Taking the Kids: An adventure in Belize
No wonder well-traveled kids like Kate Bingham, 12, back for her second visit from Portland, Oregon, declares that "everyone should come here because it's amazing!"
Belize, a tiny country about the size of Massachusetts with a population of only 370,000, is on the east coast of Central America, bordering Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east. It offers a blend of cultures from China to Africa to Maya and European, even Mennonites, every one blessing the country with amazing cuisine -- delectable stews and soups, seafood and lobster, ceviche made from just-caught conch, watermelon and mango juice. At one local spot called Benny's Kitchen we feasted on Pibil (shredded pork cooked underground with rice), washing it down with coconut water served in a coconut.
Belize has long been famous for its barrier reef, the second-largest in the world, and requisite fishing and watersports. But it's only recently that adventurous travelers have ventured inland to places like Chaa Creek where they can explore caves by canoe or tube and visit ancient Mayan sites -- with more than 600, Belize is considered the Maya heartland, offering the largest concentration in all of Central America. Xunantunich (pronounced shoo-nan-too-nich) is just a short drive from The Lodge at Chaa Creek and one of the most accessible (here's what I wrote). There's even a Green Iguana Conservation Project nearby where iguana love belly rubs as much as dogs do!
Yet when Lucy and Mick Fleming first opened the Lodge at Chaa Creek, those in the budding tourism industry thought they'd never succeed because they were too far inland.
That seems crazy today looking around the sprawling, award-winning resort with 160 employees. The family dedicates 10 percent of room revenue to environmental and community projects like the Macal eco-camp, which brings kids from all over Belize for a sponsored week in the summer. Guests are encouraged to "Pack a Pound" of school supplies for Belizean children, donate to pets at the local humane society or buy crafts to fund the local senior center.
Longtime staff is encouraged to chat with guests about their lives so that guests have "a true experience."
"I love it because it's so different from everywhere else," said Kate Bingham.
Me too.
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(For more Taking the Kids, including my Belize Trip Diaries, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, Instagram and Facebook where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.)
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