Belize holidays, tailor made
This trip can be tailor made to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more individual trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments, with the flexibility to plan a trip at your own pace. Quality and value are the hallmark of these trips, with most services being provided on a private basis.
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
The River Lodge on this tour, located in the Cayo district of Belize is one of the country’s most developed and popular areas of the country for visitors. The river lodge provides its guests with the chance to stay in an ecologically friendly lodge that has a minimal impact on the environment. The lodge produces all its own electricity through both hydro and solar power on site and is also currently developing a natural means of filtering water so that more water can be recycled and reused. All water used is treated in the lodge’s own sewage systems and the waste water is connected to a system of septics and leach fields which treat the waste appropriately and prevent contamination of the soil and underwater aquifer. A carbon offsetting scheme offered to all clients who want to offset the carbon footprint of their trip.
In 2007 the river lodge completed the construction of it’s first “constructed wetland” for even further treatment of waste water. The “wetland” uses the natural cleaning agents of plants and aerobic bacteria to more completely clean the water to use it for irrigation of landscaped areas. The lodge also composts as much as possible which is then returned to the gardens where the fruit and vegetables are grown throughout the year and seasonally used in the lodge’s kitchen.
Ethical practice is not just limited to the destinations we operate in. Responsible practice is exercised in our office with various measures put in place aimed at reducing, re-using and recycling resources where possible. As part of our commitment to responsible tourism, we formed our Charity Portfolio’ in early 2005, which consists of five organisations that we actively support. The charities are: Schools for Children of Cambodia, Task Brasil, Encompass Trust, Friends of Conservation and The Galapagos Conservation Trust.
Community
The Toledo district in the south of Belize is one of the poorest and least developed areas of Belize but it also has a tremendous cultural depth often overlooked by foreign visitors. To explore this part of the country is not only a fantastic opportunity to get off the beaten track and experience the real Belize but it also provides the local Mayans and Garifuna with training and employment opportunities, improves the awareness of sustainable tourism which is in turn used to educate local people about the importance of protecting their environment and the natural resources that exist here.
Since opening, the jungle lodge on this tour has been developing a partnership with SHI, a non-profit organisation that teaches sustainable agriculture techniques to Central American farmers. SHI has established an organic demonstration garden on the lodge grounds, which provides space for farming workshops and fresh produce for the lodge kitchen. SHI offers volunteer opportunities to lodge guests who wish to work on projects like building wood-conserving stoves or planting vegetable gardens.
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