Belize holidays, tailor made tours

We operate a carbon neutral office and offers guests the option of making their tour carbon neutral for an additional cost of $1 per person per day which includes covering internal flights. We have started a recycling program and encourages all suppliers and visitors to take part in the recycling program. We recycle paper, plastic, glass & aluminium. We are a partner with Rainforest Alliance and are the #1 Sustainable Tourism provider in Guatemala (2007) with the highest level of certification. For every visitor on this itinerary a donation is made to the foundation which then donates money to various grass roots organizations working in poverty alleviation, conservation & cultural protection. The foundation is our company foundation and we donate a set amount of money per person per day of their tour into the fund and also collect funds from other company clients and suppliers. We then distribute the money to a selection of grass roots charities that we have selected in the areas of education, poverty relief, micro credit and conservation.

All of the tours in this itinerary involve local people from the surrounding communities in each area visited. We use local guides in different areas of the country so that people from all areas can benefit from tourism not just guides from the capital or main towns. Where possible we include visits to local community tourism programs and craft cooperatives so that guests can impact in a positive way on the lives of the local communities. Entrance fees to Mayan sites and National Parks contribute towards their conservation & development. Everywhere you travel on this trip a large amount of the costs involved in the trip will remain in that area with the local people. All profits from this trip stay within Guatemala, Belize or Honduras. The local operator offering this trip is a top sustainable tourism certified operator with commitment to sustainable / responsible travel who works with all their suppliers to encourage & train them in responsible tourism best practice at all times on a tour. Travelers on this trip will be advised by literature in the welcome pack and also by their guides on how to reduce their impact on the environment and encouraged to use local services and buy local products from small local providers and cooperatives. We will collect all water bottles and other materials from tours to go into the recycling program. We welcome feedback from travelers on how we can continually improve our sustainable policies and actions.

This tour uses hotels with a proven track record of sustainability and responsible and ethical operations. For example:

Chaa Creek
The owners of Chaa Creek live and work on the property and are dedicated to sustainable tourism. They were the pioneers of sustainable tourism in Belize and are great promoters and supporters of the cause. Chaa Creek have been awarded many eco-tourism accolades over the years and are currently benchmarked by the Green Glove international certification process. They have a foundation which they use to support local conservation and community work – the Belize Foundation for Conservation. Its mission is to promote environmental education, cultural awareness and sustainable conservation practices throughout Belize. Their goal is “to establish a model of low-impact, sustainable development. By stimulating interest in the environment, natural history and local culture we hope to demonstrate the long term benefits of ecotourism over other environmentally damaging options for development”. Their staff of over 100 full time employees is entirely made up from people from the local communities.

Projects supported by Chaa Creek include: Howler Monkey reintroduction in partnership with the Yerkes Primate Institute & Foundation for Wildlife Conservation. Birds without Borders – neotropical migratory bird research in partnership with the Zoological Society of Milwaukee. Vascular Plant Cataloguing & Agrofoestry Research in partnership with New York Botanical Gardens and Archaeology Research – continuing research on the 70 sites contained within the Chaa Creek Nature Reserve

Chan Chich
Due to Chan Chich's unique location on Gallon Jug Estate, they are blessed with an abundance of wildlife. Over 350 species of birds have been recorded at Chan Chich, making it one of the world's premier birding destinations - large birds, such as the Ocellated Turkey, Crested Guan and Great Curassow, hunted out in so many other places, are readily seen here as well as a myriad of other species. All five cat species - jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay and jaguarundi - are well represented with jaguars seen at the rate of about one per week, a record that is unmatched elsewhere. Tapir, both white-lipped and collared peccary, brocket and white-tailed deer can be found in great quantities as well as smaller species like tayra, fox, agoutis and kinkajou. For groups wanting to get more involved via donations or volunteer work we have the following ideas in this area: Visit the local community school and donate to the sponsorship scheme sending local children to high education. Hear the presentation on large cats and bats by resident scientists and donate to their research fund.

