Belize tourism is off to a very good 2012, with a recent weeklong BBC Travel feature on the many attractions of Belize adding to Trip Advisor’s enthusiastic thumbs up of the country’s resorts, and this trend is expected to continue as more people discover the tiny Caribbean country, The Lodge at Chaa Creek’s Lucy Fleming said.

Ms. Fleming, owner and GM of Chaa Creek, which was voted as one of Trip Advisor’s Traveller’s Choice Top 25 Hotels for 2012 for the Central American region, said the recent recognition is all the more significant in light of the worldwide interest in the Maya culture during 2012.

“With all the attention on the Heartland of Maya during 2012, it’s great to see such positive news and reviews from such internationally recognised travel experts as Trip Advisor and now the BBC and Lonely Planet. It shows that people recognise Belize not just for its position in the heartland of the Maya, but as a high quality, interesting destination in itself.

“The Belize tourism industry has grown leaps and bounds in the 30 years my husband Mick and I have been involved in it, and it’s wonderful to see these efforts paying off in worldwide recognition,” she added.

The BBC, with over 50 million viewers, is one of the world’s most highly regarded global news and entertainment services, and in conjunction with Lonely Planet, featured Belize in its travel section for the week of 30 January to 3 February. The series highlighted the country’s numerous attractions, including the many Maya temples and archaeology sites, abundant flora and fauna, Caribbean seacoast and the Belize Great Barrier Reef with its hundreds of tiny islands.

BBC introduced the series by stating, “Belize marches to its own drumbeat. Culturally and ecologically diverse, Belize offers such a dizzying array of choices for visitors that the most difficult part of your trip might be deciding what to do first,” before exploring the country under such topics as, Maya festivals for the end of time, Adventuring in Belize, Belize’s lessons in eco-tourism, Papayas and piety in Belize, Journey into the Maya underworld and Relaxing in Caye Caulker, Belize.

The Belize Tourism Board’s Director of Marketing, Yanick Dalhouse, also welcomed the news, saying the BBC series “helps to further the wonderful momentum we’re building throughout 2012.”

Ms. Fleming said that she was particularly pleased with the BBC’s emphasis on Belize’s Green credentials and growing reputation as a model for sustainable development and responsible travel.

“It was very satisfying to see that amidst the many natural and cultural attractions of Belize, the BBC and Lonely Planet took note of our efforts in sustainable tourism, as this is an area Chaa Creek has been deeply involved in for decades and something that we continue to passionately promote. It’s great to be known for having such an abundance of natural treasures, but perhaps even better to be recognised for our efforts in protecting them, ” she said.

Photo credits: BBC Travel

Today’s Belize Photo of the Day is the Two-man Crosscut Saw.

The Two-Man Crosscut Saw came into sight by the Romans but it was until the middle of the 15^th Century that it was used as a tool across Europe and its major function was for cross cutting of large logs by wealthy logwood owners.

Primarily popular in Colonial America, it is not a surprise that many of these European remnants remained in Belize, a former British colony.

The photograph displayed above, shows three “Tuttle Tooth” Two-Man Crosscut Saws that are presently exhibited at Chaa Creek’s Natural History Centre. Many fascinating historical remains are also showcased at our Museum that were used by the British Bay Men over 300 years ago.

Although scarcely found today, these historical tools can still be a quick and efficient method of cutting a tree or cutting a pile of firewood on a chilly night. All you need are two men on either side of the large bark to cut the tree while working in a pulling direction.

Photo taken by Naturalist Guide: Meshack Eliah

Today’s Belize Photo of the Day is the Nightshade Eggplant which is scientifically known as Solanum Melongena. The Eggplant is native to the Indian subcontinent and has been cultivated in Southern and Eastern Asia from where it later made its way to the Western World.

The picture above was taken at Chaa Creek’s Maya Organic Farm which is an integral part of the Chaa Creek Nature Reserve since it provides freshly harvested produce for the Lodge’s Restaurant and Bar.

Interestingly, this small tropical perennial plant is botanically classified as a berry and the fruit can grow up to 25 inches, each weighing as much as 2.5 lbs. The flesh has a pleasantly bitter taste, due to the insignificant presence of nicotinoid alkaloids. Usurprising, it is a close relative to tobacco.

