If there’s any downside at all to a Belize vacation it’s trying to cram so much into the always too short amount of time you have there. Plan as much as you like; new things always present themselves when you arrive in the Jewel, as Belizeans refer to their country.

After years of research and consideration, Cecilia and Robert are focused on moving to Belize. They think this could be a place where they want to live, at least part-time. But what really attracted them to Belize, over all the other countries they considered, was finances. “We aren’t wealthy people, but we’ve managed what we have,” says Robert. “We see this new adventure as a next step in that process.”

Belize has a multitude of little sand islands, called cayes along its coast. The smaller cayes are nothing more than a pile of sand on some coral while the biggest one (Ambergris Caye) spans 40 by 1.6 km in size. Ambergris Caye is the most developed tourism destination in Belize with a big expat community enjoying fishing, scuba diving and hanging out at the pool.

Belize lies at the crossroads between the Caribbean and Latin America. You can physically see the changes in people, architecture and landscape as you drive from the port of Belize City into the mountains beyond San Ignacio and the Guatemala border. Belize has long been known as the dive capital of the Americas, far fewer visitors have recognised the quality and uniqueness of its spa and wellness facilities.

The Microsoft search engine Bing recently featured Belize’s largest island – Ambergris Caye – one day before Belize’s Independence Day on September 21!

With the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere and three of the four major atolls in the Caribbean, including the famous Blue Hole, Belize is a diver’s paradise. The waters are teeming with marine life in all sizes and shapes, including 70 types of hard corals and nearly 500 species of fish.

Like most divers, I’ve heard great things about scuba diving in Belize, but for various reasons first travelled further afield to places like Tonga, the Cook Islands and Australia. They were all superb, but what a surprise to discover that the absolute best diving to be found anywhere, and I do mean anywhere, is in the tiny little Central American country of Belize.

The regions of Belize offer amazingly diverse terrain to explore, including over 200 offshore cayes, rain forest jungle and lush farmland.

Belize is my favorite place in the whole world! My love affair with Belize began when my brother-in-law got married and they chose Ambergris Caye as the place they wanted to have their wedding. Needless to say, with the white sand beaches and beautiful deep blue waters, their wedding was picture perfect and provided us with some gorgeous photos and wonderful memories.

Why Belize? Peter and I joked about going to Belize a couple times. We would send each other pictures of Belize back and forth, commenting on how the place seemed so unreal. There were times when Peter and I would sneak out of real life to go on road trips. They were always the best; we always have the best time. I would love to take Peter to Belize because if there is anyone who deserves this trip, it is him.

After looking at different options for our early summer family trip we picked the country of Belize. The reason for Belize was because of its diversity in activities. Our goal was to get to see the forests and caves for a few days inland and then visit Belize’s Caribbean Sea and reefs. To start our trip off we landed in Belize City Airport we were met by the staff of Chaa Creek Lodge. As part of our package we were driven to the Belize Zoo on the way to the lodge. The Belize Zoo is a small one set in a jungle like environment. They claim their animals were never bought or captured but were rescued. The exception we were told was the beautiful jaguar captured because it strayed from its normally hunting ground to the farms nearby. After an hour at the zoo we were back in the van for the 90 minute ride. Our impression was that the Belize Zoo is nice but we would not make a special trip there.

A few years ago, we visited the magic land of Belize and were enchanted by its beauty and diversity. Since we are divers, the main focus of our trip was Belize’s barrier reef, second only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. As we dove, we understood why the explosion of undersea life draws nature lovers from around the world to its waters. In Shark-Ray Alley, we swam with these magnificent creatures and were awed …

Porcupine fish, is also known as “spotted spiny puffer,” and there are approximately 15 species. They have a round, elongated body, large at the head, gradually becoming thin at the tail. Their top body coloration is olive to brown black with a white belly. There are small, dark spots all over their body and fins. they grow 3-19 inches depending on the species.

10 things you can do to conserve energy when you travel

1. Fly Wisely:
Air travel is often the most energy consuming aspect of your travel. Plan your trip so that you minimize air travel, and choose, whenever possible, to stay longer in a destination instead of making many short trips.

2. Travel Light:
Pack only what you need, and don’t bring things that will become waste. By reducing the weight of luggage travelers can significantly cut green house gas emissions.

These fun-filled holidays of a life-time are being provided to friends & families who would like to enjoy an exceptional and exciting potpourri of specialized Maya Temple Exploration and Reef Snorkeling tours free of charge.

Ambergris Caye is the largest of some 200 small islands scattered along the spectacular Belize barrier reef, and although only 25 miles long, it offers a wealth of things to do. There are so many choices, in fact, that you’ll want to pace yourself to maintain that all important level of relaxation.