the perfect backdrop for my budding scientist to explore and study new bugs, birds and plants not seen in an urban environment. How exciting to wake up before sunrise to spot a bird or a nighttime exploration where he can put his night goggles to good use besides our small backyard.

Central America shelters the best eco-tourism trips in the world and we will be very happy to help this kind of tourism to expand. At home, we mostly eat organic-farmed products to stay healthy and we praise fair business by buying certified coffees. We will be very proud to live in an environmental-friendly lodge that respects many important ethical aspects like employing local people.

The breakfasts were our favorites. Amazing local fruits and meats. The naturalists were very good. My kids learned more about butterflies in the 45 minutes they spent at the nature center than they did in weeks of studying them in school. I got the “coma” at the spa and it was the best massage I ever had.

This is a beautiful eco-lodge where you will feel like you are in the middle of the rainforest. We stayed in the cottage room and it was beautiful! The room and bathroom are very spacious and beautifully decorated. We also enjoyed cocktails and dinners on our private balcony. It was like having a jungle symphony every night. We could hear howler monkeys, birds and cicada bugs (which sound like loud crickets). The food in the restaurant is amazing.

During this thanksgiving season, the management of Chaa Creek would like to take a moment to express our feelings of sincere gratitude. To the country of Belize, thank you for offering an extraordinary landscape in which
to grow and excel. To our staff, thank you for breathing life into the environment and forming the heart of a truly magical Belizean experience. To our colleagues and guests, thank you for guiding our hand, sustaining our work, and for becoming an integral part of our special little world. And to the god of all things and creator of nature’s bountiful riches, our gratitude is as it should be, beyond measure.

Belize, formerly British Honduras, is wild and rugged, a wedge of subtropical Eden with Guatemala at its back, the Caribbean Sea spread before it, and some 200 tiny islands, many of them uninhabited, just offshore. As more travelers venture to Belize’s reefs and rainforests, a surprising number of new lodges are opening to welcome them.

The Lodge at Chaa Creek has been selected as one of the best environmentally friendly hotels in the world by CNN Traveler Magazine.

Chaa Creek was one of the pioneering eco-resorts back in the early 1980s and continues to collect eco-awards. It is set in a 147-hectare nature reserve in Belize’s Maya Mountains and guests awake to the roars of black howler monkeys outside palm-thatched cottages. Solar panels provide power, photovoltaic switches save energy, air-conditioning is environmentally friendly and cleaning products are biodegradable. 
Chaa Creek has already bagged a prestigious Green Globe certification. The resort provides miles of forest trails for the adventurous to explore that weave past Mayan temples and provide opportunities for biking and bird-watching.

The Caribbean coast of Belize is known the world over for its spectacular scuba diving and snorkeling. In addition to the 180-mile barrier reef just off the coast and the famous dive spot known as the Blue Hole, the Belizean coast features the backpacker paradise of Caye Caulker, the more upscale San Pedro, and the laid-back one-horse town of Hopkins in the south.

Belize is a very diverse little nation, which makes travel in Belize very simple and straightforward. Belize’s interior hides Mayan ruins, tall waterfalls, rainforests, and rivers you can explore. Down near Sittee Point is a jaguar preserve where you can venture into the jungle in search of the elusive cats.

Birdwatching in Belize’s interior is a treat, too. You’ll be able to spot parrots, toucans, flycatchers, and herons in their natural environment.

No longer a secret to the adventurous traveler, Belize is most famous for its virtually unspoiled coast. Just off the shores of its beautiful beaches is a 176-mile barrier reef, the largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere, and second only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Belize’s reef has long been a mecca for skilled divers, snorkelers, and fishermen.

Laughing Bird shrimp are unlike many farmed shrimp, and that is a good thing. They are raised in the Caribbean, in inland ponds on the coast of Belize. They swim in filtered sea water, are fed a vegetarian diet, are not treated with additives or sulfites and are sold fresh and hand-peeled. The farm, the only one in Belize, has been given positive marks by the World Wildlife Fund.

In addition to outdoor activities (canoeing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and bird watching), the lodge incorporates green aspects into much of the resort. Crushed aluminum cans are used in the foundations of new buildings, the saltwater pool is chemical free, and the spa features fresh flowers from the resort and eco-friendly products. Produce from the resort’s traditional Mayan farm is used in dishes in the elegant restaurant, which mixes Belizean and international cuisine for dishes like lasagna made with tortillas in lieu of pasta.

Over the course of the next couple of days we counted one new adventure after another. We witnessed each stage of a “Belizean Blue” butterfly’s life-from egg, to caterpillar, then pupa, before spreading its wings. Far from simply viewing a sterile science exhibit documenting this marvel of nature, our education was experiential. In a large, screened-in space, we held a delicate pale green pupa and stood amidst widespread fluttering of translucent azure wings, as scores of the species wafted through the air, unpredictably darting here and then there. Who knew insects could be so fun?

The Maya believed that every object contained a life force that toucans were sacred spirits, messengers between the gods and man. Inspired by this toucan’s passing in the early evening’s golden light, the Maya craftman might have begun carving its image into a limestone frieze on a ceremonial temple. As for myself, I retain just enough life force after a long day of exploring the rainforest to toast the toucan with another rum and fresh papaya, one of the bird’s favorite fruits.

Yesterday was an exciting day at Chaa Creek as seven little school girls from St. Andrews Primary came into the office during lunch break to pick the winning tickets in the Nature Quest Sweepstakes Lottery. Having read all your entries, tallied your scores and followed the contest from beginning to end, we were on pins and needles as the winning entries were chosen.

Cayo District, Belize November 4th 2009 -The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Belize’s award-winning ecotourism resort in the jungles of Central America is delighted to announce the winners of our Nature Quest Sweepstakes Lottery.
Chaa Creek Nature Quest Sweepstakes offered contestants free eco-holidays inclusive of accommodation, food, tours and activities in Chaa Creek’s 365 acre rainforest reserve in the foothills of the Maya Mountains.
A total of fifty two participants wrote fascinating essays explaining why they wanted to visit The Lodge at Chaa …

Today, much of the geological structure of Belize is what is known as “karst landforms,” created when CO2-infused water passing through the soil becomes mildly acidic and slowly, over time, begins to dissolve the earth’s natural limestone to create breaks in the rock. These breaks allow more water to begin flowing downward, resulting in ideal conditions for the formation of underground caves and rivers. In fact, if you plot them on a map, the southern half of the country is completely dotted with them.