Cooking Tips:

Eggplants can be a key ingredient to many appetizing culinary recipes and can be cooked in a variety of ways- baked, steamed, grilled, and even roasted. When preparing eggplants for meals, wash it properly and use a stainless steel knife to cut the fruit into slices. Do not use a carbon steel knife as it may react with the phytonutrients present in the plant causing the vegetable to turn black. Since it has a slightly bitter taste, it is advisable to sweat the fruit by salting it and letting it sit for 30 minutes. By doing this, the water content will drain out making it less permeable to absorbing oil when cooking it.

Photo taken by Naturalist Guide: Hilberto Tut

An exotic Valentine’s Day in a tropical paradise has suddenly become more affordable with the Lodge at Chaa Creek offering a twenty per cent enticement for lovers to enjoy a romantic getaway in the Belizean rainforest.

According to the 2011 Belize Hotel of the Year’s marketing administrator, Larry Waight, the 20% discounts are part of Chaa Creek’s annual” Belize Month of Love” celebrations, and this year the eco resort is going all out to create a romantic atmosphere.

“Valentine’s Day in Belize has always been popular, both locally and with overseas visitors, and we’ve been seeing more interest in what we call adventure romance, where couples share an exotic adventure together. It makes a lot of sense – rather than give each other expensive gifts, couples share an experience that brings them closer together and creates some magic moments as well as cherished memories.

“You don’t need to buy flowers when the rainforest is blooming all around you, and the beautiful tropical birds and huge butterflies create an atmosphere that most people find incredibly romantic.

“My perfect Valentine’s Day would start with one of our signature breakfasts with lots of fruits and fresh juices, and perhaps a quick swim in the pool before hiking, horseback or mountain bike riding along the miles of trails through our 365 acre nature reserve. Exploring an ancient Maya temple, or paddling a canoe together down the beautiful Macal River before a late lunch, a couple’s massage at the hilltop spa, and then enjoying our special lover’s cocktails before having a romantic candle light dinner on your private veranda. A soak in the Jacuzzi would be the perfect end to a perfect day.

“And to top it all off, you’d be saving 20% off your room for the entire month of February!” he said.

Mr Waight acknowledged that there has been a general surge in interest in Belize as a romantic destination. “I think having celebrities like Reese Witherspoon,Gene Simmons and DeAnna Pappas having their romantic escapades in Belize so well publicised created more interest lately, but there’s also been a big word of mouth factor as well. People come down here and the sheer beauty, perfect weather and friendly atmosphere just puts them in the mood, and they tell their friends.

“I have a feeling that if people come down to take advantage of these special discounts, at least a few of them will be returning for a Belize wedding or honeymoon. It wouldn’t be the first time it happened at Chaa Creek,” he said.

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The names of the two celebrities are Ai Carina Uemura and Thelma Aoyama.

Ai Carina Uemura is an R&B singer and rapper under EMI Music Japan – one of Japan’s leading music companies. Ms. Uemura was the first female artist to sing to Def Jam in Japan and has gone on to enormous success, selling 3.5 million downloads of her 2005 hit “Story” and playing to 100,000 fans on her 2008 tour, that also took place in El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles.

A.I. also performed with the Jacksons ( brothers Jackie, Tito, Marlon and Jermaine) for Michael Jackson’s Tribute in Japan and just last year she started to record tracks with them. According to her, Japan was one of Michael Jackson’s favorite places in the world since he always felt much love from his millions of fans there.

Thelma Aoyama on the other hand is  Afro-Trinidadian and Japanese and is probably best known for her collaboration song with SoulJa, “Koko ni Iru yo”, and her answer song “Soba ni Iru ne“. In September 2008, the Guinness World Records certified that “Soba ni Iru ne” became the best-selling digital download single in Japan with over two million “full-track” downloads (Chaku Uta Full).

The TV Show “The Danga Traveler” will air on Friday night and has over 22 million viewers in Tokyo alone.

If you are not familiar with the music of these two popular singers, check out the following videos below:

Thelma Aoyama – Fall In Love Feat. Tae Yang

Story – Ai Relaxing Piano