Kanatik
Kanantik prides itself on its ecology focus as well as conserving and protecting over 300 acres of tropical coastline habitat they employ many other environmentally sensitive practices including: They do NOT spray any chemical for pest control rarely for termites. No dogs area allowed on the land to protect the wildlife and indigenous species such as iguanas, coatis, foxes, agoutis, opossum snakes are allowed run freely on the land including the beach. They practice composting with food organic let overs. They have the best water waste treatment system for the seaside environment.

Victoria House
Victoria House actively supports community efforts to maintain and improve the quality of our environment. As members of the Ambergris Caye Chamber of Commerce and the San Pedro Business Association, we are active in areas such as: battery clean up and re-cycling, rubbish drives, reducing our impact by investment in composting for in-house wastes, having recyclable 5 gallon bottles of purified water available for guest use in the dining room and bar, with individual bottles available on request. Villas at Victoria House all have recyclable 5 gallon water containers in kitchens, collection of rainwater to minimize use of locally produced row water, exclusive use of rain and groundwater for irrigation and support of youth activities. Community project ideas include Green Reef Conservation Program, Hol Chan Marine Reserve and it’s Offices and Visit & Help out at one of the local schools in San Pedro.

Hidden Valley
The lodge owns and protects a 7200 acre private reserve in the Mountain Pine Ridge area of Belize. The lodge supports many conservation projects including the Peregrine Fund for the Orange Breasted Falcons. Major focus in assisting and hosting large wildlife & conservation research projects, Margay, Jaguar surveys and Falcon releases and guests can interact with the researchers and view and learn about release projects. The property's two diverse ecosystems are divided by a huge geological fault line, which marks the edge of a towering 1000 Foot escarpment. Tropical broadleaf jungle covers one third of the 7200 acre private reserve; the remainder is predominantly Caribbean Pine consisting of pine savannah, in the process of regeneration after the explosion of the bark beetle population; ravine flora and palm swamp. Both areas are populated with over 70 species of colorful and delicate orchids and bromeliads, fuzzy-leafed melastomes, vivid "hot lips", and feathery ferns in many sizes from ancient looking tree ferns to low growing club ferns. Rare and beautiful wildlife lives unaffected by human habitation; large puma and jaguar are sometime seen along the roads, although you will be very lucky to spot one! A puma's scratching post marks the start of one of our trails. The tapir leaves his tracks on the forest floor and the shy quash (coatimundi) may be seen foraging along the trails. Peccary frequent the macadamia plantation and grey fox is common around the Inn. Look out for otters swimming in the quiet streams and pools of the property.

Lodge at Big Falls
The opening of the lodge in the village brought new employment opportunities and now with a staff of thirteen the business generated brings income into the village and benefits the staff and their dependents. Staff have grown in confidence and self-esteem through learning new skills & gaining work experience. They employ a policy of sub-contracting local suppliers in all areas of their operation and include paid visits to homes, craftsmen and organic farms which allows visitors to gain an appreciation of local life and culture and develop relationships with local people. The lodge supports financially & in other ways a number of local organizations: Ya’axche Conservation Trust: promote their scholarship program to their guests & sell their products in the lodge’s gift shop. The Aguacaliente Wildlife Sanctuary: The lodge has been supporting the efforts of the Aguacaliente Management Team since 2002. Julian Cho Technical High School: The lodge has, through the generosity of the Rotary Club of Fleet in Hampshire, UK, been able to secure two donations of US $1000 for the purchase of tools for the construction department. They focus on being as energy efficient as possible and managing our resources and waste to minimise our impact on the environment (forest, villages, rivers and lagoons) Each cabana is designed to bring the trade winds breezes into the cabana and provide natural cooling thus not requiring air conditioning units. The cabanas were equipped with on-demand gas water heaters in order to minimize the use of LP gas for heating. All the wood used in construction was sourced within a 25 mile radius of the lodge. Solar path lights or low voltage lights are used for night time illumination. They compost all vegetable waste, have a single burial pit for other waste and transport cans, bottles and plastics off the premises to the municipal dump 15 miles away as there is currently no recycling available in the area.